Call for Training Consultant for CSO Proposal Writing

Terms of Reference
Call for Training Consultant for CSO Proposal Writing

About Lebanon Support
Lebanon Support is an independent non-governmental, non-religious, non-political, and non-profit making information and research center. Established in 2006, Lebanon Support was registered as a National Non-Governmental Organisation in November 2008 (registered under the number 168/2009 AD). Lebanon Support aims at enhancing civil society capacity, efficiency and effectiveness through the creation of public spaces for reflection, collaboration and debate on and for civil society in Lebanon. Lebanon Support adopts a multidisciplinary approach and evidence and fact based methodologies in civil society work in Lebanon so as to support and develop a civic voice and a better impact towards better accountability and societal change in Lebanon. Within this framework Lebanon Support focuses on information and knowledge sharing and management, production and delivery; as it is within Lebanon Support’s beliefs, that information and knowledge are at the heart of developing adequate strategies and interventions to reduce existing vulnerabilities and marginalisation in the country. Lebanon Support is currently implementing three main programmes: Daleel Madani, launched in 2006, an online collaborative platform for civil society news and services; and the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, launched in 2013,  is the first and most developed online platform for  research and knowledge management for civil society organisations, professionals, academics, and activists in Lebanon; The Civil Society Incubator, officially launched in 2016, which provides tailored support and mentoring to civil society actors in Lebanon.

Project Background
Lebanon Support is undertaking the project “Enabling Youth Led Initiatives,” within its Civil Society Incubator programme and funded by the Embassy of Switzerland (EoS).

The greater objective of the project is to enable and empower youth-led civil society organisations to better target their interventions, increase their advocacy reach, and help them influence policy through the provision of training and tailored mentorships.

To teach youth-led organisation how to effectively structure and style a proposal, Lebanon Support will develop a training module on Proposal Writing. The module will help the organisations effectively convey their interventions, as well as the impact of these interventions, to potential donors. The module will include internal Lebanon Support training material to be used in the aforementioned trainings and coachings, as well as external resources, such as powerpoints, handouts, graphs, exercises, and more, to be published online and in print.

In parallel, Lebanon Support (LS) will select 10 youth organisations working in Lebanon and offer them tailored trainings and coachings. In specific, the youth-led CSOs will be supported through 3 trainings, 1 training in proposal writing and 2 other trainings determined by a needs assessment. Each training will be 2 full days and take place at the Lebanon Support office in Beirut between March-May 2018. In addition to the trainings, organisations will be able to request on-the-job mentorship in any topic they need support in.

Training and Mentoring Tasks

The trainer will cover Proposal Writing for civil society organisations working in Lebanon, including but not limited to:

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, Director of Publications, and Head of Research, the trainer’s main tasks include:

• Identifying the needs, challenges, and opportunities amongst civil society actors regarding the topic of Proposal Writing
• Developing a curriculum and a training methodology that will build the capacities of CSOs proposa via a 25 page  Proposal Writing Module (to be published online by Lebanon Support) and along with other necessary and external training materials, among these, Powerpoint presentations, workshop exercises, communication and visibility strategy tools/resources,handouts for attendees, etc.
• Before finalisation of the training Module, submit a draft version of the Module (see above bullet point) to Lebanon Support (LS) for feedback, and integrate any feedback from LS into the curriculum within 2 weeks, and submit a final version.
• Facilitate and conduct 2 trainings (each training being 2 full days) for youth organisations within the project using the developed training module and external training materials adapted to the CSO’s context, i.e. to the level of the CSOs capacity
• Ensure that training components and activities are implemented as outlined in the project proposal in accordance with Lebanon Support policies and regulations;
• Ensure all activities and deliverables are developed, published, and handed in on time to Project Manager and Director of Publications
• Plan and provide support during the training of CSOs on proposal writing
• Conduct on-going monitoring and evaluation on own project trainings to ensure that the focus, strategies and activities remain relevant for the beneficiaries and to propose adjustments when needed throughout the training cycle;
• Ensure to take and maintain minutes of meetings; accurately draft and provide training or workshop summaries/reports.
• Plan and provide support during on-the-job mentoring and coaching of CSOs regarding proposal writing, as requested
• Maintain ongoing communication with project stakeholders regarding project progress and challenges;
• Work as a team player providing relevant assistance to colleagues and ensuring that project components, for which he/she is responsible, are interlinked;

Pre- and post-training survey requirements
In coordination with others within this project, the consultant will be entrusted with developing pre- and post-test questions, as part of a greater survey, to determine the level of knowledge and skills of  trainees vis-à-vis the Communication and Visibility Strategy trainings. The pre-test and post-test surveys are the same and they are delivered before the start date of the trainings and after the last session.

Expectation

The consultant is expected to ensure the following:

• Fulfill the entire contract period (January 2018-August 31st, 2018)- for the delivery of 1. the development and submission of training curriculum, module, and other relevant resources, 2. Two cycles of trainings (estimated 2 trainings)  (as described above in “Project Background”), and 3. On-the-job mentoring for CSOs, if requested.
• The consultant will finalise the training curriculum and Module across a period of 8 weeks, including submission of Module for feedback to Lebanon Support and integration of feedback into the final version of the Module.
• Submit training module/powerpoint/materials for distribution, publication, etc to Lebanon Support.
• Understand  and consider that trainings and mentorings must be decided in consultation with interested trainees to maximise attendance and avoid drop outs.

Compensation

For the development of the module and training material, the Proposal Writing consultant will be compensated for 2 months work at a rate of 1200 USD a month, totalling to an amount of $2400 for the training material.

Consultants will also be compensated 325 USD per training day, totalling to $650 per 2 day module training.

Lastly, the same amount (325 USD) will be paid to consultants for each full day of on-the-job mentorship.

Additionally, Lebanon Support will cover all necessary transportation or accommodation costs for trainings and mentorships outside of Beirut.

Consultant Specifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in NGO management, Social Sciences, or relevant disciplines from an accredited University, Master’s degree is desirable
• Minimum 5 years of working experience with an NGO in delivering trainings, developing sessions and manuals, managing learning cycle and testing sessions for efficacy
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic are a must (trainings may be delivered in Arabic)
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office and email
• Experience in capacity building of local civil society organisations
• Ability to be flexible in working hours
• High ability to analyse and address the local needs and challenges CSOs face in Lebanon
• Proactive and autonomous with tasks and duties, foreseeing challenges and delays
• Systematic and organised
• High ability to work calmly and efficiently under pressure, prioritise tasks and meet tight deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity and flexibility
• Ability to respect and maintain confidentiality
• Demonstrates civic engagement and knowledge of civil society in Lebanon
• Non-judgmental attitude and respect for Lebanon Support’s beneficiaries, other staff and people that Lebanon Support works with