ACBAR

Following the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, where Afghan women representing various organizations and United Nations agencies participated, the idea of establishing a unified platform for cooperation and coordination among Afghan women emerged. Inspired by global women’s movements and the need for collective action, these participants formally established the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN) in 1995.

The Afghan Women’s Network (AWN) serves as a national platform that brings together women’s organizations and individual members to strengthen collaboration, promote shared learning, and support institutional development. It provides a structured space for organizations to enhance their capacities and contribute to community-based initiatives.

AWN maintains an active presence in multiple provinces, including Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar, Bamyan, Paktia, Nangarhar, Badakhshan, and Kunduz, while also engaging members across other regions of Afghanistan. As an umbrella network, AWN works in coordination with its members to implement initiatives focused on community well-being, access to services, and capacity strengthening. The network comprises over 5,000 individual members and more than 150 member organizations.

In response to increasing digital and physical security risks affecting staff, activists, women leaders, and organizations operating in Afghanistan, AWN seeks to engage a qualified Digital and Physical Security Trainer to conduct practical, participatory training sessions on digital and physical security for AWN staff.

Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this assignment is to support coordination and address capacity gaps identified during the initial assessment of selected WCSOs, facilitate the selection of training participants, conduct needs assessments for small grants, and ensure quality review and alignment of WCSO proposals with project objectives.

Scope of Work

The consultant will be responsible for coordinating and supporting efforts to address the capacity gaps identified during the initial assessment of the 20 selected Women-Led Civil Society Organizations (WCSOs), with particular attention to

strengthening capacities related to SGBV response and prevention. They will assist in the transparent and inclusive selection of 60 -100 WCSO staff members (3 - 5 individuals from each organization) for participation in the project’s training programs, ensuring adequate representation and relevance to key thematic areas.

Furthermore, the consultant will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of the selected WCSOs for small grants, focusing on policy development and implementation, such as Safeguarding, Advocacy, Communication and Outreach, Gender, Risk Management policies and etc., as well as operational and institutional challenges accordingly.

The consultant will also review and evaluate small grant proposals submitted by WCSOs, ensuring that all proposals are aligned with the project objectives and adequately address the capacity gaps identified during the initial assessment, especially in relation to priorities set by the donor. They will provide detailed, structured, and constructive feedback on each proposal to support its refinement and improvement and, where necessary, directly support WCSOs in strengthening and finalizing their submissions. Finally, the consultant(s) will develop and submit clear, transparent, and evidence-based recommendations for small grant allocation, ensuring that selected proposals demonstrate strong alignment with project goals and effectively contribute to addressing identified capacity gaps.

Key responsibilities/ Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

• Inception Report (including methodology, tools, and workplan)
• Capacity Gap Coordination Report (documenting actions taken to address identified gaps)
• List of Selected Training Participants (60–100 WCSO staff)
• Small Grants Needs Assessment Report
• Proposal Review Report (including evaluation criteria, scoring, and detailed feedback)
• Final Recommendation Report for Grant Allocation

Duration of Assignment

The consultant is expected to be conducted over a period of 45 calendar days, starting from accepting the offer made by AWN.

Methodology

The consultant (s) are expected to apply a participatory and inclusive approach, including document review, stakeholder consultations, organizational assessments, and structured evaluation tools to ensure transparency, accountability, and quality outputs.

Ethical Considerations

The consultant(s) must adhere to ethical standards, including confidentiality, do-no-harm principles, and compliance with safeguarding and other related policies throughout the assignment.

Required Commitment: Consultants are expected to demonstrate full-time availability, maintain a high level of professional commitment, adhere to the agreed timeline, ensure quality in their deliverables, and work cooperatively with the AWN team.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Gender Studies, or a related field
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience working with civil society organizations, particularly women-led organizations
• Proven experience in capacity assessment, institutional strengthening, and grants management
• Demonstrated experience in proposal evaluation and report writing
• Excellent analytical, facilitation, and communication skills
• Fluency in English; knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto is required

Reporting Line

The consultant(s) will report directly to the Program Manager /Project Manager of AWN or a designated representative.

Evaluation Criteria

The selection of consultant(s) will be based on:

• Relevant experience and technical expertise
• Understanding of the assignment
• Proposed methodology and approach
• Financial proposal

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. · Please mention position title on the subject of email · Applications meeting the above requirement will be entertained only. · Only the short listed candidates will be notified. Contact Information Interested candidates, who meet the above-mentioned requirements, should submit an up-to-date Resume/CV, with a Letter of Interest, via email to the following e-mail address: vacancies@awn-af.org / admin.hrofficer@awn-af.org  - Late applications won’t be considered

vacancies@awn-af.org/ admin.hrofficer@awn-af.org/ faisalahmad22@gmail.com/ lemashams10@gmail.com