10056770-03 Terms of reference.pdf

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Terms of reference (ToR) for the procurement

of services below the EU threshold

Capacity Development on Preventing Violent Extremism in the Digital Project number/ Environment cost centre:

G-012616-001

Tender: 10056770

0. List of abbreviations ..................................................................................................... 2

1. Context ......................................................................................................................... 3

2. Tasks to be performed by the contractor ...................................................................... 3

3. Concept ........................................................................................................................ 9 Technical-methodological concept ............................................................................... 9 Project management of the contractor .........................................................................10 Further requirements ...................................................................................................10

4. Personnel Concept ......................................................................................................10

5. Costing requirements ..................................................................................................13 Assignment of personnel and travel expenses ............................................................13 Sustainability aspects for travel ...................................................................................14 Specification of Inputs .................................................................................................14

6. Inputs of GIZ or other actors ........................................................................................16

7. Requirements on the format of the tender ...................................................................16

1 Form 41-14-5-en

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0. List of abbreviations

AI Artificial Intelligence

AVB General Terms and Conditions of Contract for supplying services and work

CVE Countering Violent Extremism

GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

ONSA Office of National Security Advisor

OSINT Open Source Intelligence

PVE Prevention of Violence Extremism

SSVPI II Stabilisation Support and Violence Prevention in Iraq II

ToRs Terms of reference

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1. Context

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development.

The GIZ project “Stabilisation Support and Violence Prevention in Iraq II” (SSVPI II), commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office, supports stabilisation, social cohesion and violence prevention efforts in Iraq by strengthening institutional capacities, promoting community resilience and supporting relevant national prevention frameworks.

SSVPI II cooperates with the National Security Advisory Office (ONSA) to support the implementation of Iraq’s National Strategy to Combat Violent Extremism. ONSA plays a central role in coordinating and guiding engagement on preventing and countering violent extremism (PVE), in cooperation with relevant state institutions and actors. A key priority of this engagement is to prevent and address extremist narratives and ideologies disseminated through the digital environment.

Building on this cooperation, the assignment aims to strengthen the capacities of relevant state actors engaged in preventing violent extremism (PVE), with a particular focus on addressing violent extremist narratives and activities in the digital information environment. The intervention will target selected representatives of relevant state institutions working in relevant IT, digital analysis, prevention and related functions. Participants will be identified in coordination between ONSA and SSVPI II and are expected to participate throughout the capacity development process.

The capacity-building approach will be tailored to participants’ learning needs, institutional roles, the Iraqi legal and regulatory context and agreed learning outcomes. Activities will focus on identifying, analysing and monitoring online extremist activity and hateful, extremist and radicalising speech, as well as relevant prevention approaches within the mandates of the participating institutions.

The assignment will use a blended, practice-oriented learning approach, combining several in- person workshops in Baghdad with online learning and technical support between workshops. The training will draw on international good practices and practical approaches to preventing violent extremism in the digital environment, adapted to the Iraqi institutional context.

2. Tasks to be performed by the contractor

The contractor is responsible for providing the following services in close coordination with GIZ/SSVPI II, ONSA and the participating state institutions.

The contractor shall strengthen the capacities of selected state actors identified and nominated jointly by ONSA and SSVPI II from relevant state institutions engaged in preventing violent extremism (PVE), particularly in relation to the digital information environment. Participants shall be selected by SSVPI II in coordination with ONSA based on the relevance of their institutional functions and responsibilities to the assignment, including relevant IT, digital analysis and prevention-related functions.

The capacity development measure aims at enabling the participants to better identify, analyses and assess extremist activity and hateful, extremist and radicalizing narratives in the digital environment, and to contribute to coordinated, evidence-based and prevention-oriented

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responses within their respective institutional mandates. The contractor shall contribute to the following specific objectives:

• Strengthen participants’ knowledge and practical skills for identifying, analysing, monitoring and preventing violent extremism in the digital environment. • Consolidate learning and strengthen practical application of acquired knowledge through progressive practical and fictional scenario-based exercises. • Identify priorities for continued institutional capacity development to prevent violent extremism in the digital environment.

The specific tasks and deliverables for the assignment are described below.

Task 1: Assess participants’ learning needs, existing institutional capacities and resources, as well as relevant frameworks and work procedures

Expected activities and actions: • Conduct an inception meeting with ONSA and SSVPI II and review available relevant mandates, institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks to clarify the institutional context, expectations and priority areas for the assignment. • Based on the inception findings, develop practical participant-selection criteria for agreement with ONSA and SSVPI II, taking into account relevant institutional mandates, functions and roles. ONSA and SSVPI II will identify and nominate a preliminary pool of participants based on the agreed criteria. • Conduct an inception and assessment workshop in Baghdad with the nominated participants to introduce the assignment, assess learning needs and existing capacities, and further identify relevant resources, work procedures and institutional considerations. • Based on the assessment findings, recommend, where necessary, adjustments to the participant group and agree to nominate up 20 participants and agree with ONSA and SSVPI II on priority capacity-development needs and expected learning outcomes. • Submit an inception report summarising the assessment findings, participant profile, agreed priorities and learning outcomes, proposed capacity-development approach and updated detailed workplan.

Task 2: Develop tailored capacity-development materials based on the identified needs and institutional context.

Expected activities and actions:

• Based on the approved inception findings and identified learning priorities, develop the structure, methodology, content and sequence of the capacity-development programme, including tailored training materials, practical exercises, fictional scenarios, reference materials and learning tools covering identification, analysis, monitoring and prevention-oriented action. • Ensure that the capacity-development programme covers, but is not limited to, the following thematic areas: ▪ online radicalisation, extremist narratives, recruitment pathways and target audiences;

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▪ approaches and tools for identifying and monitoring relevant online trends, narratives and content; ▪ analysis of online narratives, trends, patterns and emerging risks; ▪ the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in radicalisation, analysis and prevention; ▪ relevant legal, regulatory, human-rights and ethical considerations for identification, monitoring, analysis and prevention; and ▪ coordination, information-sharing and prevention-oriented response options within relevant institutional mandates. • Incorporate additional or more specific thematic areas identified through the learning- needs assessment, as agreed with ONSA and SSVPI II. • Ensure that the capacity building programme is adapted to participants’ functions and enable participants to progressively apply the knowledge and approaches covered in the different sessions. • Ensure that all materials, technical content and practical exercises respect relevant Iraqi institutional, legal and regulatory context, consider the respective institutional mandates of participating state actors, are prevention-oriented and do not require participants to disclose live cases, sensitive operational information or internal operational procedures. • Ensure that all activities and materials, examples and fictional scenarios are in line with GIZ standards, context- and conflict-sensitive, avoiding stigmatisation, collective attribution of extremist activity, discriminatory or gender-based stereotypes, and unnecessary reproduction of harmful content. • Ensure that consultations, workshops and practical exercises do not require participants to disclose live cases, classified or sensitive operational information, personal data relating to individuals under monitoring, or internal operational procedures. Practical exercises shall use fictional and non-identifying scenarios. • Submit the proposed capacity-development programme and materials to ONSA and SSVPI II sufficiently in advance for review and approval prior to delivery.

Task 3: Deliver the tailored capacity-development programme to strengthen participants’ knowledge, practical skills and application.

Expected activities and actions:

• Deliver the approved capacity-development programme for approximately 20 participants through a blended approach combining at least 8 workshops, 5 of them in-person workshops in Baghdad (depending on the security situation) and hybrid/online sessions as well as mentoring and follow-up support. • Apply progressive fictional scenario-based exercises throughout the programme to enable participants to practise the identification, monitoring, analysis, coordination and prevention-oriented response process within their respective institutional mandates. • Provide mentoring and technical support between workshops to reinforce acquired knowledge, address identified learning gaps and support practical application. • Conduct a final comprehensive fictional scenario exercise during the final in-person workshop, enabling participants to apply the main knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program

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• Facilitate reflection and exchange among participants to consolidate learning, share relevant institutional perspectives and strengthen coordination and practical application.

Task 4: Monitor and evaluate results, document lessons learned, and support sustainability and further improvement.

Expected activities and actions: • Monitor participants’ progress throughout the capacity-development program using appropriate knowledge checks, facilitated reflection, participant feedback and assessment of practical exercises. • Assess the results of the capacity-development program, including progress in participants’ knowledge, practical skills and application, and identify remaining capacity gaps and areas for further development. • Ensure that monitoring and learning records contain only information necessary to demonstrate participation, progress and results. Sensitive operational information or information relating to live cases shall not be collected or included in project records or reports. • Document key lessons learned, good practices and recommendations for sustaining and further strengthening institutional capacities. • Consolidate and hand over all practical reference materials, tools and learning resources developed under the assignment to support continued application and knowledge transfer. • Submit a final report in English (approx. 25–30 pages) summarising results, learning evidence, participant feedback, remaining capacity gaps, key lessons learnt and recommendations for sustainability and further improvement.

Task 5: Coordination, communication and reporting with SSVPI II

Expected activities and actions: • Maintain regular coordination and communication with SSVPI II throughout implementation and promptly communicate any challenges, delays or required adjustments. • Participate in monthly online Jour Fixe meetings with SSVPI II and submit a concise progress report (max. 3–5 pages in English) prior to each meeting, covering implementation progress, key results, challenges, upcoming activities and required follow-up. • Submit monthly activity sheets and collect and submit the required data for SSVPI II results-based monitoring and logframe reporting. • Coordinate with SSVPI II on the review and approval of key deliverables, capacity- development materials and any proposed adjustments to the implementation approach or workplan. • Submit all agreed reports and deliverables in accordance with the required formats and timelines.

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• Submit reports, tools, templates and deliverables in English at least 3 working days in advance to allow for the Arabic translation of selected materials, subject to prior agreement with GIZ.

Certain milestones, as laid out in the table below, are to be achieved during the contract term:

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Final report submitted and approved, By end of Month 10 summarising implementation, results, participant progress and feedback, lessons learned, remaining capacity gaps, sustainability considerations and recommendations for further institutional capacity development.

Period of assignment: from 17.11.2026 until 31.10.2027.

3. Concept

In the tender, the tenderer is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the tenderer must describe the project management system for service provision.

Note: The numbers in parentheses correspond to the lines of the technical assessment grid.

Technical-methodological concept

Strategy (1.1): The tenderer is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the tenderer presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible. The tenderer shall describe in its technical offer how the proposed activities and services will contribute to achieving the above objectives and expected outcomes. The technical offer shall set out the proposed approach and methodology, including the tenderer’s theory of change and how the proposed activities are expected to lead to the intended results (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2).

The tenderer is required to describe its approach to engaging relevant actors and facilitating their participation and cooperation throughout the assignment. The tenderer is required to describe its strategy and approach to establishing and maintaining effective cooperation with relevant actors throughout the assignment, including its approach to communication, presentation and interaction between SSVPI II, ONSA and participating state institutions (1.2.1). The tenderer is required to present and explain its approach to steering the assignment in coordination with the relevant project partners (1.3.1) and its contribution to results-based monitoring (1.3.2), including how it will assess participants’ progress, document results and learning, collect participant feedback, and provide relevant data for SSVPI II results monitoring. The tenderer is required to describe the key processes for the services for which it is responsible and create an operational plan or schedule (1.4.1) that describes how the services according to Chapter 2 are to be provided.

The tenderer is required to describe its contribution to knowledge management for the partner, including how knowledge, lessons learned, practical tools and capacity-development materials generated through the assignment will be made available for continued institutional use (1.5.1). The tenderer shall also describe how the approaches, materials and lessons generated

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through the assignment could support replication, adaptation or further application beyond the immediate participant group and thereby promote potential scaling-up effects (1.5.2).

Project management of the contractor

The tenderer is required to explain its approach for coordination with the GIZ project. In particular, the project management requirements specified in Chapter 2 must be explained in detail (1.6.1).

The tenderer is required to draw up a personnel assignment plan with explanatory notes listing all experts proposed in the tender, including assignment dates/duration, locations and allocation to the work steps set out in the schedule (1.6.2).

The tenderer is required to describe its backstopping concept (1.6.3), including service-delivery control, management of adaptations to changing conditions, information flow between the tenderer and GIZ, personnel responsibility, process-oriented steering and administrative and financial conclusion of the assignment.

Further requirements

The tenderer is expected to outline conflict-sensitive and Do No Harm approaches that are applied throughout the assignment to avoid stigmatisation, collective attribution of extremist activity, discriminatory or gender-based stereotypes, and unnecessary reproduction of harmful content (5 out of 10 points).

Further, the tenderer is expected to apply data-minimisation, confidentiality and data-protection principles throughout implementation. Only information necessary for participation, implementation, monitoring and agreed reporting shall be collected, with access limited to authorised personnel and information handled through appropriate storage and communication channels. The tenderer shall detail its measures for safeguarding, confidentiality, data-protection, information-security or other significant compliance procedures (5 out of 10 points). (1.7)

4. Personnel Concept

The tenderer is required to provide personnel suited to the positions described below, based on their CVs, the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications. The qualifications specified represent the requirements to reach the maximum number of points in the technical assessment. The personnel concept shall comprise a Team Leader, a Key Expert and an Expert Pool of 2–4 experts. The Team Leader will be responsible for overall coordination, steering and quality assurance. The Key Expert will serve as the main project manager and technical lead, with responsibility for the technical design and implementation of the assignment in Baghdad. The Expert Pool will provide specific technical expertise and support implementation according to the specific requirements of the assignment and their respective areas of expertise.

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Team Leader Tasks of the Team Leader • Overall coordination and steering of the assignment, including oversight of the quality and timely delivery of agreed outputs and milestones. • Coordination and communication with GIZ/SSVPI II. • Steering and oversight of the Key Expert and the Expert Pool in relation to the implementation of the assignment. • Quality assurance of the overall technical approach, training materials, practical exercises, learning evidence and reports. • Quality assurance and oversight of the learning-needs assessment, curriculum, capacity-development methodology and scenario-based learning approach. • Participation in key coordination, review and progress meetings, as required. • Oversight of reporting in accordance with agreed requirements and deadlines.

Qualifications of the Team Leader • Education/training (2.1.1): University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in social or political sciences, peace and conflict studies, security studies, international relations, development studies or another relevant field. • Language (2.1.2): C1-level language proficiency in English. • General professional experience (2.1.3): 7 years of professional experience in development cooperation, peacebuilding, stabilisation or closely related fields. • Specific professional experience (2.1.4): 5 years of professional experience in PVE/CVE or other related prevention activity. • Leadership/management experience (2.1.5): 5 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader, project manager or in a comparable position. • Regional experience (2.1.6): Demonstrated professional experience working with governmental and/or institutional counterparts in Iraq or the Middle East.

Key Expert

Tasks of the Key Expert

The responsibilities include: • Leading the technical design and implementation of the assignment. • Conducting and/or overseeing the learning-needs assessment and translating its findings into the tailored capacity-development programme. • Developing and implementing the curriculum, capacity-development methodology, practical exercises and scenario-based learning approach. • Leading and coordinating implementation activities in Baghdad, including coordination with participating state institutions. • Coordinating and technical overseeing the contributions of the Expert Pool. • Ensuring the timely delivery and quality of agreed outputs and deliverables. • Monitoring participants’ progress and documenting results and learning. • Preparing and/or overseeing training materials, practical exercises, reports and other agreed deliverables. • Contributing to results-based monitoring and providing relevant data for SSVPI II results monitoring.

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• Reporting regularly to GIZ/SSVPI II and ONSA on progress, challenges and required adjustments.

Qualifications of the Key Expert • Education/training (2.2.1): University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in political or social sciences, peace and conflict studies, security studies, international relations, development studies or another relevant field. • Language (2.2.2): C1-level language proficiency in English. • General professional experience (2.2.3): 7 years of professional experience in development cooperation, peacebuilding, stabilisation or closely related fields. • Specific professional experience (2.2.4): o 5 years of professional experience in PVE/CVE, online radicalisation or prevention policy (6/10 points). o 5 years of professional experience in institutional capacity development or advisory services (4/10 points). • Leadership/management experience (2.2.5): Demonstrated experience in managing and coordinating technical assignments or projects. • Regional experience (2.2.6): Demonstrated professional experience working in Iraq or the Middle East (8/10 points), experience with governmental and/or institutional counterparts in Middle East or similar contexts (2/10 points).

Expert Pool – Digital PVE and Capacity Development (2–4 experts) Tasks of the Expert Pool

The pool shall collectively cover the following areas of expertise: • Support the learning-needs assessment, desk review and development of the tailored capacity-development programme. • Develop and deliver practical training on online radicalisation, extremist narratives, recruitment and mobilisation dynamics, platform and audience dynamics and prevention-oriented approaches. • Provide expertise on open-source and platform-aware monitoring methods, narrative, trend and network analysis, information management and analytical reporting. • Provide expertise on strategic communication, audience analysis and appropriate prevention-oriented response options. • Provide expertise on relevant legal, regulatory, human-rights, privacy and ethical considerations relating to the prevention of extremism in the digital environment. • Develop and facilitate scenario-based exercises, simulation exercises and adult- learning activities and contribute to session-based assessment and learning review. • Adapt comparative international approaches to the Iraqi institutional and legal context. • Contribute to training materials, reference tools, activity reports, learning documentation and the final report.

Qualifications of the Expert Pool • Education/training (2.6.1): All experts shall have a university qualification (Bachelor's degree or equivalent) in political or social sciences, security studies, international

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relations, law, communications/media, information technology, data analysis or another field relevant to their respective area of expertise. • Language (2.6.2): All experts shall have C1-level proficiency in English (8/10), and two experts with B2-level in Arabic language (2/10 points). • General professional experience (2.6.3): o 7 years of professional experience relevant to each expert's proposed area of expertise under this assignment (6/10 points). o 5 years of professional experience in capacity development, training or advisory services (4/10 points). • Specific professional experience (2.6.4): The following areas of expertise shall be covered cumulatively by the pool of experts; individual experts are not required to cover all areas: o PVE/CVE and online radicalisation (3/10): 7 years' professional experience in PVE/CVE, online radicalisation, extremist narratives, recruitment or mobilisation dynamics. o Digital monitoring and analysis (3/10): 5 years' professional experience in open-source research/OSINT, platform-aware monitoring, digital content analysis, or narrative, trend or network analysis. o Strategic communication and prevention (1/10): 5 years' experience in strategic communication, prevention-oriented narratives, audience analysis or coordinated prevention approaches relevant to PVE. o Legal, human-rights and ethical considerations (1/10): 5 years' experience in legal, human-rights, privacy, digital-governance or ethical considerations relevant to digital monitoring and prevention. o Innovative training and adult-learning methodology (2/10): 3 years' experience in scenario-based learning, adult learning, practical learning training design. • Regional experience (2.6.5): 3 years of professional experience in Iraq or the Middle East relevant to the assignment, demonstrated by at least 2 members of the Expert Pool.

5. Costing requirements

The tenderer shall calculate its financial tender based exactly on the parameters specified in the final quantitative requirements specified below

Assignment of personnel and travel expenses

Per-diem and overnight accommodation allowances are reimbursed as a lump sum up to the maximum amounts permissible under tax law for each country as set out in the country table in the circular from the German Federal Ministry of Finance on travel expense remuneration (downloadable at https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de).

Accommodation costs which exceed this up to a reasonable amount and the cost of flights and other main forms of transport can be reimbursed against evidence.

All business travel must be agreed in advance by the officer responsible for the project. Applicable GIZ provisions on travel expenses and sustainability aspects for travel shall apply.

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Sustainability aspects for travel

GIZ would like to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO emissions) caused by travel. When 2 preparing your tender, please incorporate options for reducing emissions, such as selecting the lowest-emission booking class (economy) and using means of transport, airlines and flight routes with a higher CO efficiency. For short distances, travel by train (second class) or e- 2 mobility should be the preferred option.

If they cannot be avoided, CO emissions caused by air travel should be offset. GIZ specifies 2 a budget for this, through which the carbon offsets can be settled against evidence.

There are many different providers in the market for emissions certificates, and they have different climate impact ambitions. The Development and Climate Alliance (German only) has published a list of standards (German only). GIZ recommends using the standards specified there.

Specification of Inputs

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6. Inputs of GIZ or other actors

GIZ and/or other actors are expected to make the following available:

• The contractor is expected to operate under GIZ’s security umbrella and is required to oblige to GIZ Iraq’s security protocols and procedures as laid out by the Risk Management Office Iraq during in-person visits of international staff to Iraq. This includes among others, restrictions on movements and visits, provisions on overnight stays in only listed hotels, and participation in the mandatory security briefing prior to arrival in Iraq. • GIZ will arrange for the contractor’s access and transportation to the International Zone in Baghdad with project vehicles where necessary for the fulfilment of the above mentioned tasks. • Logistics for workshops: GIZ will provide the logistics (venue, transportation for participants where necessary, catering) for workshops / meetings in Baghdad, Iraq. • Printing and procurement of material: in prior accordance with the GIZ project, GIZ will cover printing costs and procurement of other material related to the workshops, training or events. • Interpretation: GIZ will provide English–Arabic translation and interpretation for in-person and online workshops, meetings and materials, where required. Interpretation needs shall be identified and agreed with SSVPI II sufficiently in advance of each activity.

7. Requirements on the format of the tender

The structure of the tender must correspond to the structure of the ToR. In particular, the detailed structure of the concept (Chapter 3) should be organised in accordance with the positively weighted criteria in the assessment grid (not with zero). The tender must be legible (font size 11 or larger) and clearly formulated. It must be drawn up in English.

The complete tender must not exceed 10 pages (excluding CVs). If one of the maximum page lengths is exceeded, the content appearing after the cut-off point will not be included in the assessment. External content (e.g. links to websites) will also not be considered.

The CV of the key expert (Team Leader) and each proposed member of the expert pool, in accordance with the required GIZ CV format accordance with Chapter 4 of the ToRs must be submitted using the format specified in the terms and conditions for application. The CV should not exceed 4 pages. It must clearly show the position and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long it took. The CV should be submitted in English (language).

Please calculate your financial tender based exactly on the parameters specified in Chapter 5 Quantitative requirements. The contractor is not contractually entitled to use up the days, trips,

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workshops or budgets in full. The number of days, trips and workshops and the budgets will be contractually agreed as maximum limits. The specifications for pricing are defined in the price schedule.

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