Consultancy on Community Engagement, Bonding, Trust and Confidence Building Between Community Members/Stakeholders and Community Security Providers

Relationships between communities and state-based security providers are challenged by exacerbating violent extremism (VE) activities particularly in the northeastern Nigeria. This is compounded by protracted inter-group violent conflicts and farmer-herder crises in farming and herding communities in the northcentral of Kogi, Benue and Plateau states including communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. The existence of violent conflicts and extremism in Nigeria, invariably, makes difficult the relationship between members of the communities and law enforcement agents thereby hindering effective operations and service delivery. Arguably, the increasing acts of VE have a direct causal effect on the deployment and active presence of law enforcement agents (LEAs) in communities to preserve law and order. This situation ultimately makes the communities overly militarized. This reality cannot be ignored because during everyday interface between residents and the LEAs, new meanings and perceptions of liberty, rights and space are (re)created, affirmed, rejected and contested.

Remarkably, the militaristic approach has been largely successful in degrading the insurgent’s capacity to maintain control of any part of Nigeria’s territory, but it has not put a stop to attacks on soft civilian targets, neither has the approach adequately addressed the complex factors that gave rise to the insurgency and VE  in the country.

Building on some of the key recommendations of UNDP PVE 2018/2019 survey in selected states and mapping of critical stakeholders, and actors in five emergent states (Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Plateau) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja), one of the key outputs of the Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism (PRVE) project focuses on the rule of law, access to Justice and security.  The aim of the output is to enhance trust level and bonding between select communities and the security providers to prevent and counter the drivers of VE. Broadly speaking, the PRVE project goals support national coordination, build community-based bonding, promote trust and confidence building activities amongst community security providers and stakeholders including community-based organizations, vulnerable groups and women groups in targeted states/communities in line with PCVE National Action Plan (NAP).    

It is based on the foregoing that the Governance, Peace & Security (GPS) Unit of the UNDP seeks the services of two (2) consultants with expertise on peace building, conflict transformation, community mobilization, partnership and networking, communication, training and capacity building, and youths engagement to support implementation of four PRVE project activities across Outputs 2 and 3:

Outputs and Activities:

Output 2 : National Institutions (governments, security agencies & CSOs) and communities able to prevent and address violent extremism.

Activities:

• Train security providers (Police, NSCDC, NDLEA, Prisons, Vigilantes, etc.) on human rights and rule of law at community level.
• Undertake community-based bonding, trust and confidence building activities among community security providers and stakeholders including CBOs, youth and girls in six communities to enhance community security and peaceful co-existence.
• Establish community-security platforms and train members to promote and enhance partnership among security providers and the community stakeholders.

Output 3: Women, at-risk youths and vulnerable people in hot-spot areas empowered to play leading roles in prevention and response to VE and have improved socio-economic opportunities.

Activities:

• Support communities to develop and implement gender-sensitive community safety plans.
• Train women to serve as mentors and counsellors to victims of VE and at-risk youths in the targeted communities.

Objectives of Consultancy:

The main objective of the consultancy is to create conditions for improved community safety and security in targeted communities of the PVE project focal states.  Specific objectives include:

1. Community-based process of PCVE linked to the national PVE secretariat in each of the focal states and the FCT emplaced,  
2. Sustainable community security platforms for improved community security providers, stakeholder’s partnership, and increased trust and confidence building in each of the focal states and the FCT established,
3. With guidance and support from UNDP and key partners, sustainable all-inclusive process for bonding activities and sustained interface on trust and confidence building between at-risk communities and security providers initiated
4. With guidance and support from UNDP and key partners structures of gender-sensitive community safety plans in each select communities developed,
5. Selected women from each of the target communities from the focal states and FCT to serve as mentors and counsellors to victims of VE and at-risk youths identified and trained.

Scope of the Consultancy:

During the period of the consultancy, the  consultants will participate actively in defining the process and  setting up of community structures for constructive engagement, bonding, trust and confidence building activities, establish structures, code of conduct; guide development of gender-sensitive community safety plans,  identify and train selected women to serve as mentors and counsellors to at risk youths and victims of VE in communities (two communities per state ) mapped from the focal states of Kogi, and Plateau states.

Specific Tasks (20 Effective Working Days)

Period; Oct 2 – 6, 2020

Duration; 1 day

Activity;

• Produce an inception report with a work plan and clear timeline in consultation with the National Expert, PVE.

Period; Oct 12 – Nov 27, 2020     

Duration; 17 days           

Activity;

• Produce and implement tools for consultation, advocacy and sensitization on PCVE in two at-risk communities per targeted states.
• Develop a training manual for the conduct of an all-inclusive but sustainable process on dialogue, conflict prevention, bonding, trust building, networking and partnership between security providers and at-risk communities.
• Conduct a minimum of two bonding activities (minimum of 1 activity per community or combined for two communities) in each of the focal states.
• Train stakeholders on community safety and security, dialogue, conflict prevention, bonding, trust building, networking and partnership between security providers and at-risk communities.
• Prepare and administer pre and post training questionnaires to gauge the impact of all trainings for the participants.
• Establish community security platforms and train members to promote and enhance partnership among community security providers and stakeholders.
• Develop structures, Standard Operation Procedures (SOP), develop gender-sensitive community safety plans, and identify and train women to serve as mentors and counsellors to victims of VE and at-risk youths in the targeted communities.

Period; Nov 30 – Dec 02, 2020    

Duration; 2 days              

Activity;

• Produce pre and post training survey reports
• Produce a detailed consultancy report including lessons learned and recommendations to enhance local PCVE infrastructures in Nigeria, states, and the targeted communities.

Details of the assignment

• The assignment will last from 01.10.2020 to 05.12.2020 and will include the following details:
• including desk reviews works,
• including workdays in Abuja,
• including workdays in focal state (consultation/training/bonding activities/establishment of community platforms),
• including travel days to and from Abuja,  
• including travel days to and from Kogi and Plateau by road.  

 Consultancy Deliverables:

The consultants shall produce the following deliverables (for the assigned focal state) at the end of the assignment:

1. Joint inception report with a work plan and clear timeline;
2. Tools for advocacy and sensitization on PCVE in communities;  
3. Training manual on networking and partnership, trust and confidence building, community safety and security, dialogue, conflict prevention and peaceful co-existence and joint problem-solving skills among community security providers and stakeholders;
4. Evidence of existence of community security providers and stakeholders’ platforms;
5. Gender-sensitive community safety plans; and women identified for the roles of mentors and counsellors to victims of VE and at-riskyouths in the targeted communities.
6. Pre/post training questionnaires;
7. Pre/post training survey report; and,
8. A detailed consultancy narrative report with pictures including lessons learned and recommendations.

Condition of Service and Terms of Payment:

The consultancy is deliverable-based, and the fees shall be paid in two installments and contingent upon the deliverables specified against each installment. The milestones shall be paid upon satisfactory acceptance of the deliverables by UNDP.  Upon acceptance of the deliverables, UNDP shall issue a certificate of satisfactory performance to the consultant which shall form the basis for the payment of the due milestone.

Terms of Payment

• 1st Installment (20%); Upon submission of inception report/work plan
• 2nd Installment (80%); Upon submission of satisfactory final report of the assignment.

Reporting:

The consultants shall work under the direct supervision of the National Expert, PVE (Project Manager) and overall supervision of the Team Lead, GPS.  The consultant shall engage regularly with the National Expert, PVE (Project Manager) for delivering on the terms and conditions of the consultancy.  The consultants shall be accountable for the delivery or otherwise of the tasks specified under this consultancy and shall only be paid the due milestone upon satisfactory delivery of the terms.  The National Expert, PVE shall ensure that the consultants are able to access all required support and assistance from UNDP that will help in timely delivery of the consultancy terms of refence.   

Assignment Duration and Duty Station:

The consultancy is based in Abuja with regular travel to assigned project sites.  The consultancy shall subsist for a period of not more than 20 days.

Competences/Skills

• a thorough knowledge of the English language
• a methodical working style
•  concentration, accuracy and great attention to detail
• the ability to multitask
• good sense of humour and excellent communication skill
• the ability to work within tight deadlines
• self-motivation
• IT skills.
• Excellent leadership
• Persuasive ability
• Team player

Qualifications and Experience:

The desired consultants  for this assignment shall possess;

• An advanced degree in Social Science, Arts, Sociology, Criminology, Psychology, Law,  Humanities, and, Dispute Resolution/Peace Studies or other relevant fields for, at least, 10 years.
• Candidates must also possess, at least, 10 years’ cognate experience in training, and capacity building, partnership building; facilitation and community mobilization with focus on peace and security.
• The candidates must have a mixture of academic experience, facilitation and workshop administration. 
• He/she must be fluent in written and spoken English. 
• Previous assignment with UN agencies and/or government is an asset.

Selection Criteria:

Evaluation Criteria:

• Advanced degree in Social Science, Arts, Sociology, Law and humanities, Dispute Resolution/Peace Studies or other relevant fields for, at least, 10 years – 15 points
• 10 years’ cognate experience in partnership/team building; facilitation and community mobilization with gender bias– 30 points
• 10 years’ cognate experience in training, and capacity building with focus on governance, peace and security – 15 points 
• A mixture of knowledge on law enforcement, and access to justice with academic experience – 30 points
• Previous working experience with UN agencies or national government is an asset – 10 points