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Tenders are invited for Consultancy for the Development of a Cultural Activities and Events Toolkit - Syria Closing Date: 16 May 2026 Type: Consultancy The Project Project description The Cooperation in the Cultural Field for Syria Project, funded by the Fonds Équipe France, responds to the urgent need to rebuild social cohesion and foster community engagement in the suburbs of Damascus and Aleppo, areas profoundly affected by years of conflict. These communities continue to face widespread destruction, disrupted family and social networks, limited access to education, and significant psychosocial trauma. The project is planned for a 27-month implementation period, divided into two phases. To address these challenges, the project will establish five fully equipped cultural and educational centers in Daraya, Aleppo, and other parts of rural Damascus (Reef Damascus) yet to be identified. These centers will provide inclusive, vibrant spaces for learning, cultural engagement, and community interaction, combining physical and digital resources, including the Digital Travellers Curriculum, media libraries, and innovative digital learning platforms. The initiative will engage 2,500 participants, with particular attention to youth and women-1,700 participants under 30 years old, and 1,250 women will benefit directly. Overall Objective: Strengthen social cohesion in Syria and promote active community involvement in the suburbs of Damascus and Aleppo through the creation of cultural and educational facilities. Specific Objectives: SO1 - Access to Culture and Education: Enhance access to cultural and educational resources, both physical and digital, through the establishment of community spaces equipped with media libraries, learning tools, and digital platforms tailored to the needs of youth and women. SO2 - Social Cohesion and Psychosocial Support: Rebuild social networks and strengthen community resilience through psychosocial support programs and participatory cultural activities that emphasize local memory, identity, and shared heritage. BSF Intervention: Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (BSF) will lead and coordinate the implementation of the project in close collaboration with its local partners DAR, MARS, INARA, and Screens of Peace. As the lead organization, BSF will ensure strategic oversight, technical supervision, and partnership management throughout the project lifecycle. This includes quality assurance, alignment of all educational and digital resources with project objectives, and the integration of cross-cutting themes such as psychosocial support, gender inclusion, and digital literacy. BSFs contributions and interventions will include: Designing and establishing multimedia libraries and learning spaces adapted to the needs of youth and women. Translating and adapting educational and cultural resources, including the Digital Travellers Curriculum, to ensure they are context-appropriate, culturally relevant, and fully accessible in Arabic and English (a version in Arabic, and a version in English). Developing a cultural activities and events framework and toolkit. Providing technical support, training, and capacity-building for local facilitators and staff to ensure the centers sustainable operation. Coordinating with local authorities, municipalities, and cultural institutions to foster community ownership, enable the replication of best practices, and ensure broad community engagement. Delivering participatory cultural and psychosocial programs to restore social ties, promote resilience, and reinforce local social cohesion. Context of This Consultancy Within this framework, BSF has developed the Cultural Activities and Events Framework: Helping Local Partners Bring Culture to Life - A Practical Guide to Choosing and Hosting Community Activities & Events. This framework provides guiding principles, values, and examples of community-based cultural programming focused on memory, identity, inclusion, and healing. To operationalize this framework, there is a need to develop a practical and user-friendly Cultural Activities & Events Toolkit, which will translate these principles into structured, ready-to-use tools for facilitators and local partners. By developing a toolkit tailored to the Syrian context, BSF aims to empower facilitators, youth, and women to design and implement practical and contextually relevant cultural initiatives. These activities will contribute to rebuilding social connections and strengthening community resilience through psychosocial support and participatory cultural approaches that highlight local memory, identity, and shared heritage. Purpose of the Tender The purpose of this tender is to contract a qualified consultant or consultancy firm to develop a Cultural Activities and Events Toolkit for Syria, building on the existing Cultural Activities and Events Framework developed by BSF. The toolkit will serve as a practical, user-friendly resource for facilitators, local partners, and community workers engaged in the implementation of cultural, educational, and psychosocial activities within BSF-supported cultural and educational centers in Syria. The consultant will be responsible for transforming the framework into an operational toolkit that translates guiding principles into structured, adaptable, and ready-to-use tools. This includes the development of thematic activity modules, facilitation guidance, standardized activity templates, and supporting materials that can be directly applied in community settings. The toolkit is expected to strengthen the capacity of facilitators and community actors to design and implement inclusive, participatory, and contextually relevant cultural activities that contribute to: Social cohesion and community engagement Psychosocial well-being and emotional expression Preservation of memory, identity, and shared heritage Youth and women empowerment The final product must be practical, accessible, and adaptable, and should be delivered in both English and Arabic, ensuring usability by a wide range of facilitators, including non-specialists working at community level. Scope of Work The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following tasks: Conduct a detailed review of the existing Cultural Activities and Events Framework and relevant project documentation to ensure alignment with BSFs objectives, FEF priorities, and implementation context in Syria. Design the overall structure and pedagogical approach of the toolkit, ensuring it is practical, user-friendly, and suitable for non-specialist facilitators working at community level. Develop thematic sections of the toolkit, aligned with the framework, including (but not limited to): Memory and identity Social cohesion and community engagement Psychosocial well-being and emotional expression Youth participation and empowerment Gender inclusion and safe participation Develop a set of structured, ready-to-use cultural activities and events (indicatively 2025 activities), ensuring diversity of formats such as storytelling, arts, music, heritage, media, and intergenerational activities. Ensure each activity is accompanied by a standardized facilitation template, including: objectives, target group, step-by-step guidance, materials needed, timing, reflection questions, and facilitator tips. Integrate cross-cutting themes such as inclusion, safeguarding, psychosocial support principles, and community participation throughout the toolkit. Ensure all content is contextually appropriate for Syrian communities affected by conflict and displacement, with sensitivity to cultural norms and community dynamics. Develop the toolkit in English and Arabic, ensuring consistency, clarity, and accessibility in both languages. Design and deliver a Training of Trainers (ToT) package for BSF staff, partner organizations, and community facilitators, enabling effective rollout and use of the toolkit at field level. The ToT should include facilitation guidance, participatory methodologies, and practical exercises linked to the toolkit activities. Conduct or facilitate (remotely or in-person, depending on agreement) a ToT session for BSF teams and selected partners/facilitators, ensuring they are equipped to implement and adapt the toolkit in community settings. Incorporate feedback from BSF teams and partners and revise the toolkit accordingly until final approval. Deliver the final toolkit and associated training materials in a structured, accessible, and implementation-ready format. Each deliverable will be reviewed and validated by the regional office team. And all feedback received from the regional office team and partners must be incorporated and reflected in each deliverable. Expected Deliverables The consultant is expected to produce the following deliverables: Deliverable 1: Inception Report Detailed methodology and approach Proposed toolkit structure (table of contents) Work plan and timeline Initial understanding of scope and key considerations Deliverable 2: Draft Toolkit (English Version) Complete draft of the Cultural Activities and Events Toolkit Includes thematic sections and full set of proposed activities Includes standardized activity templates for all activities Submitted for review and feedback by BSF Deliverable 3: Revised Toolkit (English Version) Updated version incorporating feedback from BSF and relevant stakeholders Improved clarity, structure, and usability based on review comments Deliverable 4: Training of Trainers (ToT) Package Comprehensive ToT curriculum for BSF staff, partners, and facilitators Session plans, facilitation notes, and participatory training methodologies Practical exercises linked directly to toolkit activities Guidance on adaptation and contextualization of activities in the field Deliverable 5: ToT Delivery Session Facilitation of a Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4209309/consultancy-development-cultural-activities-and-events-toolkit-syria
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