Call for proposals for a consultant to facilitate the development of a strategic plan

A. Introduction

Child’s i Foundation is a key player in driving policy reform related to Child Protection and Care in Uganda. A lack of evidence of the alternatives to institutional care remains a critical issue in Uganda. Child’s i Foundation has been actively involved in efforts to build the national evidence base by demonstrating effective family-based care and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programming. Child’s i Foundation has also been supporting the government in its implementation of the Alternative Care Framework and in building a national social workforce to help the nation reimagine the care of its most vulnerable citizens.

Child’s i Foundation helps reunite children with their own families, where possible, and finds loving, Ugandan adoptive or foster families where the child’s own family cannot be found or is unsafe. We help to repurpose institutions into community hubs that provide referrals to relevant services to prevent family separation in the first place. We work with local partners to identify and train community volunteers and establish community development networks. We have worked with UNICEF to review the National Child Policy, revised the Alternative Care Panel guidelines through participation in the National Child Protection Working Group and also input into the National Foster Care guidelines. We have contributed to the development of national policies, demonstrated change for vulnerable children and families through project delivery as well as the establishment of national gate keeping mechanisms. In 2011 we established a National Social Work Center to provide social work training in Alternative Care and developed an Alternative Care curriculum with Makerere University.

Child’s i Foundation programming approaches include:

• Re purposing: Systemic change through District & Division transformation and re purposing of orphanages
• Rebuilding: Strengthening through rebuilding the community response and Social Service Workforce
• Re imagining: Influencing change by advocating and changing hearts and minds, to reimagine the way we care for children

B. Background to the assignment

In 2019, Child’s i Foundation developed a strategic plan that ends December 2022. This strategic plan was the organization’s response to the skyrocketing number of children being placed in children’s homes (commonly known as orphanages) in Uganda. In light of the recent national and global interests in areas such as child protection, child safeguarding, youth livelihoods and population movements, it is anticipated that the 2023 -2026 strategic plan shall provide a framework for Child’s i Foundation to align itself to respond to the recent changes in sectors relevant to its work in addition to Child Protection that has been an area of focus since its establishment.

Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations in the world with almost 57% of its population below the age of 18 and approximately half (48.7 per cent) is younger than 15. Of the child population, 9 % are orphans (i.e., have lost one or both parents). In a context where children experience multiple vulnerabilities, combined with minimal government spending on child protection, ensuring the healthy development of children and supporting families remains a challenge for many actors.

Child’s i Foundation has worked to prove that children can be safely placed into loving homes through tracing and reuniting them into their own families, finding foster families or placing them with adoptive families in Uganda. Backed by a strong evidence base and a track record of delivering complex programmes, the organization has uniquely positioned itself to scale up its approach to help bring an end to the damaging practice of placing children in orphanages.

Together with other partners, Child’s i Foundation and Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) are catalysing the regional elimination of institutional care for children by demonstrating the positive impact of family strengthening and protection as a high-quality alternative to institutions and providing a model that can be replicated across the Eastern and Southern African countries. As a result, hundreds of institutionalized children have been transitioned into safe family environments where they receive care and protection and benefit from significantly improved health, education and wellbeing outcomes. Also, the lives of thousands of children and their families at risk of institutionalisation in targeted countries, including children with disabilities have benefited from improved community-based services. Families have been supported to: reduce their vulnerability, access services and gain relevant skills with regard to increasing their income and protecting all children. In addition, the capacity of government professionals and community paraprofessionals increased to strengthen families in responding adequately to poverty and ensure children are safe and protected.

Since establishment; the organization has been predominantly supported by donors in the UK who provide funding support towards the organization’s programs and operations in Uganda. However, such support is often designated to support programmatic interventions with no support directed towards organizational growth and staff development. Key areas that are not funded include; staff capacity building, costs of operating and maintaining of infrastructure and equipment; to mention but a few.

Globally, there have been significant changes in the donor landscape. There is renewed funding interests in Child Protection, Safeguarding and Covid prevention, but a very significant reduction in funding for institution related work that is pertinent to Child’s i Foundation work.

C. Objectives for the assignment

• To conduct SWOT (Strength Weaknesses/Limitations Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the organization. This will involve meeting with Child’s i leadership, staff, volunteers, board(s), partners (Civil society organizations to collate input on strengths and weaknesses of Child’s i Foundation and to identify potential growth opportunities.
• To conduct a PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) analysis of the organization: this will involve meeting with stakeholders, partners, donors, government officials to gain knowledge and input that will provide a picture of the environment that the organization is working in.
• To facilitate a three- day workshop with Child’s i Foundation to support us to develop a strategic plan and Theory of Change.
• To work closely with the CEO and Country Director, and use information collected from interviews, SWOT, PEST, and workshops to draft a strategic plan for Child’s i Foundation for the period 2023-2028 containing, but not be limited to the following:
• A SWOT analysis of the organization
• A PEST analysis of the organization
• Business environment analysis
• Competitor analysis
• Market analysis
• Operations plan
• Management summary
• Financial plan
• Resource mobilization plan
• Sustainability plan

D. Specific tasks for the Consultant

· Prepare and share with the Child’s i Foundation leadership an inception report highlighting plans for undertaking the assignment

• Develop assessment tools to be used in the SWOT and PEST analysis
• Undertake consultations with Child’s i Foundation staff and stakeholders using approved tools
• Undertake validation meetings with Child’s i Foundation management following the strategic planning workshop.
• Plan, lead, and document all workshop proceedings in developing the Child’s i Foundation strategic plan.

E. Deliverables

· A report on the workshop conducted to develop the strategic plan for Child’s i Foundation.

• A draft of the strategic plan for the Child’s i Foundation containing all of the components highlighted under the objectives for the assignment stated above.
• A final version of the strategic plan which takes input from Child’s i Foundation.

F. Required qualifications and experience

Child’s i Foundation is looking for a consultant with a strong record in strategic planning as well as direct programme interventions. The lead evaluator will need to carry respect and credibility within the development field and have an excellent knowledge of evaluation and monitoring in theory and in practice.

Individuals as well as consulting firms are welcome to express their interests as consultants to perform the present assignment. To qualify, the consultant(s) should possess the following expertise and skills as a minimum:

• The lead consultant should possess as a minimum a Masters degree in Social Sciences or MA/MSc degree with additional five years of experience in Child Protection and Safeguarding;
• The lead consultant should have relevant experience in developing strategic plans for Child Care Reform programs and projects at national and decentralized levels for at least 5-10 years.
• Proven previous experience in social protection issues.
• Familiarity with the Ugandan context and technical knowledge of strategic planning and programming of Child Care Reform.
• Good communication, negotiation, analytical and report writing skills. Fluency in English (written and verbal) is mandatory.
• Skills in facilitation of stakeholder engagements/workshops
• Wide experience in organization development
• Consultants should have vast experience with issues of Child Care Reform especially in the context of Child Protection policies, guidelines and response systems and structures in Uganda and in the region.
• Good working knowledge of Alternative Care in local governments
• Experience in both the private and the nonprofit sectors will be of added advantage.

· Must be result-oriented, a team player, with high levels of enthusiasm, tact, and integrity

G. Proposed timeline (February-April 2022)

· The consultant will be expected to conduct the strategic planning workshop within 14 days of the inception of the consultancy.

· A draft of the strategic plan will be ready for review by Child’s i Foundation no later than 14 days after the completion of the strategic planning workshop.

· The final version of the Strategic plan will be completed by the consultant no more than 3 days after receiving input from Child’s i Foundation.

H. Supervision

Supervision of the consultancy will be provided by the Country Director of Child’s i Foundation with the support of its Senior Leadership Team.

I. Terms of payment

Payment will be done according to an agreed time frame/arrangement:

1^st installment

10% of the total amount

After inception meeting and sharing inception report from the consultant (11^th February 2022)

2^nd installment

20% of the total amount

Submission of assessment tools (PEST and SWOT)18^th February 2022

3^rd installment

20% of the total amount

A report on the workshop conducted to develop the Strategic plan for Child’s i Foundation.

(11th March 2022)

4^th installment

25% of the total amount

First draft Strategic Plan (18^th March 2022)

5^th installment

25% of the total amount

Final Strategic Plan (25^th of March 2022)