Consultant : Facilitate the Interfaith Action to Drive Progress on FP2030 Commitments: South-to- South Learning Workshop

Hosted by the IPPF ESEAOR office in Malaysia, the Asia and Pacific Hub, one of tis dedicated to driving commitments, fostering collaboration, and advocating for family planning at different levels, from region to community. With a strong presence in country support, data analysis, and evidence-based decision-making, the hub works towards tailoring actions to achieve FP2030’s strategic goals in the region.

Background :

Engagement of the faith community is key to successful family planning interventions and to achieving FP2030 country commitments. While complex, engaging faith actors is necessary to expand access and create demand for family services and increase contraceptive prevalence. FP2030 has outlined an intentional focus on broadening and expanding the partnership beyond family planning and emphasizing integration, as this will open doors to meaningfully engage and create linkages with partners, including the
faith community, as a means of increasing the awareness of and access to family planning services for all and advocating for improved policies and funding for family planning.

FP2030 and Faith Engagement

Over the last couple of years, FP2030 has mapped over 100 faith partners at the country and global levels and published the Faith and Family Planning Brief, which provided recommendations to inform post-2020 strategy on strengthening partnerships between faith and FP communities. Additionally, FP2030 has convened several meetings to bring together faith and FP actors to share lessons and recommendations for strengthening the faith community’s engagement in family planning. In 2022, FP2030 established the Faith and Family Planning Working Group, which convenes quarterly to provide strategic direction and better define the collaboration between family planning and faith partners. In 2023 FP2030, in partnership with the Faith and Family Planning Working Group, convened 76 religious leaders and faith actors of different faiths from 26 African countries, the United States, and Europe who gathered for three days in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire for a south-to-south learning workshop on interfaith action to drive progress on
FP2030 commitments.

The Faith and FP Working Group Priorities

Through the Faith and Family Planning Working Group, partners have prioritized concrete actions to improve collaboration and broaden the reach, diversity, and inclusion of faith actor partnerships at the global, regional, and country levels. To make this a reality, the following priorities have been identified:

Priority 1: Develop new/strengthen existing knowledge-sharing and learning exchange platform(s).
o Objective: Facilitate knowledge sharing and learning exchanges of existing projects, best practices, gender-transformative approaches, emerging issues, data tools, and trends to encourage adaptation of projects and resources to different contexts and add to the field of faith and family planning.
o Illustrative activities: host quarterly webinars, develop and disseminate a database of resources, and facilitate/co-host and amplify joint sessions/events with global and regional reach.
Priority 2: Cultivate strategic engagement and partnerships.
o Objective: Facilitate/co-host and amplify joint sessions/events with global and regional reach.
o Illustrative activities: map existing and new faith partners working in FP and develop an engagement plan with faith partners at all levels.

The South-to-South Learning Workshop

To ensure the successful engagement of the faith community in driving progress towards commitments, FP2030 strives to (a) support meaningful engagement and contribution of faith partners into the FP2030 work (in FP program and policy discussions), especially at the regional and country levels; and (b) use the FP2030 platform for continuous dialogue between FP and faith partners, but also bringing in governments and donors where appropriate. To do this successfully, FP2030, in collaboration with members of the faith and FP working group will host a three-day workshop in Siam Reap, Cambodia on 07 – 09 May 2024.

Objectives of the Workshop

1. Facilitate south-to-south learning of best practices, interfaith approaches, as well as practical steps country partners can take to foster meaningful engagement of faith actors to drive progress towards 2030. This south-to-south learning exchange will focus on faith engagement in:
   a. Advocacy and accountability
   b. Deconstructing faith-related myths
   c. Innovative community-based and gender-transformative programming
   d. Planning for opposition
2. Mobilize and provide guidance on commitments from faith-based partners.

Expected Outcomes

1. Increased knowledge on faith and family planning best practices, tools, and
   trends.
2. New FP2030 commitments mobilized from faith partners.

Participants

Meeting participants will include FP2030 global and regional hub staff, faith partners/leaders from commitment-making countries, faith and FP working group members, youth participants from faith-affiliated organizations, donors, MOH reps/policymakers, and other FP partners. Estimated Number of Participants: 45-60. Invitations will be sent to all faith partners on FP2030 and co-hosts’ lists.

Objectives of the Consultancy

• The Consultant is responsible for the following major activities:
  -Co-create meeting agenda alongside FP2030 and Faith and Family Working Group
  members;
  -Work with other session leads to develop cohesive workshop and FP2030 and
  ensure logistical capabilities;
  -Conduct the workshop as the main facilitator;
  -Develop post workshop report including key takeaways, next steps, and lessons
  learned.

Deliverables

• The consultant is expected to deliver the following deliverables during the consultancy
  period:
  -Co-create agenda for a three-day workshop (02 days);
  -Facilitate Interfaith Action to Drive Progress on FP2030 Commitments: South-to-South Learning Workshop from May 07th – 09th (04 days including travel);
  -Drafting meeting report based on meeting notes and participant survey and
  identify next steps (04 days).

Timeline Overview

Consultant is expected to start work on the 1st week of April.
-Develop workshop agenda by 10th April.
-Facilitate workshop from 07th – 09th May in Siam Reap, Cambodia. The consultant is expected to arrive in Siam Reap on 06th May.
-Meeting report by 01st week of June

Qualifications

The ideal consultant should possess:
-Master’s degree in social/ political sciences, international development, law or any related field;
-Minimum of 08 years relevant work experience in working on Family Planning and/or Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in a Senior Capacity;
-Minimum of 05 years relevant work experience in facilitating workshops at a regional or a global level with diverse stakeholders coming from multicultural and multiethnic backgrounds. Experience working with faith leaders and faith-based organizations at the country or regional level focusing on issues such as SRHR and Family Planning;
-Knowledge of FP2030 global family planning partnership and it’s structure;
-In-depth knowledge and lived experience in Asia and the Pacific region working with government and CSO stakeholders;
-Excellent communication skills in English (both verbal and written) and the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders;
-Knowledge and cultural sensitivity towards different faiths and religions.

For Consultants currently living and based in Asia and the Pacific region with the above
qualifications will be given priority.

Budget

Interested candidates are invited to submit a detailed budget proposal outlining their fees, expenses, and any other relevant costs associated with the completion of the consultancy. FP2030 will cover the travel and accommodation costs of the Consultant including Economy Class airfare.