Equity and Inclusion Consultant

Organization:

The Center for Victims of Torture works toward a future in which torture ceases to exist and its victims have hope for a new life. We are an international nonprofit dedicated to healing survivors of torture. We provide direct care for those who have been tortured, train partners around the world who can prevent and treat torture, and advocate for an end to torture. CVT was founded in Minnesota, USA, where key operational, finance, and program teams provide both support and leadership to CVT’s global offices and initiatives

CVT programming in Jordan was established in 2008. Over the past 12 years, CVT has developed robust local and regional programming from its base in Amman, which is now home to three teams. The direct services team offers rehabilitative care to survivors of torture and war trauma, including mental health counseling, physiotherapy, and social services. In addition to providing intensive training for local clinicians, CVT also conducts capacity-building with universities, government ministries, and partner NGOs. A regional team helps expand this work beyond Jordan’s borders. Finally, the New Tactics in Human Rights team builds the strategic effectiveness of human rights activists and civil society organizations through training and mentoring. Together, these teams represent 70 dedicated staff with diverse backgrounds and experience. Since 2015, CVT has identified sustainability as a key priority, with an emphasis on national leadership and local ownership. Fulfilling this sustainability vision means creating the environment for change in which staff at CVT Jordan are able to feel safe, valued, and respected in their diverse roles and identities and are aware of and empowered to address systems of marginalization that might impact their equity and inclusion in organizational dynamics and decision-making; identify and appreciate the cultural narratives of our partners and beneficiaries, including understanding their own implicit biases; become an effective advocate for change in a multi-cultural, global organization.

DEI progress to date:

In 2017, CVT established a 3 year comprehensive Diversity Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan to guide work in this area. A consultant was engaged and provided a series of trainings to staff at headquarters and in our domestic locations. Following the trainings, action learning projects were established in order to achieve DEI outcomes. This work is continuous and ongoing.

Internationally, CVT has established a working group to help guide and implement work across our various programs. Jordan was identified as the pilot location for beginning our DEI work earlier this year and since then, a smaller sub-working group has been set-up to support decision making, steer the work and operationalize it.

Consultancy Goals

The consultant will help CVT Jordan in reaching their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion objectives by providing strategic support to the working group in how to integrate DEI into all aspects of operational and decision-making processes and provide trainings to all staff in order to create a culture of continuous learning and growth.

Approach

The Consultant should first collect and absorb information from CVT to understand its work globally and in Jordan specifically. They should review existing practices and protocols in Jordan and from headquarters where relevant. They should meet with staff members across the different professional working groups within the Jordan programs to understand the background and context of the work environment and factors affecting diversity, equity and inclusion. They should meet in person with the Jordan DEI working group and over zoom with the International Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group (IDEIWG) to gain an overarching understanding of the scope of work in this area and more broadly on international services work. They should review results and analysis of staff surveys, interviews and focus groups to understand training priorities for the Jordan program. Based upon this information, they will develop trainings and material to meet the identified needs of staff and then coordinate with relevant people to deliver these trainings over an initial period of 6 months.. Over this same period, the consultant should continue working alongside the Jordan DEI WG to provide guidance and strategies on how to reach diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

Responsibilities

The Consultant will be responsible for the following:

· Reviewing key documents and meeting with a range of staff from the Jordan team to understand the background and context.

· Identify structures, policies and working practices/processes that would better facilitate reaching diversity and inclusion goals.

· Provide guidance to CVT’s International and Jordan specific Diversity, Equity and Inclusion working groups on how to fully integrate DEI into all aspects of CVT Jordan’s operational and decision making processes.

· Support JDEIWG in the identification of diversity characteristics by conducting focus groups and key informant interviews and based upon results from the survey collected by the group.

· Work closely with the Jordan working group to identify diversity training priorities for members of staff.

• Provide trainings to all Jordan staff on diversity, equity and inclusion training priorities.
• Communicate with project team members professionally, respectfully, and collaboratively, and help them contribute to recommendations in a creative and inclusive manner.
• Influence through learning and development and serving as a consultative change agent for the organization.
• Establish mechanisms to measure, track, and report on diversity metrics.
• Advise on D&I best practices to support staff and clients.
• Help the team make a work plan to prioritize issues and tasks, set goals, and develop a process for addressing DEI topics and solutions.

Key deliverables

· Report outlining review of CVT Jordan organizational documents and Jordan staff survey data

· Comparative DEI plan that includes numbers of education sessions, consultations, etc.

· Provide implementation plan that includes coordination of work with DEI working groups, timeline and expected outcomes

· Delivery of trainings coaching and development of organization services

· Evaluation and recommendations for next steps

Qualifications

In addition to the competencies described above, applicants should have:

• Experience designing and delivering trainings and strategic support for Diversity Equity and Inclusion in a clinical setting.**
• Experience in DEI focused organizational change and organizational development**
• Proven track record of leading global company-wide diversity, equity & inclusion strategies, initiatives, and programs with multiple stakeholders, in a complex environment.
• Executive presence; confidence in facilitating, presenting, communicating, and influencing all levels of employees,**
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and deepen connections with diverse people, groups, and communities across all demographics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Experience dealing with resistance

• Analytical skills; able to turn data into insights and a compelling narrative

Location and required travel

The centers in Amman, Jordan are currently open and working within the country’s COVID guidelines. Subsequently, consultants would preferably be able to both travel to the center and provide remote consultation if/where needed. Applicants should state their ability to provide in person and/or remote consultation.

Funding Level

The funding maximum for this consultancy during fiscal year 2021 is US$10,000 with potential additional resources for implementing follow-on activities or recommendations. Cost efficiency will be considered in evaluating final proposals.

Timeline

This consultancy will take place by September 30^th 2021. The duration will depend upon the plan provided by the consultant and agreed by CVT.