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Call for Proposals

 
Facilitator, Kick-off Meeting/All Partners Meeting Strengthening Health Systems Integrated & Transformative SRHR (SHIFTS) Project

 

Project Details

 

Contractor  Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
Project Name Strengthening Health Systems Integrated & Transformative SRHR (SHIFTS)
Work Requested In-person facilitation for 4 days all-partners project meeting
Meeting Location Abuja, Nigeria
Ultimate Outcome of Project Enhanced realization of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women, adolescents and most marginalized communities in targeted regions of Benin, Mozambique and Nigeria.
Time Frame of Work Requested 31st of March – 3rd of April
 Budget $8,000-$10,000 CAD

 

Organizational Background

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (Action Canada) is a Canadian non-governmental organization committed to advancing the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of all people, both in Canada and globally. Action Canada works to ensure that individuals, particularly women, adolescents, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups, can make free and informed choices about their bodies, health, and lives.

Action Canada engages in advocacy to shape public policy and hold governments accountable to national and international SRHR commitments; public engagement and education to reduce stigma and promote rights-based information and services; and partnerships with organizations globally.

Through its integrated approach, combining service delivery support, rights-based advocacy at national and international levels, and public engagement, Action Canada contributes to advancing gender equality, the right to health, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality).

 

Project Background

The SHIFTS Project is a 7 year (2025-2032), CAD$22 million initiative whose ultimate outcome is to enhance realization of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women, adolescents and the most marginalized communities (including persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and internally displaced persons) in targeted regions of Benin, Mozambique and Nigeria. Improving SRHR leads to broad development impacts: improved gender equity, better educational and economic outcomes for girls and women, healthier households, and poverty reduction.

The SHIFTS Project is implemented in partnership between Action Canada, IPPF and experienced local implementing partners (Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) in Nigeria, Associação Moçambicana para o Desenvolvimento da Família (AMODEFA) in Mozambique, and Association Béninoise pour la Promotion de la Famille (ABPF) in Benin).

The SHIFTS project responds to persistent gender and health inequities by employing a three pillared approach:

 

    1. Health System Resilience
      1. Strengthen integrated, gender-responsive SRH service delivery.
      2. Scale up innovative “cluster models” for service delivery.
      3. Train providers, establish referral systems, and integrate digital/self-care solutions.

    2. Community Uptake of Services
      1. Increase demand for SRHR services through age- and gender-sensitive approaches.
      2. Expand access to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and peer education.
      3. Sensitize communities and providers about SRHR laws and rights.

    3. Enabling Policy and Legal Environment
      1. Advocate for supportive laws and policies at local, national, regional and global levels.
      2. Strengthen civil society capacity to engage in SRHR advocacy

The SHIFTS project mainstreams gender equality as a structuring axis across all interventions. Grounded in human rights and feminist approaches, SHIFTS ensures that women, adolescents, LGBTIQ+ people, persons with disabilities, sex workers, and marginalized groups are at the center of design, delivery, and monitoring. This approach not only addresses immediate SRHR needs but also strengthens systemic and policy environments for long-term, inclusive transformation.

Purpose and Scope of the Consultancy

Purpose

The SHIFTS project is early in its development, and all project partners will be convening in person for the first time for a kick-off meeting and a series of workshops and planning sessions. The meetings will take place in Abuja Nigeria, hosted by one of the project partners (PPFN). The working languages of the meeting will be English, French, and Portuguese, with simultaneous interpretation provided throughout the meeting.

The purpose of this consultancy is to engage a facilitation team to design and facilitate:

 

    • All-partner workshops and planning sessions [3 days and half]

This gathering will be the first time all project partners will come together in person for working meetings.  The goal for these sessions is to build connection among the partners and a shared understanding of the project vision, governance, roles, implementation strategies, cross-cutting priorities (gender equality, environmental safeguards, MEL), and to collectively plan next steps.  Participants will include representatives from the project partners: Action Canada, IPPF, PPFN, ABPF, AMODEFA.

Scope of Work

The facilitation team will work closely with Action Canada and project partners to design, facilitate and document the kick-off meeting and partner workshops.

A. Preparation Phase [1 day]

 

    • Review key project documents (Project Implementation Plan, Logic Model, PMF, governance framework, environmental and gender strategies).

    • In collaboration with Action Canada and project partners, develop detailed agendas, session designs, and facilitation methodologies for:

        • The SHIFTS Kick-off Meeting

        • Partner planning and coordination workshops including the following topics:

            • Governance and coordination mechanisms

            • Roles and responsibilities across project partners

            • Gender equality and feminist programming

            • Environmental safeguards and climate resilience

            • MEL systems, compliance, and reporting expectations

            • Country-level implementation planning and sequencing

            • Risk identification and mitigation

    • Design participatory, inclusive, and bilingual/trilingual facilitation approaches (English, French, Portuguese) and ensuring space for reflection, group work, trust building, and cross-country exchange.

    • Coordinate with the rapporteur to align facilitation and documentation.

    • Validate agenda and design with project partners.

B. Facilitation Phase [4 days]

 

    • The facilitation team will ensure balanced participation, manage group dynamics, and support constructive dialogue across diverse stakeholders.

    • Daily check-in with Action Canada to ensure alignment with goals and objectives of the meeting.

C. Documentation and Follow-Up Phase [2 days]

 

    • Support the consolidation of key outcomes, decisions, and action points.

    • Review and validate meeting summaries and “way forward” sections.

    • Participate in debrief meetings with Action Canada and IPPF following the events.

Rapporteur/Documenter

To ensure strong accountability, follow-up, and institutional memory, the facilitation team must include a dedicated Rapporteur / Documenter, working in close coordination with the Lead Facilitator and Action Canada.

The Rapporteur will be responsible for:

 

    • Taking detailed notes during all kick-off meetings and partner workshops;

    • Capturing key discussions, decisions, risks, and agreed action points across plenary and breakout sessions;

    • Supporting the consolidation of workshop outputs and partner inputs;

    • Drafting clear, structured meeting reports that include:

        • summaries of discussions,

        • key conclusions,

        • agreed actions, responsibilities, and timelines,

        • outstanding issues requiring follow-up;

    • Ensuring consistency between facilitation outcomes and SHIFTS project documentation requirements.

The rapporteur role is intentionally distinct from facilitation, enabling the Lead Facilitator to focus on process, participation, and dialogue, while ensuring high-quality documentation and reporting.

Deliverables

The facilitation team will jointly deliver:

 

    • Finalized agendas and facilitation plans for the kick-off meeting and partner workshops;

    • Facilitation of the kick-off meeting and agreed partner workshops;

    • Comprehensive meeting reports, prepared by the Rapporteur, including:

        • key discussion points,

        • decisions and agreements,

        • action points with assigned responsibilities and timelines;

    • A consolidated summary note highlighting key priorities and next steps for project implementation.

Methodological Approach

The facilitation team is expected to apply:

 

    • Participatory and adult-learning methodologies

    • Feminist and inclusive facilitation practices

    • Trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approaches

    • Tools that promote collective ownership, reflection, and learning

Sessions should be interactive, accessible, and adapted to multilingual and multicultural contexts.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Lead Facilitator

 

    • Proven experience facilitating multi-stakeholder workshops in international development or health programming;

    • Strong knowledge of SRHR, gender equality, and health systems strengthening;

    • Experience working with international NGOs and multi-country partnerships;

    • Excellent facilitation, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Rapporteur / Documentation Support Consultant

 

    • Demonstrated experience in documenting complex, multi-stakeholder meetings or workshops;

    • Strong analytical and writing skills;

    • Familiarity with SRHR, health systems, or gender-focused programming is an asset;

    • Ability to synthesize discussions into clear, structured, and actionable reports.

Reporting and Coordination

The facilitation team will report to Action Canada, working in close coordination with IPPF and Project Partners. All deliverables will be reviewed and validated by Action Canada.

Submission and Evaluation of Proposals

Consultants meeting the above criteria are invited to submit a technical and financial proposal by email to Mariam Mzoughi, at mariam@actioncanadashr.org, with the subject line: “Proposal for SHIFTS Project Meeting Facilitator” no later than 13/03/2026, Time: 00:00 ET. The body of the proposal should have a maximum of 5 pages (excluding annexes) and should include the following:

 

    • A brief technical proposal outlining facilitation approach and relevant experience

    • CV(s) highlighting facilitation and SRHR-related experience

    • Financial proposal (daily rate and estimated level of effort)

    • At least two references for similar assignments

    • Confirmation that the facilitation/rapporteur team is able to travel to Abuja for the meetings

Please note that travel to and from the meetings and all travel-related costs will be covered under separate budget lines.

Selection Process and Timeline

Action Canada is committed to a fair, transparent, and equitable selection process that reflects our feminist, anti-oppressive, and human rights–based values. All proposals will be assessed using a standardized set of criteria (see below) to ensure consistency and objectivity. We actively seek to support organizations and initiatives led by, or meaningfully engaging, communities most impacted by systemic inequities, including women, girls, and gender-diverse people, particularly those facing intersecting forms of discrimination.

Action Canada reserves the right to seek clarification during the review process and may prioritize proposals that align most closely with our values, strategic priorities, and commitment to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following scoring:

 

Evaluation Criteria
Relevant experience and capabilities 70%
SRHR-related experience 10%
Pricing 10%
Commitment to diversity and equity in facilitation approaches 10%

Proposals will be accepted until [13/03/2026], 2026. Proposals will be reviewed by the project team during the week of [16/03/2026], 2026. Shortlisted consultants may be contacted during this period for clarification or further discussion.

The successful consultant will be selected no later than [20/03/2026], 2026, with a start date no later than [23/03/2026], 2026.

Unsuccessful consultants will be notified of the outcome of their application no later than [20/03/2026], 2026.

Questions regarding this Call for Proposals may be directed to Mariam Mzoughi at mariam@actioncanadashr.org, prior to the submission deadline.