Call for Consultants: Strengthening Civil Society Organisations Capacities in multiple areas

About the project

International Alert Lebanon is implementing the “Building CSOs’ capacity to deliver social stability projects in West Beqaa, Zahle, and Upper Chouf” project in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) within the framework of “Strengthening Agriculture, Local Communities and Small and Medium Enterprises (ACE)” programme with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for economic cooperation and development (BMZ). The project objective is to improve horizontal social stability in target communities through a greater capacity of CSOs to conduct conflict-sensitive activities that further social stability.

In the context of the project, social stability is understood as the state of relationships between different communities and groups. Stable and cohesive societies are characterised by positive interactions, attitudes, and trust between different groups.  

International Alert’s intervention aims to support CSOs in three areas - West Beqaa, the Upper Chouf areas, and Zahle - to strengthen social stability in the respective communities. As part of the process, participating CSOs will have an opportunity to strengthen their policies and systems to become more sustainable organisations. Participant CSOs will:

• Receive training on conflict and social stability as well as on how they can integrate conflict sensitivity and gender sensitivity within their projects. Furthermore, training sessions will be combined with coaching to address organisational development needs.
• Receive training including coaching on strategic planning, enhancing financial management, HR management, procurement, accountability, child safeguarding, advocacy, and communication, based on the organisation’s capacity assessment.
• Receive coaching on the design and implementation of initiatives aiming to enhance social stability, pending granting funds to applying CSOs.
• Participate in reflection, learning, and story-telling sessions supported by Alert to capture the results of the initiatives and consolidate learning on how to work on social stability and conflict-sensitive initiatives in the future.

As a part of the project, International Alert will develop tailored organizational capacity support plans for each CSO, this will involve conducting a two-day group training session (TOR 1) on pertinent topics for the majority of CSOs. Additionally, International Alert will extend its assistance with three-day tailored support (TOR 2) designed to strengthen various aspects of each organization based on their capacity assessment.

The aim of these training sessions is:

• To offer support to enhance the capacities of each CSO in different areas of their organization.
• To enhance the ability of the CSOs to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate their programs. This capacity development support is based on the capacity assessment that took place to identify the strengths and gaps in the organisational capacity of each CSOs.
• To work with a range of consultants who are specialist in different fields to help the CSOs develop areas such as financial systems, project management, M&E, and communication, and different policies such as safeguarding, governance etc…

International Alert is looking to hire a company that can develop the training methodology and tools, as well as provide the training sessions. The selected company will also be responsible for hiring a diverse team of experts to manage TOR 1 and TOR 2.

TOR 1

Objectives of the consultancy

The overall objective of the consultancy is to support International Alert in delivering general training sessions aimed at enhancing the capacity of its partner Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). This will be achieved by assessing the crucial components of effective organisational management, identifying areas that require strengthening or further development based on the organisational capacity needs assessment reports conducted in May 2023, and assisting in the formulation of policies and tools that contribute to the implementation of high-quality programming.

The specific objectives are as follows:

1. Collaborate with the International Alert team to develop the content of the trainings.
2. Conduct two-days group training sessions (for each area) covering subjects that are relevant to most 24 CSOs for effective organisational management such as financial management, safeguarding, and governance etc…
3. Draft a clear methodology and tools for conducting the trainings.
4. Prepare a final report that highlights the overall achievements and challenges encountered during the training process.

TOR 2

Objectives of the consultancy

The overall objective of the consultancy is to deliver comprehensive support to the 24 CSOs in the 3 different areas through a three-days training aimed at enhancing their capacities in various aspects of their organisation. This support will be customised to address the specific needs and challenges faced by each CSO, ensuring a tailored and customised approach. The training sessions will be provided to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and organised into groups based on their common needs, as identified from the capacity needs assessment reports conducted in May 2023.

Additionally, coaching sessions will be conducted at the CSOs' offices or online, providing targeted assistance with the objective of empowering them to create or update policies, strengthen operations, improve effectiveness, and achieve their goals more efficiently. The consultancy will equip CSOs with valuable knowledge, skills, and resources to enhance their overall impact and make positive contributions to the communities they serve.

The specific objectives are as follows:

1. Collaborate with the International Alert team to develop the content of the trainings, based on the previously conducted capacity needs assessment.
2. Deliver customised three-days training and assistance to enhance the capacities of each CSO in diverse areas. This includes supporting the development of internal policies, financial management policies, and safeguarding policies etc... Additionally, tailored training sessions on proposal writing and M&E will be provided based on the specific needs of each organisation.
3. Draft a clear methodology and tools for conducting the trainings.
4. Provide coaching sessions for the CSOs to create or update internal policies and procedures.
5. Prepare a final report highlighting the overall achievements and challenges encountered during the training.
6. Provide technical support to CSOs in need of guidance for capacity development and idea formulation.

Methodology

The training/coaching sessions will be conducted in person or/and online. The consultant is requested to develop a methodology which includes different ways and activities to ease the information received by the participants.

Support and resources to be provided by Alert.

Alert staff will be available to provide the necessary support (including logistics and the needed coordination) to company and its team. 

The company and its team are responsible for his/her own transportation and will need to have his/her own computer. 

Alert will also provide all key background documents (if needed) to support the company and its team to perform the assignment.

Deliverables

Each Consultant is responsible for 4 deliverables:

• Deliverable 1: Detailed methodology and tools to be used based on an inception meeting with Alert and after reviewing the organisational capacity needs assessment’s recommendations.
• Deliverable 2: Conduct the training sessions. (2 days general training sessions and 3 days tailored training sessions for the 24 CSOs).
• Deliverable 3: Support and visit CSOs to provide them with any technical assistance in the different areas pending on their needs.
• Deliverable 4: Prepare and submit a thorough final report that documents the support provided for organisational capacity development, provides a detailed overview of the progress made by each CSO, and presents a set of recommendations.

Deliverables

25 July 2023

Deadline for the submission of offers

31 July 2023

Contracting

Inception meeting

24 August 2023

 Methodology, training content, tools, and detailed plan.

Between September and first week of December 2023

Providing the training and the support needed for the CSOs

15 December 2023

Submission of the Final report

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of experience in organisational development with local civil society actors and demonstrated experience in working on similar portfolio of projects with NGOs.
• In-depth knowledge of good governance, project management cycle, and technical aspects of the project (M&E, communication, budgeting, etc..).
• Experience with and understanding of the local context in West Bekaa, Zahle, and upper Chouf areas.
• Professional and educational background in international relations, governance, international development, policy making, social sciences or other relevant fields to the scope of the consultancy.
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of cultural sensitivity and commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
• Proficiency in English and Arabic and ability to conduct trainings, meetings, and focus group discussions in Arabic.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism, including following data protection guidelines.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Languages

- English: Excellent.

-  Arabic: Excellent.