Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Across LAC Operations

PROTECTION FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, ABUSE AND HARRASMENT ACROSS LAC OPERATIONS

WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE

Title: Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Across LAC Operations Date Solicitation is Issued: July 01, 2022 Solicitation Number: 016.07.01.2022.PSEA Closing Date: July 30, 2022 Closing Time: 12:00pm EST Entitles That May Apply: All U.S. based entities

About PADF The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) believes in creating a hemisphere of opportunity for all. We work in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen our region, striving to make it healthier, peaceful, just, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for current and future generations. For 60 years, we have served the most vulnerable communities, investing resources throughout the hemisphere. We partner with and empower civil society, governments, and the private sector for the common good of the region.

Project Statement The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) seeks to strengthen hemispheric policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures on the protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH), as well as country-specific procedures and guidelines for staff, partner organizations and contractors across the region.

PADF aims to strengthen its PSEAH policy as follows:

• Prevent, report on and respond to SEAH.
• Assist and protect victims of SEAH.
• Create a PSEAH training package that can be adapted to local contexts.
• Improve complaint and feedback mechanisms in its headquarters and in countries of program implementation.
• Develop accessible reporting procedures and templates for HQ and countries of program implementation.

PADF intends to have a policy of the highest international standards in alignment with regulations issued by the United Nations Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse for United Nations staff and by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Six Core Principles on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. It also aims to share good practices from global operations and standardize policies, while abiding by local legal procedures and requirements. Moreover, considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and complex security and political contexts across the region, PADF aims to ensure that PSEAH processes are adaptable and realistic to ensure the protection of the vulnerable populations we serve.

Operational Context PADF’s multifaceted programs address the needs of vulnerable populations, promote sustainable livelihoods, and advance rights and justice throughout the Western Hemisphere. Programs fall under the following themes: disaster resilience; gender-based violence; humanitarian assistance; migration; economic opportunities; education; environment; health and nutrition; democracy, governance and human rights; peace, justice and security; labor rights; trafficking in persons; and women and gender.

PADF’s broad scope of operations across the hemisphere results in a high number of beneficiaries of international development programming, including populations at risk due to their age, gender, mental or physical health, disability, ethnicity, religious identity, economic or social status, sexual orientation, displacement or as a result of disasters and conflicts. Thus, PADF aims to strengthen its organizational capacity in PSEAH to safeguard its staff and the communities it serves.

PADF strictly prohibits sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) toward its beneficiaries and personnel, including harassment, exploitation, or abuse of any kind from employees, volunteers, board members and trustees; employees in partner agencies, and contractors. All these stakeholders must abide by PADF PSEAH policy, and the regulations issued by the United Nations Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse for United Nations staff and by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Six Core Principles on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Scope of Work PADF expects that the desired intervention will focus on strengthening and developing the PSEAH policy and procedures, as well as the capacity of personnel to prevent and respond to cases of SEAH. To achieve this purpose, the consultant will leverage its technical expertise in PSEA, human rights, legal procedures, and educational trainings, to bolster the prevention of and response to incidents of PSEAH across all locations where PADF works.

The consultancy will require close collaboration with PADF’s PSEAH Task Force, as well as PADF staff from HQ and regional offices.

The consultant will be expected to undertake the following tasks:

1. Review PADF’s PSEAH Policy and Protocols, both from HQ and regional offices.

• Review PSEAH documentation across HQ and all country offices.
• Hold surveys or focus groups with staff from each office to gain insight on staff understanding of policies and protocols.
• Ensure prevention and reporting measures are robust.
• Detail specific recommendations for improvements.
• Develop a comprehensive and compliant Hemispheric PSEAH Policy.

2. Review PADF’s grants and contracts documentation to ensure compliance with national and international standards on PSEA, as well as donor requirements.

3. Develop guidelines and templates for reporting incidents of SEAH and conducting follow-up investigations.

• Review and bolster feedback mechanisms for general complaints suggestions, both at HQ and across regional offices.
• Create a standardized reporting protocol and form for incidents of SEAH for use by regional PADF staff or implementing partners.
• Orient staff and implementing partners on use and management of reporting forms.
• Develop procedures for investigating reported incidents

4. Develop PSEAH training materials.

• Develop digital resources, materials, and training modules (including pre and post assessment tools) to train PADF staff PSEAH
• Develop digital resources, materials, and training modules (including pre and post assessment tools) to train implementing partners and other key stakeholders on PSEA.
• Create a methodology for the implementation of educational activities that build the capacity of of PADF employees, consultants, volunteers, and employees of implementing partner organizations on PSEAH

Deliverables

1. Assessment of PADF’s current PSEAH documentation (from HQ and regional offices), with specific recommendations for standardization and improvements.
2. A comprehensive and compliant Hemispheric PSEAH Policy and standard operating procedures that align with the regulations issued by the United Nations Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse for United Nations staff and by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Six Core Principles on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
3. Revision of PADF’s grants and contracts documentation for compliance with donor requirements and international PSEAH standards. All recommendations should be submitted in a detailed report with appropriate supporting documentation and suggested revised templates.
4. Guidelines and templates for reporting incidents of SEAH.
5. Procedures for investigations of reported incidents of SEAH.
6. Training materials (digital) for PADF staff on PSEAH.
7. Training materials (digital) for implementing partners and collaborators across the hemisphere
8. A methodology for the implementation of educational activities that build the capacity of PADF employees, consultants, volunteers, and employees of implementing partner organizations on PSEAH.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced university (a Masters’ Degree) or equivalent in gender studies, social anthropology, law and human rights, sociology, humanitarian assistance, public health or another related field to PSEAH.
• Proven expertise in GBV and PSEAH in international development programming, UN experience preferred.
• Excellent communication skills, including ability to present complex processes and issues clearly, in plain language, to a diverse audience.
• Proven track record for designing high quality training materials.
• Ability to engage diverse actors and solicit, consolidate, and manage feedback.

Evaluation Criteria

• Does the proposal clearly explain, understand and respond to the objectives of the project as stated in the Scope of Work? (40 points)
• Demonstrated expertise and experience with similar projects. (20 Points)
• Personnel Qualifications – Do the proposed team members / or individual, have necessary experience and capabilities to carry out the Scope of Work? (20 Points)
• Best Value (10)

Total Points 100

Submission Details

1. Proposals must be received no later than July 30, 2022. Late submissions will not be accepted. Proposals must be submitted via email to [email protected]. All proposals are to be submitted following the guidelines listed in this Terms of Reference.
2. Validity of bid. 120 days from the submission deadline.
3. Amendments. At any time prior to the deadline for submission of proposals, PADF may, for any reason, modify the Terms of Reference documents by amendment which will be posted to the PADF website and/or communicated via email.
4. Project timeline: PADF expects the project to be completed within 6-12 months of signing the contract depending on the justification.

Language

Fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Spanish language skills are desired, but not required.

More about PADF

PADF is an independent non-profit organization established by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962.

PADF’s core values are “H-E-A-R-T” = Honesty, Excellence, Responsibility, Respect and Teamwork.

PADF is strong because we are diverse. We actively seek a diverse pool of candidates and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. PADF does not discriminate on the basis of ability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people with or without sons or daughters, self-taught and college-educated, as well as from a wide range of cultures, languages, socioeconomic backgrounds and world perspectives.

All Offerors are expected to exercise the highest standards of conduct in preparing, submitting and if selected, eventually carrying out the specified work in accordance with PADF’s H.E.A.R.T. values. Any violation of the Code of Conduct, as well as concerns regarding the integrity of the procurement process and documents should be reported to PADF via its Ethics Hotline at https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/66351/index.html.

Terms and Conditions

Resulting Award

This Terms of Reference does not obligate PADF to execute a contract, nor does it commit PADF to pay any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of the proposals. Furthermore, PADF reserves the right to reject any and all offers, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of PADF. PADF will, in its sole discretion, select the winning proposal and is not obligated to share individual evaluation results.

Confidentiality

All proprietary information provided by the bidder shall be treated as confidential and will not be shared with potential or actual applicants during the solicitation process. This includes but is not limited to price quotations, cost proposals and technical proposals. PADF may, but is not obliged to, post procurement awards on its public website after the solicitation process has concluded, and the contract has been awarded. PADF’s evaluation results are confidential and applicant scoring will not be shared among bidders.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

As part of the contractor’s internal controls and standards of employee conduct, the contractor must ensure that its employees adhere to these standards of conduct in a manner consistent with the standards for United Nations (UN) employees in Section 3 of the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin – Special measures protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13).

Contracting with Small, Minority, and Women’s Businesses

PADF will take all necessary steps to assure that minority businesses, women’s business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used when possible.

Debarment and Suspension

Entities that appear on any exclusion lists, System for Award Management (SAM), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), UN Sanctions List, and other watchlists, will not have their bid evaluated and will not be eligible to receive any subaward that may result from this Request for Proposals.