About Sawt

The Strengthening Civil Society and Media Systems (Sawt) Activity is implemented by Internews in partnership with Mercy Corps and the International Center for Non-Profit Law (ICNL). Sawt aims to foster sustained civic engagement in Jordan through civil society and digital media innovations through two objectives: 1) Good, Trusted Knowledge-Building Resources: Citizens and civil society build knowledge through accessing and engaging critically with accurate and fact-based information and 2) Participation & Advocacy: Citizens and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Jordan effectively participate in civic spaces and advocate for policies through knowledge-based collective action.

About Internews

Internews is an international nonprofit operating in 100 countries. At Internews, we believe everyone deserves trustworthy news and information to make informed decisions about their lives and hold power to account. We train journalists and digital rights activists, tackle disinformation, and offer business expertise to help media outlets become financially sustainable. For more information about the organization please visit: www.internews.org.

Summary

Enhancing the digital safety and security capacities of Sawt partners is a key priority. The digital safety and security training and clinics provider (henceforth referred to as provider) will contribute to realizing this priority by enhancing the digital safety and security capabilities of two specific groups: 1- CSOs benefiting from Sawt’s civil society capacity building programs, and 2- Digital media platforms benefiting from Sawt’s media support programs. The provider will deliver the capacity building through two main formats: 1- Group trainings to increase knowledge and awareness; 2- Clinics offered to each organization to further examine needs and coach partners on practices to address vulnerabilities and mitigate threats.

Objectives

Improving the resilience of partner CSOs and digital media platforms by enhancing their ability to operate in a challenging environment, through increased digital safety and security knowledge and awareness and adopted practices to address vulnerabilities and mitigate threats.

Duration and Management:

The duration of this program is 4 months, subject to extension if needed, expected to start in July 2024. Sawt, in collaboration with Internews Global Tech (GTH), will be overseeing the delivery of this project, according to Internews digital safety and security approaches, resources, protocols and guidelines.

Scope of Work

Preparation

According to guidance provided by Sawt and Internews GTH:

• Conduct a comprehensive knowledge assessment for partner organizations to inform the design and delivery of trainings and clinics.
• In addition to available Internews resources, identify, translate, and localize available digital safety and security resources that can be beneficial to the design of the trainings.
• Based on the results of the knowledge assessments, develop tailored digital safety and security training plan and training materials.
• Deliver in-person trainings on digital safety and security for partner organizations, ensuring effective transfer of knowledge and skills to participants according to their needs and level of knowledge and capabilities. 

Clinics

According to guidance provided by Sawt and Internews GTH:

• Prepare for and conduct a digital safety and security audit for each partner organization to identify priorities and needed measures to be taken to improve digital safety and security capacities, and provide a development plan for each partner organization.

Deliver clinics, both in-person/onsite and remotely/online, to support partner organizations implement received trainings and enhance relevant organizational practices and resilience against digital security threats. This could include, identifying potential risks and incident response, troubleshooting support, resolving cyber-attacks, etc.

Reporting:

• Conduct regular planning and coordination meetings with Sawt and Internews GTH to ensure effective delivery according to Internews guidance, practices, and resources. 
• Provide comprehensive reports for each training session, including topics covered, participants’ feedback, and recommendations for follow-up and improvement.
• Contribute to the development of a consolidated final report, analyzing overall outcomes and impact of the digital safety and security trainings and clinics as well as support needed by partner organizations.

Trainees:

The program aims to engage and support a total of 45 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and 10 digital media platforms, distributed across Jordan’s northern, central, and southern regions, with the majority located in Amman.

Eligibility Criteria

• The organization must be legally registered and has permission to operate in Jordan.
• The organization must have a documented record of employed staff with university degrees in information technology, computer science, or a relevant field of study or relevant certification.
• The organization must have a proven recent experience of designing and implementing impactful digital safety and security support, including trainings, organizational assessments, and clinics in Jordan or MENA region, showcased through recent case studies, project reports, or client testimonials.
• The organization must have a proven experience of delivering trainings and clinics in Arabic and produce reports on them in English, showcased through samples of recent training materials, project reports, or client testimonials.

Proposal Content

Service providers interested in participating in this solicitation must provide the following:

• Registration Certificate: Provide proof of legal registration in Jordan.
• Technical Proposal detailing the approach and methodology:
• Explain the proposed approach and methodology for conducting digital safety and security trainings.
• Describe how the service provider will design and implement impactful digital safety and security support, including trainings, organizational assessments, clinics showcased through recent case studies, project reports, or client testimonials.
• Provide the composition, names, and bios of the team members with relevant expertise in information security, secure communication, privacy, and data protection, and training.
• Financial Proposal: Include a comprehensive financial proposal outlining the detailed budget for the proposed project.
• Provide a previous sample showcasing the following:
• Previous experience in designing and implementing impactful digital safety and security support, including trainings, organizational assessments, clinics showcased through recent case studies, project reports, or client testimonials.
• Examples of training materials, resources, tools, and programs, related to digital safety and security.

Application Instructions

Interested service providers are invited to submit their technical and financial proposals, addressed to: [اضغط هنا لمشاهدة البريد اﻹلكتروني] by June 30^th, 2024, 17:00 Amman time making sure to write “Digital Safety and Security Provider, USAID Sawt Activity “ in the subject of your e-mail.

Inquiries

For any inquiries or clarifications regarding the assignment, reach out to [اضغط هنا لمشاهدة البريد اﻹلكتروني] by 17:00 on June 25^th, 2024.

For more information about delivrables and evaluation criteria, please follow this link Call for Proposals: Digital Safety and Security Training and Clinics Provider - Information Saves Lives | Internews