CCC Creative Center - Capacity Building and Training Program

ccc-tck.org.ua

The UNITER Project is seeking proposals on Capacity Building and Training Program in

Public Policy Advocacy
Facilitation
Communication

Core Competencies

This Call for Proposals (CFP) is a part of the “Ukraine National Initiatives to Enhance Reforms” (UNITER) project implemented by Private Agencies Collaborating Together, Inc. (Pact Inc.) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The primary purpose of the UNITER project is to strengthen and assist leading pro-reform Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to sustain and consolidate democratic gains. The project addresses systemic sector-wide challenges to civil society as well as support NGOs monitoring and advocacy initiatives from various spheres of public life, which are essential in advancing Ukraine's reform process.

By working with Pact Inc. as peers and not merely grantees, Ukrainian NGOs will receive not only the technical skills required to play their role, but also support to strengthen their core capacities to become effective, autonomous and sustainable. It is expected that assistance will consolidate new skills acquired over the past years by emphasizing an underlying set of core capabilities rarely instilled through training programs. The project's institution strengthening activities will consistently enable partners to direct and monitor their own growth, resulting in continuous gains in their impact as well as of the development process itself.

Aim and task

This CFP aims at selecting service providers, which will deliver capacity building and training program on public policy advocacy, facilitation and communication as a part of the technical assistance to enhance the advocacy skills of local level grantees of the UNITER project.

The goal of the Public Policy Advocacy Program is to bring a wider range of tools to advocacy organizations in Ukraine so that their campaigns become better managed and more strategic.

The main tasks of the Public Policy Advocacy Programshould be focused but not limited to the following:

to offer the UNITER grantee organizations knowledge regarding the ideas in advocacy and deepen understanding on specific issues on mechanisms of protection of the rights local communities;
to coach NGO members in applying the acquired skills regarding the public policy advocacy and undergo a detailed advocacy planning process;
to improve the NGO members' practical skills in solving the issues that appear during advocacy campaign;
to improve the NGO members' level of professionalism in formulating policy alternatives;
to facilitate impact-assessment, lessons learned and further networking.

The goal of Facilitation Program is to demonstrate to participants how to act as facilitators, draw out and process audience input for the purpose of moving a discussion forward.

The main tasks of the Facilitation Program should be focused but not limited to the following:

to offer the UNITER grantee organizations knowledge regarding the main principles of facilitation and deepen understanding of specific tools and techniques that can help to engage stakeholders in a strategic manner;
to provide the NGO members with help of applying the acquired skills regarding the facilitation and undergo a detailed facilitation process;
to improve the NGOs members' practical skills in facilitation;
to improve the NGOs members' level of professionalism to exhibit leadership.

The goal of Communication Program is to meet the needs of organizations seeking to optimize their ability to communicate more professionally in a multi-sectoral stakeholder environment.

The main tasks of the Communication Program should be focused but not limited to the following:

to offer the UNITER grantee organizations knowledge regarding the skills in communication and deepen understanding of communication cycle as well as different communication skills (such as presentation skills, public speaking, negotiation skills, active listening and responding skills, conflict resolution, etc.);
to improve and promote interpersonal relationships;
to provide the NGO members with help of applying the acquired communication skills;
to improve the NGO members' practical skills in communication;
to improve the NGO members' level of professionalism in effectively getting their message through to a diversity of audiences.

The Scope of Work

The applicant should submit proposal (please see the proposal guidelines attached) to Pact Inc's UNITER project. The scope of work should foresee the following:

Aim and task of the program, clarity, coherence and methodology, expected outputs. Please note that innovative ideas and new formats (e.g. coaching/consulting) will be priority for Pact Inc.
Participants selection process and gauging the participants' needs.
Detailed agenda, specifying the topics and organizing a group of trainers (CV of trainers should be added to the proposal); specifying the participants' needs, selecting the handouts, adapting the material according to the topics of each Program, coordinating the Programs and materials with the UNITER project staff.
Preparation of the necessary handouts.
Conduct the program.
Prepare reports: creating the evaluation of the program; collect and analyze feedback from the participants, prepare an analytical report on the program results and submitting the report to Pact Inc.
Media coverage of the core competency program: prepare the message that will highlight the results of the program and its impact, posting the information at the available resources.
Detailed budget (Please see Pact Inc. Budget Form attached).

Program duration should not exceed 12 months.

Expected outcomes of the Core Competency Capacity Building and Training Program

By the end of the Public Policy Advocacy Program the participants are expected to be able to:

Understand how advocacy happens at different levels;
Relate the theory to the practice and apply knowledge on practice ;
Understand the benefits of advocacy as well as drawbacks and risks;
Understand how everyone is “engaged” in the sense that everyone plays a part in local or national life;
Understand and demonstrate advocacy interventions in the area of protection of the rights of local communities and identify which level is the most appropriate for the NGOs to intervene;
Map the main stakeholders related to the thematic area and plan who to build alliances with and who to target for change;
Successfully implement their Pact-funded advocacy campaigns on local issues;

By the end of the Facilitation Program the participants are expected to be able to:

Identify and explain the process and values of facilitation;
Maintain neutrality while working as facilitators;
Describe typical audiences and how to manage each;
Recognize group dynamics and motivations;
Build consensus and address resistance;
Deal with difficult or tricky people;
Relate the theory to the practice and apply knowledge on practice.
Demonstrate leadership in implementing their Pact-funded local advocacy projects.

By the end of the Communication Program the participants are expected to be able to:

Identify and explain the process and values of communication;
Make good self-presentation, public speech and their NGO presentation;
Speak with more confidence and listen carefully;
Analyze and utilize verbal and non-verbal communication techniques;
Steer conversations and influence people;
Have the confidence to make more of an impact on the audience;
Enhance their professionalism at work.

Target audience

Pact Inc. in cooperation with International Renaissance Foundation (IRF), East Europe Foundation (EEF) launched the Local Advocacy Grants Program (LAGP) in March 2009 by issuing the CFP for local NGOs. It is expected that approximately 30 local level grantees from all Ukraine will be selected during the LAGP competition.

Thus, these 30 grantees of the LAGP will participate in the current program. In the framework of the LAGP, Pact Inc. will support local NGOs advocating for reforms, such as anti-corruption, government accountability, citizen participation, effective citizen input into local development planning, consumer rights, waste management, local public transportation, energy efficiency, monitoring of campaign promises, transparency in local public financing, equal opportunities and economic empowerment for disadvantaged groups, etc.

Projects of Pact Inc. grantees will include, but not be limited to the following specific topics and instruments: development of city charters and other by-laws as tools to influence local self-government; making public council work effectively; development of regulations on public hearings and local decision making processes with wider participation of civil society; advocacy and public awareness campaigns; locally led pilot initiatives in various service-oriented sectors; facilitating cooperation, consultation and discussion between different groups of stakeholders; exchanges between NGOs and media to strengthen information dissemination and quality of civic advocacy.

Based on the assessment of the conducted core competency sessions, the selected service providers will be invited to enter the capacity building “Marketplace,” where service providers will compete for providing services to Pact Inc. grantees. The NGO Capacity Building Marketplace is a unique tool that aims to assist transforming Ukraine's market of NGO institutional strengthening by bolstering the direct connections between capacity building providers and NGOs in need of their services. The Marketplace will enable to render capacity building expertise and services on a fee-for-service basis, decreasing the donor dependence of both the supply and demand side. Grantees will redeem vouchers for capacity building services up to a specified dollar amount; Pact Inc. will pay directly to the service providers.

Eligibility criteria

Officially registered NGOs and international organizations, business training centres and institutions, other business organization from all regions of Ukraine, experienced and capable to organize and conduct capacity building and training on any or all of the three core competencies (Public Policy Advocacy, Facilitation, Communication) are encouraged to take part in the competition.

Deadline for submission of the applications

The deadline for the receipt of proposals is July 27, 2009. One copy of an application filled in Ukrainian, Russian or English language with the note “UNITER – Capacity Building and Training Program” should be sent by an ordinary mail to the address:

Pact Inc., Project UNITER
Kyiv, 01004,
Ukraine 5-b Baseyna Str.
Office 21/22

OR
may also be submitted electronically to the e-mail address: cbtp@pact.org.ua

Questions related to this call for proposal and its procedure can be submitted in writing (with the Subject of letter “Question – Capacity Building and Training Program”) until July 13, 2009.at the above e-mail until 13 July 2009. Answers will be posted after 13 July 2009 at the website UNITER project at www.uniter.org.ua.

Contact persons:
Antonina Prudko, Capacity Building Officer/ Legal Adviser
Tel./fax: (+380 44) 239-23-17

or e-mail: aprudko@pact.org.ua

Evaluation and selection of the service provider:

All applications submitted for the competition will be reviewed and assessed by Pact Inc. based on the following selection criteria:

The use of innovative training techniques, methodologies and format;
Knowledge of the topic and relevant experience;
Excellent communication and training skills;
Past references.

Applicants will be informed about the decision of Pact Inc. in writing in a period of one month after the deadline for project proposals.

Pact Inc. reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications in received response to this CFP, at its discretion. Neither Pact Inc. nor USAID makes any commitment, either expressed or implied, through publication of this CFP, to compensate or reimburse applicants for costs incurred in preparing applications.

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