Request For Afghan Women's Network (AWN)
Consultancy for Organizational Policy Development and Capacity Assessment (Re announcement)
Background of AWN
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.
The Afghan Women's Network (AWN) is implementing a project that supports approximately 20 partner NGOs across Afghanistan. As part of strengthening institutional capacity, the project aims to ensure that partner organizations have well-developed, contextually relevant, and internationally aligned organizational policies.
Currently, three core policies have been identified as mandatory due to their critical importance and alignment with international standards:
- Safeguarding Policy
- Advocacy Framework
- Risk Management Plan
In addition, further 2-4 relevant policies of selected women-led organizations (AWN members) will be developed based on the findings of an organizational capacity assessment to be conducted among the partner NGOs.
Objectives of the Consultancy
The overall objective of this consultancy is to:
- Assess the existing policy frameworks and institutional capacity of selected member NGOs of AWN
- Identify policy gaps and priority needs
- Develop high-quality, context-specific organizational policies
- Strengthen NGOs’ understanding and ownership of these policies
Scope of Work
The consultant (Firm) will be responsible for the following tasks:
Phase 1: Inception and Planning
- Conduct initial meetings with AWN / relevant project team to learn more about the project’s scope and objectives.
- Review NGOs' documents and existing policies (if any)
- Develop an inception report including methodology, tools, and work plan
Phase 2: Organizational Capacity Assessment
- Design assessment tools (questionnaires, checklists, interview guides)
- Conduct assessments for approximately 20 partner NGOs
- Analyze findings to identify gaps in policies and systems
- Prepare an assessment report with clear recommendations
Phase 3: Policy Development
The consultant will:
Develop the following mandatory policies:
- Safeguarding Policy
- Advocacy Framework
- Risk Management Plan
Note: The list of priority policies may be reviewed and finalized during the consultant interview and inception phase. The selection and order of policies will be discussed and agreed together to make sure they are relevant, practical, and aligned with the project goals.
Ensure all policies are:
- Contextualized to Afghanistan
- Aligned with international standards (e.g., UN, INGO best practices)
- Practical and implementable
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Phase 4: Validation and Finalization
- Facilitate validation workshops with partner NGOs
- Revise policies based on feedback
- Submit final versions of all policies
-
Phase 5: Capacity Building/ orientation
- Conduct orientation/training sessions for NGOs on developed policies
- Provide guidance on implementation
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Deliverables
The consultant is expected to deliver:
- Inception Report (methodology, tools, workplan)
- Assessment Tools and Data Collection Instruments
- Organizational Capacity Assessment Report
- Draft Policies (minimum 6 - 7 policies)
- Final Policies (after validation)
- Training Materials (if applicable)
- Final Consultancy Report
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Duration of the Assignment
The assignment is expected to be completed within 3 Months from the date of contract signing.
Required Qualifications
The consultant/firm should have:
- Proven experience in NGO capacity assessment and policy development
- Strong knowledge of safeguarding, gender, PSEA, and advocacy frameworks
- Experience working in Afghanistan or similar contexts
- Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality policy documents
- Advanced degree in social sciences, law, development studies, or related field
- Excellent report writing skills in English
Reporting and Supervision
The consulting firm will report directly to the Project Manager / Project Manager at AWN and will work closely with relevant technical staff.
Ethical Considerations
- Ensure confidentiality of all collected data
- Apply a do-no-harm approach
- Be sensitive to gender, cultural, and contextual dynamics
- Comply with safeguarding and other relevant standards throughout the assignment
Application Requirements
Interested consultants/firms should submit:
- Technical Proposal (methodology and approach)
- Financial Proposal
- Company profile
- Samples of previous similar work
Email : Vacancies@awn-af.net/ admin.hrofficer@awn-af.org/ faisalahmad.22p@gmail.com/ lemashams10@gmail.com