ToR for Strengthening capacity of civil service organizations (CSOs) to engage in delivering and advocating for children’s rights in Somaliland 76 views2 applications

BACKGROUND

For over 90 years, Save the Children (SC) has been making a difference in children’s lives in more than 120 countries. We are the world’s largest independent child rights organization, underpinned by a vision in a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

Working with civil society derives from the mandate of the Save the Children Theory of Change to develop strong and independent CSOs to promote and advocate for the rights of children and hold the government to account. Save the Children works with CSOs because we share interests and values, local CSOs understand the local context and we are agreeing on ways of working. They have the indigenous knowledge, local experience and are close to communities. Working with CSOs will sustain the work SC is doing when SC withdraws from a given intervention area. However, CSOs in Somaliland mainly focus on service delivery and have limited capacity to engage in advocacy activities for children, constituency building, governance and building relationships or alliances with likeminded organizations.

Children and youth in Somaliland experience some type of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. As a result, the protection and psychosocial well-being of children and youth is affected. In Somaliland, the capacities of civil society structures are generally inadequate to respond to the protection concerns of children and youth. Although the number of civil society organizations (CSOs) is growing and they play a significant role in service delivery (education, health, water) their engagement in protecting children and youth from abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation and holding the government to account is limited. CSOs are generally more oriented to delivering services than addressing structural issues (policy and legal framework) that ensure the protection of children and youth from abuse and exploitation.

Currently, Save the Children implements a four-year civil society project named Lot Civ funded by DANIDA that will support projection of children and youth rights in Somaliland. The project has two local implementing partners of SONYO (Somaliland National Youth Organization) CCBRS (Comprehensive Community-based Rehabilitation Services). The project also plans to work with additional ten (10) small youth community-level youth associations those will work with SONYO in advocating for youth rights at community level. The Lot Civ project aims to strengthen capacity of civil society organizations and government institutions so that protection of children from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation is in place and those policies and laws that would ensure the protection of children from all forms of violence are in place as well and enforced.

In summary, SC will work with CSOs, relevant government ministries, youth associations and the private Sector to promote, protect and fulfil children’s rights in reducing physical, institutional and social violence against children and youth.

CONSULTANCY OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this consultancy to obtain a comprehensive picture of the project implementing partners’ organizational capacity and hence deliver required capacity-strengthening support including youth associations. The assessment will be systematic reviews and assessments on the organizations’ internal functions (organisational base), program performance and its relationship with its target groups and other relevant actors and use results of this assessment to build/develop capacity of these organisations based on gaps identified in order to enhance their capacity in implementation of child rights work.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

Specifically, the consultancy aims to analyse the organizational capacities according using three dimensions; to be, to do and to relate:

1. Assess and analyse the capacity of the organizational base or internal functions of the CSOs/local NGOs (to be) :

Key activities may include:

o How the organisation expresses its basic values and has articulated the reasons for its existence (vision, mission, values).

o Organisational Structure and systems: whether or not the organisation’s management and its division of duties and responsibilities are explicit and visible.

o Effectiveness of its leadership and staff competence according to roles

o Comprehensiveness of organisational strategy in delivering its programs for children

o Sustainability e.g. diversified funding base

o Communication, feedback and teamwork within the organization.

o Process of delegation and its effectiveness.

o Financial management system; realistic budgets, effective financial controls, and accurate information to support decision-making.

2. Assess the organisation’s program performance/outputs with /for children (to do):

Key activities may include:

o The organisation’s capacity (human & financial resources) to plan and to implement planned activities?

o capacities related to project management, technical skills and knowledge /expertise in child rights work, competencies in research, policy influencing

o Ability to involve children in their work (e.g. in project cycle management, advocacy work),

o Ability to engage in public investment work

o Ability to carry out lobbying and advocacy work on children’s wellbeing at local, national, regional and international levels

o Ability to identify and effectively respond to abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect of children.

o Ability to form referral pathways on child protection issues.

o Relevance of activities: the content of activities and the implementation methods/approaches used are relevant in relation to the organisation’s vision, operational objectives and context.

3. Assess and analyse the organization’s capacity to create and maintain positive external relations (external linkages ):

Key activities may include:

o Acceptance and support from target groups: the target groups’ assessment of the organisation and the demand for its activities

o Relations with other actors in civil society – e.g. Community leaders, CBOs and NGOs, donors etc.

o Relations and acceptance with the government – both national and local,

o Conduct a validation workshop with partners for the organisational assessment findings

4. To develop the capacity strengthening plan from the organizational capacity assessment conducted, come up with the way forward, as agreed basing on 1,2 and 3 above.

Key activities may include:

o Undertake organizational assessment through meetings and discussions with the key and relevant leaders and management staff of partner organisations.

o Identify and develop appropriate organizational capacity building intervention strategy and model.

o Designing of a comprehensive training plan and modules.

o Conduct validation workshop for final OACD report

5. To provide organisation specific technical assistance and support to the key and relevant leaders and management staff of the local NGO partners on capacity gaps identified basing on 1, 2, 3 and 4 above.

Key activities may include:

o Support in the review, update and/or development of strategic plans, fundraising strategies, monitoring and evaluation policies systems, systems and tools, finance and human resource policies, child safeguarding policies, advocacy strategies focusing on child protection and child rights governance. Support in the development of at least one project proposal that can be jointly implemented by the Save the Children together with the local NGO partners.

o Provide continuous mentoring and on-the-job coaching on the areas mentioned in number 1.

o Organize and/or facilitate capacity building trainings based on the prioritized capacity building activities. The consultancy firm is also expected to oversee the capacity development of youth associations and ensure that relevant trainings are provided.

o Mentor and support the partners and youth associations’ capacity enhancement.

o Conduct midterm reflection and review meeting to discuss progress

o Guide other actors involving the capacity strengthening through having harmonized capacity strengthening plans

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The consultancy firm/consultant shall ensure the completion of the following activities in accordance with the terms and conditions of the consultancy contract:

The consultancywill cover an assessment and capacity development of a total of two local NGOs capacity interms of their governance structures, constituencies, policy, program, financial and HR manuals. Furthermore, the consultant will also support capacity development of youth associations. Thsi exercise will also stregthen the internal systems of these orgnaizations and that would enable or disable them to engage in child rights promotion and child protection work. Based on the orgnaizational capacity assessment, the consultant should come up with organisation specific and concrete recommendations that would enable the NGOs to sustain actions on child rights work. All organsations have offices in Hargeisa – Somaliland with areas of opertaon across Soamliland. To achieve better results, the consultant maybe required to conduct field visits (which maybe out of Hargeisa) to u nderstand teh work of partners and support accordingly.

METHODOLOGY

A consultant is generally expected to utilise a participatory approach in assessment and capacity strengthening of selected organisations.

The consultant is expected to come up with a specific organizational capacity assessment and strengthening model including details of the tools to be used. The following issues to be considered in designing the methodology:

o Review of different sources such as the constitution, legal documents, strategy documents of selected civil society actors, project documents, by laws of civil societies, different policies of the organizations, and government plans, reports as well as previous organisational assessment and capacity strengthening reports.

o Review of SCI capacity assessment tools, capacity strengthening plans and available guides within SCI and from other sources.

o Gather experience from other countries like Ethiopia and Bangladesh in strengthening capacity of CSOs.

KEY DELIVERABLES

A: Organizational capacity assessment:

o An inception report with clear tools, methodologies proposed

o The consultant to share the first draft report to SCI for review.

o The consultant will present the findings of the first draft report in a validation workshop with local NGOs partner as well as SCI staff. Incorporate comments from the validation workshop and share a final comperehensive report of the orgnaizational assessment with recomendations and plans fro capity developt to SCI. The report should be concise and not more than 50 pages. The consultant is also required to submit two hard and electronic copies of the report to SCI.

B: Organization Capacity Stregthening.

o Individual orgnaizational capacity development plans for each CSO.

o Monitoring plan with indicators for measuring chnage of CSOs capacity development.

o Weekly updates and monthly progress reports SCI CP/CRG Program Manager or delegate in Hargeisa, A final comprehensive report detailing the changes in CSOs capacity, challenges encountrted and remedy measures undertaken and possible recomendations for future programing.

o Comperehensie capacity strgethening plan for each partner.

ETHICAL CONDUCT

Under no cirmstance should partners feel that this exercise has any implication with their work with SCSOM. This assignment has no implications on the partner current or future engament with SCSOM.

The consultant is expect to conduct him/herslef in a mannher that is impartial with interest to improve services targetted to benefit children in Somaliland and to uphold all ethical considerations throughout this exercise including adhering to SC policies and procedures especially the child safeguarding policy [See Annex]

DURATION OF ROLE

The capacity assessment and delivery of capacity stregthening support is expected to be completed within 12 months starting from the date both Save the Children and the selected consultancy firm/compnay singed the agreement fully.

The orgnaizational capacity assessment, reports of the assessment including capacity stregthening plans must be completed within 30 wokring days and the rest 11 montsh will be allocated for capaity stregthening, monitoring and evaluation. The capacity stregthneing plans with clear competencies shall be discussed and agreed with the partner within thsi period. However, the instrested consultancy firm/company is expected to share a detailed action plan for the duartion of the consultancy along with the applictaion document.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

· An in-depth technical response to the TOR by the consultant demonstrating an understanding of how the assessment will be undertaken.

· Maters Degree in social sciences, particularly Law, Sociology, Social Work,

Psychology, Project Management or related fields.

· At least 10 previous work experience in child rights work/child protection

· Proven consultancy experience within the field of organizational capacity assessments

and development for Civil Society Organizations of at least 5 years.

· Knowledge and understanding of the Civil Society environment particularly in East Africa is mandatory.

· Knowledge and understanding of children’s rights including on Child Rights Governance and Child protection is a requirement.

· Knowledge of Save the Children and its internal processes will be beneficial but is not essential

· Extensive hands-on experience in organisational capacity assessment and development, capacity building strategic plan development, proposal development and fundraising, mentoring and coaching.

· Experience of working in a resource poor environment.

· Experience of working in Somalia/Somaliland context an asset

· Proficiency in Somali is an added advantage

KNOWLEDGE/ SKILLS

· Demonstrable knowledge and skills in:

· Assessing individual and organizational needs

· Designing training plans and modules based on individual and organizational needs

· Organizing and facilitating the conduct of capacity building activities

· Mentoring and coaching colleagues at work

· Reviewing, updating and developing strategic plans, fundraising strategies, monitoring and evaluation policies, systems and tools, advocacy strategies, and action plans

· Developing concept notes and project proposals

· Networking and partnership building

· Ability to transfer skills and knowledge through formal or informal training and skills sharing.

· Developed analytical skills.

· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate and work with a wide range of stakeholders in a participatory, respectful, collaborative manner, and to enhance effective work relationships.

· Commitment to team-building and consensus-led approach to work.

PAYMENT DETAILS

· Payment will be in accordance with a detailed approved budget breakdown as submitted through the proposal, and invoices will be expected from the consultant prior to payment.

· Save the Children will pay the consultant according to Save the Children’s guidelines on procurement of services.