(Consultancy)
Background
The International Rescue Committee – since its inception in 1933 – has been actively responding to all the major emergencies and disasters across the globe. For the last thirty years, the IRC has been providing humanitarian assistance to the population affected by emergencies and disasters across Pakistan through interventions in livelihood, water and sanitation, hygiene, education, environmental health, public health, primary health, reproductive health, skills development and protection.
With the changing humanitarian context across the globe, IRC launched its Strategic Action Plan (SAP) 2020. SAP 2020 aspires IRC’s vision to lead the humanitarian field by implementing high-impact, cost-effective programs for people affected by crisis, and by using its learning and experience to shape the policy and practice. The SAP 2020 provides foundation for IRC’s programs in Pakistan and sets priorities for the next five years and beyond. However, the programs can only be strengthened if they are backed by a strong context specific program implementation and operational structure. Thus, a systematic yet critical review and analysis of its program implementation, operational and management approaches vis-à-vis fast changing external operating environment is required to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of its operations.
In order to carry out the review and analysis in a systematic way, the IRC in Pakistan requires the services of a consultant to support country management and regional leadership in placing a context specific and strong program implementation and operational structure.
Scope
The Consultant will focus upon IRC’s current operations across Pakistan. This includes IRC’s implementing partners and staff at field (e.g. field leadership of the program, program/project managers, support functions’ staff, partners, etc.) and country office (e.g. SMT, Technical Leadership, support functional leadership, teams etc.). The consultant shall analyze IRC’s current program implementation strategy and approaches along with the support systems and structures to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations. The consultant will identify and make critical recommendations required for: 1) effective program delivery, 2) operational efficiency, and 3) rationalized staffing and structures.
Role
Reporting to IRC Pakistan’s Country Director, the consultant will closely work with IRC’s Regional Leadership (Regional Director, Deputy Regional Director, HR Director and Measurement and Accountability Coordinator) and Senior Management Team of IRC Pakistan. The consultant will specifically formulate his/her recommendations to the regional and country leadership on:
1. The best program implementation strategy for IRC considering current and future humanitarian context and operating environment in Pakistan;
2. The most effective and efficient organizational and management structures across all programming and support functions and across all offices with reference to current programs and strategic priorities
Key Responsibilities
Working closely with the country and regional leadership, the consultant will support IRC Pakistan in formulating its future operational strategy by defining the ways of working and recommending key structural changes. This may include but not limited to:
Particular/Specific Tasks:
Desk Review
· Learn IRC’s programs, structure, support functions, operations and strategic priorities
· Get acquainted with the current Humanitarian Policy Framework in the country
· Seek orientation to IRC Policies, Procedures, systems and approaches in the country
Consultation, Coordination and Communication
· Extensive consultation and coordination with program and support functions’ leadership at country office and field levels
· Consultations with key stakeholders particularly relevant government authorities and donors
Organizational Structure
· Engage with various tiers of management and key staff members to analyze current ways of working and IRC Pakistan’s operational structure and staffing levels and numbers
· Work with the key staff members to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of their functions
· Learn the key tasks performed by staff within different departments and functions by reviewing departmental staffing lists and organograms, and analyze duplication of efforts, value for money and resource efficiencies
· Recommend organizational structure and staffing levels in line with the proposed strategy
· Where needed, recommend required amendments in Functions and Job Descriptions as per the proposed organizational structure
· Identify potential economic gains anticipated through revised organizational structure
Others/General Tasks:
· Map the donors and analyze future funding trends and focus of key donors
· Meetings and discussions with partners and other civil society organizations and INGOs
· Develop sound understanding of new INGO Regulation Policy Framework (including NGO Bill)
· Review of partner selection process, documentation, its strengths, weaknesses and the anticipated role in line with the suggested modus operandi
· Assess and recommend current and future capacity building requirements
Deliverables
· At the inception stage, conduct and present the risks and mitigation plan associated with the process.
· At the end of the assignment, provide a detailed analytical report containing recommended program implementation strategy and organizational structures with critical immediate, medium and long-term steps/actions required.
Submission and Selection of Proposals
Applicants are requested to submit a proposal for the consultancy by August 30, 2016. The actual proposal detailing the approach and methodology to undertake the assignment, excluding profile, should not be more than 5 pages (including the budget and the work plan).
The proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Compliance with proposal requirements articulated in this TOR
- Experience of the Consultant analyzed from profile and past assignments of similar nature
- Methodological aspects and plan of undertaking the assignment are technically sound as well as realistic concerning the scope and timeframe of the study.
- Clarity of articulating outcomes and deliverables at the end of the assignment.
- Competitiveness and value for money.
Ethics and Risks
· Any conflict of interest (or lack thereof) must be disclosed at the time of the application e.g. relationship with any of the staff member at IRC in any capacity (friend, relative, ex-colleague, etc.), association with any of the partner organizations of IRC in any capacity or any additional business/corporate that’s involved in financial/procurement dealings/businesses with IRC, etc.
· All consultations, meetings and discussions will be conducted with respect to cultural sensitivity of the participating individuals (stakeholders).
· All steps must be taken to protect the confidentiality of participating individuals (stakeholders) and their perspectives, under all circumstances. Urgent risks identified during the assignment will be confidentially referred to country management immediately.
· Stakeholders should be informed about the nature and purpose of their engagement as appropriate.
Timeframe
This assignment shall ideally be completed within a period of 15 days; most likely from September 1 to 15, 2016.
Payment Schedule
· At the time of signing the contract 30%
· On presenting preliminary findings 40%
· Approval of Final Report and Presentation (soft version) 30%
Consultant’s Specifications
Essential
· Masters or Post Graduate Degree in human resource, organizational development, international development, , social sciences (sociology, ethnology, anthropology) or human rights studies.
· Extensive senior management level experience in the NGO sector, within complex/large scale country programs and in emergency response/humanitarian environments
· Experience of successfully setting up or re-structuring large teams in complex humanitarian context
· Previous experience of successfully conducting large-scale and organization wide critical effectiveness and efficiency reviews/analysis
· Ability to build relationships quickly with a wide range of people, both internally and externally
· Strong planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a substantial workload comprising of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities
· Cultural awareness, with strong written and spoken communication and interpersonal skills
· Fluent in English, both written and oral.
Desirable
· Familiarity and experience of organizational development and HR frameworks and approaches
· Familiarity with lean/six sigma methodologies
· Knowledge of organizational effectiveness and efficiency analysis tools and approaches
· Diplomas and/or certification in organizational development, HR development and change management
