Analysis of Conflict-Sensitive Education in Colombia and Ecuador At Norwegian Refugee Council

Leave a Comment / Colombia / By
  • BACKGROUND
  • Context of the organization

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent, international, non-governmental humanitarian organization founded in 1946. Headquartered in Oslo, the organization currently operates in more than 30 countries worldwide. Since 1991, NRC has maintained an operation in Colombia that covers the country extensively, working with internally displaced populations and, more recently, with people on the move.

NRC works to promote and protect the rights of internally displaced persons and those in need of international protection. It focuses its work on providing humanitarian assistance and finding durable solutions through advocacy and the implementation of institutional programs on education, legal assistance, shelter and infrastructure, water, sanitation and hygiene, livelihoods and food security, and camp protection/management.

  • Institutional and organizational provisions
  • The NRC will own the intellectual property rights to all materials submitted by consultants under the contract. Therefore, consultants must ensure they own any materials provided to the NRC as part of the deliverable.
  • Reproduction rights for the reports will be granted to the NRC and its contracted agents.
  • The NRC will be free to reproduce the materials at will and to grant copyright.
  • Background of Conflict Sensitive Education in NRC

At NRC, the Safe and Inclusive Programming (SIP) guidelines call for conflict-sensitive analysis as part of education strategy development and review. An Education Competency Analysis conducted in 2025 reveals and prioritizes conflict-sensitive analysis as critical to development, from supporting anticipatory actions to contributing to building durable solutions. In fragile contexts like Ecuador, conflict-sensitive analysis helps understand the impacts of armed and urban violence.

The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) and other international organizations highlight some key points for understanding conflict sensitivity, a concept that emerged in 1994 after the Rwandan genocide, when it was realized that aid interventions could have unintended or negative side effects. The key points are: (1) conflict sensitivity is a sector-wide norm anchored in the principle of doing no harm ; (2) global frameworks, donors, and civil society actors consider conflict sensitivity as a best practice; (3) conflict sensitivity aligns with the triple nexus; and (4) conflict sensitivity generally means the capacity to act on understandings of context to prevent harmful action. In sum, education can both contribute to conflict and be a tool for peace.

In Colombia, Mera (2013) recognizes that development interventions can cause harm and negatively impact conflict, necessitating a detailed analysis to mitigate impacts. Academic literature and the systematization of lessons learned from various humanitarian experiences recognize that organizations with a humanitarian mandate can exacerbate conflict dynamics, thus requiring intentional conflict-sensitivity throughout the project cycle.

  • SCOPE OF SERVICE OR CONSULTANCY
  • Expected Result of the Consultancy

At the end of the consultancy, NRC will have a baseline of where its emergency education activities fall on the conflict-sensitivity spectrum, an improvement plan to ensure its activities are conflict-sensitive throughout the project cycle, and guidelines for applying the approach in the context of Colombia and Ecuador.

  • Scope

The consultant will work with the Education Specialist and in consultation with the areas for the following:

  • Conduct a desk review of a random sample of NRC-led initiatives in Colombia and Ecuador from 2020-2025 to critically analyze and identify (1) how NRC conducted a conflict analysis, (2) how it conducted an analysis of the risks associated with its actions, (3) how it potentially reproduced or transformed dynamics associated with the conflict, (4) how it sought to transform the interactions between the causes and effects identified in its theories of change, (5) what spaces and/or mechanisms it used to reflect on lessons learned, and (6) how NRC’s interventions fall on the conflict-sensitivity spectrum (from conflict-blind to conflict-sensitive). The baseline will also identify whether any group was unintentionally favored over others (INEE Guiding Principle 2).
  • Conduct an analysis that considers the following dimensions:
    1. Identification of any unintended or negative side effects that may have arisen from NRC actions during the 2020-2025 period in Colombia and Ecuador.
    2. Current, trend, and prospective analysis of the situation of armed conflict (Colombia) and armed violence (Ecuador) and their impact on the education sector. The analysis should consider how conflict affects education and how education may contribute to conflict (INEE Guiding Principle 1).
    3. Analysis of how NRC interventions seek to stabilize, strengthen, or contribute to the education system (INEE Principle 5)
    4. Analysis of the public policy environment and government response to situations of armed conflict and violence in Colombia and Ecuador, respectively. Analyze how the initiatives proposed by NRC interact with state responses.
    5. Critical analysis of how NRC’s proposed initiatives interact with the causes and manifestations of conflict. This analysis will identify both the risks of exacerbating conflict or violence and the opportunities to transform it throughout the project cycle.
    6. Identify whether NRC’s frontline projects and interventions reflect or perpetuate social, cultural, and/or gender inequities (according to INEE Principles 2 and 4).
    7. Identify how NRC interventions address school, student, and teacher safety, and protection from abuse and exploitation. This includes education about antipersonnel mines and unexploded ordnance, preventing recruitment, and preventing attacks on education (INEE Principle 3).
    8. Critical analysis of how NRC interventions act agilely to respond to change and contribute to the educational ecosystem beyond the short term (INEE Principle 6).
  • Develop an improvement plan with recommendations to ensure that NRC activities adhere to standards for conflict-sensitive education programming. This improvement plan should include a tool (guide, guidelines, or checklist) for implementation in the context of Colombia and Ecuador.ACTIVITIES
  • Prepare initial consultancy report.
  • Conduct interviews with key informants.
  • Conduct a documentary review to develop consulting products. The review may include regulatory and technical documents, concept notes, terms of reference, internal guidelines, proposals and reports to donors, and the systematization of experiences and lessons learned.
  • Establish a baseline for conflict-sensitive education 2020-2025 reconstructed from documentary information.
  • Conduct field visits to gather information, conduct interviews, and/or observe NRC interventions on the ground. These visits will be coordinated with the department and the implementation of research protocols aligned with best practices for safeguarding research participation and the data protection policy will be ensured.
  • Prepare an analytical document that reflects on the principles of conflict-sensitive education proposed by INEE.
  • Develop an improvement plan with recommendations.
  • Submit a final report with results, recommendations, and tools for implementation.Work Plan and proposed schedule

The consultancy will last three (3) months. The schedule of activities will be agreed upon by the parties to ensure compliance with the consultancy deadlines.

CONTRACTOR/CONSULTING FIRM PROFILE

The consulting company or contractor must meet the following profile:

Academic training:

or University degree in Educational Sciences, Social Sciences, Economics or related fields.

  • Master’s degree in Educational Sciences, Public Policy, International Relations, Humanitarian Law, or related fields.

Experience:

  • Between 6 and 8 years of specific experience in emergency education in fragile and/or conflict contexts.
    • At least 3 years of experience relevant to the application of conflict-sensitive education.
    • Experience in the application of differential approaches.
    • Extensive knowledge of educational systems and their operation in emergency contexts.
    • Extensive knowledge of the Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) standards
    • Knowledge and application of national and international regulations on emergency education
    • Experience in research, project development, institutional diagnostics, and report preparation.

Skills:

  • Demonstrated experience in consulting, implementing, and facilitating processes to improve/strengthen humanitarian action in the education sector.
  • Experience in data collection aligned with research standards and protocols aligned with best practices for safeguarding research participation and data protection policies in accordance with Colombian legislation and NRC policies.
  • Experience in managing and handling the different stages of the humanitarian program cycle.
  • Ability to analyze documents and systematize experiences.
  • Proficiency in office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and qualitative data analysis.

Technical skills

Proposals submitted by consulting individuals or entities will be evaluated by the NRC technical team based on the following criteria, which combine technical quality, operational capacity, contextual understanding, and the coherence of the economic proposal:

Quality of the technical proposal. 35%

  • Clarity, coherence and methodological approach.
  • Relevance of the proposed methods (interviews, workshops, data analysis, etc.).
  • Integration of differential approaches (gender, migration, youth).

Experience of the consulting person/entity: 30%

  • Proven experience in the application of differential approaches.
  • Extensive knowledge of the Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) standards
  • Knowledge of the Colombian and Ecuadorian context.

Economic proposal (if they fall within the range of the financeable amount): 35%

  • Reasonableness and consistency of the budget in relation to the activities and estimated time.
  • Clear inclusion of costs associated with travel, logistics, and production of final deliverables.

CONTRACTING INFORMATION

  • Type of contract

Consultancy

  • Duration of the contract

The contract will have a duration of three (3) months from the date of hiring.

  • Place of performance of the contract

The contract will be executed remotely, with scheduled field trips coordinated with the relevant departments and the Country Office Education team. The visits will take place in various municipalities in the cities of Cúcuta, Tumaco, and Quito, and in the regions of Meta, Guaviare, Putumayo, and/or Apartadó.

  • Maximum budgeted amount and payment method

This is a competitive process, so bidders are encouraged to submit their best technical proposal, as it will be a key criterion in the evaluation.

The total payment for the consultancy will be made in three disbursements , subject to the delivery and approval of the products established in the work plan:

Payments

First Payment. Month 1: 30%

– Approved work plan and methodology.

After delivery and validation of the products.

– Initial consultancy report

Second Payment. Month 2: 30%

– Baseline regarding NRC action in the conflict-sensitive education continuum.

After delivery and validation of the products.

– Preliminary analysis of conflict-sensitive education in the context of Colombia and Ecuador.

– Preliminary version of the improvement plan.

Third Payment. Month 3: 40%

– Final version of the Analysis of conflict-sensitive education in the context of Colombia and Ecuador.

After delivery, comments are incorporated and the products are validated.

-Final version of the improvement plan with recommendations.

Payments can be made 30 calendar days after receipt of invoice.

*Bidders should note that the relevant withholdings will be applied to the value assigned to the consultancy, in accordance with the tax regulations of the contracting country.

* If the bidder is a natural person, they must bear in mind that upon awarding the contract, they must pay social security (health, pension, and ARL) on 40% of the contract value.

***Bidders must include in their financial offer the cost of travel to the cities mentioned and per diem (each mission lasts 3 to 5 days) required for travel to different locations within or outside the country, depending on the requirements of the consultancy or service.

PROPERTY RIGHTS and RELIABILITY: The property rights belong to the Norwegian Refugee Council. The reliability of the information collected is essential, and dissemination of this material without authorization from the organization could put participants at risk. Any dissemination or reproduction of the collected material must have the authorization of the organization.

  • Taxes

Payments will be subject to taxes and withholdings in accordance with current Colombian tax legislation. For foreign individuals or legal entities (non-residents or non-domiciled in the country), the corresponding withholdings will be applied according to Colombian tax regulations for payments abroad. This may include income tax, withholding taxes, or other levies, depending on the type of service provided and the contractor’s tax jurisdiction.

  • Contractual policies

The selected supplier must subscribe to and assume the costs of the following policies, based on the total value of the assigned contract:

  • COMPLIANCE: For an insured value equal to thirty percent (30%) of the value of the contract, with a validity equal to that stipulated in this contract and six (6) months more.
  • OF SALARIES AND SOCIAL BENEFITS: For an insured value of ten percent (10%) of the value of this contract, with a validity equal to that stipulated in this contract and three (3) more years

How to apply

Interested bidders must submit their bids by Friday, September 26, 2025 , at 5:00 p.m. Colombian time , to the email address co.Logistics.bog@nrc.no with a copy to alexandra.donoso@nrc.no with the subject “Analysis of Conflict-Sensitive Education in Colombia and Ecuador.”

Offers must contain the following documentation:

  • Technical proposal that includes a suggested methodology for presenting the products, a work plan, an activity schedule, and execution times.
    • Detailed economic proposal.
    • Natural person: Resume, RUT, Bank Certification, copy of identification document and Chamber of Commerce (if available).
    • Legal entity: Certificate of existence and legal representation, Single Tax Registry (RUT), Bank certification in the company’s name, Copy of the legal representative’s identification document, and Institutional resume or company service portfolio.
    • Certifications of relevant experience, with information on contract duration and value.