External Revision Of The Lebanon Cash Consortium (Lcc) Structure And Governance

  Terms of Reference Role: External Revision of the Lebanon Cash Consortium (LCC) Structure and Governance                                   Supervisor: Chief of Party Time Frame of Assignment: This project is due to start as soon as possible with an estimated duration of 6-8 weeks. Applicants should prepare a proposed methodology, budget and work plan, including the number of consultancy days for each team member. Location: Lebanon (travel within the country expected, safety permitting)                                                Date of ToR:  September 2016                                 Project background  The Lebanon Cash Consortium (LCC) brings together six international NGOs, including Save the Children (Consortium Lead), the International Rescue Committee (Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research Lead), Solidarités International (Technical Lead), CARE (Gender Lead), ACTED (IM/GIS Lead), and World Vision International (Communications Lead). The LCC mandate is to provide multi-purpose cash assistance (MCA) to economically vulnerable Syrian households, whose eligibility is determined based on the inter-agency desk formula score that seeks to measure socio-economic vulnerability. During 2015, 20,000 household were assisted with MCA. As the LCC has grown rapidly in terms of scale and reach, internal structures have struggled to keep pace, giving rise to a need for structural review and development.  Through a review of the current model of partnership between the 6 LCC agencies and the structure composition and allocation of resources, the LCC seeks to improve its efficiency, internal governance and operational set up ensuring quality programming and accountability to beneficiaries, as well as donors and partners.. This consultancy, undertaken with agencies’ own funds, aims to review the current partnership model and LCC internal structure, and provide recommendations based on efficiency, accountability and programme quality.  The relevance of the LCC, taking into consideration the LCRP 2017 -2020 and scenario planning and enabling and humanitarian context in Lebanon, should also be examined during this consultancy. The current consortium modus operandi needs to be reviewed and adjusted in order to ensure that the optimal model is in place. The main areas where weaknesses have been identified include the following: LCC composition and structure: scale, reach and value addition of the consortium in current format, e.g. internal structure, allocation of resources (including level of effort), operational links between LCC staff members, reporting lines, division of roles and responsibilities, communication channels. Governance: governance bodies and their mandate, decision making processes, coordination. Responsibilities of the LCC Consultant/ consultancy team Identify areas where the LCC model is working at a suboptimal level and causes of inefficiency.                                 i.            Governance model                               ii.            HR structure                             iii.            Management structure                              iv.            Membership Analyse the relevance of the LCC given the enabling and humanitarian context in Lebanon, Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2017-2020 and LCC strategy. Analyse different partnership models. Recommend a partnership model which increases efficiency, coherence, quality (how the consortium works, decision-making) and effectiveness (how beneficiaries are impacted) within the Lebanon enabling context. Recommend an action plan to implement necessary changes   Objective and Output:  Objective: The objective of this consultancy is to analyse the efficiency and relevance of the current LCC model, propose alternative models of partnerships (including governance and structural recommendations) in order to increase the LCC efficiency in the delivery of multi-purpose cash grants in Lebanon. Recommendations need to ensure that accountability to beneficiaries, donors and partners, and quality programming is maintained/increased. Endorsed recommendations need to take consideration of the enabling and humanitarian context in Lebanon, and be aligned with the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017-2020. Output: Report on the LCC efficiency/effectiveness/relevance based on current model. Matrix of current and proposed partnership models, showing the governance structure, pros and cons of each model. Half way through the consultancy (specific time to be agreed with the LCC Steering Committee- at the beginning of the consultancy), the consultant should facilitate a session to present the above-mentioned matrix and seek agreement from LCC Steering committee on the partnership model which will be developed fully before the end of the consultancy. Development of governance policies according to partnership model agreed upon, terms of reference, job descriptions, memorandum of understanding (if relevant) and any other documents necessary to implement final recommendations. Organisation and facilitation of final workshop to present findings, recommendations and implementation plan. Implementation plan signed off by the LCC steering committee by the end of the workshop. Essential Competencies required: The consultant (or consultancy team) should have the following essential skills and knowledge: Operational experience in organisational structure and types of governance models in complex partnership agreements Knowledge and experience of the ways of working of emergency Non-Governmental Organizations, United Nation agencies, local organisations and donors Post-graduate qualification in a relevant discipline Experience leading humanitarian evaluations – ideally including the analysis of efficiency and effectiveness drivers The ability to assemble vast amounts of information and identify critical aspects Excellent facilitation skills Results-oriented and solutions-driven Able to communicate complex subject matter (in a written and oral form) into accessible and simple guidance that is accessible to people with varying language skills Experience of working with a diverse range of stakeholders, ensuring effective consultation and engagement is achieved Fluency (written and oral) in English. Arabic an asset