ANNEX A TERMS OF REFERENCE Conflict Management / Resolution / Mediation Training in UNHCR I. Background: The Global Learning Centre (GLC) was established to strengthen the development and delivery of effective training in UNHCR. The GLC currently delivers a number of training programmes related to Resource Management, Protection & Operation, Emergency and Safety, Management and Leadership as well as ICT and HR, among others. Over the last year, a number of Units and Geneva-based support services, such as the Inspector General s Office, The Legal Affairs Section, The Ombudsman s Office, the Ethics Office and the Staff Welfare Section, have identified a broad area involving workplace conflict management/resolution, negotiation and mediation where UNHCR staff need to enhance their competencies. To address these needs, the GLC believe that all staff should be able to demonstrate basic conflict management skills, especially in multi-cultural situations, by applying principles of effective communication which contribute to conflict prevention, along with skills to address conflicts that do arise at the lowest possible level. To achieve this, the GLC proposes to develop and deliver a conflict management programme, which we are presently calling the COMP. The programme would consist of a suite of basic conflict management learning initiatives introducing an array of skills and practices. Such a programme, aligned with the Code of Conduct training, will help to establish an overall foundation for managing conflicts in our multicultural workplace and provide people with the basic awareness, knowledge and skills to address unproductive workplace conflicts and to seek appropriate support from the established formal UNHCR conflict management system should this be necessary. Also incorporated in the programme would be the essential skills in mediation and negotiation to advance staff ability to negotiate with the beneficiaries of UNHCR and external partners. II. Purpose: UNHCR seeks consulting company / consortia of consultants to develop and codeliver the COMP programme. This programme has two overall purposes. First, to enable UNHCR staff to address and solve conflicts at the lowest possible level, i.e. reducing the number of conflicts that escalate and dealt with at the various formal systems that are in place within UNHCR. This will reduce costly, time-consuming and detrimental workplace conflicts. The second overall purpose is to build skills towards mediation and negotiation for more specific needs such as differences in performance appraisal and in negotiating with external partners. Page 1 of 7
III. Objectives: As a result of participation in this programme, staff will be able to 1. identify communication practices that contribute towards positively working with differences 2. demonstrate communication techniques in a culturally diverse context that will: - achieve effective resolution of differences before they escalate into conflict - mediate to successfully diffuse conflict - demonstrate effective pre-negotiation and negotiation techniques that result in satisfactory results for both parties In order to achieve these objectives, the GLC proposes to develop and deliver a multi-phased cascading programme, working with UNHCR operational country teams, including a separate add-on programme for senior management teams. The training approach and materials to be developed should, to the greatest extent possible, draw on existing UNHCR material (e.g. the current Management Learning Programme (MLP) module on communication) as well as other relevant training modules to ensure consistency across UNHCR learning programmes. In addition, the material must be compatible with UNHCR s Learning Management System (LMS) and should be designed to maximise delivery through the LMS. The programme will be designed to minimize training costs and maximize outreach and impact. IV. Overview of Project Components and Their Design Sequence These Terms of Reference would provide for the development and delivery of the programme components in the following phases: A. Preparatory phase, involving: - Identification of consultants who are highly-experienced in facilitating the development of mediation and negotiation skills and the fundamental communication skills required. - Conducting interviews with the following sections` representatives in order to assess specific learning needs and conflict scenarios and incorporate them into the COMP design and materials: IGO Investigation Section, Ethics Office, Office of the Ombudsman, Staff Welfare Section, Legal Affairs Section, GLC Protection Unit, GLC Emergency/Safety Unit, GLC Management/Leadership Unit. B. Phase I - Development of a 2-day conflict management workshop, in English and French, for UNHCR operational country teams (approximately 15 participants per workshop) Page 2 of 7
- Development of a subsequent 1-day workshop, in English and French, for senior managers providing additional training and practice in mediation and negotiation principles. - Development of pre-workshop activities in English and French, for participants to prepare themselves for the workshop(s) - Development of post-workshop application/action plan and follow-up model - Development of 5-day training of trainers (ToT) to deliver the 2+1 day conflict management workshops - Development of a facilitators handbook, workshop, in English and French, to include the workshop design and sequenced activities, as well as support materials, additional practice and follow-up activities, inspirational team building and conflict reducing team interventions. - Identification of internal trainer selection criteria C. Phase 2 - Identification of up to 5 pilot countries - Identification of trainers - Organising (in collaboration with GLC) the 5-day ToT - Facilitating the 5-day ToT in Budapest - Evaluating and revising the 2+1 day conflict management training materials as appropriate D. Phase 3 (to be delivered in 2011 and 2012) - Co-delivery by one consultant paired with one UNHCR trainer of the 2+1 country-based workshops to various offices within a country s operations for up to 5 pilot countries in 2011 and another 5-10 countries in 2012 - Possibly a second TOT to expand the internal trainer pool - Level 1 and 2 evaluation data gathered for every participant per workshop E. Phase 4 - Level 3 evaluation data gathered for every participant per workshop - Evaluation and revision of the 2+1 day training materials on the basis of the evaluation Based on the results of the assessment, and modification to the programme as necessary, the facilitation team would work with additional rounds of country teams. V. Methodological Guidelines The COMP programme should: - Be grounded in proven conflict management models which can be presented visually (such as the Circle of Conflict ) to help in analysing specific conflict situations and/or tools. - Build from self-awareness and fundamental communication skills to their application in conflict prevention and management situations. Page 3 of 7
- Equip participants, and particularly managers, with the theoretical background and skills for mediation and negotiation processes which could be used in the workplace as well as with external partners. - Be as experiential as possible, building in frequent opportunity for selfanalysis and feedback - Incorporate typical or frequent conflict or negotiations scenarios in UNHCR s context - Link to and intentionally reinforce communications and negotiation initiatives in other UNHCR learning programmes - Enhance the understanding of the roles and interventions of the existing and formal UNHCR conflict management system - Be co-managed with the GLC project manager VI. Learning Objectives: As outlined above, the COMP programme will comprise three separate learning activities: 1. Activity 1: A 2-day UNHCR operational country team conflict management workshop to include understanding of conflict, communication and conflict management tools, concepts and approaches, and how they also apply to mediation and negotiation situations. Learning Objectives - Participants will: Be familiar with his/her behavioral characteristics and attitudes (strengths and weaknesses) Practice active listening, recognition of inference and practices to deescalate emotions Demonstrate and interpret cultural awareness Apply conflict prevention and conflict management behaviours in specific conflict situations Display behaviour that can contribute to team success Apply emotional intelligence in conflict situations Apply conflict management skills to resolve cultural diversity related conflicts Identify a conflict and the phases of a negotiation process Develop a strategy for conflict management and phases of negotiation processes Commit to apply what they have learned in their workplace. 2. Activity 2: A 1-day follow-on workshop for the country s senior managers providing additional opportunity for practice and discussion in mediation and negotiations Learning Objectives Participants will: Apply techniques for principled negotiation to use in mediation between staff members Facilitate a mediation process between two conflicting parties from start to finish Apply techniques for principled negotiation to use in negotiations with governments, UN counterparts or other partners Page 4 of 7
3. Activity 3: A 5-day Budapest-based Training of Trainers workshop design preparing selected GLC and other staff to be determined by the GLC to practice communications and conflict management techniques as well as the techniques and design to enable them to facilitate workshops to train country teams in these skills and practices for use in their respective offices. The 5-day training will utilize existing UNHCR conflict resolution material including the MLP work module and the resource book from the Center for Humanitarian dialogue, among others. Learning Objectives Participants will: Demonstrate all communication, conflict management, mediation and negotiation skills consistently and to a sufficient degree of competence as to be deemed able to train others Demonstrate ability to deliver effectively the activities in the facilitation guides, and to identify how one would modify/augment the sequence of activities as appropriate to meet the needs of the participants of a given workshop group. Demonstrate self-awareness, self-confidence, listening skills, empathy and ability to maintain objectivity and equilibrium in the face of conflict or strong emotions of participants V. Evaluation: The proposal for the evaluation component of the programme should take the following elements into consideration. The success of the programme will be measured at evaluation levels 1-4. At the organizational impact level in the medium-term, the training programme is expected to reduce the number of unresolved conflicts in the organization. Data sources to measure impact progress will include annual reports of the Ombudsman`s Office, the IGO Reports in Inspection findings related to workplace conflicts, the data of conflicts from the Respectful Workplace Advisors` and Peer Support Personnel s` report. Data will be monitored on a yearly basis. Training of Trainers (ToT) A selection process is necessary. The selection of participants will be based on past performance as well as other criteria, including for instance geographical and gender representation. The conflict management competency of the ToT trainees will be assessed throughout the training event in terms of their level of knowledge, their skills and their attitudes. Pilot workshops The first roll-out of conflict management workshops will be conducted by a team of two: (a) the trained UNHCR staff member and (b) a professional consultant expert in the subject matter. It is expected that the consultant will complete a workshop expert observation checklist for the UNHCR trainer s Page 5 of 7
performance. The assessment report will be used for the same two purposes as above. In each workshop, participants reaction and satisfaction with the event (Level 1) and learning (Level 2) will be measured in the workshop and Level 3 postworkshop. A first level 4 organizational impact will be undertaken either in late 2011 or early 2012. Information system The data collected from the assessments will be stored in an electronic database for easy access, analysis and reporting. The opportunity to integrate assessment data into GLC Learning Management System (LMS) platform should be explored. VI. Profile: Company / Consortium of Consultants Past experience with conflict management / resolution / mediation analysis and training design Experience with blended learning design as this relates to conflicts in the workplace Fluency in English and French Past experience from UNHCR / UN will be considered an added advantage VII. Deliverables: Deliverables in 2010 1. Develop the 2-day UNHCR operational country team Conflict Management Training including the theoretical background and visual models for conflict resolution. Design the tools for evaluating learning at levels 1-3 2. Develop the 1-day add on for senior country managers, with particular focus on mediation and negotiation practice. Design the tools for evaluating learning at levels 1-3 3. Develop the learning design and training materials for a 5-day face-to-face conflict resolution Training of Trainers for selected UNHCR staff which will enable participants to co-manage conflict resolution training with UNHCR operational country teams 4. Develop the Facilitators` Handbook for the Conflict Management Trainings with resources on basic conflict management as well as mediation and negotiation, The handbook should include not only the design of the 2+1 workshops but alternative or additional activities that could be used as necessary to address specific needs of a given workshop group Page 6 of 7
5. Deliver the 5-day pilot face-to-face conflict resolution Training of Trainers in Budapest, Hungary Deliverables in 2011 1. Co-manage the in-country Conflict Management Trainings required to train at least 85% of the staff (max 100 participants per country) in five selected countries. 2. Co-facilitate each workshop with a UNHCR co-facilitator, or in occasions when no UNHCR facilitator is available, with a second facilitator from the service provider s own team of resource people. Deliverables in 2012 1. Co-manage the in-country Conflict Management Trainings required to train at least 85% of the staff (max 100 participants per country) in a subsequent round of selected countries (5-10). 2. Co-facilitate each workshop with a UNHCR co-facilitator, or in occasions when no UNHCR facilitator is available, with a second facilitator from the service provider s own team of resource people. VIII. Timeframe: Contract commencement: 1. November 2010. Training objectives, strategy and survey: 15. November 2010. Decision. Stop/go Training packages: 10. December 2010 Decision. Stop/go Pilot Training of Trainers in Budapest: 15-19 December 2010 Decision. Stop/go Training delivery in-country: 2011 and 2012 Page 7 of 7