TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE CONSULTANT(S) FOR FY2024-FY2028 COUNTRY STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

Unspecified
Somalia/Somaliland
Application deadline closed.

Job Description

PLAN INTERNATIONAL SOMALIA/SOMALILAND

FY2024-FY2028 COUNTRY STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE CONSULTANT(S)

  1. INTRODUCTION

Plan International strives to advance children’s rights and equality for girls all over the world. As an independent development and humanitarian organization, we work alongside children, young people, our supporters and partners to tackle the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge. For over 85 years, we have been building powerful partnerships for children, and we are active in over 87 countries. Plan International Somalia/Somaliland is part of the global federation of Plan International and was registered in Somalia/Somaliland in 2020. Plan International has six Areas of Global Distinctiveness (AOGDs) which define our work, influencing priorities and partnerships. These are Inclusive Quality Education (IQE), Skills and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (SOYEE), Children, Adolescents and Youth as Active Drivers of Change (LEAD), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Protection from Violence (PfV).

Plan international has opened an office in Somalia/Somaliland in 2020 and has started programmes that focuses on child protection, girls ‘rights, education and humanitarian assistance working with partners and providing technical support to INGOs, NGOs and the government ministries in Somalia/Somaliland’s. Plan Somalia/Somaliland  aims to build on its country interim strategy and establish a new strategy that is locally led and globally connected and most importantly community based to enable us reach the vulnerable and excluded children, particularly girls with high quality gender transformative programs and influencing work that delivers long lasting benefits.  

In 2022, Plan International launched its global strategy (FY2023-FY2027) tagged “Girls Standing Strong”. Over the next five years, all of Plan International’s entities will be guided by this refreshed Global Strategy aimed at achieving three core objectives: Increased Impact, Strengthened Legitimacy, and Improved Sustainability. Underpinning this all is our focus on girls and young people and our drive to become even more youth-centred. The ambition of the global strategy is grounded in our purpose and reflects our intent as an organisation- “All Girls Standing Strong Creating Global Change”. The Global Strategy is focused on eight strategic priorities:

  1. Focus on girls’ rights
  2. Scaling up Humanitarian Impact
  3. Impact evidence
  4. Locally led, globally connected
  5. Strengthening and Optimising Sponsorship
  6. Effective and responsive organisation
  7. Grow quality income
  8. Youth-centered

Plan International in Somalia tends to develop a Country Strategy for FY24 -FY2028 that aims at articulating Plan International’s role, niche, strategy, operating model, and required resources in Somalia programme for the next five years. Through this Terms of Reference (TOR), Plan International in Somalia is looking for a qualified consultant or consultancy firm that can support the development of its Country Strategy.

  1. Purpose of the Strategy Development

The overall purpose of the Country Strategy development is to aligns Country Office purpose and ambition to the Global Strategy through endorsed strategic choices. As a result, the Country Strategy document acts as a reference point for the Country Office to execute projects, programmes and other activities to deliver the objectives of the Global Strategy that relevant, responsive and specific to the country context.

  1. Scope of the Strategy Development
  2. Project Mobilization: Establish the project scope including (project plan timeline key deliverables, final deliverable, key workshop dates, introduce framework of decision making for the strategy development process, identify stakeholders, and Kick off project,
  3. Situation Analysis: Conduct a thorough situation analysis both internal and external analysis, identify potential opportunities for programming.
  4. Situation Analysis Reflection: Assess initial situation analysis and articulate the role of Plan International in Somalia including the programmatic focus: and what change is required for girls and boys to learn, lead, decide and thrive and proposed geographic presence: Where in the country this will happen.
  5. Internal Reflection: Assess the organization’s structure, human resources, systems and policies such as finance, fundraising, MERL, influencing and communications, procurement and administration, security, and the entire governance system and how these are related the delivery of the organization’s mission priorities.
  6. Strategic Choices Development: Define Plan’s purpose & ambition for the country. Bring together findings from the situation analysis; analysis of need, funding, peers and the operating environment, to identify attractive opportunities for programming.
  7. Strategy Finalization & Write-up: Endorse strategic choices, Write-up country strategy.
  8. Objectives of consultancy:

 The objectives of the consultancy are to support Plan International in Somalia:

  • To review its country presence and current interim strategy FY19-23
  • Support Plan International in Somalia to develop the country strategy for another 5-year period from FY24-28 and one-year business plan.

Specific Activities:

The country strategy development process will involve the following:

  1. Reviewing relevant documentation and conducting key consultations (internal and external) to inform the new strategy and business model.
  2. Facilitate a program quality review of the existing strategy by leading a critical and objective self-evaluation to determine the relevance of the country strategy.
  3. To conduct a literature review that includes a context analysis and key secondary data documents with guidance from the Country Office (CO) strategy development committee.
  4. Designing and implementing a work for consultations with key staff in Plan International at the country, Regional Hub, Global Hub, National Offices, partners, young people, communities and other key stakeholders supporting the country office to ensure inclusiveness of the strategy development process.
  5. Develop the country strategy and for Plan International in Somalia/Somaliland
  6. Produce a first draft of the country program strategy document and annual business Plan which will be inclusive of the voice of the country team, partners and beneficiaries, other PLAN members partners, and other key stakeholders.
  7. In collaboration with the CO Country Director, coordinate a thorough review process with the strategy development team, CMT and regional function leads.
  8. Finalize and submit the country strategy and annual business plan to the country senior management.
  9. Timeframe:

The assignment will be undertaken within 40 working days between 15th Sept to 30th November 2023.

  1. Deliverables/Outputs:
  • Inception report: This report should contain an adjusted timeline for the overall process, a detailed methodology and road map for the strategy development, including who will be involved and when, dates of workshops, list of contacts of key stakeholders, list of documents which will be consulted, and any other relevant information regarding the exercise. This will be reviewed by the country team before embarking on the exercise.
  • Program review report summarizing the program and strategy review process, key consultations, literature review and key assumptions underpinning the country strategy that will be developed
  • Plan International Somalia Country Strategy: A well-articulated document outlining PLAN Somalia’s strategy and business case for the next five years
  • PLAN Somalia Business Plan: A concise one business plan detailing key steps, processes and a RACI matrix for operationalizing the country strategy.
  1. METHODOLOGY

The Country Strategy development shall be conducted by an external consultant. It will mainly employ participatory qualitative and quantitative methods. The use of the Most Significant Change and other outcome mapping techniques to document and demonstrate Plan’s program outcomes and impact is required. The participatory process will involve the following actors:

  • Children of different age groups who represent the communities in which Plan operates;
  • Community representatives;
  • Representatives from all Plan’s partners organizations including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs);
  • Representatives from Government;
  • Plan staff, representing programmes, grants, resource mobilization, People and Culture, Finance, Supply Chain, influencing and communication
  • Other peer organizations at the National/Federal level, MEESA region and National Offices

Special attention will be paid to the principles of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI), and to ensure gender balance and the involvement of excluded and marginalized groups from the communities in which Plan International Somalia/Somaliland works.  

  1. SUPPORT TO BE PROVIDED

In order to ensure quality support to the external consultant, Plan International Somalia/Somaliland will constitute a Country Strategy Core Development Team led by the Country Director to guide the process. The Country Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) Coordinator will be the main contact person for data and numbers during the strategy Development process. Plan International Somalia/Somaliland will make available all the necessary and required literature for review; support all the logistical arrangements

Elephant envelope

Skills and Qualifications

  1. QUALIFICATION/REQUIREMENTS

Interested individual candidates/firms should possess:

  • Team Leader must be an experienced social scientist with excellent skills in research, monitoring and evaluation of child-centered community development programs and a strong understanding of rights-based programming.
  • Strong understanding and experience in civil society organizations (CSOs) strengthening, especially those in less/developing countries; including with INGOs will be an added advantage
  • Individual experts are expected to have a minimum of a Master’s Degree in relevant courses and over 10 years of experience in strategic planning.
  • Knowledge and experience in strategic planning and reviews, organizational development and program management at national and international level
  • Senior-level management experience (preferably at executive level) at national and international levels (at least one consultant).
  • Experience in designing and managing change processes.
  • Knowledge and experience in children’s rights, gender analysis and humanitarian crisis.
  • An excellent understanding of the theory of change concepts.
  • Experience in undertaking key informant interviews and focus group discussions and analysing findings.
  • Excellent English writing and communication skills.
  • Ability to work and travel within disaster risk areas.

How to apply

Bids should be sent by email to Som.Procurement@plan-international.org and making reference in the subject line as follows:

Subject: “COUNTRY STRATEGY PLAN DEVELOPMENT.

Plan International  in Somalia reserves the right to reject any application(s) without disclosing the reasons.

The deadline for application submission is at 1700Hrs Friday 15th September 2023.

NB: All enquiries concerning the assignment should be addressed to Som.Procurement@plan-international.org not later than 7th September 2023