Request for Proposals: IMPLEMENTING THE FREEDOM RISING PROGRAM At The Freedom Fund

Overview

The Freedom Fund is seeking an Implementing Partner for the development and delivery of the Freedom Rising Program in Nepal. This Request for Proposals (RFP) sets out the requirements for potential partners wishing to apply.

Eligibility

Both non-profit organisations and for-profit consultants are invited to submit proposals. Applicants must have the ability to operate in Nepal and should be well-networked in Nepal and South Asia, with significant experience working with community-based organisations and/or community-led movements in Nepal.

Applicants should have demonstrable experience in developing and delivering leadership and/or organisational development programs at the grassroots level. In particular, they must have experience in using survivor centric, participant-led and participatory methodologies.

Background to the Freedom Rising Program

The Freedom Fund recognises that a lack of investment in diverse frontline leadership is preventing the anti-slavery movement from reaching its full potential. Anti-slavery programs are often not adequately informed by women and survivors’ experience and do not address the power dynamics and discrimination that enable exploitation. Frontline leaders also lack the support necessary to build and maintain powerful coalitions for change or to sustain collective action.

The Freedom Rising Program was launched in 2020 to help address this issue. The program seeks to create transformational change at three levels:

1. The Leader – The program equips leaders, especially women and survivors, with the confidence and capability to act as effective leaders within their organisations and the wider anti-slavery movement. It also builds understanding of the value and impact of women and survivor leadership among participants and those in positions of leadership within their organisations.
2. The Organisation – The program equips leaders with the skills to build resilient and representative organisations, that are well-connected and resourced and able to successfully manage change. Participants are supported to analyse their organisation’s operating model and context, including power and gender dynamics, and to identify and use opportunities to align their values and practices and to amplify impact.
3. The Movement – Through the program participants identify their shared vision and values, building a sense of solidarity and of common purpose. Freedom Rising also facilitates connections and collective action during and beyond the 12 month program, including an alumni network that provides a forum for ongoing learning and collaboration.

Structure of the Freedom Rising Program

The program is designed to support leaders through a personal learning journey over the course of 12 months, that provides the skills and space for participants to experience, analyse and apply their learning. Over a series of four residential training modules (5 days each), participants engage in experiential learning activities covering the program’s key themes of gender, survivor leadership, power, and resilience.

General cohort characteristics

• • 50 participants per cohort – 25 organisations working on issues of human trafficking, forced and bonded labour, or sexual exploitation – 2 participants per organisation. – One participant from each organisation must be in a decision-making role (CEO or Director level) – Priority given to women and survivors with lived experience of exploitation – Ideally 75% of participants are women

In order to keep training group sizes small for more “personal” and sensitive content, the first two residentials are currently structured to be run in two separate groups of 25, at least a week apart. There is therefore a total of 6 residentials per cohort:

• • 2 x 25 participants for Residential 1 – 2 x 25 participants for Residential 2 – 1 x 50 participants for Residential 3 – 1 x 50 participants for Residential 4

Locations

Over the next 2 years, the Freedom Fund intends to launch and scale the Freedom Rising program in Nepal. The below table is indicative of the roll out schedule, but subject to change and to discussion with the Implementing Partner.

Guiding principles for the partnership:

• • This will be a partnership and not an outsourcing arrangement. We expect that the Implementing Partner will work closely with Freedom Fund staff and consultants both in the delivery location and in Freedom Fund HQ. – The Implementing Partner should be aligned with the goals, values, and pedagogical approach of the program, including being committed to building community ownership and delivering a participant-led program. – The Freedom Rising Program is a global program that is adapted to local context and participant need. The role of the Implementing Partner will be to act as local delivery partner to FF, including supporting program planning and adaption and managing the delivery and administration of the Freedom Rising Program in Nepal. – Other partnerships may also be agreed to fill gaps in skills, capacity or expertise as required for the program. These will be agreed between FF and the Implementing Partner.

Scope of partnership

Term: The Freedom Fund is seeking an initial partnership of 2 years. During that period it would be expected that the partner would support the delivery of 2 cohorts in Nepal. Depending on program budget and strategy, the term and the number of cohorts may be increased by mutual agreement.

Location: The Implementing Partner should be well networked in Nepal and should have staff or consultants present in Nepal. The Partner should also have staff or consultants fluent in Nepali and familiar with different ethnic groups of Nepal. Presence in other South Asian countries would be an asset.

Logistics: The Implementing Partner should also have the capacity to arrange all logistical requirements in each location. This includes:

• • Identifying and booking hotels and liaising with hotels on all training and participant requirements and arrangements
• • Providing participants with program information, including program dates and requirements – Arranging participant and facilitator transport – Disseminating, collecting, collating and translating all residential and program related forms and documents. – Sourcing training materials (stationary etc.) – Liaising with participants, answering questions, resolving any issues as they arise. – Implementing program protocols including covid policies and participant code of conduct. – Managing the claiming and disbursement of participant and facilitator expense claims – Organising inter-residential virtual check-ins with participants.

Recruitment: The Implementing Partner will work closely with the Freedom Fund team to recruit and select participants for each new cohort. This will include:

• • Disseminating program information to potential participants – Managing participant enquiries and organising participant information sessions – Collecting, translating and collating applications – Supporting the selection process in collaboration with the Freedom Fund team – Advising participants of the outcome of the selection process – Providing selected participants with key program information.

Financial administration: The Implementing Partner should have the demonstrated capacity to manage a large local delivery budget and to carry out detailed financial reporting. This will include:

• • Contracting and payment of facilitators, experts, translators and other support personnel – Contracting and payment of goods and service providers including hotels, printing and stationary, etc. – Administering participant stipends – Budget management and financial reporting to FF and/or donors as required

Facilitation: The Implementing Partner will work closely with the Freedom Fund team to select, hire, and manage 2-3 facilitators to deliver the program content. Facilitators could be current employees or consultants known to the Implementing Partner or can be recruited through an open process as part of the start up phase of the program.

Curriculum: The Freedom Fund has developed a “core” or “global” curriculum for the Freedom Rising Program. Before, during and after the delivery of each cohort, the Freedom Rising curriculum will be reviewed by the Freedom Rising team, in collaboration with facilitators and the Implementing Partner and with input from participants and experts. The role of the Implementing Partner will be to support, coordinate and contribute to the curriculum review process. All amendments to curriculum materials must also be translated into local language with support of the Implementing Partner.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning: The Implementing Partner will be expected to work closely with the Freedom Fund to implement Freedom Rising’s MEL framework for each cohort. This will include adapting and administering baseline, intake, feedback, exit and other forms and managing their collection and collation. It will also involve working to identify, collect and collate MEL data gathered during program delivery (e.g. quotes from participants) and providing reports at the completion of each residential capturing progress data against program objectives.

Role for Freedom Fund

It is envisaged that FF would work closely and collaboratively with the Implementing Partner, ensuring program delivery is aligned with the program goals and objectives, and donor expectations. FF would have overall management and oversight of the program, and retain ownership of the program curriculum and structure, working collaboratively with the Implementing Partner to adjust and adapt these as required. FF will provide the Implementing Partner with training and technical assistance to successfully implement the program, sharing best practices from other locations.

The responsibilities of FF would therefore include:

• • Training and onboarding of Implementing Partner team including logistics team and facilitators – Oversight of the curriculum adaptation process – Quality control of curriculum delivery – General program monitoring and oversight – Evaluation and learning – Donor reporting – Fundraising and global budget management

In each location where the program is delivered, a Freedom Rising Program Advisor will work closely with the Implementing Partner, to provide input and guidance on program and participant needs, and monitor program delivery in line with program objectives. In particular, the Freedom Rising Program Advisor would be expected to play a key role in participant and facilitator selection, curriculum adaptation, and in the program delivery, including attending all residentials.

Criteria for Implementing Partner

• • Commitment to Freedom Rising values of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. – Commitment to principles of lived experience leadership, community ownership and participatory programming. – Experience working with community-based organisations and/or community-led movements in Nepal. – Experience in delivering leadership or organisational development programs using participant-led pedagogy. – Experience in managing facilitators or consultants – Experience in organising and managing logistics for large events, workshops or training. – Strong financial management capacity and experience in managing large budgets.
• • Dedicated team with sufficient human resources to fully manage program implementation and capacity to run 2 cohorts at a time – Staff language capacity (written and verbal) for the delivery language (Nepalese), including capacity to convey complex concepts into appropriate language. – Ability to operate in Nepal is essential. Ability to operate in other South Asian locations is an asset.

Budget

The budget for program delivery is subject to agreement and depends on variables including the location of delivery and the exact scope of the Implementing Partner. Estimated budgets for each cohort should be divided into fixed and variable costs as per the budget format in Annex B.

Proposal Guidelines

There is no set template or format for your proposal; it should be no longer than 5 pages (excluding appendices of CVs), and should include the following information:

• Legal name; Organisation type; Organisation address: Primary contact information (Name, Title, Telephone, Email)
• Description of the Organisation and the Organisation’s Qualifications, including but not limited to:
  • A brief description of your firm/institution/organisation
  • An outline of recent experience on projects of a similar nature that have been successfully implemented and the results you obtained
  • Experience in the geographies (and languages) concerned
  • Details of any organisations or individuals you intend to partner with especially for on the ground delivery and mentoring
• Your capacity, expertise and approach to delivering on the scope of the RFP, especially as it relates to the criteria listed above.
• Timeline- an indication of availability based on the proposed timeline in Annex A
• Budget/Fees – a high level costing for delivery in accordance with the budget format in Annex B. Any additional activities you see as needed for Program success, list as ‘additional activities’ with a separate budget line.
• [Not included in page limit] Resumes & References: you are requested to include brief CVs of the main team members that will be considered for the project. You may be requested to provide 2 references from previous clients who you have provided similar services for.