Consultant – Leadership, Civic Engagement, and Local Governance Training

Introduction

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network) is a regional feminist organization committed to advancing the rights of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict contexts across the Horn of Africa. SIHA is dedicated to strengthening young women’s leadership, advocating for gender justice, and increasing women’s participation in governance and decision-making spaces.

As part of its efforts to empower young women in South Sudan, SIHA is implementing a capacity-building initiative to enhance young women’s participation in leadership and governance. This project seeks to address systemic barriers preventing young women from fully engaging in decision-making processes by equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills, and networks to navigate political, civic, and local governance structures. The initiative is aligned with global and regional commitments, including the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1325 & 2250, both of which emphasize the critical role of women and youth in peacebuilding and governance.

Background of the Assignment

Despite global efforts to increase women’s political participation, South Sudanese women remain significantly underrepresented in governance and peacebuilding. While women have played critical roles in advocating for peace and community stability, their contributions are often marginalized due to entrenched patriarchal structures, insecurity, and a lack of institutional support for gender inclusivity. Many young women face barriers such as limited leadership training, social stigma, threats of violence, and insufficient mentorship opportunities, which hinder their ability to navigate political and civic spaces effectively.

The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed in 2018, mandates a minimum 35% quota for women’s representation in governance. However, implementation has been slow, and many young women struggle to access leadership positions due to systemic barriers, insecurity, and deeply ingrained gender norms. Similarly, United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1325 (Women, Peace, and Security) and 2250 (Youth, Peace, and Security) highlight the importance of women and youth in peacebuilding and call for greater inclusion in decision-making processes at all levels. To further understand these challenges, a needs assessment was conducted in Juba, Yambio, and Western Bahr el Ghazal State (covering Wau & Raja) to identify the barriers young women face in leadership and governance. The findings highlighted significant obstacles to political participation, including:

• Limited access to decision-making spaces and exclusion from leadership roles.
• Lack of leadership training and mentorship opportunities to support young women’s political engagement.
• Deeply ingrained gender norms and social stigma discouraging young women from civic participation.
• Insecurity and financial constraints limit their ability to participate in governance processes.
• Absence of structured political education and awareness about governance systems.

The assessment underscored the need for targeted capacity-building initiatives to equip young women with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate political structures, engage in decision-making, and advocate for gender-inclusive governance.

While national leadership spaces remain difficult for young women to access, local governance offers a critical entry point for political engagement. By understanding local government structures, electoral processes, and pathways for civic engagement, young women can build leadership experience at the grassroots level before transitioning to national leadership. Strengthening their participation in local government, municipal councils, and community governance will allow them to gain practical experience, influence policy decisions, and engage in governance efforts that directly impact their communities. This training will equip young women with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to actively participate in local governance, civic engagement, and decision-making processes.

Objectives of the Training

This training aims to:

1. Strengthen young women’s understanding of leadership and governance structures in South Sudan, with an emphasis on the roles, responsibilities, and opportunities within local government systems.
2.  Enhance the capacity of young women to engage meaningfully in political and governance processes, with a particular focus on leveraging the 35% affirmative action quota under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
3.  Introduce and contextualize the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agendas, guided by UNSCR 1325 and 2250, highlighting their significance for young women’s leadership and participation in governance and peacebuilding initiatives.
4. Equip participants with practical knowledge and tools for effective engagement in local governance and electoral processes, including interactions with the local municipal councils, local administrators, and community leadership structures.
5. Develop essential leadership competencies including, public speaking, negotiation and confidence-building skills to help young women to navigate political and civic spaces successfully.
6. Foster leadership pathways by equipping the young women with skills and strategies necessary for assuming leadership positions within the governance institutions, civil society organizations, and community initiatives.

Facilitate the creation of individualized and collective action plans enabling participants to translate learning into actionable strategies for political participation and governance engagement at local and national levels.   

Scope of Work for the Consultant

The consultant will be responsible for:

1. Developing a training module tailored to young women’s leadership, civic engagement, and local governance in South Sudan. The module should be incorporated
   • The 35% quota under R-ARCSS includes a practical analysis of existing gaps, challenges, and opportunities.
   • The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agendas (UNSCR 1325 and 2250) and their relevance to young women’s participation in governance and peacebuilding.
   • Practical knowledge on local governance structures, electoral processes, and stakeholder engagement at community and municipal levels

• Facilitating a two-day interactive training that;
  • Explores leadership roles and opportunities within the local governance and political spaces
  • Provides practical sessions on public speaking, negotiation, confidence-building, and leadership development.
  • Utilizes group exercises, case studies, and scenario-based learning for effective knowledge transfer.
• Delivering focused sessions on Strengthening young women participation in local governance, covering
• Understanding Local Governance: Exploring the structure, roles, and responsibilities of local government in South Sudan.
• Linking Local & National Politics: Examining how local governance connects to broader national decision-making and why young women’s engagement is critical.

Practical Advocacy & Accountability: Providing strategies for young women to engage with government institutions, advocate for gender-inclusive policies, hold leaders accountable, and influence decision-making at local, state, and national levels.

• Facilitating the development of individualized and collective action plans that outline strategies for sustained engagement in governance and leadership roles at local and national levels.

Documenting the training process, including

Key discussions, insights, and lessons learned.

Participant feedback and reflections.

Actionable recommendations for sustaining young women’s political and civic engagement.

 Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

1. A comprehensive training module including detailed session plans, learning objectives, facilitation guides and pre and post training evaluation questions. Facilitation of a two-day training workshop with interactive sessions, group exercises, and case studies.
2. Resource materials for participants including slides, handouts, case studies, governance toolkits and templates for developing personal and collective action.
3. A comprehensive post training report summarizing key discussions, immediate results, participant engagement, lessons learned, an analysis of the 35% quota implementation challenges and opportunities and recommendations for further capacity building and support
4. Follow-up recommendations on how to sustain young women’s engagement in political and civic spaces.

5. Deliverables & Timeline

The training will take place in three locations, with each session lasting three days at each location. The expected deliverables and timeline to complete these services is 15 working days between 17^th– March to 10^th of April 2025.

Break down timelines are:

ACTIVITY	TIMELINE
Inception reports, including development of training materials including session plans, case studies, pre and post training survey	16th -19th March 2025
Conduct training In Central Equatoria	20th – 21st March 2025
Submit final detailed report on c capacity building  for review  five working days after training	March 29th –2nd April 2025
Incorporate comments, feedback, and submit final clean report with slides presentations and actionable plans from YWLS	8th April 2025

The final report should include:

• Summary of training outcomes and participant feedback.
• Findings from the assessment on women’s governance participation.
• Key challenges and recommendations for improving young women’s engagement in governance.
• Sustainability strategies for long-term impact.

The consultant must submit a brief training update one day after each session and a comprehensive final report two weeks after training completion.

1. Profile Consultant and Qualifications

The ideal consultant should possess the following qualifications:

• Extensive experience in gender, governance, and peacebuilding training, particularly in South Sudan.
• Strong knowledge of South Sudan’s governance structures, electoral processes, and civic engagement landscape.
• Proven expertise in designing and delivering interactive, practical training programs for young women leaders.
• Experience conducting political and governance assessments, including desk reviews, surveys, and interviews.
• Strong facilitation and mentorship skills, with experience working with WHRDs and youth-led organizations.
• Ability to develop comprehensive reports detailing training outcomes, assessment findings, and strategic recommendations.

The consultant should be highly skilled in engaging diverse groups of women and creating inclusive learning environments that foster leadership, confidence, and advocacy skills.

2. Expected Impact and Sustainability

This training is expected to empower young women leaders to actively engage in governance, peacebuilding, and advocacy efforts. By equipping them with the necessary skills, the program will:

• Increase young women’s representation in political decision-making spaces.
• Strengthen their ability to advocate for gender-responsive governance and policies.
• Encourage government and community stakeholders to support young women’s participation.
• Develop long-term mentorship networks and peer learning platforms.

To ensure sustainability, SIHA will continue to support participants beyond the training period by facilitating mentorship programs, networking opportunities, and ongoing engagement with policymakers.

Application Process

Interested consultants are invited to submit:

• A 2-3 page technical and financial proposal outlining their approach, methodology, and timeline and budget.
• A detailed CV highlighting relevant experience in gender, governance, and peacebuilding training.

Mode of application: Interested, qualified and motivated candidates passionate about driving feminists values can apply through the link here  not later than March 10 2025 11:59pm (EAT)

Shortlisting will be done on a rolling basis. Due to the large volumes of anticipated applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from the recruitment team 15 days after advert closure, please know that your application was not considered.