Strategic Planning Facilitation & Organizational Development Consultant

1. Background Information:

The Community Organization for Development and Empowerment – TCODE-INITIATE is a non-governmental, non-profit, youth-oriented organization based in Lebanon, dedicated to assisting vulnerable communities through youth inclusion and empowerment. While keeping youth at the focus of its mission, TCODE-INITIATE continually endeavors to create comprehensive and inclusive programs aimed at the empowerment of youth and its concentric circles of influence.

As part of its institutional development and strategic commitment to programmatic coherence, INITIATE is undertaking a structured strategic planning process to review, update, and build on its existing strategic plan and review and define its organizational direction for the coming [3–5] years. This process will bring together board members, senior staff, and key stakeholders to assess progress made, identify strategic focus areas, revisit organizational identity, close critical gaps, and produce a revised, costed, and validated strategic plan with a clear implementation roadmap.

2. Purpose of the Contract:

INITIATE seeks to engage a consultant to review the organization’s existing strategic plan, facilitate a participatory and evidence-informed update process, and lead the development of a revised strategic plan that builds on previous achievements and lessons learned. The consultant will guide the organization through a series of structured facilitation sessions, workshops, and working sessions, culminating in a validated and updated strategic plan document.

3. Objective:

To support INITIATE in reviewing and updating its existing strategic plan, drawing on institutional experience and lessons learned, and producing a revised, actionable, and validated strategic plan through structured facilitation, participatory methodologies, and professional documentation, ensuring full organizational ownership and strategic alignment across all levels.

4. Scope of Work / Tasks:

• Conduct a desk review of the existing strategic plan and relevant organizational documents, then facilitate a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with board senior staff, and external stakeholders to assess progress, identify remaining and emerging priorities, and define future organizational direction.
• Lead working sessions to review and refine the organization's mission, vision, values, and organizational identity.
• Conduct a strategic change and gap analysis across working sessions, building on the existing strategic plan and using appropriate assessment tools (e.g. SWOT, PESTLE, or similar frameworks) to evaluate what has been achieved, what has changed in context, and what new strategic needs must be addressed.
• Facilitate workshops as needed, to define strategic priorities, objectives, and measurable results.
• Facilitate workshops as needed, to develop a costed action plan, implementation roadmap, roles, delegation of responsibilities, and accountability mechanisms.
• Review, revise, and update the organizational strategic plan across working sessions, building on the existing plan and incorporating all outputs from the facilitation process.
• Cooperate with Communications consultant and M and E consultant, to integrate strategic communication and M and E framework in the strategic plan.
• Lead a validation meeting to present, revise, and finalize the strategic plan with board and senior management endorsement.
• Submit a final validation report with the endorsed strategic plan and recommendations for monitoring and follow-up.

5. Deliverables:

• Inception note including a desk review summary of the existing strategic plan, a proposed facilitation workplan, and methodology.
• FGD report summarizing assessment of the existing plan, emerging strategic focus areas, and priority themes for the updated plan.
• Gap analysis and strategic change assessment report.
• Revised draft strategic plan built on the existing plan, incorporating updated priorities, objectives, action plan, and costed roadmap.
• Final validated and updated strategic plan (post-validation, fully endorsed), reflecting the revised direction built on INITIATE’s existing plan.
• Final assignment report with outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations.

6. Required Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in organizational development, social sciences, management, international development, or a related field.
• Minimum 7 years of demonstrated experience in strategic planning, organizational development, or institutional capacity building.
• Proven track record facilitating multi-stakeholder strategic planning processes with NGOs, UN agencies, or international organizations.
• Strong analytical and facilitation skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear strategic frameworks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; Arabic proficiency is a strong asset.
• At least one sample of a previously developed strategic plan or comparable organizational development deliverable.
• Familiarity with the Lebanese or wider MENA humanitarian and development context is preferred.

7. Duration and Level of Effort:

• Start Date: June 2026
• End Date: August 2026

#    Activity                                               Deliverable/Outcome

1    Inception Phase                                 Strategic focus areas

2    Mission, Vision & Identity Review            Updated mission & vision

3    Strategic Change & Gap Analysis           Gaps mapped

4    Strategic Priorities & Objectives               Objectives set

5    Action Plan, Roadmap & Delegation       Costed action plan

6     Drafting Strategic Plan                           Strategic plan draft

7    Validation & Finalization                          Endorsed strategic plan

Confidentiality:

The consultant will not, without the prior written approval of The Community Organization for Development and Empowerment-INITIATE, disclose to any person other than Initiate, any confidential information, including that which relates to this agreement or the services under this agreement. 

In giving written approval, Initiate may impose such terms and conditions, as it thinks fit.

Rights to use Deliverables

Consultant do not have the right to use any of the delivered materials for any other similar work.

All the produced materials can be used only by The Community Organization for Development and Empowerment-INITIATE and written approval from Initiate needed if consultant requested to use the delivered materials for other works/Activities.

Termination

Without limiting any other rights or remedies the Parties may have against the other Party arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, either Party may terminate this Agreement (in whole or part) by thirty (30) days written notice if:

Either Party commits a material breach of this Agreement and does not remedy that breach within ten (10) Working Days of that breach being notified to the other Party;

Either Party notifies the other Party that it can no longer carry out any of its. 

Upon terminating this Agreement, TCODE-INITIATE will not be liable to pay compensation in any amount which would, in addition to any amounts paid or due, or becoming due, be greater than the total Fees payable to the Consultant under this Agreement. 

Upon receipt of a notice of termination, the contractor will:

Immediately stop work as specified in the notice and render an invoice to Initiate detailing the costs of Services and hours spent to date, prior to termination; and

Take all available steps to minimize loss resulting from that termination and to protect The Community Organization for Development and Empowerment--INITIATE Material and the Contract Material.

Following termination or expiration of this Agreement the Parties agree that:

Accrued rights and remedies of a Party will not be affected; and

Each Party must return the Confidential Information of the other Party (if any) in that Party’s possession or control;

All rights of the contracted granted under the Agreement will terminate; and

The Consultant must deliver up to The Community Organization for Development and Empowerment--INITIATE all copies of INITIATE Material and Contract Material in the possession, custody or control of the Consultant.

Conditions and Management

The contracts for all personnel are made by INITIATE according to its rules and regulations. The consultant will report to the Human Resources Manager.

The Organization management retains the right to suspend payment on non-compliance of terms or in the event of poor-quality work. These decisions will not be taken arbitrarily but in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

Code of Conduct, PSEA, and Child Protection

The consultant is required to adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards at all times.

a. Code of Conduct

The consultant must:

Act with integrity, honesty, and respect toward all individuals

Avoid conflicts of interest

Respect diversity and inclusion

Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information

Uphold the organization’s reputation and values

b. Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

The consultant must:

Comply with a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual exploitation and abuse

Not engage in any form of sexual activity with beneficiaries, especially those in vulnerable situations

Not exchange money, employment, goods, or services for sexual favors

Report any suspected SEA incidents immediately through established reporting mechanisms

Participate in mandatory PSEA training if required

c. Child Protection

The consultant must:

Safeguard the rights and well-being of children at all times

Not engage in any form of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of children

Ensure all interactions with children are appropriate and respectful

Immediately report any concerns or suspicions of child abuse

Follow all organizational child safeguarding policies and procedures