Capacity Building for Improved Gender-based Violence Response Project

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Given the challenging context for women and girls in Mozambique, the high prevalence of GBV and dispersed nature of GBV mitigation, prevention and response interventions, there is a need to strengthen survivor-centered accountability mechanisms as well as address bottlenecks that impede women and girls from accessing much needed services. The proposed program will be framed around three areas: (i) capacity building: increasing capacity of key actors, including civil society organizations, providing GBV services to survivors; (ii) data: improving data collection on GBV services as well as the ability to track services provided to GBV survivors; and, (iii) services: improving guidelines, strengthening coordination of services and awareness raising activities at the local level. The project will have four components.Component 1: Strengthening capacity of GBV service providers This component aims to improve the capacity of government and CSOs to deliver GBV services. Component activities will focus specifically on strengthening national protocols and guidelines that govern the delivery of integrated services as well as capacity building of key actors at various levels. The training package supported under this component will be included as part of the mandatory training program for all government personnel delivering services to GBV survivors. Sub-component 1.1. Harmonization and strengthening of GBV protocols The provision of support services for survivors of GBV is guided by protocols developed after the launch of the Multisectoral Mechanism in 2012. The protocols will be updated to: (i) ensure consistency with national laws and international good practice (reflect more of a survivor-centered approach); (ii) reflect the inclusion of the justice sector which currently lacks protocols or guidelines; (iii) include a focus on prevention; (iv) effectively address different forms of violence and child abuse, including by integrating the mitigation of sexual exploitation and abuse/sexual harassment; (v) set minimum standards for planning and implementation of specialized services to prevent and respond to GBV/SEA/SH during natural disasters and climate-induced emergency situations; and, (vi) set standards to guide service delivery by civil society organizations. Preparation of the updated protocols will follow a participatory approach engaging CSOs, donors, representatives from the four ministries engaged in the Multisectoral Mechanism and other stakeholders at the local level. Sub-component 1.2. Training of GBV service providers The component will support the preparation and implementation of a training package for GBV focal points at the national, provincial and district levels; service providers from the Multisectoral Mechanism working in the CAI; and a select number of civil society organizations. The preparation of the training program will be guided by an assessment and revision of existing training curricula and materials on GBV, gender and human rights currently used by the members of the Multisectoral Mechanism or developed by development partners. The training package will support training on: (i) soft skills (social norms and unconscious bias of service providers); (ii) technical skills (protocols for survivor-centered care and referrals, SEA/SH mitigation, relevant laws and policies, and data collection and utilization); and, (iii) climate change and standards for planning and implementation of specialized services to prevent and respond to GBV/SEA/SH during natural disasters and climate-induced emergency situations. The inclusion of soft skills will address the problem of stigmatization and revictimization that many survivors face when seeking care. Mapping of formal and informal service providers conducted by the World Bank and the Government will be used to identify the CSOs and GBV focal points to be trained. The selection of CSOs to be trained will take into consideration the need of services by vulnerable populations such as women living with disabilities and people who identify with a different sexual orientation or gender identity. The training will utilize existing training structures and be delivered utilizing a training-of-trainers approach to support continuation of said training outside of the project. An online training platform will also be developed, that will feature a resource library containing manuals, toolkits, and training materials on various aspects of GBV prevention, survivor support, legal frameworks, among others. The project will engage early and frequently with the Ministry of State Administration and Public Service to support the integration of the training package as part of the mandatory trainings offered to civil servants.Component 2: Integrated digital tools for better case management This component will focus on the development and roll out of an integrated and digitalized GBV service in the CAIs and the development of localized referral pathways. This will include improving and standardizing processes and integrating systems for enhanced GBV case management. Improved GBV data management will contribute to greater efficiency and foster a better understanding of GBV prevalence across the country and could inform the allocation of budgets for GBV prevention and response. Sub-component 2.1. Digitalization and system integration This sub-component will support: (i) a user journey mapping, which will detail the steps and processes through which GBV survivors access public services and how the back-end systems work together to create the user experience across this journey, and capture critical touchpoints for stigmatization and revictimization in the survivor “journey” and potential privacy risks associated with the data collection and processing activities; (ii) an assessment of GBV systems’ functionalities, technology, architecture, infrastructure, governance and data mapping to inform the development of data standards and solutions to promote interoperability of systems; (iii) the development of harmonized and streamlined GBV data collection processes, including an upgraded integrated entry and referral form (Ficha Única); (iv) procedures for data protection and privacy to ensure data minimization, informed feedback, anonymization and pseudonymization where possible to reduce the risk of re-identification, secure data storage and transmission (including cloud storage platforms with access controls and audit trails), and relevant procedures for data retention and disposal to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure; (v) the digitalization of 51 CAIs through the provision of connectivity, equipment, and materials, and engaging youth champions, for example through internships, to support data entry; (vi) the digitalization of GBV-related paper-based archives in supported CAIs; (vii) training on data collection tools, protocols and systems for both government (CAI staff and GBV focal points) and civil society organizations to ensure that all actors handling sensitive data understand their responsibilities and know how to handle data securely and ethically; and, (viii) training on data-based decision-making, for example to evaluate GBV trends linked to climate shocks prior to and post. Sub-component 2.2. Strengthening referrals Localized referral pathways for the 11 provinces that include formal and informal service providers (including CSOs trained under component 1) will be prepared and disseminated. Referral pathways will be digitized to improve coordination, communication, and access to services. With digital mapping and geolocation tools service providers from government and CSOs will be able to make informed decisions on referral options based on proximity, availability, and accessibility. A tracking and monitoring system will also be put in the CAIs to track the status of referrals and monitoring of cases will be supported through the provision of resources to cover the transport and communications