1. Background
Caraga region continues to experience a complex socio-political landscape. Underlying drivers such as land dispossession, weak governance in remote areas, and limited socio-economic opportunities for young people persist which accounts for the 20% population in the region.
Youth in Caraga occupy a paradoxical position. They represent a critical constituency for peacebuilding, social cohesion, and democratic participation. However, institutional mechanisms to meaningfully engage youth in peace and security processes remain fragmented and evolving.
Anchored in the global Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 2250 and subsequent resolutions, there is increasing recognition of the need to move beyond tokenistic youth participation towards substantive engagement. In the Philippine context, this aligns with broader national frameworks on youth development, peacebuilding, and local governance. Meaningful participation and intergenerational collaboration among young people are integral to peacebuilding and governance in Caragra, and the implementation of sustainable development agendas. Meaningful youth engagement means recognizing the unique perspectives and lived experience of young people, empowering them to co-create solutions, challenge the status quo, and hold decision-makers accountable. Recognizing youth as partners for non-violent conflict transformation (NVCT) is central to building lasting peace.
In this context, a structured series of capacity strengthening and engagement initiatives is required to equip youth actors, local stakeholders, and institutions in Caraga with the knowledge, tools, and platforms necessary to operationalize the YPS agenda in a contextually grounded manner.
The training will be designed around the four pillars of Youth, Peace and Security agenda: i) Participation,
ii) Protection, iii) Prevention, iv) Partnership.
2. Objectives of the Assignment
The overall objective of this consultancy is to design and deliver a training to strengthen youth participation in peace and security in the Caraga Region. Specific objectives include:
• To enhance understanding of conflict dynamics in Caraga through a youth-centered lens.
• To build capacities of youth leaders and stakeholders on YPS frameworks, peacebuilding approaches, and conflict sensitivity. This would include:
- Introducing UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015), the Philippine National Youth Development Plan, Local Youth Development Planning, and — more comprehensively, the National Action Plan for Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), helping participants connect these frameworks to their own culture and lived experience.
• To support the development of locally grounded youth-led peace initiatives.
• To build capacities among youth for strengthening linkages between youth groups and institutional actors (LGUs, CSOs, security sector, and academia).
• Enable youth to critically engage with the YPS agenda and its localization.
3. Scope of Work and Approach
The Training Consultant will undertake the following roles, applying the approaches below throughout the assignment:
a. Inception and Training Design
i.Conduct a rapid context and stakeholder analysis specific to youth, peace, and security in Caraga.
ii.Review existing policies, programs, and initiatives related to youth engagement and peacebuilding.
iii. Design a detailed training module and session plan, grounded in the framework outlined above, and share it with the forumZFD team for review and approval.
b. Deliver Training
i. Facilitate and deliver the training based on the approved session plan and curriculum, relating youth agenda to the Indigenous communities' own culture, traditions, and values.
ii. Create safe and meaningful spaces for participants to express their voices, insights, and perspectives.
iii. Take into account the particular vulnerabilities and strengths of youth in conflict and disaster settings.
iv. Apply participatory and engaging training methods.
v. Translate handouts, guides, and reference materials so they are accessible to participants.
c. Post Training
i. Hand over training materials, a final report, and recommendations, including remaining gaps and follow-up needs.
ii. Support participants in developing action plans (during and post training).
iii. Recommend and create roles and space for relevant government agencies and stakeholders to share institutional updates and perspectives during the training.
iv. Submit a comprehensive training report.
4. Deliverables and Timeline (refer to attached TOR)
5. Qualifications and Experience
4. Deliverables and Timeline (refer to attached TOR)
5. Qualifications and Experience
The Training Consultant should bring:
a) At least 3 years of experience working in youth and development, designing and delivering capacity-enhancement initiatives, and conflict transformation.
b) Strong understanding of the youth, peace, and development agenda, including the Philippine National Youth Development Plan, Local Youth Development Planning, and — more comprehensively — the National Action Plan for Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), together with related policy and programmatic provisions.
c) A track record of designing and running trainings for youth, community-based organizations, and Indigenous Peoples.
d) Strong training facilitation skills, with a demonstrated ability to create an engaging and participatory learning environment.
e) Genuine sensitivity to youth needs and priorities, Indigenous culture, conflict context, and trauma-informed facilitation.
f) Working knowledge of a local language or dialect spoken in the target Caraga communities is a plus.
g) Experience with youth, Indigenous communities, civil society organizations, or peacebuilding processes such as husay is an advantage.
6. Coordination and Reporting
The Training Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the forumZFD Project Manager, coordinating closely with project officers based in Butuan City.
7. Application Process
Interested applicants should submit:
a) Application letter, with mention of consultancy fees
b) Curriculum vitae of the consultant, including any team members.
Applications should be emailed to abayon@forumzfd.de with the subject line: "Application – Training Consultant for Youth, Peace and Security Training."
8. Format for CV
CVs should include: a photo; personal details (name, surname, date of birth, place of birth, and current place of residence); educational background; and work experience. We recommend keeping the CV simple and clear, with evidence of relevant experience, especially against the qualifications listed above. Since the CV will be reviewed by international staff who may not be familiar with local institutions, please include brief clarification of any local organizations, terms, or acronyms for a foreign reader.