Consultant - Organizational Capacity Development - Communication - Bekaa - National Candidates Only

Background of the project  

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

As a part of its Strategic Planning, the IRC Lebanon has recognized that working with Local and International partners will continue to grow in its relevance and created a partnerships unit in 2017 with more than 20 established partnerships today in 2020 with local actors and governmental bodies. Effective partnerships with local and national CSOs and government entities enable the IRC to pursue the strategic objectives set out in IRC 2020 and result in better outcomes for the people we serve.

Context Overview

Strengthening local actors’ ability to deliver services and respond to the needs of people is a key element of the IRC’s mission. Consistent with its mission to maximize reach to the most vulnerable populations, the IRC prioritizes capacity strengthening investments in local and national civil society organizations and other actors that will be long-term catalysts and drivers of change in the geographical areas where we work.

Capacity sharing is a process of mutual learning between the IRC and partner organization that improves the quality of services and outcomes for the people we serve. Capacity-sharing support is based on each organization’s aspirations and commitment to sustainable organizational development, in addition to the immediate support that may be required to achieve the objectives of a project and reach program outcomes.  Organizational development is a long-term change process driven by the partner organization’s mission, vision and systems, focusing on organizational change, improvement, and transformation.

Within this framework, the IRC is implementing organizational capacity assessment and support for strategic partners identified by the IRC. The Organizational development support addresses partners’ abilities to lead, manage, and connect with stakeholders and clients as needed, and aims to strengthen not just the skills of individual staff, but the capacity of the organization as a whole, so that it may fulfil its mission.

The IRC is currently looking for consultant(s) to support a local organization in building their organizational capacity in setting a clear and customized communication and advocacy strategy.

Scope of Work

The expected scope of work for the consultant is:

Consultant:

• To review the Terms of Reference of this consultancy and provide inputs as needed.
• To review relevant project materials and other documents provided by the IRC and partner related to previous capacity assessment/s done and for any previous project support plans executed by the IRC or any other donor and any other organizational support received by any other party.
• To meet with partner organization management and teams to discuss and prepare the detailed training workplan and timeline.
• To provide IRC with the training workplan and timeline, outlining how the consultant will fulfil the assigned deliverables, for the approval of IRC prior to the start of the assessment.
• Lead the organizational development implementation plan as per training topics outlined in the Deliverables table below.
• To provide the partner organization with training material summarizing key takeaways from each training and realistic customized action plans to integrate learning and achieve desired outcomes.
• To finalize the assignments through incorporating feedback provided by IRC and partner organizations.

The IRC team will support the consultant with the below:

• Provide introduction and facilitate communication with the identified partner.
• To provide the consultant with information as needed to arrange meetings and interviews related to the scope of the consultancy.
• To provide the consultant with logistic support as needed.
• To provide the consultant with the necessary feedback to each of the deliverables.
• To validate the final deliverables submitted by the consultant.

Deliverables:

• Inception report: To provide a concise inception report that will clarify the methodology used by the consultant to fulfil the assigned deliverables, for the approval of IRC. The inception report will also include a clear and accurate timeline and workplan.
• Training - Communication strategy and advocacy skills; Design the communication strategy, advise on the creation of the social media networks, the discourse and identity, and facilitate the input between staff and junior management. Train the staff on the concept of NGO communication and support the teams in the implementation of the Communication and Advocacy strategy.
• Final report: To provide a written report with the results of the training and suggest action plan for implementation.

Total Cost for Deliverables to be paid as a Lumpsum at the end of assignment.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Partnerships Capacity Sharing Manager.

• Position works with:  Partner Organization, IRC programs’ technical leads, partnerships Coordinator, Senior program Support Coordinator.

Requirements:

• Graduate Degree in marketing, communication, governance and/or policy making or other relevant fields to the scope of the consultancy.
• Demonstrated experience in working on similar portfolio of projects with NGOs.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational development with local civil society actors.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in Arabic and English.
• Social media design experience.
• Experience in drafting reports.
• Strong facilitation skills.
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills.
• Positive and professional attitude, including ability to work well in a team setting.
• Strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
• Excellent computer skills including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint