CONSULTANCY TO CONDUCT TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING ON GBV, TFGBV AND FGM

About COVAW

The Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) is a Kenyan women's rights non-profit organization established in 1995 to address violence against women and girls through evidence-based advocacy, policy engagement, community mobilization, and direct service delivery. COVAW works to increase access to justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), promote women's economic empowerment, and strengthen women's leadership and participation in decision-making.

About the Project and Rationale

With support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), COVAW is implementing programmes aimed at preventing and responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Effective prevention and response require well-equipped service providers and community actors who possess the knowledge, skills, and practical tools necessary to support survivors, facilitate referrals, strengthen access to justice, and promote community-level prevention initiatives.

While legal aid providers, psychosocial support practitioners, rescue centre staff, and community resource persons play a critical role in supporting survivors and addressing harmful social norms, capacity gaps continue to exist in relation to emerging forms of violence such as TFGBV, survivor-centred case management, trauma-informed approaches, referral systems, psychosocial support, legal redress mechanisms, and the prevention and response to FGM.

To address these gaps, COVAW seeks to engage a qualified consultant to conduct Training Needs Assessment and facilitate two-day capacity-building trainings targeting key service providers and community actors in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu Counties.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The overall purpose of the consultancy is to assess existing knowledge and capacity gaps and facilitate a comprehensive capacity-building programme to strengthen the ability of legal aid providers, psychosocial support experts, rescue center staff, and community resource persons to effectively prevent and respond to GBV, TFGBV, and FGM.

Expected Results

The consultancy is expected to contribute to:

1. Enhanced knowledge and skills among participants on GBV, TFGBV, and FGM prevention and response.
2. Improved application of survivor-centered and trauma-informed approaches in service delivery.
3. Strengthened referral systems and coordination among legal, psychosocial, protection, and community actors.
4. Increased capacity to support survivors in accessing justice, psychosocial support, protection, and referral services.
5. Enhanced community-level prevention efforts and advocacy against GBV, TFGBV, and FGM.

Scope of Work and Specific Tasks

I. Training Needs Assessment

The consultant will:

• Develop and administer a Training Needs Assessment tool for all participants.
• Assess participants' knowledge, experiences, institutional capacities, challenges, and learning needs relating to GBV, TFGBV, and FGM.
• Identify key thematic priorities and competency gaps.
• Analyze findings and submit a brief needs assessment report to COVAW to inform the training design and methodology.

II. Inception Phase

The consultant will:

• Hold an inception meeting with COVAW.
• Review and co-develop with COVAW the relevant training materials.
• Develop a detailed training methodology and facilitation approach informed by the needs assessment findings.
• Prepare a training programme, agenda, facilitation plan, and training materials.

III. Facilitation of the Capacity-Building Training

The consultant will:

• Facilitate an interactive capacity-building training for the identified participants.
• Use participatory methodologies including presentations, case studies, simulations, group discussions, practical exercises, role plays, and experience-sharing sessions.
• Facilitate sessions covering, but not limited to:
  1. Concepts, forms, drivers, and impacts of GBV, TFGBV, and FGM.
  2. Survivor-centered, rights-based, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed approaches.
  3. Legal and policy frameworks governing GBV, TFGBV, and FGM in Kenya.
  4. Access to justice and legal remedies for survivors.
  5. Psychosocial support, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), and Psychological First Aid (PFA).
  6. Case management principles and ethical considerations.
  7. Referral pathways and multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms.
  8. Prevention approaches, community engagement, and social norms change.
  9. Digital safety and response to technology-facilitated violence.
  10. Self-care and prevention of secondary trauma among frontline service providers.
• Ensure the training is practical, context-specific, and responsive to participants' roles and responsibilities.

IV. Evaluation and Documentation

The consultant will:

• Conduct pre- and post-training assessments.
• Evaluate participant learning and capacity improvement.
• Document participant feedback, discussions, lessons learned, and recommendations.

V. Reporting

The consultant will:

• Submit a comprehensive training report detailing the training process, participant profiles, assessment findings, key outcomes, lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations.
• Submit all training materials, tools, attendance sheets, and evaluation reports to COVAW.

Duration of the Consultancy

The consultancy will be undertaken between September and December 2026, in accordance with COVAW's implementation schedule and agreed timelines.

Expected Deliverables

The consultant shall submit:

1. Inception Report and Work Plan.
2. Training Needs Assessment Tool.
3. Training Needs Assessment Report.
4. Training Programme and Facilitation Materials.
5. Pre- and Post-Training Assessment Tools.
6. Final Training Report incorporating evaluation findings, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Skills and Qualifications

The consultant should possess:

Academic Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Law, Gender Studies, Psychology, Social Sciences, Community Development, Human Rights, Public Health, or a related field.
• Specialized training in GBV, TFGBV, FGM, MHPSS, case management, or related areas will be an added advantage.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 7 years' experience in GBV, TFGBV, FGM, protection, psychosocial support, or access-to-justice programming.
• Demonstrated experience conducting training needs assessments and facilitating capacity-building programmes.
• Proven expertise in survivor-centered and trauma-informed approaches.
• Experience working with legal aid providers, psychosocial support professionals, community structures, and protection actors.
• Strong understanding of Kenya's legal and policy framework on GBV, TFGBV, FGM, child protection, and human rights.

Additional Skills and Competencies

• Excellent facilitation, analytical, and report-writing skills.
• Strong communication skills in English and Kiswahili.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
• High levels of professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity.