Terms of reference for security training

Purpose of the Consultancy

The world is experiencing a shrinking democratic space with increasing pressure on civil society. There is a trend of democratic regression and increasing autocratisation, accompanied by repressive laws limiting freedom of speech, assembly, and human rights, making it difficult for civil society organisations to operate.

In response to these circumstances, partner organisations seek assistance in strengthening their security systems and risk awareness. The Olof Palme International Center (hereinafter referred to as the Palme Center) is dedicated to supporting its partners in establishing a more secure operational framework. This commitment is why the Palme Center seeks a consultancy to sustain these efforts further.

The purpose of the consultancy is:

• To develop a curriculum for a security training module for partner organisations,
• To enhance the Palme Center’s ability to offer security training to partner organisations.

The Assignment

The Palme Center and its partners have had to adapt to new realities. The Palme Center is committed to ensuring its partners have the knowledge and skills to handle existing and emerging risks. Through this consultancy, the Palme Center aims to strengthen the knowledge, skills, policies, processes, and routines related to holistic security, including information security, for partner organisations.

The upcoming training is important. It aims to initiate partner organisations to integrate security strategy, planning, capacity development, and practice into their operations. The goal is to enhance their capacity to address security concerns, including information security. The assignment also involves developing tools for the Palme Center to assess partners’ security capacity before and after training to strengthen and measure the training outcome.

The assignment also includes a Training of Trainers session for Palme Center staff to enhance their ability to conduct this training and facilitate discussions with partner organisations on this topic.

Methodology

A reference group will be formed for the consultant to work with to ensure the training is adjusted to the Palme Center’s needs. The training should apply a participatory approach to learning.

Timeframe and duration

The assignment begins with signing the contract and ends with the approval of all deliverables and the completion of the ToT for staff. Below is a tentative timeline. This timeline can be subject to change depending on internal processes.

• The work plan should be submitted during the first week of the assignment (a suggested work plan should be included in the tender) and consist of a detailed timeline with milestones and feedback loops.
• A draft version of deliverables will be tentatively submitted in mid-December 2024 and will be commented on by the Palme Center staff within one week.
• The Training of Trainers (ToT) will be held in early 2025.
• The assignment should be completed no later than the 1st of February 2025.

Reporting and Documentation

At the start of the assignment, consultants should prepare a work plan and describe how the chosen methods are relevant to the assignment in practice. All deliverables must be discussed with the reference group and presented in draft form for comments. The deliverables are (but are not limited to if the reference group and consultant agree otherwise):

• To develop a curriculum for a security training module for partner organisations
• Provide a study guide, trainer notes, slide show and practical exercises,
• To develop a pre- and post-assessment tool for participating partners,
• To conduct a Training of Trainers for key Palme Center staff.

The Palme Center will be the sole owner of the assignment results.

Project team qualifications

The required experience and competencies are based on the activities mentioned above. It is understood that the consultation may involve multiple individuals with complementary skill sets. The team responsible for carrying out the assignment tasks must possess the following competencies:

• Strong expertise in holistic security. Demonstrated experience conducting at least two comprehensive assignments for CSOs related to security and information integrity. These assignments should have been completed within the past three years.
• A comprehensive understanding of various security risks for CSOs, and training institutes in regions where Palme Center are active, including Sub-Saharan Africa, MENA, Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and/or the Balkans.
• Experience implementing recommended security improvements in partnership with CSOs working in or with partners in these regions (at least two assignments within the last five years).
• Ability to analyse and design security training for CSOs, including process improvement, technical enhancements, and capacity development.
• Experience in collaborating and co-creating with internal staff of CSOs, providing technical and advisory support in a pedagogical capacity throughout the implementation.
• Proficient in English

The proposal shall include a CV for each team member. It should fully describe relevant qualifications, professional work experience, and references.

In the case of more than one team member, the competencies of the individual team members must be complementary.

The team members must not have any connections to organisations that could be seen as competitors to Palme Center or that may undermine its trust.

Compensation

The budget and remuneration for the assignment will be according to the winning bid but cannot exceed 250 000 SEK, including VAT.

• First payment: 50% at the start of the assignment after the detailed work plan has been approved and upon receiving an invoice from the consultant.
• Last payment: 50% of the budget after the assignment is approved and upon receiving an invoice from the consultant.

Tender

Tenders shall be submitted via email to michael.hauer@palmecenter.se no later than the 5^th of November 2024.

1. Suggested personnel for the assignment, their CVs and explanation of suggested persons’ suitability for the assignment, including that of the team leader;
2. Description of how the assignment will be designed, planned, implemented and quality assured (Method);
3. Suggested work plan including timeframe and budget, including VAT.

References to information in the form of links to web pages and unsolicited attachments will not be considered part of the tender. They will not be considered in the tender’s review and evaluation.

We reserve the right not to accept any of the bids received. For questions, contact Michael Hauer, Operational Controller, via email michael.hauer@palmecenter.se.

Evaluation of Tenders

The technical criteria below will be used to evaluate the submitted tenders. The maximum total point for all criteria is 100. The tenderer with the highest total points will be awarded the contract.

The evaluation criteria for this procurement are:

The scale of grades that will be used when assessing the criteria (except price evaluation) are:

The number of points that can be awarded under each technical evaluation criteria. For example, if a maximum of 20 points can be awarded for a given criterion, “Good” will mean 0.8 x 20 = 16 points.