Adeso Short -term Consultancy - Staff and Partner Capacity Building on Participatory Learning, Planning and Action, REGAL-IR

Consultancy

Organizational Context 

Adeso is an expanding and vibrant African based international development and humanitarian organization. 

At Adeso, we work with African communities who are yet to realize their full potential; working inside these communities to create environments in which Africans can thrive. Our belief that economic, social and environmental security is the bedrock of a healthy community drives the nature and intent of our programming. 

 

We work to prevent and overcome situations that adversely affect community well-being by: reinvigorating the economy, developing skills for life and work, providing humanitarian aid, and influencing policy. 

For the past 20 years we have strengthened rural livelihoods through environmental awareness, training, technology transfer and innovative humanitarian projects in pursuit of a peaceful, self-reliant, and greener future. Currently, Adeso has programs in Somalia, Kenya and South Sudan.

Adeso is an exciting and dynamic organization experiencing managed rapid growth. It offers sound employment conditions with opportunities for personal growth and development. 

Background And Rationale

The Resilience and Economic Growth in the Arid Lands - Improving Resilience (REGAL-IR) project, is a five-year Cooperative Agreement (CA) that is a part of the U.S. government’s feed the Future (FtF) initiative and USAID/Kenya’s economic growth development objective.

The project led by Adeso is implemented in a consortium of organizations namely Co2balance UK and its Kenyan subsidiary Carbon Zero Kenya (CZK), Finnish Church Aid (FCA), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Sidai Africa, Ltd and Vétérinaires Sans Frontières-Suisse (VSF-S). In 2014 other NGOs will also be included on REGAL-IR implementation.

The project aims to build social, economic, and environmental resilience in five counties in Kenya, namely-Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo and Turkana Counties. 

The targeted counties have over the years experienced recurring shocks e.g. droughts, hazards such as climate change and recurring turbulence caused by frequent violent conflicts ranging from internal disputes between tribal groups in Kenya, to cross-border confrontations with groups from neighboring countries, and coupled with the spill-over effects from regional conflicts in the Horn of Africa.

With the aim to address this in a sustainable manner, REGAL-IR is employing a community-driven approach to development called, “Participatory Learning, Planning and Action” (PLPA) with the intention of empowering communities in the target counties to assess, plan and take charge of their development and resilience efforts, in collaboration with REGAL-IR partners, government, and other stakeholders.

Towards this end, REGAL-IR contracted two consultants from July–September 2013 to deliver basic trainings and Training of Trainers (TOT) to REGAL-IR and Consortium partner staff. The consultants also produced training manuals and tools. 

The training successfully strengthened REGAL-IR capacity with the result that the project conducted high quality PLPA processes in some 150 communities across project counties.

Many communities having participated in PLPA processes have formed Self-Help Groups (SHGs), registered with the government, established bank accounts, have started a savings program and have begun to implement activities both within and related to their CDAPs. 

They are now primed to receive the additional training, coaching and mentoring they need to become more proficient in implementing their CDAPs, and to reach higher, more sustainable levels of resilience.

Whereas the initial PLPA consultancy (July-September 2013) focused on Steps 1, 2 and 3, that is, 1) Training in PLPA methodology, 2) Community Engagement, and 3) Design of Community Development Action Plans (CDAPs), the consultancy described by this Scope of Work (SOW) focuses on Step 5, that is, coaching and mentoring community leaders and members to successfully implement their plans.

Objective of the Assignment

The Individual consultant or consultancy firm will reinforce and enhance the attitudes, knowledge, skills (AKS) of REGAL-IR Technical Advisors, Project Officers, and LNGO staff to mentor and coach CBOs to implement their CDAPs.

 The consultants will also train up new REGAL-IR and LNGO staff in PLPA and CDAP processes. The anticipated result is that Technical Advisors, Project Officers and select LNGO staff are equipped to implement the REGAL-IR community-led and -driven approach across thematic areas.

Specifically, the consultancy will achieve three objectives:

To provide TOT to new REGAL-IR Technical Advisors, Project Officers and to staff of targeted local NGOS (LNGOs) to acquire the AKS to effectively undertake PLPA processes in their counties;
To follow up implementation of PLPA/CDAP’s and ensure that staff are utilizing processes, methods, and tools consistent with REGAL-IR’s PLPA methodology, and to upgrade their PLPA knowledge, skills and capacity to perfect their application of the same in their work with communities;
To build staff and LNGO capacity to implement PLPA Step 5, i.e., to coach and mentor CBO leaders and members to successfully implement their CDAPs and community resilience activities. TASKS The PLPA consultant or consultancy firm will perform the following tasks:

• Deliver the advanced TOT workshop to include the following topics: advanced facilitation skills, coaching and mentoring for continuous behavior change, including supporting trainers in session planning in preparation for the practitioner training roll-out (2 training days);
• Prepare advanced TOT workshop report (1 day);
• Deliver the attitude change component of the PLPA practitioner training for new REGAL-IR Staff and local implementing partner staff (15-25 participants) focusing on issues such as critical self awareness, attitude, behavior and approach to learning from people, etc. (2 days);
• Backstop previously trained PLPA trainers as they deliver the technical component of the PLPA practitioner training to the new staff on participatory concepts, methodologies and tools for all PLPA steps (6 days);
• Backstop trainers in preparing the report from the practitioner’s training (1 day);
• Access the level of transition from a “provider” mindset among all previously trained staff (TA’s and PO’s), using methodologies such as self-assessment. Identify and make recommendations with regard to areas of improvement. Support staff to develop their respective capacity development action plans; 18 POs and 5-7 TAs (5 days);
• Provide on-the-job and on-site capacity building to increase field staff’s proficiency in PLPA Step 5 (2-3 days per county or 3 weeks total including travel). It is expected that for this task and the one above, the consultant’s will not lump staff together but provide one-on-one (or individual) assessment and support to each staff;
• Evaluate the quality of interventions across all relevant REGAL-IR thematic areas; make specific recommendations on how to enhance and mainstream community empowerment through participatory methodologies. This work is included in the field time listed above (3 weeks) for thematic areas 1, 3 and 5. For thematic areas 4 and 6 additional meetings with GAIN and FCA are required (included in the 3 weeks above);
• On the basis of the above: prepare a report that highlights recommendations and action plans (1 day);
• Compile all reports containing achievements, findings of the assignment and detailed recommendations. The report compilation must be edited and formatted well and submitted in soft copy (1days);
• Undertake one debrief session at REGAL-IR project headquarters in Isiolo and one at ADESO headquarters in Nairobi on the critical findings and proposed way forward (2 days).

Deliverables

• An inception meeting organized by the consultant to brief key decision makers on the scope of the assignment;
• One TOT workshop for up to 10 PLPA trainers including a final workshop report;
• One attitude change workshop/training for 15-25 staff and partners plus backstopping of REGAL-IR trainers.
• Report from the practitioner’s training – maximum length 20 pages plus appendices;
• Recommendations in the form of one-page Action Plans for capacity building of staff towards attitude change and mainstreaming empowerment , including indicators for measuring progress;
• Recommendations in form of one-to-two page Action Plans for improvements in implementation quality in each of REGAL-IR’s thematic areas, including indicators for measuring progress;
• Final report - maximum length 20 pages plus appendices; 8. Two debrief sessions – one at REGAL-IR office in Isiolo, and the other at ADESO HQ in Nairobi.

Methodology

The approach must be adult learner-focused, combine theoretical and practical trainings with on-the-job trainings in the field, include constructive feedback, document findings, brief REGAL-IR and other stakeholders on the assignment, and produce timely, clear, concise reports. Competency And Expertise Requirements

The consultant should have the following qualifications: 

Academic Qualifications:

• Advanced University degree in social sciences such as sociology, anthropology, development studies, rural development or related field. Technical competencies and experience requirements:
• At least 10 years of relevant practical experience in applying participatory rural appraisal approaches with marginalized and mainly illiterate communities;
• Demonstrated ability to lead, plan, organize, implement and report on a consultancy assignment;
• 5-10 years practical experience in training and capacity building, including TOT.
• Demonstrated expertise in livelihoods and community-based approaches;
• Practical experience and proficiency in PLPA or similar methodology;
• Track record in achieving attitude change in project teams (for effective facilitation) and with communities (towards self-reliance and reduction of dependency syndromes);
• Thorough understanding of pastoralists in ASALs in Kenya including experience with two or more of the pastoral communities in the project area - Boran, Rendille, Samburu, Turkana, Somali, Gabra, etc).
• Expertise in working with inter-cultural and inter-disciplinary teams;
• Prepared to work in remote areas including overnight stays in manyattas;
• Excellent English (oral and writing) required, knowledge of Kiswahili or any of the local dialects from the 5 counties will be an added advantage.

N.B: 

Due to the geographical spread, the number of staff and the scope of this consultancy, the consulting firm bidding for this task might require more than one consultant to deliver the task in the prescribed timeframe. 

Should this be the case, all the consultancy team members must be able to simultaneously facilitate processes with the staff and in the communities, without compromising the quality of output or deliverables.

How to apply:

Applications should be submitted to consultancy@adesoafrica.org with the subject line: Application for PLPA 2014 – REGAL-IR Consultancy not later than 13th February 2014, including the following documents:

• Proposal describing in detail how the above tasks and expected outputs will be achieved;
• Brief cover letter indicating your suitability and motivation (structured in line with requirement list); 
• Curriculum vitae of lead and co-trainers;
• Bio-data form in a complete USAID SF-1420 format.