Consultancy Strategy Development for Farah Social Foundation (FSF)

1. Asmae’s Background:

Asmae-Association Soeur Emmanuelle ("Asmae") is a French international NGO and registered charity, specializing in child development. Independent, secular, and apolitical, it is open to all. Founded in 1980 by Sister Emmanuelle, based on her experience with rag pickers in the slums of Cairo, Asmae continues its actions in line with the values and methods inherited from its founder: listening and proximity, pragmatism, taking account of differences, professionalism, and reciprocity.

Asmae's mission is to provide tailored and ongoing support to vulnerable children, youth, and their families, focusing on local actors in education, child protection, livelihoods, and other thematic areas such as Gender Equality, Social Inclusion, and Social Stability.

Asmae has been working in Lebanon in a partnership approach with different local partners and this support is particularly provided under the “Yalla for Employment and Protection”, (YEP) project since January 2022 in partnership with Farah Social Foundation.

1. FSF’s Background:

Farah Social Foundation (FSF) is a non-governmental and non-profit organization committed to international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and abides by their provisions. It was founded in 1988 and registered in Lebanon under number 47.
Our mission is to contribute to the social and economic development of communities, especially those facing disadvantages. We work towards eradicating poverty and empowering individuals to actively participate in their own development and that of their communities.
FSF aims to support vulnerable people, including youth, women, people with disabilities, and chronic patients, by providing livelihood, food security, health, and protection services

3. Description of the consultancy:

3.1. Purpose and objectives of the consultancy

The consultant is requested to develop a 3-year Strategic Plan for 2025- 2027 through an inclusive and participatory process, by working under the direct guidance of the Asmae and FSF management teams. The consultant is expected to include FSF staff members, and other relevant stakeholders as identified and agreed upon in the inception stage.

The specific objectives include:

 1- In consultation with the Management team, prepare an inception report with a detailed step-by-step process, methods, tools, and timelines for the development and validation of the strategic plan.

2- Prepare the first draft of the strategic plan as per the scope below with the process and methodology defined.

3- Ensure that feedback is incorporated through reviews and validation exercises and final sign-off is obtained from the management team, program staff, and other relevant members

3.2 Scope of the consultancy

Following the development and agreement of the inception report and the strategic plan structure and process guide, the key components of the strategic plan will be:

1. Context Analysis: Conduct a comprehensive contextual analysis utilizing secondary and primary data sources following a thorough stakeholder mapping process. This includes reviewing existing secondary data to create a visual representation of the key challenges, issues, barriers, and trends that FSF aims to address in the long term.
2. Research: Engage in participatory research to gather primary data that provides a detailed narrative on the key issues, themes, problems, and potential solutions identified by stakeholders. The primary data should be triangulated with the secondary data to validate findings and enhance the effectiveness of the analysis.
3. Gender Analysis: Analyze the identified issues, problems, and factors with a focus on gender and power dynamics. Assess the distinct effects and responses experienced by different gender groups. Examine how power is manifested in our context and identify the specific forms of power relevant to FSF's context and interventions.
4. Problem statement and solution statement: Summarize the context into two to three paragraphs to articulate a clear problem statement, outlining the key issues and challenges identified. Follow this with an equally detailed solution statement that explains how the organization will address these problems, including the strategies and interventions FSF will implement.
5. Theory of Change: Develop a visual representation and accompanying narrative that illustrates what the organization believes needs to change and how this change can occur. This should include evidence-based Pathways of Change, detailing the problems and issues addressed through clearly articulated short-term, medium-term, and long-term outcomes, key interventions, assumptions, and goals. Additionally, provide a one to two-page descriptive summary of the key components in the Theory of Change diagram, explaining the rationale behind how the organization plans to achieve these changes.
6.  Intervention strategies: Provide detailed descriptions of the intervention strategies, including a record of the types of interventions grouped by geographical and thematic coverage. Outline how FSF will apply its organizational values to bring about change, specifying whether the interventions are recurring or one-off.
7. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan: Outline the key evaluation questions and the approach to answering them. Specify the indicators to assess progress, along with the timeline and resources needed for effective monitoring and evaluation.
8. Resources Planning: Provide an organogram detailing the number and types of technical and operational human resources required to implement the strategic plan. Include brief descriptions of each role, highlighting the necessary organizational and technical skills, as well as FSF’s core values needed for implementation

Methodoly and Deliverables are detailed in the attached TOR.

4. Required qualifications and procedures

• • Advanced degree in a relevant field such as Social Sciences, International Development, or Project Management, with substantial experience in development studies, social development, strategies, assessments, or equivalent.
  • Strong writing and communication skills, demonstrated through previous work and publications.
  • Minimum of ten years of progressive work experience in social development, with a proven track record in designing and implementing strategies.
  • Specific expertise in monitoring and evaluation within strategic frameworks, showcasing the ability to measure impact and adapt strategies accordingly.
  • Essential experience working within the Lebanese context, particularly in and around Palestine camps; additional field experience is desirable.
  • In-depth understanding of Gender equality, social inclusion, livelihoods, social stability, child protection, education, vocational training in Lebanon, and other relevant sectors, with practical experience in these areas.
  • Deep knowledge of capacity-building approaches and the work of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Lebanon.
  • Proficiency in analytical thinking, critical assessment, facilitation, and report writing skills.
  • Official authorization to work in Lebanon is mandatory.
  • Excellent proficiency in both Arabic and English languages, with advanced writing and communication skills in both.