Expression of Interest for NGOs - Leadership Building and Agile Development Initiative Call for Expression of Interest for NGOs Building Agile Leadership and Development Initiative (BALADI) Call for expressions of interest from non-governmental organizations Building Leadership and Agile Development (BALADI) Initiative Youth Horizons Foundation (ASF) Afaq Youth Foundation is a national non-governmental organization registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor under number (271). Our mission is to contribute to the development of youth and society by implementing high-quality programs and building effective partnerships in accordance with best institutional practices. Afaq Youth Foundation began its work in Yemen in 2013 and implements projects in four main sectors: capacity building, peacebuilding, governance, economic empowerment, and protection. The Foundation is committed to the principles of transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and gender sensitivity in all its operations and programs. BALADI Project The project is a comprehensive initiative that combines the establishment of the Center for Humanitarian and Development Studies at Aden University as a sustainable national platform for building the capacities of local organizations with broader initiatives to strengthen local humanitarian leadership, with the aim of supporting and promoting gender-sensitive localization in Yemen. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Oxfam in partnership with the Afaq Youth Foundation. The program includes a comprehensive survey of local and national actors in the development and humanitarian sectors, taking into account the diversity among local and national organizations. It also includes a gender barrier analysis conducted over the past three months to identify the main challenges hindering womens rights organizations/women-led organizations (WROs/WLOs) and marginalized groups from accessing capacity-building opportunities, as well as examining womens representation in decision-making processes. The analysis paid particular attention to prevailing cultural and social norms in Yemen that may affect these organizations and womens participation in the humanitarian and development sectors. Based on the principles of centralization, inclusivity, transparency, gender equality, and accountability, the BALADI initiative will select 50 local and national organizations through a transparent and competitive evaluation process based on clear and specific criteria. In line with its commitment to promoting gender equality and social inclusion, at least 40% of the selected organizations (at least 20 out of 50) will be womens rights organizations (WROs), women-led organizations (WLOs), and micro-organizations (MGOs) focused on marginalized groups, based on the recommendations of the gender barriers analysis conducted over the past three months. This will ensure effective representation of these organizations in leading humanitarian and development work. Using the Taking the Lead methodology, designed to empower local actors and give them a leading role, institutional capacity assessments will be conducted for 25 of the 50 selected national and local actors (LNAs), including womens rights organizations/women-led organizations (WROs/WLOs) and micro-organizations (MGOs). These assessments will be evaluated and supported by Bioforce to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings later on. The project will support local and national actors in designing their own capacity-building plans based on their priority development areas, rather than priorities set by external partners. This approach begins with training facilitators (one per organization) in the Taking the Lead methodology. These facilitators will then lead their organizations through the capacity-building self-assessment process, which includes approximately 15 hours of workshops per organization. The ASF will provide the necessary support to the facilitators, particularly during the implementation of the capacity-building self-assessment and the development of the capacity-building plans. This support is essential to help organizations transform identified weaknesses into effective organizational action plans and avoid the trap of relying solely on external training for all capacity-building needs. Each local facilitator/coordinator will receive an average of 15 hours of remote support to complete their self-assessment documentation, with the support tailored to each organizations specific requirements. The development of the training courses will begin with a comprehensive assessment of priority topics in the operational, technical, and institutional domains. This assessment will be part of the institutional evaluation conducted through the "Taking the Lead" process. A thorough analysis of the capacity-building plans developed by local and national organizations will also identify priority capacity-building activities and the required training topics and areas. The training courses will be structured around three main pillars: operational competencies, institutional competencies, and technical competencies. Fifty selected national and local entities (LNAs/WROs/WLOs/MGOs) will receive high-quality training at the Womens Center for Humanitarian and Development Studies at Aden University, covering the three operational, institutional, and technical domains. This training will be delivered across three programs during the period 20262027. Each organization will nominate at least five trainees from its staff, and the trainees will receive certificates accredited by Aden University. Through this comprehensive initiative, the BALADI initiative seeks to contribute to creating sustainable change in the humanitarian and development work system in Yemen within the framework of joint local, national and international efforts, so that local and national organizations play a real leadership role in decision-making, planning and implementation, women and womens organizations have effective and equal representation at all leadership levels, the humanitarian response becomes more effective, efficient and context-appropriate, real accountability is achieved towards crisis-affected communities, and sustainable capacities are built that go beyond the life of the project and contribute to achieving sustainable development. Strategic goals The BALADI initiative aims to promote gender-responsive localization in Yemen by strengthening the capacities, leadership roles, and decision-making participation of national and local actors, including womens rights organizations (WROs), women-led organizations (WLOs), and marginalized groups organizations (MGOs), in order to build a more equitable, risk-aware, and locally-led humanitarian system in Yemen, leading to sustainable development driven by those who better understand the local context. Scope of the initiative and target groups The BALADI initiative will select 50 local and national organizations through a transparent and competitive evaluation process based on clear and specific criteria. In line with its commitment to promoting gender equality and social inclusion, womens rights organizations (WROs), women-led organizations (WLOs), and marginalized groups organizations (MGOs) will comprise at least 40% of the selected organizations (at least 20 out of 50), ensuring effective representation in leading humanitarian and development work. Selected organizations will benefit from a comprehensive package of support and resources, including the following: 1. Specialized capacity-building programs Each of the fifty selected organizations will have the opportunity to nominate 5 employees (for a total of 250 employees from all organizations) to participate in specialized and intensive training programs covering the following: · Operational capabilities: Financial management, human resources management, logistics management, security, and any other areas based on the results of the Taking the Lead methodology. · Institutional capacities: good governance, humanitarian principles, protection, anti-corruption, grant management, advocacy, and any other areas based on the results of the Taking the Lead methodology. · Technical capabilities: Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects, food security and livelihoods, protection, health, and any other areas based on the results of the Taking the Lead methodology. 2. Ongoing advisory and technical support Selected organizations will receive ongoing, dedicated advisory support from specialist experts to help them: · Accurately identify institutional capacity needs and organizational gaps. · Developing detailed corporate action plans to address weaknesses and enhance strengths. · Obtaining a financial grant to improve internal administrative, financial, and technical aspects. Invitation to submit an expression of interest Who can apply? Local and national non-governmental organizations operating in Yemen are eligible to apply, including: · Humanitarian and development organizations. · Human rights and social justice organizations. · Womens Rights Organizations (WROs). · Women-led organizations (WLOs) · Organizations working with marginalized groups (MGOs) and vulnerable communities. Organizations applying for direct grants must be legally registered in Yemen. Informal or community-based initiatives are encouraged to apply in partnership with a legally registered organization. We particularly encourage applications from womens rights organizations (WROs), women-led organizations (WLOs), and marginalized groups organizations (MGOs), including those working with people with disabilities. WROs, WLOs, and MGOs will comprise at least 40 Tender Link : https://yemenhr.com/tenders
