Request For Cordaid
Request For Request for Proposal Consultancy services for Capacity Strengthening Plan of Local Partners
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 Joint Response started with a 2 year project (2022-2023), and currently is at the beginning of the next phase, which is running from January 2024 until December 2026. For this period, the consortium consists of 5 international (Cordaid, Save the Childre, Stichting Vluchteling/Intersos, Terre des Hommes and World Vision) and 8 local members (BARAN, CDRO, OAWCK, OCCD, OHW, RRAA, WASSA and YVO). 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 & Nutrition, Multi-Purpose Cash and mainstreaming protection through all its interventions.
At the start of the new period of the AFJR, the AFJR partners would like to review and reflect on the cooperation within the consortium during the first period. Part of this will also be to ensure a strong start of the new phase, in which new partners are joining the consortium. This will be done by assessing the capacities available in the consortium, and developing a capacity strengthening plan for all the partners for the coming 3 years.
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 by the co-lead of the AFJR (partner RRAA) and the Country Coordinator (partner Cordaid)..
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 is in the beginning of the second phase (2024-2026), therefore the starting point of the capacity strengthening plan will be a review of the cooperation results of the AFJR consortium during the first two years. Best practices and lessons learned will be used as building blocks. 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. This will as well include the decision taking and influence of different members within the JR.
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 response and equitable partnerships through a mapping of capacities, and (identification of) ways to collectively strengthen capacities and equitable partnership.
Methodology and activities (Deliverables)
The consultant, together with co-lead and JR Country Coordinator, will lead a process that will result in a capacity strengthening plan for the AFJR and its partners. Overall, the DRA guidance note 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. Relevant 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:
- Joint 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 plan/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.
Deliverables:
One draft report of max 15 pages without annexes providing:
- An overall review of the AFJR consortium collaboration.
- The summary results from the survey/interviews.
- Summary 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.
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.
timeframe
Consultant will report to Cordaid as the lead of the AFJR and will work in close collaboration with co-lead and JR coordinator. Assignment is to be executed in the first quarter of 2024 (January – March/April 2024). As the assignment includes multiple activities, a planning needs to be prepared and discussed.
- Recruitment of facilitator January 2024
- Survey/interview with all AFJR members Early February 2024
- Meeting with AFJR members February 2024
- Supporting Organisational Self Assessment February/March 2024
- Workshop with AFJR members February/March 2024
- Development of capacity strengthening plan March/April 2024
Number of days:
Consultant will work 14 days in the period January – March/April 2024. An estimation of the division of time:
|
Task |
Output |
Nr of days |
comments |
|
Preparation survey |
Survey |
3 |
|
|
Interview 13 partners and summarise results |
Summarised results |
5 |
|
|
Develop agenda and facilitate meeting |
Meeting conducted |
2 |
In coordination with co-lead and AFJR coordinator |
|
Compile meeting report |
Meeting report |
1 |
Max 4 pages |
|
Support and consolidate capacity self-assessment of 13 members |
Consolidated report |
5 |
Format for self-assessment to be discussed to ensure main topics covered by all partners. |
|
Prepare and facilitate workshop |
Workshop conducted |
6 |
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
|
5 |
Max 15 pages of report, excl annexes. |
|
Total |
|
27 |
|
Interested experts/consultancies are required to provide CVs detailing the experience with similar type of assignments completed in the past.
Required expertise:
- Proven Experience in facilitation of workshops with international and local NGOs
- Demonstrated experience in humanitarian response and knowledge of humanitarian standards (CHS, Sphere, Code of Conduct);
- Proven Experience with capacity strengthening for humanitarian response
- Proven Experience with collaboration between agencies cq working in consortia
- Ability to assess and further develop necessary tools;
- Understanding of (localisation) of humanitarian assistance.
- Excellent written and verbal English
- Excellent communication skills
- Preference for an Afghan consultant or a consultant based in Afghanistan
- Familiarity with Afghan context is an advantage
- Willing to stay in /travel to Kabul
- When coming from outside: Security training certificate (max 2 years old)
Based on the ToR, interested parties are requested to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) explaining their comprehension of the proposed consultancy, and how they would approach this assignment especially in terms of how the party plans to meet the objectives.
The Expression of Interest should include:
• The technical proposal (not exceeding 3 pages) that responds to the asks of this ToR. The technical proposal should contain a clear outline, a tentative work plan with clearly defined milestones to achieve within the given timeline, including as well a financial proposal.
• CV of the consultant
• At least one sample of similar previous work
• Two references, to be attached as annex to the technical proposal.
Please note that incomplete EoI’s will not be assessed.
All proposals should be sent latest by 28 January 2024 to: Kolola Postha, Next to Municipality Residentials, Qomandan Gada road, House number# 45 Kabul-Afghanistan.Questions regarding this ToR, including planning and budget, can be addressed to the before mentioned email.
Cordaid will provide a consultancy contract to the consultant; the consultant shall adhere to the Cordaid Code of Conduct. A maximum budget of EUR 25,000 (Incl VAT) is available for this evaluation. The consultant will submit a cost proposal with the Expression of Interest; this should include all costs related to this evaluation, including salaries, meal cost of the consultant, stationary, printing, transportation, accommodation and any other direct or indirect costs related to the performance of this assignment. The consultant is also responsible for providing and covering the costs of any medical, insurance and evacuation needs. Cordaid will not be responsible for covering any expenses that may be incurred as a result of any type of accident or any type of security incident nor will Cordaid be liable in any way for any injury or death due to any cause incurred by any of the consultant’s personnel. Expression of Interest will be evaluated based upon cost effectiveness, as well as technical quality. Payment will be done in 3 tranches: 30% advance payment, 40% after completion of the workshop, 30% after successful completion of the assignment, and comprehensive, qualitative and satisfactory reports are submitted to Cordaid. The payment methodology will be further agreed by the winning consultant and Cordaid.