TERMS OF REFERENCE
CONSULTANCY TO COST STRATEGIC PLAN
AND DEVELOP RESOURCE MOBILIZATION STRATEGY FOR UCTRANS
BACKGROUND
The United Caribbean Trans Network
The United Caribbean Trans Network (UCTRANS) was established in February 2018. Over the past three years, the network has been collaborating with Trans organizations all across the Caribbean. UCTRANS’ mission is to build the capacity of transgender organizations and those working with Trans people regionally, while providing regionally while providing technical support in order to advance human rights, promotion of sexual and reproductive health, rights and well-being.
Context
Issues affecting the Transgender Community in the Caribbean
The rights of Transgender persons are protected by a range of international agreements[1]. Countries that are signatories to these binding treaties are required under international law to respect the treaty provisions, including those relevant to the human rights of LGBT. However, punitive national laws and policies, as well as the failure of states to adopt or adhere to the provisions of many international conventions, adversely impact transgender people and fail to recognize their human rights.
Whereas Transgender persons are entitled to the protection of their dignity, and national Constitutions and international instruments should apply to them equally, in most countries in the Caribbean, there is no legal recognition of transgender people’s affirmed gender identity. Access to education, health, employment, privacy, personal liberty, human dignity and personal security are seriously compromised across the board. Institutions such as schools, the workplace, governments and healthcare facilities are often the perpetrators. Instead of providing services in a non-discriminatory manner, transgender people are often subject to ill-treatment, disrespect, abuse, violence and the denial of their human dignity.
For many transgender persons, having a gender identity that is not reflected in their official documents often leads to exposure to much humiliation and violence. It also effectively denies them their legal rights and citizenship. Importantly, without official documents that recognize their gender identity, transgender people are often denied access to basic rights, including the right to health, education, justice, and social welfare. This problem is highlighted when transgender persons are required to explain intimate details of their lives and identity to strangers in order to access routine services, such as banking transactions, or denied access to employment, because they lack the proper identification. This often results in exclusion from social and civic participation; harassment and stigmatization; limited access to protection, justice and redress; and inadequate provision of health care services. Transgender people are also more susceptible to violence, including physical and sexual violence.
In the Caribbean, population size estimates for the Trans community are largely absent. Similarly, data on incidences of gender-based violence prevalence among transgender persons is limited. Where information is available, it indicates significantly higher rates of HIV prevalence. Transgender women are particularly affected by HIV with estimates showing HIV prevalence for transgender women in the region range from 8% to 31%[2].Despite these glaring statistics, Caribbean states have chosen to focus almost exclusively on targeting the wider population and have developed generalised responses, rather than tailored programming, which would meet the needs of populations such as Trans persons.
1. FUNDING LANDSCAPE
Globally the funding in the HIV/AIDS sector is decreasing and HIV/AIDS programs in many countries are still largely reliant on donor funding. Economic growth and the consequent shift in income status classification requires that countries increase their domestic investment and be more self-sufficient in the delivery of national HIV/AIDS programs.
There is consensus that the Caribbean region needs greater sustainability in the response to HIV and human rights, such as predictable sources of funding for HIV prevention, treatment and care and responding to human rights violations. In light of this, major donors such as the Global Fund and USAID/PEPFAR are in the process of transitioning or graduating away from reliance on external funding in favour of greater domestic investment for HIV. This process, in itself, carries grave risks to the funding for, and implementation of, HIV programming, especially for the Trans population.
UCTRANS recognizes the considerable existing efforts of funding toward national and regional HIV/AIDS goals, funded through domestic, private and donor sources. It also recognizes that in all countries, national programs and CSOs experience barriers that prevent the provision of services and programs for key populations at necessary scale.
It was reported in 2017 by the Antillean Media Group that the United States was terminating its funding to several of the Caribbean countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic due to their high GDP status. The Bahamas — which has the highest population prevalence of HIV in the English-speaking Caribbean at just over 3% had its funding cut entirely in September 2017, followed by Barbados in 2018. Meanwhile, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago would have had their funding slashed to historic lows by 2019.
As reported then, of the middle-income Caribbean countries, only Jamaica would have been spared cuts, but was under strict conditions to improve the number of people living with HIV who were receiving treatment, as well as improving the health systems in the country. It meant Jamaica would have to meet ambitious targets to curb its epidemic, or PEPFAR would leave the English-speaking Caribbean region entirely, including the member countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.
Despite the reduced donor support and drastic cuts in grants, there is no clear mechanism, which the region’s governments intend to provide funding for NGOs. If no such mechanism exists, NGOs are likely to be defunded in the process of transition to domestic government funding, putting an end to vital outreach and prevention programmes. Also, while some governments have shown a willingness to fund HIV treatment, there is no firm to continuing and expanding community-based programmes aimed at key populations or advocacy efforts. The civil society must therefore position itself as a lead advocacy voice to demand sustainable domestic financing for NGOs providing service within the national response, as well as creating mechanisms for their own sustainability.
With anticipated shortfalls in HIV financing, it is now more important than ever to diversify funding sources in order to sustain achievements and to progress towards the 90-90-90 targets for ending the AIDS epidemic as public health threat for the people of the Caribbean; strengthen the capacity of CSOs working on HIV and human rights, as well as addressing the human rights challenges facing marginalized populations in the Caribbean.
With diminishing donor funding, countries and CSOs must be highly efficient in targeting their investments in accordance with epidemiology and mechanisms for funding community-led responses by those most affected by HIV – key populations – must be established or strengthened.
UCTRANS is therefore required to develop a resource mobilization strategy that would position the organization for sustainability. This strategy would take account of the environment for resource mobilization for UCTRANS and its affiliates.
This Resource Mobilization (RM) Strategy would be developed for CVC to support the organization’s core mandate of advocating for and on behalf of trans persons, capacity building, networking, coordination and resource mobilization.
2. PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY
The purpose of this consultancy is to cost UCTRANS Strategic Plan and develop a Resource Mobilization strategy 2021-2023 for UCTRANS.
3. SCOPE OF WORK
Under the direct supervision and support of the Finance Officer, UCTRANS, the Consultant will be responsible for costing UCTRAN’s Strategic Plan and developing a Resource Mobilization Strategy 2021-2023. Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for:
- Conducting a desk review of annual reports, financial statements/reports from UCTRANS project budgets; UCTRANS strategic plan and organizational assessments and other key documents
- Conducting key informant interviews with members of UCTRANS, development partners or other stakeholders;
- Conducting a mapping of donor funding opportunities and other external funding opportunities;
- Conducting a virtual mid-point review of the resource mobilization strategy with UCTRANS to gather input and collective approval of processes.
- Costing the Strategic Plan and Preparing a draft Resource Mobilization Strategy 2021-2023 Plan for UCTRANS for submission to the UCTRANS Board.
- Preparing a final costed Strategic plan and a Resource Mobilization Strategy 2021-2023 for UCTRANS that reflects the feedback provided by UCTRANS.
The Consultant will be expected to utilize virtual communication mechanisms such as Skype, Go-To-Meetings, Zoom or WhatsApp to conduct interviews and to communicate with UCTRANS.
4. DELIVERABLES
- A Report on the desk review including a list of all documents reviewed by 23 July 2021.
- A report on the interviews conducted with partners including a list of all stakeholders consulted by 3 August 2021.
- A draft Resource Mobilization Strategy and Implementation Plan for submission to the Board of CVC by 10 August 2020.
- A final Resource Mobilization Strategy and Implementation Plan for the period 2021-2023 that reflect the feedback provided by the CVC Board by 23 August 2021
5. TIMEFRAME
The consultancy will be undertaken during the period July 2021 to 23 August 2021.
6. QUALIFICATIONS OF CONSULTANT
The Consultant shall be required to possess the following basic qualifications:
- At least a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Marketing or related field.
- At least seven years of demonstrated professional experience in the development sector, preferably in fundraising, marketing or resource mobilization.
- Demonstrated experience preparing resource mobilisation strategy or marketing strategy at the national or regional level.
- Demonstrated experience preparing implementation plans at the national or regional level.
- Familiarity with the HIV situation in the Caribbean region.
- Demonstrated experience conducting desk reviews.
- Demonstrated experience preparing analytical reports.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Expression of Interest
Interested individuals should send applications for attention: Alexus D’Marco to email: alexusdmarco@gmail.com with subject Consultancy Application: Resource Mobilization Plan.
Applicants should submit the following documents as part of their application:
- A Curriculum Vitae demonstrating that he/she has a track record of not less than three (3) years of experience executing similar assignments. Applicants must prove that they have enough experience in assignments comparable with the work they are bidding for in terms of scope and complexity as specified in this TOR and proven experience in conducting such assignments.
- A detailed plan outlining proposed activities and outcomes which should have the following: Understanding of the assignment and its tasks, Methodology and approach to be used.
- Details of the expected budget to undertake the consultancy
All Applications Must Be Submitted by Midnight on July 2, 2021
United Caribbean Trans Network 