Consultant – Project Planning Support

The consultant leads the project team’s efforts as they collaboratively craft their new proposal. The support will be provided through a collaborative process involving conducting meetings with various stakeholders to enhance and develop the narrative of the upcoming project. Through this project Impact will support both We Exist! Alliance and SCNP the Syrian Civil Society Network Platform. Both SCNP and WE are very well positioned to support Syrian organizations to better coordinate among each other, mobilize their resources and engage with policymakers and public actors more effectively.

BACKGROUND:
IMPACT – Civil Society Research and Development e.V. founded in Berlin in 2013, is a non-profit civil society organization with offices in Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. Civil society support is the core of IMPACT’s mission through long-term and balanced support to individuals and organizations in the conflict and developed countries. IMPACT main areas of intervention are capacity building, research, peace building and diaspora engagement.
The Syrian Civil Society Network Platform (SCNP) a platform of 9 civil society networks, formed in early 2017, aims to act as a cross-country, cross network coordination platform. It aims “to strengthen the collaboration, capacity, and voices of rights-based Syrian civil society and diaspora networks and build dialogue and solidarity between Syrian organizations.”
We Exist! is a Syrian-led advocacy alliance that aims at amplifying the voice and messages of
active, vibrant and dynamic rights-based civil society organizations and ensuring they are at
the forefront of discussions about Syria’s future. Through its activities, the alliance aims to
foster the representation of these actors’ “side of the story”, especially vis-à-vis the cycle of human rights violations perpetrated in Syria.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The primary objective of this role is to spearhead the process of formulating and updating the current project narrative, with a view to supporting the team’s fundraising efforts. This assignment will embrace a collaborative approach that involves meetings with diverse stakeholders, including members and partners. The key goals of these meetings are as follows:

1. Gaining Insight from Diverse Stakeholder Perspectives: The consultant will actively conduct meetings with a broad spectrum of stakeholders (who will be determined by the project team) to gain a thorough understanding of the current roles and positions held by both platforms, viewing them from multiple angles.
2. Expressing both Platforms Members’ and Executive Staff Interests: The consultant will articulate the interests of both platform members and executive staff to inform the design of the new project narrative.
3. Developing a Comprehensive Project Narrative: In alignment with the strategies of both platforms, incorporating feedback from members, and integrating the aspirations of the project team, this assignment will lead to the creation of a comprehensive project narrative. This narrative will serve as a base stone for future funding applications to a variety of donors.

SCOPE OF WORK:
The assignment entails the provision of 10 working days of consultancy. During this duration, the consultant will collaborate closely with the SCNP and WE coordinators to establish meeting schedules, develop questions for members and partners, and create the project narrative/proposal.
The newly developed Narrative will encompass, but is not limited to, the following components:

1. The newly developed Narrative will encompass, but is not limited to, the following components:
   Project Background: Providing a contextual foundation for the project.
2. Documentation of Consultation Process: Capturing the process of various meetings and outlining their outcomes.
3. Summary of Previous Roles and Interventions: Summarizing the prior functions and interventions undertaken by both SCNP and WE!
4. Problem Statement: Clearly articulating the challenges and issues that the project aims to address.
5. Lessons Learned: Highlighting valuable insights and experiences from previous endeavors.
6. Theory of Change: Presenting the conceptual framework outlining how the project intends to bring about change.
7. Updated Project Design: Describing the project’s newly revised design, including possible activity descriptions and the main resources required.
8. Target Audience and Beneficiaries: Identifying the intended recipients and beneficiaries of the project.
9. Project main stakeholders, an overview of the key individuals and organizations the project needs to engage with.
10. Log Framework: Outlining a logical framework that connects project activities to intended outcomes.
11. Risks and Mitigation Measures: Identifying potential risks and providing strategies for mitigating them.
12. Gender Mainstreaming and Perspectives: Incorporating gender considerations and perspectives into the project narrative.

The consultancy is aimed to implement the following:

The consultancy aims to achieve the following objective: updating the existing project narrative through an inclusive process that acknowledges and incorporates the diverse viewpoints of project stakeholders. The New project design/Narrative will serve as the base stone for the project executive team to develop proposals to different possible donors.

METHODOLOGY:

Even there will be a quiet space for creativity in this consultancy, but there should be basic standards for the methodology. The consultants are welcomed to share their points of view on methodology in their technical offer, knowing that the consultant needs to do the following (as minimum)

1. Review the SCNP and WE strategies and main documents.
2. Meetings with at least 6 members of SCNP and WE board members.
3. Meetings with at least 2 external partners of both platforms.

KEY DELIVERABLES:
Following deliverables are expected from the service provider:
Updated project Narrative including but not limited to the items mentioned in the scope of work in English.
LOCATION:
Online platforms/Main virtual meetings are ZOOM Platform.
TIMEFRAME:
This is a short-term assignment for individual consultants for a period of 10 working days. Tentatively, this assignment ends before 31.10.2023.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Sign with IMPACT a consultancy agreement.
2. Discuss and agree with IMPACT on the final deliverable.
3. Design an appropriate process of the consultancy leading to the desired results.
4. Propose on the most appropriate methodology for effective delivery of the assignment.
5. Submit the final deliverables based on the objectives of this assignment.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES:

1. University or master’s degree in political science, international relations, International development, public policy, public administration, or any other development related studies
2. Excellent understanding to the Syrian context
3. At least seven years’ experience in program designing, and proposal development related to civil society, advocacy and/or campaigning.
4. Competence in developing strategic plans and objectives that align with the goals of civil society and advocacy initiatives.
5. Previous long experience in working with similar assignments like research and analysis, fundraising, and project developing.
6. Knowledge and practical experience in working with civil society networks and alliances.
7. Strong writing skills, with the ability to craft clear, persuasive, and well-structured project proposals that effectively communicate the project’s goals and objectives.
8. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, Arabic is a plus.

Language:

The language of this consultancy including all deliverables is English, Arabic is additional. Communication with the SCNP team can be done in English or Arabic.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Applicants are required to submit their technical and financial proposals in English as follows:

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL:

1. The technical proposal should include but not limited to the following information:
2. A brief outline of recent experience and client references in carrying out assignments of similar nature (Max. 1 pages)
3. Detailed description of how the consultant understands and will respond to the ToR including time frame.
4. Curriculum Vitae of consultants.
5. The consultant methods to provide this consultancy.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL:

The financial proposal must contain overall quotation in Euro for all the services to be provided and must follows the following:

• Summary of the total costs for the services proposed.
• Any taxes applicable.

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

100% of the payment will be released to the consultant after completing the work.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY:

IMPACT aims to create an organization that is safe for children but is also aware of the need to keep child protection concerns proportionate and to guard against overzealous attitudes. Child abuse thrives in closed and secretive atmospheres. IMPACT’s best protection is to create an open and aware culture where people are not afraid to speak about their concerns.

Any employee, consultant, contractor, or the supplier undertaking an activity on behalf of IMPACT organization must sign the Child Safeguarding – Declaration of Acceptance Form and comply with the IMPACT Child Safeguarding Policy which is a statement of IMPACT’s commitment to preventing abuse and protecting children with whom it comes into contact.