“NGO Invitation for Proposals for the South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWEEP)”

UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, an international development agency, invites qualified organizations to submit proposals for the implementation of the World Bank-funded project titled, “the South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWEEP).” The purpose of the Invitation for Proposals is to identify eligible non-governmental organizations for prospective partnership with UNFPA South Sudan Country Office to support achievement of results outlined in the project documentThe objective of this engagement is to ensure that survivors of GBV have access and referred to quality, timely and integrated survivor-centered services, this is laid out under Output 2.1 of the project.

• Output: 2.1 National toll-free helpline for GBV survivors provides timely, confidential, and integrated coordinated referral service to the survivors of GBV across the country

Under the leadership of Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare (MGCSW), UNFPA in collaboration with UN Women, the potential partner will establish and coordinate a helpline on reporting and managing GBV cases. This will not build on an existing a toll-free number, but a new toll-free number.

The project will target 2,000 survivors who have reported cases to the national helpline by the end of the project of whom 75 percent express satisfaction with the helpline. UNFPA and the potential partner will be responsible for ensuring that an appropriate number of staff from the MGCSW and CSOs are trained on GBV helpline protocols.

Once the construction of the new MGCSW Headquarters building is complete (around the year 2026), the helpline will be shifted to the premises of the ministry.

Overview of indicative activities:

• UNFPA currently supports a national toll-free helpline for the survivors of GBV to receive a telephonic counselling, referrals to GBV services, including livelihoods and income generating activities; and rescue the survivors where needed; the helpline will target 2,000 survivors who have reported cases to the national helpline;
• UN Women, in collaboration with UNFPA will procure materials required for the setup of the helpline;
• Based on the mapping of existing helplines, the GBV toll – free helpline will be furnished with the personnel and materials for the helpline expansion;
• Once the new MGCSW Headquarters building is constructed, the helpline will be shifted to the premises of the ministry and hand over the operations of the helpline;
• Ascertain the number of social workers needed for the operation of helpline;
• The social workers and case workers operating the helpline as well as the referral services providers will be trained regularly (once every six months) to ensure the quality of services at the helpline;
• The referral services and pathways will be updated regularly and expanded till the payam level;
• A regular updating of data will be done and managed for further analysis to strengthen the GBV helpline services and referral:

Key responsibilities for the potential partner:

• Work under the MGCSW to assess, interview and recruit at least 60 social workers needed for the operation of helpline including their deployment to the States.
• Under the leadership of MoGCSW, manage the helpline with the objective to handover the complete management after 2 years of operation of the helpline
• Support the MoGCSW through the Project Management Unit (PMU) to set up the toll free number and coordination amongst different telecom and other online services providers in South Sudan
• Coordination with the State Ministries of Gender, Child and Social Welfare under the National Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare and other GBV AoR actors
• Coordination with different stakeholders for access to life-saving services for the GBV survivors across the country
• Payroll management of at least 60 social workers supporting the helpline, this includes calculating their salaries, disbursing payments, keeping payroll records, and filing the financial records in close coordination with the MGCSW.
• Develop demand generation activities aimed to create awareness and generate interest for the toll free helpline, this includes radio programmes.
• Deliver capacity building trainings to the social workers managing helpline

Following outcome is envisaged within the particular timeline.