Jordan: Consultancy for Strategic Planning Support

Sep 9, 2019 | Action Contre la Faim France
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Action Against Hunger has been operational in Jordan since 2013, delivering Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH), Mental Health, and food security and livelihoods (FSL) programmes—in part by using cash and voucher assistance as the implementation modality—in Irbid, Zarqa, Mafraq, and Madaba Governorates. Since then, the mission has grown annually and expanded in both size and scope of programming. The scope of programming is gradually changing in response to the evolution of the legal framework in Jordan, and Action Against Hunger is now focusing on long-term and sustainable of Syrians and host community members. Therefore, the organisation seeks the assistance of a Strategic Planning Support Consultant to facilitate the formalisation of a well-informed, forward-looking strategy.

Location: Jordan

Type of contract: Service Contract

Assignment type: Consultancy

Action Against Hunger focal point: Deputy Country Director – Programmes (DCDP)

Duty station: Amman with field visits

Starting date: 22 September 2019

Background and purpose of the consultancy

1.1 Background

Action Against Hunger are looking for a consultant to support with the design of a new country strategy. Action Against Hunger is a humanitarian and development agency working to address immediate and underlying causes and effects of hunger around the world. In Jordan, Action Against Hunger implements water and sanitation programmes in Azraq camp as well as in cities and towns in northern Jordan. In addition, we work to address livelihoods insecurity and social protection amongst Syrians and Jordanian vulnerable households through cash for work and livelihoods programMing, and work to strengthen mental health support to vulnerable men, women, boys, and girls in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and local health centres in Irbid.

1.2 Purpose of the consultancy

The consultancy is aimed to support the design of a new strategic plan for Action Against Hunger in Jordan. The plan will most likely cover a period of four or five years, and support the country programme in deepening its impact, expanding its reach in Jordan, and supporting adjustment of our strategy in a context of changing needs and a changing funding environment.

The consultant will gather and analyse primary and secondary data to inform decision-making, conduct SWOT exercises in the field offices, and assist in the preparation and facilitation of a decision-making workshop.

2 Consultancy SCOPE

2.1 Phase 1: Conduct in-depth context analysis

During this phase, the consultant will conduct in-depth analysis of secondary data to assess the needs, gaps in Action Against Hunger’s core sectors (both sector-specific and integrated), funding trends, and opportunities for greater impact. The assessment will have a nation-wide focus, not just on geographic areas where we currently operate. The depth of analysis per area will be determined in consultation with the reference group (see section 5.1 below).

A list of questions to be addressed is attached as annex 1. In addition to secondary data, the consultant will meet with key external stakeholders, such as:

  • Donors
  • Government partners
  • National civil society
  • UN coordination leads for core sectors

This is in addition to meeting with internal stakeholders from country, regional, and global teams.

It is expected that the above will entail a total of around 30 interviews. A draft interview outline will be developed by the consultant, in consultation with Action Against Hunger, in advance of the interviews. A 30-35 page report will be provided by the consultant with a summary of the analysis at the end of Phase 1.

It is anticipated that some of the sector-specific data can be gathered by Action Against Hunger’s sector Heads of Departments (HoDs) but will need analysis and consolidation by the consultant.

2.2 Phase 2: community consultation

The consultant will provide guidance on the community consultation process to occur, informed by the findings of Phase 1. This may include developing a facilitation tool for community consultations, which should then be conducted by Action Against Hunger’s field teams in each base (12[1] consultation sessions are expected: four per base, with groups disaggregated by country of origin and gender). The intent of these consultations is two-fold: ensuring people affected by crises are at the centre of Action Against Hunger’s strategic approach to its programming in Jordan, and identifying areas where community consultations corroborate, contradict, or fill gaps in primary data collection. The consultant will be responsible for synthesising findings of the community consultations.

2.3 Phase 3: Facilitate SWOT in each base with teams

The consultant will organise one-day consultations with staff in each base, using a SWOT methodology to understand Action Against Hunger’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. In total, four workshops are expected: Azraq, Irbid, Madaba, and finally Amman. Following this part of the process, a summary of the conversations will be documented by the consultant.

In addition to using the SWOT methodology, the consultant will lead base teams through a process of actor and service mapping as informed by Phase 1 secondary data collection and analysis. This should complement 4W-style information already identified and also look at the power, level of access, and influence of different actors present in the areas where Action Against Hunger is working (or considering working). This process should also serve to create an information base from which future potential partners may be identified.

2.4 Phase 4: Support facilitation of a decision-making workshop

The consultant will work with the Action Against Hunger Jordan reference group for the strategy to prepare the agenda and methodology for the decision-making workshop. It is expected that all of the coordination team, plus selected senior staff from different bases will be participating in the decision-making workshop. The workshop is expected to take 4 days, with data from Phases 1-3 presented back to the group to assist decision-making in the initial days.

The decision-making workshop is focused on making the choices in strategy, in terms of the theory of change, goals, geographic focus, strategic approach by sector, partnerships, gender mainstreaming, etc.

2.5 Phase 5: Write the final strategy document

The consultant will be based on the outcomes of the decision-making workshop, compile the final draft strategy. The draft strategy will subsequently be shared with the coordination team as well as colleagues responsible for oversight of Action Against Hunger France-managed operations in the Middle East (‘the Middle East pool’) for final inputs, and a one-day review meeting will take place to compile feedback. Finally, the consultant will make adjustments to the strategy and submit to the reference group for final validation.

3 Deliverables

The consultant will ensure the timely delivery of high-quality documents in line with the timetable above:

  1. Context analysis report answering the key questions from Annex 1: 30-35 pages

  2. Summary of SWOT conversations in the bases: max 10 pages

  3. Final strategy document of around 25 pages, with a list of contents to be agreed in advance with the reference group.

The contract will be performance-based, and payments will be contingent to the successful delivery of each of these products at a high standard in a timely fashion.

All outputs must be submitted in English and in an editable format (Microsoft Word or another similar file format).

[1] This may be increased to 16, depending on findings from Phase 1, to include one additional location with great promise of becoming a new area for programme implementation.

Phase 1. Context analysis: 22 September – 22 October

Interviews (donors; internal country, regional, and HQ; government): 9 days

Secondary data gathering: 7 days

Reporting: 5 days

Reporting – addressing feedback from the reference group: 2 days

Phase 2. Community consultation: 23 October – 7 November

Developing facilitation tool: 1 days

Conducting facilitation sessions (Action Against Hunger field teams)

Synthesising community consultation session findings: 2 days

Phase 3. Facilitate exercises in each base with teams: 8 November - 21 November

Workshops – a full day each - 8 days

Preparation & documentation : 2 days

Phase 4. Decision-making workshop (Coordination + managers from bases + HQ teams) - 22 - 26 November

Preparation: 1 day

Facilitation **: 3 days**

Phase 5. Write the strategy - 27 November - 4 December

Strategy write up: 4 days

Revisions: 2 days

1 Governance

1.1 Day-to-day guidance to the work of the consultant

The consultant will work under the guidance of a small group of senior staff, who will act as a reference team. Day-to-day management of the consultant will be by the Deputy Country Director of Programmes (DCDP). The reference group will likely consist of DCDP, CD, heads of one or more technical departments, as well as advocacy focal point. It is expected these staff will also support in developing the list of people to be interviewed, identifying secondary data etc. Weekly meetings are anticipated with the reference team.

The consultant will directly report to the DCDP within the Action Against Hunger Jordan mission and will submit all the consultancy deliverables directly to them. The DCDP, in consultation with the reference group at their discretion, will do a quality check (ensure required elements are present and elaborated well) and decide whether the deliverable is ready for onward sharing.

The DCDP will forward a copy of each deliverable to key stakeholders for comments on factual issues and for clarifications. The DCDP will consolidate the comments and send these to the consultant by the date agreed or as soon as the comments are received from stakeholders. The consultant will consider all comments mutually determined to be relevant to finalise the deliverable and will submit it to the DCDP, who will then officially forward the final version to relevant stakeholders.

1.2 Decision-Making

Decision-making on the key strategic choices for the country programme sits with the Jordan coordination team as a whole, at times reinforced with senior staff from field bases and HQ. In case of a lack of consensus amongst the participants, the reference group will discuss the issue and seek to find a solution, but if need be the CD in consultation with the DCDP will make a final decision.

1.3 Wider organisational input

The Middle East pool in Paris will provide technical inputs to the process, led by the Deputy Regional Director or Regional Director. Inputs may be provided in-person or remotely, depending on the schedules and existing commitments of pool colleagues. Additional HQ support—particularly on technical and crosscutting dimensions—may be called upon if time allows and as findings indicate a strategic direction that requires greater reflection on organisational positioning.

1.4 Profile of the consultant

The evaluation will be carried out by (an) evaluation consultant(s) with the following profile:

  • Experience working with both humanitarian and development agencies, particularly in contexts undergoing the transition from emergency response to early recovery/development programming; experience working on or in support of WaSH, FSL, community health, and MHPSS programming would be advantageous
  • Demonstrable experience conducting strategy development processes
  • Experience with research on humanitarian and development issues and programming (required to provide examples where the consultant was the primarily responsible researcher as part of the tender submission)
  • Good communications skills and experience of workshop facilitation
  • Ability to write clear and useful reports (may be required to produce examples of previous work)
  • Good knowledge of Jordan context; understanding of Action Against Hunger’s programmatic approach and ways of working is an advantage
  • Fluent in English; Arabic is an advantage
  • Ability to manage the available time and resources and to work under tight deadlines

2 LEGAL AND ETHICAL MATTERS

The ownership of the draft and final documentation belong to Action Against Hunger exclusively. The document, or publication related to it, will not be shared with anybody except Action Against Hunger before the delivery by Action Against Hunger of the final document to the relevant stakeholder(s).

Action Against Hunger is to be the main addressee of the consultancy and its deliverables, and its results might impact both operational and technical strategies. With this said, Action Against Hunger retains the right to share the results of the consultancy with other agencies and entities at its discretion.

All documentation related to the Assignment (whether or not in the course of duties) shall remain the sole and exclusive property of Action Against Hunger.