Background:

Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) is the Norwegian labour movement’s humanitarian organisation for solidarity. NPA’s goal is to support human worth and equal rights for all, irrespective of sex, disability, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual preference or social status. The NPA vision is solidarity in practice. The vision demands commitment and action to protect life and health, build democratic societies and strengthen people’s ability to master their own lives. NPA is politically independent but not a politically neutral organisation. NPA takes a clear position in important social debates and the goal of a more just world means that NPA often chooses partners that may be opposed to, or in conflict with, those in power. NPA believes that popular participation and organisation are important measures in securing human rights and giving people greater influence over their own lives and social development.

This Terms of Reference (ToR) outlines the specifications for hiring a consultant (could be an individual or team) to facilitate a number of sessions during NPA Iraq Development Humanitarian Cooperation (DHC) staff which will be held in Turkiye during the second half of October 2023.

Key Objectives:

NPA has been working in Iraq since 1995 to support different communities with relief, protection and development programs. The NPA-DHC program has at present some 25 local and international staff. The level of staff varies from managers to drivers and cleaners. NPA conducts staff retreat annually and is planning to conduct it this year in Turkey during the second half of 2023.

NPA recognizes the importance of being able to work together as a team. In this regard, there is an ongoing requirement to hold staff retreats as and when needed to build team cohesion and promote team spirit. In addition, the retreats also provide an opportunity to discuss new innovative ways of working, country priorities and develop/review work plans for the year.

More specifically, the NPA retreat aims to fulfil the following main objectives:

• To increase motivation and team spirit. The staff retreat will provide the employees with a chance to get away from the office and take part in activities that foster camaraderie and teamwork.
• To improve collaboration and communication. NPA believes that strong teamwork and communication are essential to the success of the organization.
• To encourage innovation and creativity. Creativity and invention can be sparked by taking a break from the daily routine and immersing oneself in a new environment.
• To increase productivity and performance. Investing in such a retreat will yield significant returns in terms of productivity and performance.

In addition to the above objectives, the purpose of the stress and conflict management training will be to:

• Improve staff well-being and work-life balance. The staff retreat will provide a break from the regular work routine, giving the staff a chance to recharge and rejuvenate.
• Improve their ability to prevent and manage work-related stress and conflict from identifying the sources to preventing them and managing stressful and conflict situations.

The retreat will be conducted over three days. While NPA will be conducting a number of technical sessions during the first day that will enhance its staff’s knowledge of HR, finance and procurement rules, regulations and procedures, the third day will be fully dedicated to outdoor activities. The second day will be devoted to two main topics identified by the staff during a recently survey: stress management and conflict resolution.

NPA is seeking a qualified Consultant (or team of consultants) to facilitate a full one-day training on staff wellbeing with a focus on stress and conflict management. The training day should be enriched with exercises focusing on team bonding, fun, motivational activities and communication.

Scope of Work:

To facilitate and moderate a one-day training on staff well-being and how to manage stress and conflict. The training program should be creatively organized to include sessions aimed at helping the staff identify the interrelationship between stress/conflict and well-being and ensure the optimal delivery of the outputs, better communication and enhanced teamwork. It should aim to empower the staff with skills to recognise signs and symptoms of stress and conflict, to explore ways of reducing them and how staff’s wellbeing can be improved. The training should include different team-building exercises.

The consultant is expected to:

• Design the training material(s)
• Conduct the training sessions in English. Translation into Arabic is preferable.
• Conduct pre and post-test and submit a post training report reflecting the improvement of the trainees’ understanding how to manage conflict and stress and areas where further support from NPA may be required.

Through this training, NPA aims that participants will learn how to identify the sources of stress and conflict, how to prevent and cope with stressful experiences and how to support other colleagues with stressful and conflictual situations. The Consultant will need to use a practical approach so the participants acquire concrete methods and share best practices that will enable them to better manage stress and conflict in their work as well as in their personal lives.

The training hall and other staff logistical-related arrangements will be made by NPA. The training will be conducted in the location identified by NPA in Turkiye. The initial plan is to have it in Antalya during the retreat period 22-24th October 2023.

Competency of the Consultant(s):

• Proven expertise in designing and conducting capacity-building trainings for international organisations and/or UN agencies.
• Excellent techniques and extensive experience in facilitating workshops and participatory work.
• Excellent command of English and Arabic languages, oral and written.