Consultancy for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Services Staff Self-Care Retreat and Capacity Building

Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo

Call for Applications: Terms of Reference (ToR) Consultancy for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Services Staff Self-Care Retreat and Capacity Building

Founded in 1979, StARS is a refugee service provider in central Cairo that works to enhance the quality of life for refugees and vulnerable migrants through five broad program areas: education, psychosocial, legal, community outreach and unaccompanied youth and children support services. We provide high-quality services meeting the unaddressed needs of refugees, and we provide a safe and inclusive space for displaced people to come together as a community. We work for refugees, with refugees, to make rights recognition a reality.

StARS’ Mission: Driven by a commitment to solidarity and human dignity, StARS works both as displaced people and for displaced people to support the resilience and leadership of individuals and communities in their pursuit of an enhanced quality of life.

StARS’ Vision: StARS envisions a future where displaced people and the societies they join stand in solidarity, recognizing the strength and leadership of refugees. In this world, the displaced thrive with dignity, claiming their rights and enriching our shared human experience.

Standard of Professional Conduct: StARS and all its staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in StARS’ Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy, and PSEAH policy.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: StARS is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. StARS expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.

We serve people from many places, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

To learn more please visit our website: www.stars-egypt.org or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/standrewsrefugeeservices?fref=ts

1. Background and Purpose

StARS and its partner Refugee-Led Organizations provide Gender-Based Violence prevention, referral, and response services to refugee and migrant communities. Gender-Based Violence service provision can be emotionally and professionally demanding, particularly when staff support survivors experiencing complex and ongoing protection concerns.

StARS seeks to engage a consultant to design and facilitate a retreat for Gender-Based Violence services staff focused on self-care, staff wellbeing, peer support, and reflection on challenges in Gender-Based Violence service provision. The Consultancy will also identify priorities for future Gender-Based Violence capacity-building and staff support.

1. Objectives

The Consultancy will:

• Provide a safe and supportive space for Gender-Based Violence staff to reflect, connect, and build peer support.
• Strengthen staff understanding of self-care, stress management, burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma.
• Explore practical coping strategies, professional boundaries, and sustainable approaches to wellbeing.
• Facilitate discussions on challenges and technical issues related to Gender-Based Violence service provision.
• Identify individual, team, and organizational factors affecting staff wellbeing and service delivery.
• Develop recommendations for future Gender-Based Violence capacity-building, supervision, and staff wellbeing support.

1. Scope of Work

The Consultant will:

Pre-retreat:

• Consult with relevant StARS and Refugee-Led Organization staff to understand key challenges and needs.
• Develop a context-appropriate retreat agenda, methodology, and materials.

During the Retreat

• Facilitate sessions on self-care, stress management, burnout, secondary trauma, and coping mechanisms.
• Facilitate peer connection and collective-care activities.
• Lead structured discussions on challenges in Gender-Based Violence response, including complex cases, referrals, confidentiality, risk management, and survivor-centered practice.
• Ensure discussions are safe, confidential, and do not require participants to disclose personal experiences or confidential survivor information.

Post-retreat

• Collect and analyze participant feedback.
• Identify key staff wellbeing and capacity-building needs.
• Develop practical recommendations for future support.

1. Deliverables
   1. Retreat plan and detailed agenda, including methodology and session plans.
   2. Facilitation of the staff retreat.
   3. Post-retreat report summarizing key themes, challenges, and participant feedback.
   4. Capacity-building and staff wellbeing recommendations, including priorities for future training, supervision, peer support, and organizational support.

1. Expected Outcomes

The Consultancy will contribute to:

• Improved awareness and practical strategies around staff wellbeing and self-care.
• Stronger peer connection among StARS and Refugee-Led Organization Gender-Based Violence practitioners.
• Increased space for reflection on Gender-Based Violence service delivery challenges.
• Greater understanding of staff and organizational support needs.
• Clear recommendations to inform future Gender-Based Violence capacity-building and staff wellbeing initiatives.

1. Required Experience

The Consultant should have:

• Experience working with Gender-Based Violence, protection, or humanitarian practitioners.
• Experience facilitating retreats, reflective learning, or staff wellbeing activities.
• Knowledge of burnout, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and staff wellbeing.
• Strong facilitation skills and experience managing sensitive discussions.
• Understanding of survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and do-no-harm approaches.
• Experience working with Refugee-Led or Community-Based Organizations is desirable.

Duration: The Consultancy will take place over 1 month, covering preparation and consultations, retreat facilitation, and post-retreat analysis and recommendations.

Note: The retreat should recognize that staff wellbeing is not solely an individual responsibility. Recommendations should therefore address both individual self-care and organizational factors such as supervision, workload, team support, and working conditions.

Compensation: Compensation is available in the amount of up to $1,500.

Closing date for applications: 5 October 2026

Anticipated Starting date: As soon as possible

Initial Contract term: one month, short‑term temporary contract aligned with project needs.

To apply: Please send your Cover Letter, CV, Consultancy rate (initial budget), and suggested work plan (including timeline) to applications@stars-egypt.org using the subject line “Consultancy for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Services Staff Self-Care Retreat and Capacity Building”. All applications should provide contact information for two professional/academic reference (referees will only be contacted after interviews).

Note: Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Compensation: Compensation is available in the amount of up to $1,500.

Required Experience

The Consultant should have:

• Experience working with Gender-Based Violence, protection, or humanitarian practitioners.
• Experience facilitating retreats, reflective learning, or staff wellbeing activities.
• Knowledge of burnout, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and staff wellbeing.
• Strong facilitation skills and experience managing sensitive discussions.
• Understanding of survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and do-no-harm approaches.
• Experience working with Refugee-Led or Community-Based Organizations is desirable.