Annual Stakeholder Workshop Facilitator

ABOUT SEARCH

Founded in 1982, Search for Common Ground (Search) is the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organization. We work to transform violent conflict into peace, building healthy, safe, and just societies in the process. We work in the world’s most challenging contexts and develop lasting solutions that are based on the needs of communities. We engage with leaders and elected officials to advance dialogue and collaboration. We are community leaders. We are youth activists. We are women. We are peacebuilders. Over the last 40 years, we have developed our understanding of what peace looks like, being able to quantify our impact and design more effective programming, working on the frontlines of today’s most consequential conflicts. Active in 36 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the United States. and thanks to more than 900 employees, 91% of which are local to the country where we work, we are building a future where collaboration in the face of conflict is the norm—where our differences stimulate social progress, rather than precipitate violence.

PROJECT SUMMARY

The Community of Practice in Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance is a community of 40 organizations operating throughout Iraq. The primary objective of this project is to strengthen a Community of Practice (CoP) in Iraq’s fields of democracy, human rights, and governance, with the goal of enhancing the collaborative and inclusive impact of the Iraqi community of practice as a leading civil society space within the democracy, human rights, and governance sector. Additionally, this initiative seeks to foster increased coordination and collaboration among diverse Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and strategic partners operating within the democracy, human rights, and governance sector in Iraq.

Project’s Goal: Enhance collaborative and inclusive impact of an Iraqi community of practice as a leading civil society space in the democracy, human rights, and governance sector.

Expert Profile:

As a part of the CoP project, Search organizes an ‘Annual Stakeholders Workshop’ (ASW) event. This event serves as a platform for CoP members and their subgrantees to deliberate on their ongoing projects in Iraq, funded by the US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). The objective is to better inform programming in these critical fields. This year, the ASW will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Search will cover the expenses for transportation, visas, and accommodations for the selected facilitator.

Search is seeking for an individual with substantial in-person facilitation experience to oversee the 2025 ASW event. We anticipate an attendance of approximately 50 participants representing diverse program backgrounds from across Iraq over the course of four days, during which multiple sessions are planned. The sessions will be hosted by Search and DRL colleagues, with the facilitator providing support. The facilitator is expected to present in English and will be provided with a comprehensive event agenda outlining workshop activities, as well as background information on facilitation approaches for this event.

Search expects the facilitator to fulfill the following responsibilities:

Facilitate sessions and discussions in a timely manner

• Ensure the smooth running of sessions and discussions.
• Maintain the agenda and keep sessions on schedule.
• Foster an environment conducive to productive discussions.

Introduce ice-breakers and succinctly summarize key discussion topics and themes

• Commence sessions with engaging ice-breakers to promote interaction.
• Summarize and highlight the main points and themes for clarity.
• Use creative approaches to initiate and conclude discussions.

Encourage participants to reflect upon and share their thoughts and experiences throughout the sessions

• Promote active participation and engagement.
• Create opportunities for attendees to share their insights and experiences.
• Foster an atmosphere where participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.

Promote meaningful discussions among participants

• Encourage open dialogue and exchange of ideas.
• Facilitate constructive debates and problem-solving.
• Inspire participants to delve deeply into the topics and explore various perspectives.

Key Deliverables for ASW 2025 Workshop Facilitator:

Pre-Meeting with Search Team

Date: March 18, 2025
Duration: 1 hour
Description: A virtual or in-person meeting to introduce the Search CoP project and discuss the workshop’s themes and structure.

Agenda Sharing

Date: March 24, 2025
Description: The facilitator will share a detailed agenda for 4 days of the workshop to provide participants and Search team with clear guidance on the sessions planned.

Workshop Facilitation

Date: April 23-28, 2025

Description: Facilitate and deliver a 4-day workshop plus 1 additional 1 to arrive early to discuss the preparations, supporting approximately 50 participants in interactive and engaging sessions. Daily sessions will include structured discussions and ice-breakers, and the facilitator will summarize and highlight key discussion points.

Daily Recap: The facilitator will convene with the Search and DRL teams for half an hour at the conclusion of each workshop day to provide feedback and observations on the sessions and to discuss any necessary adaptations for the content of the following day’s sessions.

Participant Feedback Surveys: The facilitator will use a daily survey to gather feedback from participants regarding each day’s sessions. This feedback will inform adjustments to subsequent sessions, ensuring they are responsive to participants’ needs and enhancing overall engagement.

Post-Workshop Feedback Report and Meeting

Date: May 07, 2025
Duration: 4 hours
Description: Submit a written report with facilitator recommendations and insights on session improvements. Present a comprehensive overview of the workshop’s outcomes and suggestions for future sessions.

Travel and Accommodation Support:

Search for Common Ground will only cover flights and hotel accommodation in Kuala Lumpur for the facilitator to participate in the ASW event in Malaysia.

Evaluation Criteria: Consultant proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevant experience and qualifications; including submission of a comprehensive CV detailing relevant experience and qualifications including a designed agenda and PowerPoint presentation from prior facilitation workshops.
• Quality and comprehensiveness of the facilitation plan: Submission of a detailed technical proposal outlining the methodology and discussion methods for the period of 4 days workshop.
• Cost-effectiveness and Financial Table: Completion of the financial table presenting expenditures breakdown in Iraqi Dinar (IQD) for each item cost in the budget . The proposed budget should clearly indicate the deliverables and timeline requirements.
• The workshop will take place in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia for 50 participants from various organizations. Workshop expenses for participants will be covered by Search for Common Ground. The consultant is not required to include additional participant costs; the budget breakdown should only cover facilitation and related expenses.

Qualifications & Preferred Skills

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field is required (e.g., politics, human rights, governance, development, democracy, administration, etc.).
• Possess at least 6 years of experience in facilitating conferences and workshops in Iraq, as well as in international events.
• Demonstrate the ability to comprehend the socio-political contexts within the programming areas, as well as a broad understanding of the Iraqi landscape.
• Exhibit excellent public speaking skills and proficiency in managing the expectations of participants.
• Capable of working effectively with individuals from diverse political, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
• Display flexibility in adapting to unforeseen or last-minute changes in the process.
• Proficiency in using computer software, including MS Word and PowerPoint.
• Fluent in both spoken and written English and Arabic.
• Possess a valid passport with no travel restrictions.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Qualified candidates with substantial experience in workshop facilitation, ideally within the fields of democracy, human rights, and governance, are invited to apply. Applications should be sent to [email protected] by February 8th , 2025, and include in the Subject : ASW Facilitator 2025

Please note that applications failing to meet the above criteria will not be considered during the shortlisting process.

Terms and Conditions: Search for Common Ground reserves the right to select or reject proposals based on the evaluation criteria and event requirements. The selected facilitator will be required to adhere to the event guidelines and code of conduct throughout the engagement.