Background

Paradigm for Social Justice and Development (PSD) is Women Rights Organisation in Uganda. The organisation works to achieve women justice and development by increasing Women access to Justice and empowering women to meaningfully participate in decision making processes to secure their personal and household development. PSD envisions a Society without Injustice, Violence and Poverty and the mission is to work with communities to address social injustices, alleviate poverty and violence. To achieve this, we engage in participatory research, awareness creation, capacity building, providing legal services and advocacy for the wellbeing of women and girls. PSD’s work is currently organized around five strategic focus areas namely, Access to Justice for Women and Girls, Women Rights and Gender Equity, quality, Gender, Peace and Security, Gender and Economic Development and Programme Quality and Organizational Development.

PSD is implementing the project on “Incorporating local perspectives into the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda in the great lakes region (IWPS)” in Wakiso District. This project is supported by GOPA Partners in Action for Change and Engagement SA and Deutsche Gasellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). This project seeks to establish a Community-Based Early Warning and Response Mechanism that empowers local communities, especially women, to identify and respond to early signs of conflict. It strengthens grassroots capacities through inclusive peace committees, local training, and structured reporting systems. The mechanism links local knowledge with national-level coordination, supporting early action, inclusive dialogue, and policy influence. This directly contributes to advancing gender-responsive, locally driven, and sustainable approaches to peace and security.

1. Background

Many communities continue to experience recurrent conflict driven by political tensions, resource competition, misinformation, land disputes, and social inequalities. These conflicts often escalate because early warning signs such as rising hate speech, increased gender-based violence, youth gang activity, or localized armed group recruitment are not detected or acted upon in time.

Although women, youth, and marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by conflict, they remain underrepresented in formal peace and security processes. Existing early warning mechanisms tend to be top-down and insufficiently connected to local realities, while communities lack clear, coordinated procedures for reporting information and triggering early responses.

To address these gaps, this project seeks to establish a Community-Based Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CBEWRM) that is inclusive, gender-responsive, and directly linked to district and national peace and security structures. The mechanism will strengthen local capacity to detect risks, share timely information, respond collaboratively, and prevent escalation.

2. Objective of the Consultancy

The overall objective is to design, pilot, and support the establishment of a sustainable, gender-responsive, Community-Based Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CBEWRM) aligned with district and national peace and security structures.

Specific objectives include:

• i. Conduct a comprehensive conflict analysis and systems assessment.
• ii. Develop a structure, inclusive CBEWS with SOPs, reporting pathways, and coordination protocols.
• iii. Facilitate community consultations and participatory conflict mapping.
• iv. Pilot test the system within selected communities.
• v. Build capacity of local actors particularly women and youth to effectively operate the mechanism
• vi. Produce user-friendly tools, templates and guidance materials.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will carry out the following tasks:

3.1 Baseline Assessment (Conflict and Systems Analysis)

A rapid but comprehensive assessment will be conducted including desk review, KII, FGDs, conflict drivers mapping, hotspot identification, existing reporting channels, and gender/youth participation gaps.

3.2 Community Consultations and Mapping

• i. Facilitate participatory conflict mapping sessions with community leaders, women’s groups, youth associations, local councils, peace committees, and security actors.
• ii. Participatory mapping will include identification of community-approved communication channels, local information flow dynamics, safe reporting spaces, and gendered early warning indicators.
• iii. Identify locally relevant early warning indicators, such as:
  • Social tensions and rumors
  • GBV trends
  • Resource-related disputes
  • Rising youth unemployment or mobility
  • Misinformation patterns

3.3 System Design and Protocol Development

Develop a comprehensive CBEWRM that includes:

System Structure

• Community Early Warning Committees (CEWCs)
• Community response teams
• Data collection, verification, and escalation procedures
• Coordination pathways with district and national structures

Protocols and Tools

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Data collection formats and alert templates
• Verification and analysis guidelines
• Indicator lists
• Roles and responsibilities across all actors
• Safeguarding and do-no-harm guidance
• GBV and protection referral pathways

The CBEWS design package will include:

• System structure diagram
• CBEWC roles and responsibilities
• Alert generation & verification SOP
• Escalation protocol & communication pathway
• Incident reporting template
• Alert categorization guide
• Indicator list
• Confidentiality & data protection protocol
• GBV-sensitive referral pathway
• Do-no-harm and safeguarding guidelines

The system should be user-friendly, culturally appropriate, confidential, and accessible to women, youth, and people with disabilities.

3.4 Communication Mechanisms

Identify and design accessible and appropriate communication mechanisms including SMS alert systems, WhatsApp groups, dashboards, noticeboards, and community radio formats. These will be developed as prototypes for use during the pilot.

3.5 Pilot Implementation

A short pilot exercise will be conducted in selected communities to test the reporting channels, verification processes, and response mechanisms through simulations and guided walk-throughs. This will include;

• Support the selection of pilot communities.
• Train and orient Early Warning Committees.
• Pilot-test data collection, information flow, and response processes.
• Facilitate scenario-based exercises simulating conflict alerts.
• Gather feedback and refine the system accordingly.

Lessons will be integrated into the final system design.

3.6 Capacity Building

Develop and deliver a targeted training package (manuals, SOPs, handouts) for Community Early Warning Committees and district actors, focusing on conflict analysis, indicator monitoring, reporting, verification, and gender-responsive response.

Develop comprehensive training materials covering:

• Conflict analysis
• Early warning indicators
• Data management and verification
• Communication and reporting
• Gender-responsive and inclusive approaches
• Response planning and coordination
• Do-no-harm and safeguarding
• Prepare training materials (manuals, slides, checklists, handouts).
• Conduct training workshops for women, youth, community leaders, security actors, and district stakeholders.

3.7 Documentation and Reporting

• Inception report
• Baseline and mapping report
• Pilot report
• The full CBEWRM design package (SOPs, tools, templates)
• Final Consultancy report with recommendations for scale up

4. Deliverables

• Inception Report
• Baseline Assessment and Mapping Report.
• Community Conflict Mapping Outputs (diagrams, trigger lists, stakeholder maps).
• Draft CBEWRM Design Package (structure, SOPs, reporting tools, communication channels).
• Training Curriculum and Materials.
• Pilot Implementation Report
• Final Consultancy Report with all tools packaged digitally recommendations.

5. Target Groups

• Community leaders (clan elders, LCs, religious leaders)
• Women’s groups and networks
• Youth associations and peace clubs
• Local peace committees and mediators
• District-level human rights and security structures
• CSOs and NGOs involved in governance and peace-building

6. Consultant Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Peace & Conflict Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Sociology, or related field.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in conflict early warning, peace-building, or community security programming.
• Demonstrated expertise in gender-responsive and inclusive program design.
• Strong experience in community consultations, participatory assessments, and stakeholder engagement.
• Proven skills in developing tools, SOPs, and training curricula.
• Facilitation and training experience with diverse community groups.
• Knowledge of the local context in Wakiso and ability to communicate in relevant local language is an advantage.

7. Duration

The consultancy will run for 1 month, representing 25 working days inclusive of fieldwork, analysis, design, training, and reporting.

8. Reporting and Supervision

The consultant will report to the Program Manager and collaborate closely with:

• Community leaders
• Local government authorities
• Security committees
• Project technical advisors
• Regular progress meetings will be held throughout the consultancy period.

9. Payment Terms

Payments will be made upon satisfactory submission and approval of deliverables:

• 50% upon submission and approval of the Inception Report
• 20% upon submission of the Baseline and Mapping Reports and Draft CBEWRM Design
• 30% upon approval of the Final Report and tools

• Conduct a comprehensive conflict analysis and systems assessment.
• Develop a structure, inclusive CBEWS with SOPs, reporting pathways, and coordination protocols.
• Facilitate community consultations and participatory conflict mapping.
• Pilot test the system within selected communities.
• Build capacity of local actors particularly women and youth to effectively operate the mechanism
• Produce user-friendly tools, templates and guidance materials.
• Conduct a rapid but comprehensive assessment including desk review, KII, FGDs, conflict drivers mapping, hotspot identification, existing reporting channels, and gender/youth participation gaps.
• Facilitate participatory conflict mapping sessions with community leaders, women’s groups, youth associations, local councils, peace committees, and security actors.
• Identify community-approved communication channels, local information flow dynamics, safe reporting spaces, and gendered early warning indicators.
• Identify locally relevant early warning indicators.
• Develop a comprehensive CBEWRM that includes system structure (Community Early Warning Committees, community response teams, data collection, verification, and escalation procedures, coordination pathways) and protocols/tools (SOPs, data collection formats, alert templates, verification and analysis guidelines, indicator lists, roles and responsibilities, safeguarding and do-no-harm guidance, GBV and protection referral pathways).
• Design accessible and appropriate communication mechanisms including SMS alert systems, WhatsApp groups, dashboards, noticeboards, and community radio formats.
• Support the selection of pilot communities.
• Train and orient Early Warning Committees.
• Pilot-test data collection, information flow, and response processes.
• Facilitate scenario-based exercises simulating conflict alerts.
• Gather feedback and refine the system accordingly.
• Develop and deliver a targeted training package for Community Early Warning Committees and district actors.
• Prepare training materials (manuals, slides, checklists, handouts).
• Conduct training workshops for women, youth, community leaders, security actors, and district stakeholders.
• Produce an inception report.
• Produce a baseline and mapping report.
• Produce a pilot report.
• Produce the full CBEWRM design package (SOPs, tools, templates).
• Produce a final Consultancy report with recommendations for scale up.

• Conflict analysis
• Systems assessment
• Participatory conflict mapping
• Capacity building
• Development of SOPs, reporting pathways, and coordination protocols
• Design of user-friendly tools, templates, and guidance materials
• Gender-responsive approaches
• Inclusive approaches
• Communication mechanisms design
• Data management and verification
• Response planning and coordination
• Do-no-harm and safeguarding principles

• Experience in designing and implementing early warning and response mechanisms.
• Proficiency in conflict analysis and systems assessment.
• Experience in facilitating community consultations and participatory mapping.
• Proven ability to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), reporting pathways, and coordination protocols.
• Experience in capacity building and training development.
• Understanding of gender-responsive and inclusive approaches to peace and security.
• Familiarity with the Great Lakes region context is an asset.
• Excellent report writing and documentation skills.