Call for Tenders – Main-Facilitator for the Modules Arriving/ Basics of Peace & Conflict Work and Closing

The Academy for Conflict Transformation is looking for a Main-Facilitator for two connected Modules forming the beginning and end of the Full-Time Course in Peace and Conflict Work. The Main-Facilitator will be accompanied a Co-Facilitator from the Academy for Conflict Transformation. The Modules takes place from 23 February to 27 February and from 23 April to 25 April 2026 at the Jugendakademie Walberberg, in Bornheim, Germany.

1. Background information

Pro Peace supports people involved in violent conflicts on the path to peace and strives to help overcome war and violence.

Our Academy for Conflict Transformation, the qualification department in Pro Peace, offers a learning space for professionals, international peace workers and experts in the field of civil conflict transformation. Our educational work is an expression of our conviction of the non-violent, constructive ways of dealing with conflicts. The main goal is to provide professionals who already work or intent to work on international peace projects and/or conflict-sensitive development cooperation with practical tools that allow them to contribute to building lasting peace. In our courses, we create learning spaces where theory meets practice. Within this, our educational concept focuses on personal development, self-determination, responsibility and the ability to act in conflicts. One of our central concerns is fostering a personal attitude oriented towards peace-related values among all those who participate in our courses and trainings. The international intercultural exchange and participatory learning are particular strengths of our courses and trainings.

The Academy’s portfolio consists of longer, comprehensive courses in peace and conflict work as well as shorter trainings focused on specific topics – both as in-person and online. Furthermore, we offer specific exchange platforms for alumni and orientation trainings for people interested in the Civil Peace Service (CPS). The Academy also offers tailor-made trainings in the field of peace and conflict transformation.

The Academy for Conflict Transformation promotes an interactive, varied and playful learning environment and exchange-oriented communication of content. In addition to input from the trainers, the exchange of ideas among the participants, for example in group work and discussions, is also crucial and a valuable resource. We emphasize a warm, encouraging, trusting and appreciating atmosphere in this setting. The facilitator’s expertise and the personal exchange between participants will constitute key components of these trainings. Furthermore, the Academy is aware of different power structures and considers it in the designing of the content and the training. When the need arises, we, together with the trainers, we will create a room where discussions can take place.

2. General course description and structure

The aim of this course is for the participants to acquire the appropriate skills and knowledge needed to work on the diverse and multi-faceted field of peace and conflict work. The participants will deepen their understanding of the conflict dynamics, and non-violent transformation, among others: clarify the key concepts of civil conflict transformation, analyse conflicts, design peace projects, as well as gain a deeper understanding of their roles and attitudes as peace workers. The consolidation of their sense of self, awareness of own patterns, attitudes, behaviours, biases, needs and limits, as well as understanding of group dynamics and the importance of communication, are core issues to the course, and are not only worked on through a theoretical input, but are consistently brought to the focus through self-reflection and group sharing.

The course utilizes the elicitive training model, where the learning journey is aimed at discovery and creation using the participants’ experiences and knowledge as the main resource, and where the trainers are catalysts and facilitators rather than experts. The participants’ learning also continues after the official sessions as they will be living together with the other participants throughout the course.

At the end of the intensive full-time course, the participants will have:

• Examined their own motivations, attitudes and perspectives on peace work;
• Practiced the selected conflict transformation skills in the classroom setting and identify ways and ideas how could they be implemented in their work settings;
• Analysed their own conflict settings and their own projects through the use of different lenses and frameworks conveyed in each module;
• Developed project ideas or improve existing projects derived from the results of the conflict analysis;
• Developed a plan for application of the knowledge and skills learned to their own work / conflict settings.

3. Expected learning outcomes of the first and last Module

The Modules Arriving/ Basics of Peace & Conflict Work and Closing form the frame for a two-month learning journey for a core group of ten participants. These participants are all practitioners of peace and conflict work or neighbouring fields. At the same time, they have highly diverse backgrounds: professionally their background varies from lawyers, advocating for human rights over civil society activists to international experts with degrees in Peace Studies. On top they come from all over the world, sometimes being outside of their home countries for the first time, forming a wonderfully diverse group.

The idea of the first Module is threefold:

• Facilitating the arrival of the participants, the forming of a group and the creation of a safe and trustful space.
• Covering the Basics of Peace and Conflict Work including the terms Conflict, Peace, Violence, Nonviolence, Conflict Transformation, Peacebuilding and Basic Conflict Analysis. Additionally, explaining how the entirety of the Full-Time Course deepens different essential aspects of Peace Work, also highlighting the common threat going through the course. 
• Set the base for a two-month learning journey. This includes aspects of learning theory, the adaptation of these for each individual, as well as the discussion and sharpening of individual learning objectives.

The ideas of the last Module are:

• Facilitating the formation of connections among the participants for after the course as well as the celebration of the transformation that the participants will have gone through on an individual basis and as a group.
• Supporting the bridging of the knowledge from the course setting to their own contexts. 
• Providing space for closing reflections and feedback for the participants, the trainers and the Academy for Conflict Transformation.

4. Procedure and Deliverables 

The desired learning outcomes serves as a springboard for the module design but trainers could also put in additional/take out some when they see fit. Furthermore, the tenders should show how these outcomes could be met. The module’s pedagogy should focus not only on learning the theories and approaches but above all, on the application during the course and later in their own work/conflict contexts. Furthermore, modular interlinkages should be ensured in a way that succeeding modules should also build on the previous ones. It is therefore recommendable to think of connections/linkages to lots running before, after and/or parallel to the one applying for.

There will be a Co-Facilitation presented from the side of the Academy. This person will accompany the rest of the course, including the hand-over between the trainers, the regular reflection circles focused on the group dynamics, the communication with the venue and the reception of feedback towards the trainers and the Academy.

The following tasks are expected to be delivered in close collaboration with the Co-Facilitator:

Conceptualization and preparation of the training

• Provides the training design and literature/materials;
• Attends the trainers’ meeting to ensure linkages to the other modules, ensuring hand overs and general coordination with the Academy advisors and other trainers;
• Sends the detailed and updated training outline and materials to the educational advisor latest two weeks before the start.

Implementation of the Modules

• Facilitates the in-person sessions independently;
• Adapts the course design and methodologies to needs of the participants, when the situation arises;
• Provides a space/platform for addressing tensions/conflicts when the need arises;

• Gives timely feedback to the Academy’s educational advisors regarding the participants’ engagements and contributions.

Post-course debriefing and hand over

• Provides relevant information to the next trainer about the participants’ engagements, contributions, challenges, among others;
• Attends a debrief (online) meeting with the educational advisors.

5. Trainer and tender requirement

The trainer must fulfil the following criteria:

1. Substantial knowledge of the theory of the course subject and its practical application. The theories and knowledge base should represent a wide array of schools of thoughts, including non-Eurocentric perspectives;
2. Substantial knowledge of adult education methodologies through long-term experience as trainer in multi-cultural contexts;
3. Full English proficiency;
4. Excellent facilitation and communication skills, including the ability to convey abstract/complex concepts and terms (both in the design and in the actual training facilitation) in a manner that could be understood by the participants;
5. Possess self-awareness, openness to feedback and ability to deal with conflicts in a constructive manner;
6. Being aware of various power dynamics within the classroom and the openness to create a platform to discuss power related issues during the module implementation, whenever the need arises.

6. Assessment procedure

The selection will be done in line with the following criteria.

7. Fees

The Academy offers a daily fee of 650€ (excl. VAT). For the first and last Module of the Full-Time Course in Peace and Conflict Work we calculate 11 working days (8 days of training facilitation and 3 days of preparation, attending a trainer’s meeting, and debriefing).

Travel costs will be reimbursed in accordance with German law (“Bundesreisekostengesetz”).

Food and accommodation for the trainers will be provided in the venue „Jugendakademie Walberberg“ in Bornheim, Germany.

8. Submission of proposals

The proposals should include:

• A CV and a cover letter explaining your motivation and working approaches
• A course concept and outline detailing each day’s activities (for draft concept, see Annex).

Please submit all documents in English.

For inquiries regarding the course, the content or the application process please contact Robert Laslo Sakofski (Robert.sakofski@propeace.de).