Request For Cordaid, Afghanistan
Request For Consultant for Capacity Strengthening plan for the AFJR
TOR – Consultant for Capacity Strengthening plan for the AFJR
1 - Introduction
The Afghanistan Joint Response (AFJR), is part of the Protracted Crisis Mechanism of the Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA), a coalition of 14 Dutch NGOs responding to protracted as well as acute crises. The main objective of the DRA is to deliver effective, efficient, relevant and timely humanitarian assistance through collaboration.
The AFJR has started in 2022, to respond to the increasing humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. The consortium was formed in Q2/Q3 of 2021 to plan for the response for 2022/2023, and currently (April ’23) consists of 5 international and 2 local members (Cordaid, Intersos/Stichting Vluchteling, OHW, RRAA, Save the Children, Terre des Hommes, and World Vision). Cordaid is the lead organization of the consortium.
The response is focusing on districts of Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces, providing assistance in Food Security & Livelihoods, WASH, Health, Multi-Purpose Cash and mainstreaming protection through all its interventions.
During 2023 additional local partners will be included in the consortium, as well as preparations for a potential continuation of the AFJR (’24-’26) will be started in Q2/3 of the year. As part of the preparation of the next phase of the AFJR, the AFJR partners would like to review and reflect on the cooperation within the consortium over the first 1.5 year. Part of this review as well will be to assess the capacities available in the consortium, and to develop a capacity strengthening plan for all the partners for the next phase, which also takes into account possible new local partners.
The DRA believes that collaboration and equitable partnership between the international and local partners in a JR will increase the effectiveness of humanitarian response. One of its ambitions is to support locally-led capacity strengthening of local actors and systems through collaborative and complementary approaches. For this, in 2023 the DRA has developed a Capacity Strengthening Guidance note, which will be used for this review and development of the capacity strengthening plan.
The process of the review of the cooperation as well as the development of the capacity strengthening plan will be lead by an external facilitator; the facilitator will be supported the co-lead of the AFJR (partner RRAA) and the in country Coordinator (partner Cordaid).
2 - Purpose and scope of the capacity strengthening plan
Considering the AFJR started in 2022, and the context in which it is implemented is fragile and volatile, the AFJR is exploring how to strengthen the consortium as a whole, and how to make best use of the capacities of the different individual members. The DRA developed a roadmap with guidance and tools to facilitate the development of a locally-led approach of mutual capacity strengthening within a JR, and the AFJR will make use of this roadmap.
The AFJR will be preparing itself in the 2nd half of 2023 for a potential next phase of the AFJR (2024-2026), therefore the starting point of the capacity strengthening plan will be a review of the results of the AFJR consortium during the first 1,5 year of the Joint response.
The AFJR members will engage in a honest and open minded dialogue to have a closer look at current capacities of the AFJR collectively and of the individual organisations within the JR as well as the decision taking and influence of different members within the JR at this moment in time.
The main objective of this collective effort is to increase understanding of capacities and partnership realities within the JR and to improve the quality and timeliness of humanitarian responses and equitable partnerships through a mapping of capacities, and (identification of) ways to collectively strengthen capacities and equitable partnership.
3 – Methodology and activities
The consultant together with co-lead and JR coordinator will lead a process that will result in a capacity strengthening plan for the AFJR and its partners. Overall, the DRA guidance note[1] for capacity strengthening will be followed, with some additions, and will include the following steps:
- Survey/ interview with all (local and international) JR partners. Consultant will develop survey/ questions and engage with all JR partners prior to the workshop through survey/interviews focusing on partners views on: capacities (of themselves and others in JR), risk sharing, knowledge sharing, and decision taking within the JR. The survey outcomes will inform the discussion points in the next step.
- Facilitate a meeting with JR members (2 staff per member: management level staff and partner AFJR focal point) to start the capacity strengthening process and reflect together on AFJR collaboration, coordination and effectiveness. When appropriate survey results will be shared (anonymously) within the meeting to inspire discussion.
- Support organisational capacity self-assessment. Each AFJR partner will do an individual organisational capacity assessment, to be discussed which format partners will be using. The consultant will upon request of partners, provide guidance/support. Consultant will analyse self- assessment reports and consolidate and summarise in one capacity assessment report which will be shared before the workshop (step 4) with the consultant.
- Facilitate a 2-day workshop for all partners with the following elements:
- Join analysis collaboration, participation and decision taking within the JR – the power awareness tool will be used to analyse engagement and power imbalances in the AFJR.
- Discussion on individual capacity assessments of members and analyse collective capacity.
- Develop JR capacity strengthening approach that includes strengthening of capacities, collaboration and partnership for the next 3 years which outlines the short and long-term goals, timeline, activities, roles and responsibilities.
4 – Timeframe
The capacity strengthening exercise will be executed in May/June 2023.
- Recruitment of facilitator April 2023
- Kick off meeting with AFJR members Early May 2023
- Workshop with AFJR members 2nd half May 2023
- Development of capacity strengthening plan End May/Early June 2023
5 – Expected outputs
One draft report of max 10 pages without annexes providing:
- An overall review of the AFJR consortium collaboration.
- The summary results from the survey/interviews.
- Summary of results of the workshop with JR partners .
- Based on the above: a capacity strengthening plan that follows the DRA guidance note.
- Annex:
- individual capacity assessments
- 2 page summary of capacity strengthening report to be used for AFJR proposal 2024/26
The report will be shared with all partners for feedback and consultant will incorporate major feedback in final report.
Reporting will be done in English.
6. Position and Number of days
Consultant will report to Cordaid as the lead of the AFJR and will work in close collaboration with co-lead and JR coordinator.
Number of days:
Consultant will work 14 days in the period May 2023 up to latest half June 2023.
|
Task |
Output |
Nr of days |
comments |
|
Preparation survey |
Survey |
2 |
|
|
Interview 7 partners and summarise results |
Summarised results |
2 |
|
|
Develop agenda and facilitate meeting |
Meeting conducted |
1 |
In coordination with co-lead and AFJR coordinator |
|
Compile meeting report |
Meeting report |
1 |
Max 4 pages |
|
Support and consolidate capacity self-assessment of 7 members |
Consolidated report |
2 |
Format for self-assessment to be discussed to ensure main topics covered by all partners. |
|
Prepare and facilitate workshop |
Workshop conducted |
3 |
In coordination with co-lead and AFJR coordinator, plan for 2 day workshop |
|
Compile draft final report and action plan and incorporate major feedback on draft report of partners to deliver final report and action plan |
Final report
|
3 |
Max 10 pages of report, excl annexes. |
|
|
|
14 |
|
Profile consultant
- Proven Experience in facilitation of workshops with international and local NGOs
- Proven Experience with capacity strengthening for humanitarian response
- Proven Experience with collaboration between agencies cq working in consortia
- Understanding of (localisation) of humanitarian assistance.
- Excellent written and verbal English
- Excellent communication skills
- Preference for an Afghan consultant
- Familiarity with Afghan context is an advantage
- Willing to stay in /travel to Kabul
Proposal Submission Instructions:
- Technical and financial Proposals should be separately sealed and stamped & submitted in two different envelops at the address below (highlighted)
- Proposals that are determined to be substantially compliant with the technical requirement will be evaluated in accordance with their financial proposal
- Marks for technical and financial proposal evaluation will be 70/30 (70 Marks for technical proposal & 30 Marks for financial proposal)
- Due to high number of bids only the wining company will be contacted
- Proposals in hard copy will be accepted only.
Deadline for submission:
25-May-2023 no later than 12:00AM (Local Time) at Kolola Poshta, PD4, Qomandan Gada Road, Behind Avesta Hospital, House No. 45.
Phone No.: +93 730-956-830