TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY TO IDENTIFY AND SELECT 5 CSOS FOR AN ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOP CUSTOMIZED CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS BASED ON ASSESSMENT FINDINGS

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY TO IDENTIFY AND SELECT 5 CSOS FOR AN ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOP CUSTOMIZED CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS BASED ON ASSESSMENT FINDINGS

1.    Background

The Somali Child Rights Coalition is a network of national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Somalia that focuses on advocating for and protecting the rights of children. The coalition is comprised of various organizations working in the field of child rights and child protection. The primary objective of the Somali Child Rights Coalition is to amplify the voices of children and promote their rights through collective action and advocacy. By uniting NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs) working in the child rights sector, the coalition aims to strengthen their impact, increase coordination, and enhance collaboration in addressing the challenges faced by children in Somalia.

The Somali Child Rights Coalition (SCRC) represents a collaborative effort among multiple child-focused organizations in Somalia, all committed to advancing the rights and well-being of children across the nation. Through unified advocacy and coordinated action, SCRC aims to create a roadmap for supporting and investing in localization and advocacy efforts. By harnessing the collective expertise and resources of its member organizations, SCRC endeavours to drive positive change and create a more inclusive and protective environment for children throughout the country.

The SCRC plays a vital role in strengthening the capacity of local partners, facilitating coordination, promoting leadership, increasing funding access, and driving policy advocacy. This multi-sectoral coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) is dedicated to protecting and advancing children’s rights across Somalia, with broad membership from both local and national organizations. The SCRC focuses on raising awareness, influencing policy, and strengthening child protection mechanisms, aiming to keep children’s welfare at the forefront of the Somali government’s agenda and aligned with international child rights treaties. As an independent coalition, the SCRC serves as a united voice for Somali children, advocating for systemic change and policy development at national, regional, and international levels. 

Strengthening the organizational capacities and coordination of local actors is essential for fostering local resilience and ensuring that humanitarian interventions are both sustainable and accountable to affected populations. Local actors are uniquely positioned to understand the needs of their communities, allowing them to tailor interventions that are most relevant and appropriate. Long standing relationships with communities, rapport with target populations resulting from an extensive period of service, and unique contextual understanding are key reasons why local actors are well placed to design and deliver interventions. Empowering local and national NGOs to participate in decision-making processes can lead to increased ownership, resulting in more timely, effective, and responsive outcomes for the most deprived and vulnerable children, as well as their communities, while promoting the fulfillment of children's rights. 

The assignment will target five civil society organizations with support from save the children through Som-Localization practices phase II for institutional assessment and the development of comprehensive capacity strengthening plans to support their effectiveness and long-term sustainability. 

2.    OBJECTIVES:

The overall objective of this assignment is conducting a comprehensive organizational capacity assessment for 5 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and to develop a customized capacity development plan that enhances their operational effectiveness and impact.

Specific Objectives

§  Identify five active CSO from the Coalition members

§  Evaluate the existing capacities of five CSOs in financial, Human resource, Procurement and logistics and Programmatic themes to identify strengths and weaknesses in their organizational, programmatic, and operational capabilities.

§  Analyze assessment data to identify specific capacity gaps in key areas such as leadership governance, financial management, program delivery, advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation.

§  Formulate a comprehensive capacity strengthening plan that addresses identified gaps with tailored strategies and interventions.

§  Prepare a final report summarizing assessment findings, the capacity strengthening plan, and actionable recommendations for CSOs and stakeholders.

3.    SCOPE OF WORK:

This exercise aims to conduct a comprehensive capacity assessment for strategic and implementing Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in banadir Region, South west state and Galmudug through the following activities.

        i.            Project Inception: Conduct a kick-off meeting with key stakeholders to clarify project objectives, expectations, and timelines and review relevant documentation related to the CSOs and the context within which they operate.

      ii.            Capacity Assessment: Use the different research tools to assess the current capacities of selected CSOs. Collect quantitative data through surveys and qualitative data via interviews and focus group discussions.

   iii.            Stakeholder Engagement: Identify and engage key stakeholders, including CSO staff. Facilitate workshops and discussions to gather insights on organizational strengths, challenges, and opportunities.

    iv.            Development of Capacity Strengthening Plan: Collaborate with CSOs to develop a tailored capacity strengthening plan that addresses identified gaps. Define specific strategies and interventions, including capacity-building activities and training programs.

      v.            Final Report Preparation: Compile a comprehensive final report that includes:

§  Assessment findings

§  The developed capacity strengthening plan

§  Recommendations for ongoing improvement and sustainability

§  Present the final report to stakeholders in a validation workshop, gathering feedback for refinement

4.    METHODOLOGY:

The overall exercise will primarily be a desk study but will contain set of qualitative data collection stages to develop a substantive, user-centered capacity assessment and capacity development exercise. The steps mentioned below will be an integral part in the process.

v  Desk Review-Conduct a thorough review of existing documentation related to the CSOs.

v  Gap Analysis-Use qualitative and quantitative methods to assess current capabilities and identify gaps.

v  Capacity Assessment Tools-Develop and use standardized tool to evaluate the capacities of local CSOs.

v  Interviews and Focus Groups-Conduct KII interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders/CSOs to collect in-depth information

v  Data Analysis-Analyze data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement.

v  Validation meeting Organize a meeting to validate findings and refine recommendations with each CSO’s input.

5.    DELIVERABLES:

The consultant will be expected the following deliverables.

§  Inception Report: Detailed methodology, work plan, and timeline.

§  Capacity Building Report: Findings from the capacity assessment and trainings.

§  Recommendations Report: Actionable recommendations for capacity building plan.

§  Final Report: Consolidated report including all findings, analyses, and recommendations.

6.    Timeline: 35 days

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 35 days from the start date. A detailed work plan will be developed during the inception phase.

• Has five years’ experience with relevant assignment
• Proven experience in conducting organizational capacity assessments and developing capacity-building strategies.
• Strong knowledge of civil society dynamics in Somalia or similar contexts.
• Excellent facilitation, analytical, and report-writing skills.
• Experience in participatory assessment methods.

Upon the above mentioned requirements, qualified Consultant is expected to submit both the Technical and Financial Proposals. Accordingly, Consultants will be evaluated based on following:

§  Submit a Technical Proposal that clearly explains the proposed methodology/ approach, and timeframe to conduct the training (40%)

§  Proven experience in conducting partner capacity assessments and developing capacity-building plans for local partners (30%)

§  Copies of the previous sample reports relevant with the subject matter (10%)

§  Detailed financial proposal with budget breakdown (20%)

Overall rating out of 100 %Note: For the technical analysis, a firm/consultant must score 80% and above to be considered in the financial analysis.

8. Management and Technical Guidance

·         The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the SCRC Program Manager. The Program Manager will be the direct contact person for the consultant and responsible for day-to-day supervision and link to any organizational support necessary.

·         Responsibilities of SCRC in facilitating this analysis are the following:

o   Provide access to all necessary documents and manuals

o   Provide access to any other relevant information

o   Facilitate the connection of Local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and relevant clusters in Somalia.

9. Terms and conditions

• Professional fee: The applicants will provide a budget for the exercise and Somali Child Rights Coalition (SCRC) will consider proposals that are within the approved rates as per its policy on professional fees.
• Tax and insurance: The consultant shall be responsible for his/her income tax and/or medical insurance during the assignment

10. Guiding principles and values

• The consultant will be expected to adhere to Somali Child Rights Coalition’s’ Code of conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy and practices and confidentiality when interviewing. Gender mainstreaming is key to Somali Child Rights Coalition (SCRC) and the donor; therefore, the consultant will have to ensure that the research team on the ground is gender balanced, ensuring that females are available to interact with female beneficiaries and vice versa. The consultant will also take into account principles of impartiality, independence, objectivity, participation, collaboration, transparency, reliability, privacy and utility throughout the process.

11. Selection Process

• Somali Child Rights Coalition (SCRC) will use its internal guidance, checklists and an interview process to select the successful consultant. 

12.  Submission of the Application:

Along with their CV interested candidates should submit

·         A technical proposal explaining their comprehension of the ToR, and how they would approach this assignment, summarizing the methodologies and approaches they plan to use, including a timeline.

·         Two samples of similar previous assignments

·         Their availability

·         A separate financial proposal outlining their expected fees.

·         Staff CVs that will be responsible for assignment implementation. 

Applications MUST be submitted, to [email protected] not later than, April 17th, 2025. Due to the urgency of the post, shortlisting of submissions and interviews may take place prior to the deadline.