Vacancy Announcement: Lead Consultant - Youth LGBTIQ Leadership Training Module

Terms of Reference

Lead Consultant to develop Youth LGBTIQ Leadership Training Module

About Youth LEAD

Youth LEAD is a growing regional network of young key populations in Asia and the Pacific. We empower young key populations through capacity building, leadership strengthening and advocacy, and build partnerships between local, national, and regional YKP organizations. We want to ensure more meaningful participation and involvement of YKP in all levels of decision making and to create a new generation of youth leaders in the HIV response.

Background

In the Asia-Pacific region, young trans people face increased vulnerability to discrimination and abuse affecting their ability to access trans-competent healthcare and basic social services. Despite the existence of trans- and youth-led organizations, restrictive legal and policy frameworks limit their capacity to support young trans people. The COVID-19 pandemic has also led to decreased funding for essential health and social services for trans people, compounding the already limited access to such services for trans youth. 

Based on survey assessments conducted by the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN), there is a lack of capacity building and development for younger trans people to serve as leaders in their respective organizations and communities. The existing barriers to health and social services for young trans people call for the leadership and meaningful engagement of trans youth to develop appropriate interventions. More efforts must be taken to recognise the realities and intersectionalities of young trans people’s lives, and to enable young trans people to take up leadership roles to address their community’s needs.

In partnership with APTN, under the Project “Transcending Borders: Strengthening trans and gender diverse movements towards transformative leadership, legal protection and trans-competent healthcare in Asia-Pacific and Africa” funded by the Robert Carr Fund (RCF), Youth LEAD aims to develop a Youth LGBTIQ Leadership Training Module to equip young LGBTIQ people, especially trans youth, with the skills needed to take up leadership positions and participate in decision-making bodies within the context of HIV response and programming. The Youth LGBTIQ Leadership Training Module will cover the issues and needs of LGBTIQ youth in HIV response, with a specific focus on trans youth in the Asia-Pacific region. It will build on and adapt existing tools on trans and youth leadership and advocacy developed by Youth LEAD and APTN, including Youth LEAD’s New Gen Training Manual.  

Objectives

• To develop a comprehensive, adaptable, and youth-friendly tool for young LGBTIQ persons on leadership, advocacy, and intersectionality in HIV response; 
• To increase the capacity of young LGBTIQ persons in Asia-Pacific through a pilot training using the completed Leadership Training Module.

Outcomes

• A comprehensive, adaptable, and youth-friendly Leadership Training Module has been developed for young LGBTIQ persons;
• A pilot training using the completed Leadership Training Module has been conducted with young LGBTIQ persons in Asia-Pacific.

Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the Youth LEAD Secretariat and working reporting directly to the Communications and Project Officer, the Lead Consultant, in collaboration with the Youth Consultant, will develop a Youth LGBTIQ Leadership Training Module (henceforth, “Training Module”) based on Youth LEAD’s New Gen Training Manual (henceforth, “Manual”). 

The Lead Consultant is responsible for the overall development of the Training Module, ensuring that it is comprehensive and adaptable to the needs and issues of trans- and youth-led organizations in the context of HIV response and programming in the Asia-Pacific region. This includes using an intersectional approach to discussions, sessions, and activities throughout the Training Module. Given the varying needs and capacities of trans- and youth-led organizations across the Asia-Pacific, the Lead Consultant must ensure that the Training Module can be adapted into the different social/legal/health contexts of implementing organizations. The Lead Consultant should also ensure that the sessions and activities can be implemented in online and offline settings – in order to accommodate situations in which training workshops cannot be held in-person. 

Activities

The Lead Consultant, in collaboration with the Youth Consultant, and with support from the Youth LEAD Secretariat, will review Youth LEAD’s New Gen Training Manual and develop a proposed outline of the Training Module. To ensure the issues and needs of LGBTIQ youth are integrated into the Training Module, the proposed outline should include sessions or activities that: 

• highlight common issues hindering young LGBTIQ people, especially young transgender people, from taking up leadership roles and participating in decision-making bodies;
• develop a shared understanding on the role that young LGBTIQ leaders have in HIV response;
• develop young LGBTIQ people’s leadership and advocacy skills, including interpersonal, public speaking, and teamwork skills.

In addition, the outline should include:

• background of the Training Module;
• methodology, necessary materials/presentations, and time requirements per activity session;
• guidelines for facilitators;
• references as necessary.

Based on the agreed outline, both Consultants will jointly develop the first draft of the Training Module and submit it to the Secretariat for review and feedback. Both Consultants will address the Secretariat’s feedback and develop the final draft. Once the Training Module has been finalized and published by Youth LEAD, both Consultants will be expected to facilitate a pilot training with young LGBTIQ participants using the Training Module.

The Training Module should be approximately 20-25 pages.

Workplan

Duration and Working Days

The contract duration is estimated to require 12 working days. The assignment will start on 1 August and end on 15 September 2022, subject to extension as required and approved by Youth LEAD. The consultant will be home-based and work remotely; no international or domestic travel is expected for this consultancy.

Proposed Budget and Payment

The total budget for the consultancy is US$3,000. The finance section will deduct (15%) tax as per the rules and regulations of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Payment will be made as follows: 30% will be paid after signing the contract, while 70% will be paid after submission of the final deliverables to the satisfaction of Youth LEAD.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Work, Development Studies, Human Rights, Communications, or any relevant field;
• At least 3 years of work experience in HIV/AIDS, LGBTIQ rights, youth, health or any relevant field;
• Demonstrated experience working with youth, LGBTIQ people, especially trans people, at the country or regional level;
• Proven experience in developing and implementing training modules, including leadership training, is an asset;
• Knowledge of trans and youth issues in Asia-Pacific, including on HIV response and human rights advocacy
• Excellent writing and communication skills.

Language

Fluency in English; knowledge of another Asian or Pacific language is an asset. 

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates are requested to send their updated CVs and a motivation letter to careers@youth-lead.orgwith the subject line "[Name]_LeadConsultant_YouthLGBTIQTraining” on or before 5 August 2022, 11:59 pm Bangkok Time (GMT +7). Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview