CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOI)
For Civil Society Organisations
Based in Lombok, Indonesia
Introduction
SNV is an international not-for-profit development organisation, working in 38 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. SNV specializes in supporting the resourcefulness of development actors by developing local capacities, improving performance and services, strengthening governance systems, helping to create access for excluded groups and by making markets work for the poor. Our global team of advisors use their specialist sector and change expertise in Agriculture, Renewable Energy and WASH to facilitate sustainable change in the livelihoods of millions of people living in poverty.
Background
The Netherlands has a long tradition of supporting civil society organisations (CSOs) operating in low- and middle-income countries. CSOs are the voice of citizens at local, national and international level. They can help make government more accountable to citizens and support them in meeting development targets. In doing so, they contribute to greater social cohesion, stronger and more open democracies, a better response to environmental problems, a better business climate, more opportunities for all and less inequality.
Civil society organisations operate at the interface between state, citizens and market. Owing to their independent position and their roots in society, they link and represent the interests of a range of groups. CSOs play a range of different roles, depending on the need, context and the type of organisation. Many local organisations in low- and middle-income countries have become stronger in recent years.
To enable CSOs to effectively voice and contribute to development targets in a dynamic and increasingly global context, the Dutch Ministry of the Foreign Affairs (DGIS) set up a policy framework focusing on strengthening CSOs' capacity for 'lobbying and advocacy'. This role is essential for CSOs to contribute to inclusive growth and development and help reduce inequality.
When strategic partners join forces and coordinate their lobbying and advocacy instruments and methods, their overall effectiveness in a particular sector may be enhanced.
About the Global Partnerships: Evidence Based Advocacy Programme
SNV is looking for CSOs based in Lombok to join its Global Partnerships: Evidence Based Advocacy Programme. This five-year project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), aims at strengthening capacities of CSOs to advocate for a conducive enabling environment. The programme will be implemented in 6 countries: Burkina-Faso, Honduras, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Indonesia. The programme's main goal is to support progress in globally challenging topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals, with a specific focus on inclusion and equity issues. This goal is to be achieved by increasing Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) capacities to participate, contribute and influence strategic debates and policy-making processes.
The specific objectives of the Advocacy programme are determined as follows:
- Increase CSOs capacities in leadership, advocacy, utilisation of data and evidence, sector knowledge and business development
- Improve enabling environment in terms of improved policies, frameworks, regulations, budget allocation, services, inclusive business and accountability/collaborative mechanisms
In Indonesia, the two topics that will be addressed through the programme are Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Food and Nutrition Security (FNS).
About the Food and Nutrition Security component of the Global Partnerships: Evidence Based Advocacy Programme
An estimated 87 million Indonesians are vulnerable to food insecurity, according to WFP's Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas. Across Indonesia an estimated 37% of children aged below five years are stunted - over eight million children. The Government of Indonesia's National Plan Of Action For Food And Nutrition 2011-2015 focuses on (1) improving sustainable health and nutrition services focused on the first 1000 days of a child's life; (2) improving food accessibility at household level in very vulnerable food areas and vulnerable food areas; (3) improvement of knowledge, skill, behavior and life style/food consumption habit of people towards more diverse, balanced- nutrient and safe foods; (4) application of food safety standards based on risk assessment, continuity of appropriate-innovative technology, empowerment of local governments in improving surveillance, quantity and quality of food control, and developing food and nutrition preparedness system; (5) application of clean and healthy behavior through supporting efforts to health policy on food and nutrition, strengthening social control, application of clean and healthy behavior at household and its internalization inside medical curricula of elementary and intermediate school; (6) Improving partnerships and effective multi-sectoral collaborations within national institutions of food and nutrition, and formation of parallel organizations up to district level.
Eastern Indonesia suffers from the highest rates of malnutrition. Lombok Island, where SNV is piloting SNV's Nutrition Sensitive Gender Aware Agriculture Project/Asia Nutrition Project, has one of the highest levels of malnutrition in the Indonesian archipelago. Even with ample vegetables and fruits available through most of the year, stunting amongst children can reach 60%. Results show that bad food habits are the main cause of chronic malnutrition throughout the island. On Flores, similar conditions prevail.
However, the low nutritional status is further compounded by the lack of diverse foods and availability of vegetables and fruits. This is especially the case in coffee growing areas which are more remote.
In this context, the Food and Nutrition Security component of the Global Partnership - Evidence based Advocacy Programme has the following goals:
Support improved policies and regulations
- Advocate for the development of local policies that support improved food and nutrition habits for infants, young children, youth and women
- Advocate for the development of local policies that are conducive for school gardens, kitchen/home gardens and market gardens that can service the growing tourism industry in both areas as well as improve access for local communities
Increase budget allocation
Increase budget allocation for food and security nutrition activities and campaigns
Improved provision of services
- Increase capacity of CSO's to advocate for the prioritisation of nutrition sensitive activities in their programme and promotional activities.
- Support service providers (government, private sector and NGOs) in the value chain to adopt best practices on nutrition and food safety.
More inclusive businesses and related increased investments
Work with coffee companies and other relevant cash crop companies to add a nutrition element to their extension services to farmers and develop nutrition sensitive value chains
Improved collaboration in platforms and improved accountability mechanisms:
- Support CSOs to play an active role the Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Indonesia.
- Support CSOs play an active role in the UN Indonesia working group on nutrition and food security.
Methodology: support areas for CSO's
Main areas of support to CSOs in the context of the Advocacy programme:
Strengthening of CSO capacities
In each country selected CSOs will participate in a capacity development trajectory that strengthens their capabilities in the field of leadership, use of evidence, thematic knowledge, advocacy and business development. This trajectory will take place during the first two years. After these two years, on the job coaching of CSOs will be continued by qualified SNV advisors to support the implementation of advocacy activities
Evidence creation and dissemination
CSOs will be encouraged and capacitated in making use of evidence and data by contextualising results of research, availing knowledge products and facilitating access to on-line platforms and alliances.
Support to advocacy plans and activities of CSOs
CSOs will be supported in the design and implementation of advocacy plans. Design of these plans will take place during the above-mentioned leadership trajectory. Implementation will start in the first year. CSOs will benefit from support of SNV and knowledge/research institutes we will work with (for example IFPRI for Food and Nutrition security and Resilience) during the implementation of the advocacy plans.
Selection criteria
CSOs' interested in partnering with SNV for the Advocacy programme should be able to meet the following criteria:
- Be based in Lombok and be willing to work in the district of Mataram
- Have previous work experience in Lombok
- Have previous track record/experience in Food and Nutrition Security and/or promotion of equity and equality and/or implementation of Advocacy activities
- Have experience/interest in coordinating with Local Government and other stakeholders at District/province level to promote advocacy activities in the Food and Nutrition Security sector
- Have experience in working with poor segments of communities
- Have experience/ability to address gender issues
- Be legally registered (formally)
- Have managerial capacity (ability to plan, monitor and co-coordinate activities)
- Have financial capacity (ability to ensure appropriate management of funds)
- Availability to commit with the full length of the programme (5 years)
Duration of the contract:
The duration of the contract is 1 year, renewed up to 5 years.
How CSOs can apply:
Please send your application to procurement.snv@gmail.com by April 15th 2016 with subject: "FNS Advocacy Lombok", with the following documents:
- Letter of motivation, explaining the CSOs' interest in joining the programme
- A summary of the CSOs experience/track record that demonstrates it meets the selection criteria
Selected CSOs will be contacted by SNV.
