Senior Advisor for SALW and Community Safety

Strengthening Unified Systems for Transformation, Accountability, Inclusion and Normalization of the Bangsamoro (“SUSTAIN”)Terms and Reference for SENIOR ADVISOR FOR SALW AND COMMUNITY SAFETYDownload full terms of reference here.I. ABOUT NONVIOLENT PEACEFORCENonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is an international civil society organization committed to protecting civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed civilian protection (UCP). NP works alongside local communities to prevent violence, reduce threats, and strengthen peace infrastructures without the use of force. Its approach emphasizes nonpartisanship, local partnerships, and the primacy of local actors in sustaining peace.In the Philippines, NP has been active since 2007, particularly in the Bangsamoro region. It supports communities through early warning–early response systems, accompaniment, and conflict-sensitive programming, while working closely with civil society and local authorities. NP’s work contributes to safer communities, inclusive peacebuilding, and the protection of at-risk groups, including women, youth, and former combatants.II. PROJECT BACKGROUNDThe Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) laid out a clear roadmap for achieving lasting peace and normalization in the Bangsamoro region. Its goal is to transform decades of armed conflict into a foundation for democratic governance, inclusive development, and social stability. A key component of this roadmap is the Normalization Track, which focuses on the political reintegration of former combatants, building trust among stakeholders, and establishing resilient institutions capable of sustaining peace over the long term.The SUSTAIN Project, funded by the European Union, contributes to these efforts by addressing security challenges linked to small arms and light weapons (SALW) proliferation and strengthening local governance structures. Through activities such as SALW awareness campaigns, LGU capacity building, Safe Zone implementation, and participatory research, the project seeks to reduce arms-related threats, promote gender-responsive approaches, and ensure that normalization commitments are fully realized. These interventions aim to create an environment where communities can thrive free from the risks posed by armed violence.SUSTAIN focuses on activities that enhance local capacities for peacebuilding, conflict sensitivity, and governance. This includes facilitating dialogues among security actors and communities, supporting gender-responsive training, and developing knowledge products that empower former combatants, women, and youth to participate meaningfully in political and civic life. By addressing risks such as factional tensions and election-related violence, the project aims to create an environment where normalization commitments can be fully realized.The success of these initiatives depends on specialized technical guidance, which is where the Senior Advisor on SALW and Community Safety plays a pivotal role. By ensuring that all SALW-related interventions are conflict-sensitive, legally compliant, and aligned with normalization milestones, the Advisor bridges the gap between policy and practice. Their expertise supports risk analysis, inclusive security planning, and capacity building for local actors, enabling SUSTAIN to deliver sustainable peace outcomes. This advisory role ensures that the project remains adaptive, credible, and responsive to evolving security dynamics in the Bangsamoro regionIII. OBJECTIVESThe consultancy aims to provide strategic support to the SUSTAIN Project in advancing security and community safety in the Bangsamoro region. The primary goal is to ensure that project activities addressing small arms and light weapons (SALW) control and violence prevention remain aligned with national legal frameworks and normalization milestones, while being responsive to evolving security dynamics. This includes offering timely technical advice and risk analysis to anticipate threats, guide adaptive programming, and strengthen trust among stakeholders.The consultant will contribute to improving the quality and relevance of project interventions by ensuring that awareness campaigns, training modules, and knowledge products uphold conflict sensitivity, gender responsiveness, and do-no-harm principles. Support will also extend to building local capacities for SALW control and Safe Zone implementation, mentoring LGUs and community actors, and advising on strategies for inclusive security planning.The specific objective includes:* Ensure SALW-related interventions comply with national laws and project standards while promoting inclusive security approaches. * Strengthen adaptive programming through real-time risk analysis, scenario planning, and early warning mechanisms for SALW-related threats. * Promote conflict sensitivity and gender responsiveness by reviewing training modules, awareness campaigns, and communication materials. * Build local capacities for SALW control, Safe Zone implementation, and community policing through technical guidance and mentorship. * Support knowledge management and advocacy by guiding research, documentation, and development of policy-relevant knowledge products.IV. METHODOLOGY AND SCOPE OF WORKThe Senior Advisor’s role is strictly advisory, providing technical guidance, review, and strategic input. Implementation, facilitation, and delivery of activities remain the responsibility of Nonviolent Peaceforce and its partners, in accordance with Annex I_C. The consultant will provide strategic and technical support to ensure that the SUSTAIN Project remains aligned with the Normalization Track and responsive to evolving political dynamics. The scope includes:1. Provide technical guidance on SALW control and community safety The Advisor will support NP in ensuring that all interventions related to SALW reduction, dismantling of private armed groups, and community safety are technically sound, conflict-sensitive, and aligned with national legal frameworks and project objectives. This includes shaping strategies that promote inclusive security and sustainable peace. 2. Provide technical guidance on the design of SALW awareness campaigns The Advisor will review and provide input on gender-sensitive community-based campaigns addressing SALW proliferation, private armed groups, and violence prevention. Messaging will be tailored to local contexts to build trust and avoid reinforcing stigma or fear. 3. Support the project team in school-based and Madrasah education initiatives The Advisor will review and provide technical input to educational content for schools and Madrasahs on SALW risks, paramilitary recruitment, and nonviolent alternatives. Materials will emphasize reconciliation, civic responsibility, and youth empowerment. 4. Strengthen the capacity of local government units (LGUs) The Advisor will provide technical guidance to the project team for LGU training programs on SALW control and PAG demobilization. This includes supporting the establishment of Safe and Weapon-Free Zones and integrating SALW management into local governance systems. 5. Advise on inclusive local mechanisms for SALW control and PAG disbandment The Advisor will assist in designing and operationalizing committees at provincial, municipal, and barangay levels to oversee SALW control and PAG disbandment. These mechanisms will ensure representation of women, youth, and marginalized groups. 6. Provide technical inputs to the training curricula for security actors The Advisor will review and strengthen the training curricula for AFP, PNP, MILF-BIAF, and JPST members produced by the project on SALW control, conflict resolution, reconciliation, community policing, and Women, Peace, and Security principles. The advisor will also help embed Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) principles into the training, ensuring that security actors understand gendered impacts of violence, recognize the leadership roles of women in peacebuilding, and apply protection measures sensitive to the needs of women and marginalized groups. 7. Provide technical input for multi-stakeholder consultations and dialogues The Advisor will guide the design of consultations and dialogues on SALW control and PAG demobilization, ensuring they are inclusive, evidence-based, and aligned with peacebuilding objectives. 8. Support the development of community-based reporting and referral systems The Advisor will provide technical guidance on the design of integrated systems for reporting SALW-related incidents, gender-based violence, and election-related violence. These systems will be embedded in local governance structures to ensure sustainability. 9. Guide participatory research and knowledge documentation The Advisor will provide technical input for research on PAG dynamics and SALW control, ensuring findings inform policy and program strategies. The Advisor will also support documentation of lessons learned and success stories. 10. Contribute to risk analysis and early warning frameworks The Advisor will develop indicators and scenario matrices for SALW-related threats, election violence, and clan conflicts to strengthen contingency planning and adaptive programming. 11. Support knowledge management and advocacy The Advisor will guide the development of knowledge products, advocacy tools, and media content to promote evidence-based decision-making and strengthen institutional learning.V. Deliverables and Indicative ScheduleThe following table outlines the key deliverables of the Political Normalization Consultant. The consultancy is part-time and intermittent in nature and may extend for a maximum period of twenty-four (24) months, from February 2026 to January 2028, counted from contract commencement to submission of the final technical report. The engagement shall not be continuous or full-time, but rather deployed on an as-needed basis across the implementation period, in accordance with approved workplans and evolving project requirements.The level of effort is estimated at an average of eight (8) to ten (10) working days per month when engaged, with periods of non-engagement possible depending on activity timelines and advisory needs. Any engagement beyond this indicative level of effort shall require prior written approval from Nonviolent Peaceforce and, where applicable, the European Union.The consultancy shall be home-based within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) or elsewhere in Mindanao, ensuring proximity to the project context and stakeholders. Applicants residing outside Mindanao may be considered only where sustained physical presence in BARMM/Mindanao for the duration of the assignment or during pre-approved travel missions can be demonstrated.The consultant is expected to undertake periodic, pre-approved travel to Cotabato City and other target areas within BARMM and adjacent Mindanao provinces as required to deliver project-specific advisory support. Travel, accommodation, and related mission costs incurred during such approved field engagements shall form part of the consultant’s professional fee. These costs shall not be charged to the specific SUSTAIN project activity to which the consultant is directly providing technical or advisory support, instead be subsumed in the Consultant’s professional fee package.All outputs listed below are advisory and technical-support products intended to guide and strengthen the work of Nonviolent Peaceforce and its partners under the SUSTAIN project. They do not involve direct implementation, facilitation, or delivery of activities, which remain the responsibility of NP staff and partners, in line with Annex I_C.*SEE TABLE IN THE FULL TERMS OF REFERENCE*All deliverables will be shared with the Delegation of the European Union before further dissemination.VI. Roles and Responsibilities of the ConsultantIn close cooperation with the programme’s unit, particularly the Head of Mission and Program Manager, the consultant will:1. Coordinate all activities with NP to ensure smooth preparation and implementation of the actions on the ground. 2. Submit regular progress reports on the implementation of the activities under the consultancy, which will be shared with the European Union as contracting authority of this programme 3. Implement the activities as mentioned in the scope of work of the consultant 4. Regularly review, assess and evaluate the implementation achievement of the consultancyVII. EXPECTED OUTPUTThe consultant will provide advisory and analytical outputs that ensure project activities remain politically sensitive, conflict-sensitive, and aligned with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) normalization track. Draft outputs should be submitted according to the agreed schedule, and the consultant will organize an in-person or virtual review session with project staff to discuss comments and suggestions. Relevant feedback must be incorporated into the final outputs.Final deliverables should include:* Cover Page * Acknowledgment * Glossary/Acronyms * Executive Summary * Introduction * Methodology (including approach for political analysis and conflict sensitivity review) * Scope and Limitations * Findings (political risk analysis, stakeholder mapping, conflict sensitivity review) * Recommendations (for adaptive programming, dialogue strategies, and training improvements) * Appendices, including: * Inception Reports * Advisory Notes * Risk Assessments * Reviewed training materials and communication guidelines * List of consultations, workshops, and coordination meetings supportedThe main report should not exceed 50 pages (excluding appendices). In addition, the consultant will present the most significant findings and recommendations to the NP and implementing partners through a briefing session.VIII. COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP OF THE CONSULTANCY PRODUCTSAll reports, studies, analyses, datasets, presentations, training materials, advisory notes, knowledge products, and any other outputs developed by the consultant under this consultancy (collectively referred to as the “Deliverables”) shall be considered works made for hire and shall become the exclusive property of Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) upon creation and/or full payment of the corresponding professional fees.NP shall retain full and unrestricted rights to use, reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, disseminate, or otherwise utilize the Deliverables, in whole or in part, in any format or medium, for programmatic, institutional, learning, advocacy, reporting, donor-compliance, or public-information purposes, without the need for further consent from, or compensation to, the consultantIn line with the funding arrangements of the European Union-supported SUSTAIN Project, NP may share, publish, or grant access to the Deliverables to the European Union, implementing partners, government counterparts, civil society stakeholders, and other authorized third parties for p…