Consultancy to Design a Syria-Specific Civil Society Training Curriculum on Protection of Civilians

About CIVIC The Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is an international non-governmental organizationdedicated to protecting civilians affected by conflict from violence, harm and neglect. CIVIC works with conflict-affected communities, security and defense actors, and policymakers to prevent, mitigate and respond to civilian harm. As part of its Syria program under the Sida-funded initiative Civilian Protection in Action: Operationalising Norms to Effectively Reduce Civilian Harm, CIVIC seeks to strengthen the capacity of Syrian civil society organizations (CSOs) to identify and address protection risks, support community-led protection initiatives, and engage effectively with the authorities and security actors responsible for civilian protection. CIVIC is therefore seeking a qualified consultancy firm or consortium of experts to design a practical, context-specific training curriculum that equips Syrian CSOs with the knowledge, skills and tools to strengthen civilian protection in their communities.  The curriculum will draw on CIVIC’s community-based protection approach, which recognizes conflict-affected civilians as agents of their own protection and seeks to strengthen their capacity to engage with duty-bearers and influence practices that affect their safety. Consultancy Objectives The overall objective is to develop a comprehensive, Arabic-language training curriculum that strengthens Syrian CSOs’ capacity to analyze civilian protection risks, support community-led protection responses, engage constructively and safely with relevant duty-bearers, and address emerging protection challenges. The curriculum should be designed for practical application by Syrian CSOs and community-based protection actors, rather than as a primarily theoretical or academic course. The target audience is local CSOs/NGOs based in Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus. Duration: 4-6 weeks from contract signature (to be confirmed) Starting Date: ASAP Type of consultancy: Curriculum design (development of training materials including interactive activities), and Facilitator Guide Location: Syria Scope of work The selected consultant or firm will work closely with CIVIC’s Syria program team and designated technical advisers to develop the curriculum and accompanying training materials.The assignment will include the following tasks: Task 1: Inception and consultation • Review CIVIC’s Syria program documents, protection analysis, relevant roundtable findings and existing training materials from other countries that CIVIC works in. • Review of CIVICs training materials on relevant topics to see what can be adapted to this training. • Consult CIVIC program staff and, as appropriate, selected Syrian CSOs and community stakeholders to identify learning needs, existing capacities and contextual sensitivities. • Assess the knowledge, skills and practical competencies the curriculum should develop. • Submit an inception report outlining the proposed methodology, curriculum structure, consultation plan and work schedule. Task 2: Curriculum design Develop a coherent curriculum for a two-day training comprising three interconnected modules. Each module must include measurable learning objectives, session plans, key messages, facilitator instructions, exercises, case studies, participant handouts, and assessment questions. Request editable source files and a consolidated final package in Arabic, with English versions of the core materials for CIVIC's review: Module 1: Understanding and Analyzing Protection of Civilians • Core concepts, principles and relevant legal frameworks for civilian protection. • Understanding protection threats, risks, vulnerabilities, capacities and existing community protection mechanisms. • Analyzing differentiated protection risks affecting women, men, girls, boys, older people, persons with disabilities, displaced people, returnees and minority communities. • Community-based protection, protection monitoring, safe documentation and referral pathways. • Incorporate practical decision-making tools for assessing the risks of engaging authorities or security actors, managing sensitive information, and determining when dialogue or documentation could increase risks for CSOs or civilians. • Conflict sensitivity, accountability to affected populations, confidentiality and do-no-harm principles. Module 2: Humanitarian Negotiation and Civilian–Security Dialogue • Principles and practical approaches to humanitarian negotiation. • Stakeholder and power mapping and identification of appropriate interlocutors. • Understanding role of local civil society in negotiating/dialogue with local authorities and security forces. • Preparing for negotiations, communicating protection concerns and formulating actionable requests. • Facilitation of structured dialogue between communities, CSOs, local authorities and relevant security actors. • Conflict-sensitive communication, de-escalation and managing disagreement. • Risk assessment and mitigation when engaging security actors, including confidentiality, retaliation and perceived affiliation risks. • Tracking commitments, documenting responses and following up on protection concerns. Module 3: Misinformation, Disinformation, Hate Speech and Civilian Protection • Understanding misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, incitement and harmful narratives. • Analysing how information-related risks can contribute to discrimination, community tensions, threats, displacement and other forms of civilian harm. • Identifying and assessing information-related protection risks in online and offline environments. • Identifying and assessing technology-facilitated violence and other information-related threats, and understanding their implications for civilian safety and protection • Responsible verification, safe information sharing and digital security. • Developing conflict-sensitive approaches to addressing harmful narratives without unnecessarily amplifying them or exposing affected individuals and communities to additional risks. • Practical approaches for CSOs to strengthen community awareness, trusted communication and protection responses. The consultant should ensure that the three modules are mutually reinforcing and adapted to the realities of Syrian civil society. Gender equality, inclusion, conflict sensitivity, safeguarding and do-no-harm principles must be integrated throughout the curriculum. Task 3: Deliverables • Inception Report • Develop a complete training package in Arabic, with English versions of the core materials for CIVIC’s internal use and review. The package should include: • A curriculum framework and detailed module outlines. • A facilitator’s guide with session plans, timings, learning objectives and facilitation instructions. • Participant materials and practical reference sheets. • Presentations and supporting visual materials. • Syria-relevant case studies, scenarios, role-plays and group exercises. • simple, reusable community protection action-planning tool that participants can apply after the training • Pre- and post-training knowledge assessments and practical competency assessment tools. Materials should use accessible language, be culturally and contextually appropriate, and accommodate different levels of literacy and technical familiarity. The curriculum should prioritize participatory adult-learning methods over lecture-based delivery. All scenarios must be designed to avoid exposing real individuals, communities or organizationsto unnecessary risks. Sensitive examples should be fictionalized or appropriately anonymized. Proposed implementation schedule The consultancy is expected to be completed within approximately 4-6 weeks. • Week 1: Inception, document review and consultations. • Weeks 2–3: Curriculum architecture and development of module content. • Weeks 4–5: Development of detailed training materials and assessment tools. • Week 6: Presentation of draft package and validation. The final schedule will be agreed with CIVIC at contract signature. Required qualifications and experience The consultancy firm or proposed team should demonstrate: • Substantial experience in designing and developing training curricula for humanitarian, protection, civil society or conflict-affected settings. • Demonstrated technical expertise in Protection of Civilians, community-based protection and relevant international humanitarian and human rights law. • Practical experience in humanitarian negotiation, civil-military engagement, mediation or dialogue with security actors. • Expertise in misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, digital safety or information integrity. • Experience facilitating adult learning through participatory, scenario-based and competency-oriented methodologies. • Strong Arabic-language • Demonstrated understanding of the Syrian context, conflict sensitivity, gender-responsive programming and safeguarding. • Exposure and expertise in the MENA region and building and delivering trainings • Proven experience in developing tools and resources to support Local NGOs • Understanding of CIVIC’s mission The assignment may be undertaken by a multidisciplinary team. Where the lead firm does not possess all required technical expertise in-house, it should identify qualified specialist consultants and clearly explain their respective roles. Management and coordination The consultant will report to CIVIC’s designated Syria program focal point and coordinate with relevant technical colleagues throughout the assignment. CIVIC will provide available program documentation, existing protection analysis and relevant technical guidance. The consultant will submit the proposed curriculum structure and session plan for CIVIC's review and approval before developing the full training package. CIVIC will provide consolidated feedback on the draft materials within an agreed timeframe. The consultant will incorporate feedback and submit the final package in editable formats, in Arabic and with English versions of the core materials, for CIVIC's approval. Ethical considerations and confidentiality The consultant must adhere to CIVIC’s applicable policies and contractual requirements concerning confidentiality, safeguarding, data protection, conflict sensitivity and responsible engagement with conflict-affected communities. Consultations must be voluntary, appropriately informed and designed to minimise risks to participants. The consultant must not collect identifiable or sensitive protection information unless specifically authorized and supported by appropriate safeguards. Any information obtained through the assignment must be handled securely and used only for the agreed purpose. Intellectual property All deliverables developed under the assignment, including the curriculum, training materials, exercises, presentations and assessment tools, will be subject to the intellectual property and usage provisions agreed in the consultancy contract. The consultant must identify any pre-existing or third-party materials incorporated into the training package and ensure that appropriate permissions or licenses are in place. Proposal submission requirements Interested firms or consultants should submit: • A technical proposal outlining their understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology and approach to curriculum development. • CVs and clearly defined roles for proposed team members. • Examples of relevant previous curriculum-development assignments or training materials. • Evidence of relevant Syria or Arabic-language experience. • A financial proposal with a clear breakdown of professional fees, specialist inputs, consultation costs, translation and other anticipated expenses. • References from relevant previous assignments.