Common Ground USA: Training Consultant for Technical Support

Washington DC, United States
Programs – Common Ground USA /
Consultant - Local /
Hybrid
The project management team for the Resilient States Project is seeking a consultant to support our programming in Pennsylvania and Texas. Consultants will focus on tailoring and delivering the Resilient States Project’s violence mitigation curriculum to different audiences (including sectors, geographies, roles), i.e. state- and national-level partners across the political violence prevention fields and related spaces. 

Context
Common Ground USA 
Informed by lessons learned as the world’s largest and oldest peacebuilding organization, Common Ground-USA (CG-USA) represents Search for Common Ground's most significant investment in fostering a peaceful America, where collective problem-solving and inclusive belonging are prioritized for everyone. We envision an America where we engage in collaboration across differences to address our greatest challenges, and where we can all belong and thrive. At CG-USA, we believe that most Americans want to overcome the divisions we face in our society. We see disagreement as an opportunity to transform conflict into cooperation on our daily and most pernicious problems. All of our work is rooted in an evidence base where we strengthen the five vital signs of peace: safety, social cohesion, institutional legitimacy, personal agency, and resourcing peace.

The Project 
The Resilient States Project is a collaboration between CG-USA and  Over Zero – that convenes and empowers broad-based  networks of diverse leaders to build resilience and mitigate risks for division and political violence in Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Our networks unite diverse leaders across various sectors, ideologies, and locations. These networks work to transform division and conflict within their states, including tailored, strategic actions such as public statements, creative messaging, and public events that unify communities. 

Goal and Objectives


      The consultancy should consider the following goals and objectives:
    • Designing overall agenda and adapt curricula for a training, including goal setting and activation assignments;
    • Developing engaging and informative presentation materials that bring together best practices of international peacebuilding and the Resilient States Project violence mitigation curriculum;
    • Delivering virtual and in-person training with relevant handouts, template materials (email and agendas).

    • Geographic Locations
      This role will require significant travel across Texas and Pennsylvania for training and other convenings. This may include multiple, multi-day trips within a month and weekend travel is possible. 

      Logistical Support
      Consultant(s) will be responsible for organizing their own logistics, and these costs must be reasonably budgeted into the proposal. A CG-USA staff member will be the point of contact and manager of this assessment. 

      In addition, the Resilient States Project team will share background materials including related project curriculum and existing training material, etc.

      Deliverables
      The Resilient States Project team expects the following deliverables from the external consultant as they correspond to the proposed timeline and budget:

    • Build and adapt training modules using CG-USA’s violence mitigation curriculum; 
    • Develop and adapt resource documents including but not limited to; training materials, template materials (emails and agendas), etc;
    • Deliver training to CG-USA’s state- and national-level partners. 

    • Ethical Considerations
      Consultancy activities should conform to Do No Harm and inclusion principles (i.e., age, gender/gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, race, religion, ideology, etc.). The consultant will also be asked to sign Search for Common Ground’s Code of Conduct.

      In addition, the consultancy should be conducted in such a way that it builds and maintains the Resilient States Project’s relationships and legitimacy with partners and actors in the geographical area of study. Nothing in the study design or execution should suggest, or give the appearance of suggesting, that the Resilient States Project team, its partners, Common Ground USA, or Search for Common Ground as a whole are participating in political activity or lobbying that would violate the requirements of their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. The Resilient States Project team also requires consultants to maintain a balanced, unbiased, and respectful relationship with all parties involved in the research.

      Timeline
      The contract will span August-December 2024, with an expected level of effort equal to 10- 15 working days, with a possibility of expansion

      Budget
      Candidates are encouraged to submit a budget, or a proposed daily/hourly rate, as part of their application.

      Requirements of Consultant

      Required qualifications:
      More than 5 years of experience in a combination of the following areas are required:

    • Deep understanding of political violence, conflict resolution, and related socio-political issues.
    • Strong research and analytical skills to develop evidence-based curricula.
    • Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills.
    • Proficiency in using educational technology and multimedia tools.
    • Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups and individuals.
    • Strong project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

    • Desirable qualifications:
      Strong candidates will also have the following qualities: 
    • Minimum of 10 years of experience in curriculum development, specifically within the field of political violence prevention and the non-profit sector.
    • Proven track record of developing and implementing successful educational programs and training materials.

    • In addition, the consultant is required to respect the following Ethical Principles:
    • Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: Consultant should make the most of the existing information and full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. They should communicate their methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique their work. They should make clear the limitations of the review and its results.
    • Competence: Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of their professional training and competence.
    • Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about: any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information.
    • Respect: Consultant should respect the security, dignity and self-worth of respondents, program participants. Consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age and ethnicity.

    • Selection Criteria:
      Consultants should include a proposal for review. Consultant proposals will be selected for:
    • Relevance of their expression of interests as it relates to the applicant’s ability to meet the goal, objectives, and research questions for the assessment;
    • Qualifications; and
    • Proposed budget in relation to proposed methodology and deliverables.
Applications
To apply, interested candidates (individuals or teams) are requested to submit the following two documents:

1. Curriculum vitae.
2. Expression of intent outlining the following: (1) any relevant research and analysis experience; (2) relevant networks, community connections, and other key relationships in target state(s) that can be leveraged for this process; (3) a budget and/or proposed pay rate; and (4) any other relevant experience as applicable to these terms of reference.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities. 


As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities. 

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Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Please see our website www.sfcg.org for full details of our work. All Search Employees must adhere to the values: Collaboration- Audacity - Tenacity - Empathy - Results. In accordance with these values, Search enforces compliance with the Code of Conduct and related policies on Anti Workplace Harassment, Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Conflict of Interest, and Anti-fraud. Search is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children, youth, and vulnerable adults with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children, youth, and vulnerable adults.  Search for Common Ground does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. View our code of conduct here and our privacy policy here.

Les descriptifs de pouvant ne pouvant être exhaustifs, le titulaire du poste pourra être amené à entreprendre d'autres tâches qui correspondent globalement aux responsabilités clés ci-dessus.
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Seuls les candidats invités à un entretien seront contactés. Pas d'appels téléphoniques s'il vous plaît. Veuillez consulter notre site Web www.sfcg.org pour tous les détails de notre mission.

Tous les employés de Search doivent adhérer aux valeurs de Search : Collaboration- Audace - Ténacité - Empathie - Résultats. Conformément à ces valeurs, Search fait respecter le code de conduite et les politiques connexes sur la lutte contre le harcèlement au travail, la protection contre l'exploitation et les abus, la protection des enfants, les conflits d'intérêts et la lutte contre la fraude. Search s'engage à préserver les intérêts, les droits et le bien-être des enfants, des jeunes et des adultes vulnérables avec lesquels elle est en contact et à mener ses programmes et ses opérations d'une manière qui soit sûre pour les enfants, les jeunes et les adultes vulnérables.
Search for Common Ground ne fait pas et ne doit pas faire de discrimination fondée sur la race, la couleur, la religion (croyance), le sexe, l'expression de genre, l'âge, l'origine nationale (ascendance), le handicap, l'état matrimonial, l'orientation sexuelle ou le statut militaire, dans aucune de ses activités ou opérations.
Consultez notre code de conduite ici et notre politique de confidentialité ici.

Dado que la descripción de funciones no puede ser exhaustiva, el titular del puesto puede tener que realizar otras tareas que coinciden en líneas generales con las responsabilidades clave mencionadas.
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Sólo se contactará con los candidatos invitados a una entrevista. Se agradece no recibir llamadas telefónicas. Consulte nuestro sitio web www.sfcg.org para conocer todos los detalles de nuestro trabajo. Todos los empleados de Search deben adherirse a los valores de la organización: Colaboración - Audacia - Tenacidad - Empatía - Resultados. De acuerdo con estos valores, Search hace cumplir el Código de Conducta y las políticas relacionadas con luchar contra el acoso en el lugar de trabajo, la protección contra la explotación y el abuso, la protección de la infancia, los conflictos de intereses y la lucha contra el fraude. Search se compromete a salvaguardar los intereses, derechos y bienestar de los niños, jóvenes y adultos vulnerables con los que está en contacto y a llevar a cabo sus programas y operaciones de una manera que sea segura para los niños, jóvenes y adultos vulnerables.  Search for Common Ground no discrimina ni discriminará por motivos de raza, color, religión (credo), género, expresión de género, edad, origen nacional (ascendencia), discapacidad, estado civil, orientación sexual o condición militar, en ninguna de sus actividades u operaciones. Consulte nuestro código de conducta aquí y nuestra política de privacidad aquí.