Terms Of Reference For The Recruitment Of A Senior Consultant As A Member Of The Technical Subcommittee Of Dasaf 2025 At Ipas

Context

The ODAS Center is an innovative regional partnership mechanism dedicated to strengthening the safe abortion movement across Francophone Africa. It serves as a secretariat supporting the ODAS movement, which includes government officials, health care providers, youth groups, feminist networks, human rights organizations, women’s groups, researchers, academic organizations, champions working to dismantle abortion stigma, reduce unsafe abortions, and advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights in Francophone Africa, in order to advance their rights and on their own terms.

The first edition of DASAF (Dialogue for Safe Abortion in French-speaking Africa) in 2022 provided an opportunity to reflect on a strong and intersectional movement around the pillars of the common agenda, strengthening the collective commitment to safe abortion in French-speaking Africa. In 2023, the Youth Dialogue for Safe Abortion in French-speaking Africa (DJASAF) provided an opportunity to elevate the voices of young people and highlight their perspectives and priorities within the Movement.

The organization of the second edition of DASAF comes at a major and critical turning point for bodily autonomy in the world. Like DASAF 2022 and DJASAF 2023, DASAF 2025 will offer members of the Movement an opportunity to come together, recharge and connect to better address common challenges in troubled times with the rise of anti-rights movements in the world and in our region. This edition will be a special moment of gathering and sharing between members of the ODAS movement.

DASAF 2025 will bring together experts, activists, feminists, health professionals, government representatives, human rights defenders, pro-choice organizations and allies from across the region. Together, we will take stock of the movement’s progress and reflect on regional priorities for the years to come.

These terms of reference govern the recruitment of a senior consultant within the technical subcommittee.

Composition of the Technical Subcommittee:

• ODAS Center Representatives
• Ipas Representatives
• 1 Experienced Senior Consultant
• 1 Young person from AJCAF AS
• 1 Feminist Consultant from the Feminist Task Force
• 3 Representatives of Technical and Financial Partner Organizations of the Movement

Objectives of the Technical Subcommittee

1. Ensure high scientific quality of the content of the dialogue.
2. Ensure optimal inclusion of research, programmatic and advocacy abstracts.
3. Optimize the participation of researchers, activists, young people, feminists, program managers, CDP members, technical and strategic partners and decision-makers.

Responsibilities

1. Definition of the Conference Theme and Tracks
   • Identify the main theme and relevant subthemes.
   • Consult the Movement on the main theme, sub-themes and priority tracks
   • Develop conference tracks based on identified priorities.
2. Selection of Abstracts and Participants
   • Establish clear and transparent selection criteria.
   • Review and select submitted abstracts
   • Identify and engage session leads
   • Identify and invite key participants (invitation under the lead of the admin subcommittee)
3. Agenda Development
   • Create a detailed and structured agenda based on the selected tracks (Terms of reference)
   • Supervise the development of session technical sheets by leads
   • Contribute with session leads to identify the speakers for each session
   • Ensure the preparation of the various sessions
   • Integrate contributions from partners and stakeholders.
   • Ensure flexibility to adjust the schedule as needed.
4. Inclusion and Diversity
   • Promote an intersectional and inclusive approach.
   • Ensure representation of diverse voices, including youth, feminists and marginalized groups.
   • Integrate perspectives from different regions and cultural contexts.
5. Monitoring and Evaluation
   • Establish monitoring mechanisms to assess the impact of the dialogue.
   • Collect feedback from participants to improve future editions.
   • Establish a reporting team and coordinate the drafting of a final report detailing findings and recommendations.
   • Documentation and Knowledge Sharing : Establish a mechanism to document and share knowledge and best practices emerging from the dialogue.

Deliverables

1. Conference Theme and Tracks
   • Document detailing the themes and sub-themes.
2. List of Selected Abstracts
   • Compilation of accepted abstracts.
3. Final list of participants
4. Conference Agenda (ToRs)
   • Agenda finalized and approved.
5. Meeting Reports
   • Minutes of the subcommittee meetings.
6. Final Report
   • Report detailing post-dialogue findings and recommendations.

Calendar

• Establishment of the subcommittee: No later than February 7, 2024
• Movement consultations on the theme, sub-themes and tracks and analysis of feedback: February 17 to 28, 2025
• Abstract Submission : March 10, 2025 to April 4, 2025
• Review and Selection of Abstracts : April 8, 2025 to April 30, 2025
• Finalization of the list of participants : May 30, 2025
• Agenda Development and Session Lead Confirmation : June 30, 2025
• Validation of session technical sheets: August 15, 2025
• Finalization of Preparations : September 30, 2025
• Date of Dialogue : October 20-22, 2025

Remuneration

The three (03) consultants will be paid according to the terms agreed with the ODAS Center at the rate of eight (08) days per month over the period from February 7 to November 30, 2025.

Operating Mechanisms of the Subcommittee

• Frequency of Meetings : The subcommittee will meet once a week until three months before the event, then twice a week two months before the event, and finally three times a week during the last month before the dialogue.
• Number of Working Hours per Month : Each member of the subcommittee is expected to dedicate approximately 8 working days per month to the activities of the subcommittee. Partners will dedicate 8 to 10 hours per month with a possible increase to 15 hours per month in the two months preceding the event.

Selection Criteria for Subcommittee Members

• Expertise : Members must have recognized expertise in the field of abortion, sexual and reproductive health, human rights, or related areas.
• Experience : Previous experience in organizing similar events or in technical coordination roles is desired.
• Commitment : Members must demonstrate a strong commitment to the goals of DASAF and the right to safe abortion in French-speaking Africa. Members who have formalized their membership in the ODAS Movement will be prioritized.
• Representativeness : Ensure balanced representation of genders, regions and groups.
• Availability : Members must be available to actively participate in subcommittee meetings and activities as scheduled.