Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is an international nonprofit with offices around the world working to improve protection for civilians caught in conflict zones. Our mission is to support communities affected by conflict in their quest for protection and strengthen the resolve and capacity of armed actors to prevent and respond to civilian harm. Our Theory of Change goal is to bring about a significant reduction in conflict-related civilian harm. We are advocates who believe that no civilian caught in conflict should be ignored and are advisors who provide practical solutions to preventing and responding to civilian harm. Learn more at https://civiliansinconflict.org/

PURPOSE 

The purpose of this request for proposal is to identify a local civil society partner organization for CIVIC’s project “Protecting Civilians By, With, and Through Civil Society.” 

The civilians and the communities affected by conflict rarely have direct access to the leaders and decision-makers who have the power to prevent further harm or to provide a remedy for the harm they suffer in war, and the governments doing the fighting too rarely take steps to address harm without being pressured to do so. The responsibility of filling the accountability gap for civilian harm thus falls largely to local and global civil society, including journalists and human rights organizations. Despite this heavy responsibility, many members of civil society and the media lack reliable or consistent ways to engage with local or international security forces to help local communities define their own security needs, express their concerns, or hold armed actors accountable for their conduct. 

Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is prepared to help change this dynamic by connecting a global movement for protecting civilians with local action taken by civil society. We seek support for a project that will help establish common benchmarks for protecting civilians that can be shared among civil society globally and the means for local civil society to promote change locally. 

SCOPE OF WORK 

During the project, a partner CSO, in cooperation and consultation with CIVIC, will prepare: 

• Project plan 

The partner, in consultation with CIVIC, will develop a project plan. 

• Using a standard NGO capacity assessment tool, CIVIC and the partner will identify specific technical area each is interested in building during the project. 

• Local evaluation and assessment tool 

In consultation with CIVIC, the partner will customize the evaluation framework and assessment tool in the Ukrainian context. 

• Pilot analysis 

Partner with CIVIC support will produce analysis that will identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in the prevention, mitigation, and response to harm in the context of conflict-affected areas in eastern Ukraine. To prepare such analysis, the partner with CIVIC support will utilize the customized evaluation tools. Based on the analysis, the partner and CIVIC will choose between 1 and 3 focus areas for advocacy. 

• Networking workshop 

The partner with CIVIC support will conduct a workshop with five to ten stakeholders representing government agencies, Ukrainian CSOs, international NGOs, and international organizations to link the partner with the relevant decision-makers and POC advocates. 

• Strategy Session 

The partner and CIVIC will conduct a one-day strategy session to develop a coherent advocacy strategy. 

• Prepare Advocacy Strategy in consultation with CIVIC 

Using inputs from the strategy workshop, the partner and CIVIC will develop a summary advocacy strategy for use and dissemination among CSO partners. 

• Prepare Advocacy Action Plan 

Partner and CIVIC will develop advocacy action plan for promoting changes or capitalizing on opportunities to improve the prevention, mitigation, or response to harm. 

Proposal Submission and RFP Questions: Oleksandr Tertychka, Program Coordinator / [email protected]