Capacity building Expert

About Expertise France:

Expertise France is a public agency part of the AFD Group, merging six agencies under the supervision of the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy and Finance with a strong inter-ministerial vocation. EF offers programme engineering and technical assistance by developing and implementing international cooperation actions worldwide. EF operates in various development and institutional cooperation fields, including safety and security reform, post-crisis/stability, public health, human rights, strengthening of institutions and NGOs, and governance.
Expertise France designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the balanced development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of France’s external action.

CONTEXT

Syrian conflict
The Syrian conflict is having a devastating and lasting impact on Syria and across the region. With the conflict almost entering its eleven-year, the needs of the affected populations for assistance, including. 13.1million people inside the country and more than 5.6 million refugees plus their overstretched host communities in neighboring countries, are of an unprecedented scale. In 2013, the Syria crisis transformed itself from a humanitarian emergency to a multidimensional and protracted crisis directly affecting several countries in the region – mainly Lebanon and Jordan, but also Iraq, Turkey, and Egypt – whose social and economic capacity to deal with the ever-growing influx of refugees is all but exhausted. All actors involved in the crisis response agree that this massive challenge requires a comprehensive regional response, not only humanitarian aid but also longer-term structural support to host countries and communities, especially as no political solution to the crisis is in sight in the short term.
Many communities inside Syria face disrupted humanitarian support and quickly deteriorating public services and infrastructure, including the communities of northeast Syria.

 EXPERTISE FRANCE IN SYRIA:

Since 2013, Expertise France has been implementing direct non-humanitarian assistance programmes in non-regime-held areas across Syria.
EF developed and implemented several stabilization projects targeting conflict-affected communities in Syria through local Syrian NGOs and CSOs with whom EF built strong partnerships. Expertise France’s fields of intervention cover the following sectors: health, livelihoods, early recovery, and capacity development.

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

Supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Expertise France will launch the third phase of SABIR in order to respond to the protracted crisis in NES following the same integrated area-based approach, targeting a cluster of communities in specific geographic areas in the south of Al Hasskah and Ar-rqqa provinces, and taking into account the links and exchanges between sectors, local regions and stakeholders to maximize impact.
The SABIR III project was built on lessons learned from SABIR II, maintaining and expanding good practices, especially the successful area-based and holistic approach to respond to the inter-related and multi-sectoral needs as a mean for stabilization, while adopting a more active community engagement and localized approach under SABIR II through forming community-based committees who would represent the targeted communities and their interests. Particular attention will be devoted to mitigating climate change, prevailing environmental degradation, and water scarcity in the NES.
SABIR project’s overall intended impact is to contribute to addressing the post-crisis recovery challenges to pave the path towards sustainable development. The sub-objective of SABIR IV is to build more resilient local communities towards greater stabilization in the northeast of Syria.
SABIR 4 focus areas:
1. Access to basic services is enhanced through the rehabilitation of public infrastructure.
2. Local communities have improved access to inclusive and sustainable livelihoods opportunities.
3. Social Cohesion has increased in areas where a diversity of communities and sociodemographic live.
4. The capacities of local partners are strengthened to implement project activities and improve community engagement.

Overall Objective:

More resilient local communities pave the way towards greater stabilization in the Northeast of Syria.
Living conditions and human security of people affected by the crisis in the northeast of Syria are improved through an integrated area-based and gender inclusive approach, focusing on access to basic services, livelihoods, and local actors’ empowerment. SABIR 4 project is designed to increase resilient communities and enable stabilization. The project should therefore respond to immediate food security and livelihood needs and to improve access to resources, services and knowledge. It will support community’s positive coping strategies and provide an enabling environment to mitigate negative ones, improve living conditions and access to basic services, and promote stabilization through a multisector-integrated approach. It is believed that the stabilization effort will support the target communities’ transition towards a more sustainable and equitable economic growth, will strengthen social cohesion at the local level, and hopefully would encourage displaced persons to return to their own communities. This would reflect positively on both IDPs and Host Communities, by reducing the pressure and improving social cohesion in NES.
Outputs:
Output 1: Access to basic services is enhanced through the rehabilitation of public infrastructure:
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Drinking and/or irrigation water availability and management are improved through rehabilitation of facilities:
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Rehabilitation of water treatment plants: improve access to water supply (for drinking and irrigation purposes) including provision of solar energy panels if feasible.
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Rehabilitation of water pumping facilities, including provision of solar energy panels if feasible.
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Maintenance and cleaning of irrigation canals. This activity will also provide cash-for-work income to local workers.
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Rehabilitation of irrigation networks for drinking and irrigation in both governorates
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Irrigation networks are improved to reduce the loss of water while irrigation provide on-farm irrigation networks such drip irrigation or sprinklers, and other climate smart irrigation techniques.
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Rehabilitation of small ground water wells for irrigation purposes.
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Drill and rehabilitate wells, equipping wells and pumps with solar energy.
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the rehabilitation of existing electrical networks and/or the additional new facilities improve electricity availability:
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Sabir will implement rehabilitation of electricity facilities/network and/or installation of new lines and transformers in areas suffering from excessive loads on the current transformers causing unstable current and successive blackouts and malfunctions.

Output 2: Local communities have improved access to inclusive and sustainable livelihoods opportunities:
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local farmers are provided with agricultural inputs such as high-value drought resistance seeds, in addition to small greenhouses and extension services in the two locations:
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The activity will include the provision of high-value drought resistance seeds, in addition to climate smart techniques, extension and training packages through the Farmer-to-Farmer approach and the demonstration plots to exchange knowledge and disseminate good practices.
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Establishing small greenhouses to women with all input materials such as seeds, drip irrigation and training to promote fresh vegetables production in this area and to empower women household.
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Supporting farmers with agricultural inputs and other materials to improve farmers’ livelihoods.
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Livestock heads and beehives, veterinary services, vaccines, and extension, as well as fodder seeds is provided to breeders:
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The project would provide vaccines for livestock heads of small ruminants. Farmers would also be supplied with Azolla and Panicum seeds to grow their own fodder and complemented by training.
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Technical and vocational training is implemented to increase the employability of local youth:
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Reinforcement of the population through specific and technical vocational trainings courses linked with the demands from the local enterprises.
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Small in-kind grants will be provided to selected beneficiaries aiming to start up their businesses. Local partners will ensure a strong follow-up on those small businesses, to ensure their sustainability, following lesson learned on exit strategy for this kind of project.
Output 3: Social Cohesion has increased in areas where a diversity of communities and sociodemographic live (inter-religious, tribal differences, IDPs and host communities)
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Activities, events, festival mobilizing members of different cultural groups (including IDPs and host communities) are organized:
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Conferences, workshops, and dialogue sessions are organized by local partners to discuss share of resources at the community level.
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Actions that foster the sense of belonging to the same culture, roots and emphasize spirt of common belonging are produced (focusing on promotions of heritage, history, traditions).
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Events are organized to promote and strengthen social cohesion and peaceful coexistence, such as music and sport festivals, cleaning days of public spaces, promotion of local heritage, etc.
Output 4: The capacities of local partners are strengthened to implement project activities and improve community engagement:
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CSOs/CBOs are trained and provided by organizational capacity building activities.
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CSOs/CBOs are trained and provided by technical capacity building activities.
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The Community Based Committees have been formed and trained to ensure good coordination of the activities and enhance sustainability.

PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY / ASSIGNMENT:

The Capacity Building Expert will be responsible for providing inputs on how to tailor capacity building programmes for NGOs and NSAs in Syria. He will be responsible to advise EF on how to provide the more efficient methodology of capacity building for each actor, coordinating with subcontracted organizations in charge of delivering these capacity programmes.
He will also review and follow-up he results of the Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) for each partner under the SABIR 4 Project and ENSAAC projects. The aim is to enhance partners’ operational efficiency, governance, and overall organizational effectiveness in alignment with the project’s objectives. He/she will carry out the following activities:
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Review methodology and tools used by subcontracting organizations in charge of delivering capacity building programmes.
In particular, ensure that the methodology used, the quality of trainers, the follow-up with the organizations is fit with the desired output of the projects. Ensuring a tailored approach based on the nature of the beneficiary of the programme.
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Provide inputs, review and analyze OCA Results for Each Partner:
The consultant will begin by reviewing the detailed OCA reports for each partner organization. The OCA assesses key organizational capacities across multiple domains such as governance, financial management, human resources, program management, and external relations.
Advise and Support Trainers:
The consultant will also provide strategic advice and mentorship to the trainers responsible for delivering the capacity-building sessions. By closely reviewing the training content, delivery methods, and outcomes, the consultant will offer constructive feedback and recommendations for improvement to ensure that the training sessions are tailored to the needs of the partners and are achieving the desired impact.
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Enhance Sustainability of Capacity Building Efforts:
The consultant will ensure that capacity-building activities are not just short-term fixes but lead to sustainable growth in the partners’ competencies. The consultant will advise on best practices, tools, and strategies for long-term capacity development, ensuring the partners can maintain and enhance their capabilities beyond the life of the project.
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Provide Regular Feedback and Reporting:
The consultant will be responsible for documenting and reporting on the progress of the partners’ capacity-building efforts, sharing insights with project management, and suggesting any necessary adjustments to the strategy or approach.

TECHNICAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

•University degree or master’s degree in organizational development, International Development, Social Sciences, Public Administration, or related fields.
•A specialization in capacity building, institutional strengthening, or organizational management is highly preferred.
•At least 7 to 10 years of experience in organizational capacity building and institutional strengthening, particularly with NGOs or development organizations, is required.
•Experience in designing and delivering capacity-building programs for local and international organizations, including developing customized strategies based on organizational capacity assessments (OCA).
•Excellent writing skills with high proficiency in English and Arabic, particularly in preparing reports, training manuals, and strategic documents.
•Experience working in capacity-building roles within humanitarian or development sectors, with a focus on strengthening governance, financial management, and program management of partner organizations.
•Familiarity with international frameworks, policies, and best practices in capacity building and organizational development for NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs).
•Strong understanding of organizational dynamics, leadership development, and the intersectionality of capacity-building efforts, ensuring that capacity-building activities are aligned with partners’ unique contexts.
•Ability to conduct capacity assessments and gap analyses to inform the development of tailored capacity-building interventions for partner organizations.
•Experience in developing organizational development strategies, tools, and training materials, including workshops, coaching sessions, and learning resources.
•Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and build capacity among a diverse range of stakeholders, including project staff, partner organizations, and external trainers.
•Ability to prepare publications, reports, presentations, and training materials that communicate progress and outcomes of the capacity-building efforts.
•Development and innovation: Demonstrates initiative in professional development and takes charge of self-learning to enhance capacity-building skills.
•Teamwork: Ability to work in multicultural, multiethnic environments and maintain effective working relationships with individuals from diverse national and cultural backgrounds.
•High level of flexibility and adaptability required, particularly when working in dynamic and often challenging operational contexts.

DUTY STATION:
Home based or Erbil office.

Duration of assignment:

Maximum of 30 combined working days over a Six-month period.