Consultancy to conduct collaboration, learning, and adaptation (CLA) for the building resilient communities in Somalia (BRCIS) III project

BRCiS Consortium

Collaboration, Learning, and Adaptation (CLA) Consultancy for the Building Resilient Communities in Somalia (BRCiS) III Project

1. Background

Building Resilient Communities in Somalia (BRCiS) is a consortium of national and international organizations – Action Against Hunger (ACF), CESVI, Concern Worldwide (Concern), GREDO, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), KAALO, Save the Children, and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) as lead agency. BRCiS’ objective is to work across the humanitarian-development divide, supporting marginalized communities in disaster-prone, rural Somalia to become more resilient to shocks and stressed, including as a result of climate change. BRCiS approach is contextually adaptive, focused on the specific shocks, needs, and priorities of individual communities. BRCiS was established in 2013 and is now implementing projects funded by multiple humanitarian and development donors in more than ten regions of Somalia.

2. Program Background

BRCiS is currently implementing Building Resilient Communities in Somalia Phase 3 (BRCiS III), a five-year resilience project funded by FCDO, in more than twenty districts in South and Central Somalia. The long-term objective of BRCiS III is to contribute to reduced severity of humanitarian needs and displacement in Somalia by supporting marginalized communities in disaster-prone, rural Somalia to have sufficient social, financial, and environmental assets to better cope with shocks and stresses and adapt to the effects of climate change. To achieve this outcome, BRCiS is implementing a series of layered and sequenced, mutually reinforcing outputs designed to strengthen the systems most likely to support rural communities in Somalia to cope with high impact shocks and stresses in the short term and adapt to climate change in the medium to longer term. BRCiS III is designed and delivered at area-level with a focus on those that are most vulnerable and marginalized. This means that investments are made from a multi-sectoral perspective to generate systemic change and transformational resilience gains. These systems are:

• local leadership systems that dictate how communities plan for shocks and distribute assistance.
• the natural ecosystem, capable of providing life- and livelihood-sustaining ecosystem services like water, healthy soil and productive land; and
• market systems that provide equal, inclusive economic opportunities, financial assets, and inclusion.

BRCiS III also includes a dedicated output on sector-wide learning and coordination between resilience, humanitarian and development actors that contributes to improved efficiency and effectiveness of the humanitarian response architecture in Somalia (Output 6). In support of this, BRCiS has a rich learning ecosystem and works with different learning partners such as Causal Design[2] and GOAL[3] for resilience and impact measurement, ICRAF[4] for ecosystem health assessment and learning, Share Trust[5] for Self-help group learning, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab[6] for value for money. Additionally, BRCiS III includes three technical workstreams that are overseen by subject matter experts, focused on Inclusive Local Leadership Development, Early Warning and Early Action (EWEA), Climate and Natural Resource Management, Agroecology and Market Systems/Financial Inclusion Advisor. There is also a MEAL workstream.

To promote project stakeholders’ teamwork, continuous learning, adaptability, and continuous improvement and make best use of the considerable resources already designated for learning in the BRCiS III project, BRCiS intends to commission a learning partner to (I.) develop the project collaboration, learning and adaptation (CLA) framework and (II.) facilitate learning processes conducive to adaptive programming. The overall objective of the consultants should be to strengthen the Consortium systems and practices to transform evidence/experience into knowledge which empowers project stakeholders and communities to make evidence-based decision and maximize the project impact. The consultants will also need to consider operational requirements including FCDO compliance requirements and funding/forecasting timelines to make sure that planned adaptations can be implemented within the existing project framework.

This ToR outlines the assignment objectives, methods, deliverables, workplan, and required experience and documents.

3. Purpose and methodology of the assignment

The BRCiS Consortium is seeking to engage with a consultant team to carry out the below tasks:

• Review and improve existing BRCiS III project collaboration, learning, and adaptation (CLA)and knowledge management frameworks within the BRCiS III project inception periodby utilizing USAID CLA strategy[7] toensure effective learning, collaboration, and adaptation.
• Facilitate learning and adaptive programming over the project lifecycle by utilizing relevant learning and adaptation facilitation tools including outcome mapping[8] and outcome harvesting[9] to support the Consortium to monitor if the project is contributing to intended and unintended changes. This support is expected to take place on an annual basis, extending from the collection of data all the way through implementation of adapted programme activities in alignment with FCDO’s annual project cycle.

Specific objectives and methodologies of this assignment include:

BRCiS has an existing draft learning agenda, adaptive programming strategy and knowledge and influence management documents. The consultants will revise these existing documents and develop a comprehensive BRCiS III project CLA framework by expanding on these already-existing strategies and documents. In accordance with BRCiS III’s already-established inception workplan, the consultants will also train BRCiS members on the developed CLA framework, facilitate learning and adaptation, assist in knowledge management systems, and provide all other technical support required through the project implementation period.

The consultants are required specifically to do the following tasks:

3.1. Review and improve existing BRCiS III project collaboration, learning, and adaptation (CLA) and knowledge management frameworks.

Timeline: Until end of May 2024

• Inception Report: Prepare a detailed inception report outlining the findings of the project documentation review and inception meetings, including a detailed and feasible workplan for the remainder of the project. Documents to be reviewed include the existing (draft) collaboration strategy, learning agenda, learning and adaptive programming facilitation strategy, knowledge and influence management mechanism, the BRCiS III Accountable Grant Agreement/compliance requirements and others. Consultants are also required to assess how Consortium members’ organizational culture, processes, and resource allocation support CLA framework integration in project cycle and contribute to a culture that values openness, relationship-building and continues learning. Consultants should also endeavor to understand what the Consortium barriers and enablers for change and best practices are.

In consultation with BRCiS Consortium, consultants are required to identify all project internal and external key stakeholders, decide when and how to engage them, and underline areas of collaboration. As a subset of the inception report – the collaboration strategy should be comprehensive to all stakeholders involved in the adaptive management process including MEAL staff, program focal points/technical advisors, and finance/support service functions.

• Learning Agenda: Review existing BRCiS III draft learning agenda, TOC and assumptions, logframe, workstreams’ priorities , wider Humanitarian Assistance and Resilience Building in Somalia (HARBS) MEL agenda and other project documents to identify learning priorities and research questions, set of associated learning activities and workplan to answer these questions, and list of expected learning products for each project stakeholder to guide them in evidence-building and decision-making practices. Project learning questions should be clear, relevant, useful, feasible and inclusive by covering five thematic areas; wider HARBS MEL efforts, workstream priorities, testing and exploring project theory of change and assumptions, filling critical gaps in Consortium technical understanding in identified areas, and shock-specific project scenario and risk planning.

The learning agenda should detail the mixed learning methods that are already planned by the Consortium, HARBS MEL and any others proposed by the consultants (additional proposed methods should be detailed in the proposal) including:

• Measurement of intended changes/impact covered in the BRCiS III Project Logframe (both internal and donor formats) and HARBS MEL agenda.
• Identification and assessment of unintended changes/impact including through Outcome Harvesting/Mapping exercises (to be led by the consultants – see 3.2 below)
• Real time project learning and research as resourced by the HARBS MEL, BRCiS III Workstreams and VFM framework through the annual learning exercises under BRCiS III Output 6

Each method will be detailed in the learning agenda including roles and responsibilities (some will be led by BRCiS CMU, Members, and/or the selected consultants) and timeline/calendar (framed around the FCDO fiscal year calendar to support timely adaptation).

• Knowledge Management Strategy: One of the Consortium strategic objectives is thatevidence and Consortium experience become knowledge empowering project staff, stakeholders and communities for evidence-based decision-making, maximizing the project impact and promoted to influence actors in systems that have a direct impact on vulnerable communities’ resilience. The consultants are required to review and improve existing BRCiS III project draft knowledge and influence strategy to achieve the below purposes:
  • An internal purpose of improving the use of knowledge products within the Consortium and transforming generated learning evidence and existing experience into knowledge that supports staff in using, empowering, and integrating into project implementation for maximizing project impact.
  • An external purpose of sharing BRCiS learning products externally and influence actors in systems that have a direct impact on vulnerable communities’ resilience. This should be directly linked to the methods of products envisioned in the learning agenda, with a specific audience/dissemination pathway identified for each output under the learning agenda.

3.2 Facilitate Learning and Adaptive Programming throughout the BRCiS III Project.

Timeline: Commencing June 2024, recurring on annual basis through March 2028 per schedule identified in the final learning agenda

After the inception phase deliverables (3.1 above) are completed, the consultants will take up routine responsibilities related to carrying out the learning agenda, including the specific methods assigned to the consultants. This work will be based on the specific annual workplan in the learning agenda, designed to maximize opportunities for program adaptation. Key milestones in this process are detailed as follows:

• Inception phase learning capstone (June 2024): The consultants will first oversee a facilitated internal-to-BRCiS review of the YR1 integrated baseline process to validate the final learning agenda and associated documents, identify lessons learnt while implementing inception activities, select outcome learning priorities for subsequent year, and identify where adaptations are needed including as part of planned end of inception budget/project realignment. They will also facilitate an external dissemination of the learning agenda and integrated inception phase deliverables.
• Implementing annual outcome learning exercises: BRCiS Consortium intends to conduct evaluations of both intervention impact (defined as changes in state such as reduction in humanitarian needs and displacement) and observed changes in the behaviours, relationships, actions or activities of the participating people, groups, and organizations (whether its intended/unintended or positive/negative). The first approach will be largely handled through project performance/logframe measurement, while the second will require dedicated methodologies such as outcome harvesting and/or learning that will be led by the consultants. The consultants are required to advise and tailor appropriate and sustainable learning and adaptation strategies/tools for the above-mentioned purpose, develop annual workplan including data collection, analysis, and reporting. BRCiS Consortium partners will do all necessary field-based data collection; while the consultant will carry out required remote interviews with project key stakeholders.
• Facilitate actual internal learning and adaptation through learning sprints/pause and reflect sessions: To ensure that learning findings from all methods identified in the learning agenda are integrated into the program implementation and experiences are shared among stakeholders, the consultants are required to organise and facilitate annual pause & reflection sessions to bring everything together and present findings, reflect on purposive measurement under the logframe, and WS learning materials; facilitate experience sharing among project stakeholders; and propose necessary changes to adapt for programme performance improvement and the best way these changes can be integrated into the project implementation.
• Facilitate external sector wide learning sessions: BRCiS III includes a dedicated output on sector-wide learning and coordination between resilience, humanitarian and development actors that contributes to improved efficiency and effectiveness of the humanitarian response architecture in Somalia (Output 6). The consultants are required to facilitate sector wide learning sessions to ensure that sector wide learning findings and best practices from all methods identified in the learning agenda are coordinated and shared between these actors.

4. Deliverables

All in person workshops (inception, validation, training, and annual) venue, refreshment and other required materials are responsible by the Consortium and there is no need to include these in the budget. However, all other logistics arrangements including consultants team travel, accommodation, and transportation for all planned in person events in Mogadishu are responsible by the consultant firm. Expected deliverables include:

• Inception report including Collaboration Strategy.
• Inception in-person workshop in Mogadishu (March 2024)
• Learning agenda.
• Learning and adaptation facilitation framework
• Knowledge management strategy.
• Validation and learning workshops (June 2024): Organize one week in-person workshop with project stakeholders in Mogadishu to present proposed CLA strategy and facilitate BRCiS III project inception period close-out.
• Annual reports on adaptive programming exercises (OM and OH exercises), as per the agreed reporting schedule at inception.
• Annual pause and reflection session for facilitating adaptive programming.
• Annual sector wide learning sessions for facilitating and sharing sector wide learning and best practices.

5. Proposed Time Frame

The assignment is expected to start February 2024 and finalize in May 2028 as shown in the below table.

5.1. Deliverables Tentative Timeline

Deliverables and Tentative Timeline

• Inception report including Collaboration Strategy. February 2024
• Inception in-person workshop in Mogadishu (2-3 days) March 2024
• Learning agenda April 2024
• Learning and adaptation facilitation framework April 2024
• Knowledge management strategy May 2024
• Validation and inception close-out in person workshop in Mogadishu (one week) May 2024
• Feedback-sharing and revision of deliverables Early June 2024
• Inception phase learning capstone events (internal and external) June 2024
• Conducting annual outcome mapping, outcome harvesting and any other recommended adaptive management exercises for adaptive programming (at least five times, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028) N.B: All required field-based data collection will be conducted by the Consortium. As per agreed work plan at inception phase
• Annual pause and reflection session to present outcome mapping and outcome harvesting exercises findings and facilitate adaptive programming – March 2025, March 2026, March 2027, and March 2028
• Annual external sector wide sessions to share resilience, development and humanitarian sector wide finds and best practices from all methods identified in the learning agenda – April 2025, April 2026, April 2027, and April 2028
• All activities to be completed before end of May 2028

6. Supervisor

The primary Consortium contact person for this consultancy is the BRCiS Consortium MEAL Manager under the supervision of the BRCiS Consortium Chief of Party and support of BRCiS Consortium Programme Manager. More generally, the Consultants will collaborate with the Consortium’s management unit, FCDO team, FCDO MEL Provider, other Consortium donors, and relevant Consortium Members M&E and Project management Groups to produce and publish the commissioned deliverables.

7. Responsibilities

7.1 BRCiS Consortium Responsibilities

• Provide oversight during the contractual period.
• Approval of all deliverables including sign off for the purpose of making payments
• Mobilization of the relevant key stakeholders including donors, Consortium members, and government agencies.
• All workshops (inception, validation, training, and annual) logistics and preparation.
• BRCiS III learning and adaptive management required field-based data collection.

7.2 Consultant Responsibilities

• All Consultants logistics arrangements including travel, accommodation, and transportation for all planned in person events in Mogadishu including inception, validation, training, and annual workshops highlighted under the deliverable’s tables. (see section 8 below).
• BRCiS III learning agenda and adaptive management required virtual data collection/interviews.
• Completing all deliverables as highlighted in this ToR.

8. Official travel involved.

This is primarily a home-based assignment, but the selected consultants is required to travel to the Somalia to lead the inception validation workshop (March 2024), deliverables validation and inception close-out workshop (June 2024) , facilitate annual learning and adaptive programming through annual pause and reflection sessions (March 2025, March 2026, March 2027, March 2028), and facilitating external sector wide annual learning sessions (April 2025, April 2026, April 2027, and May 2028). The Consultants will cover all travel costs until they reach Mogadishu, including visa, tax, and flight costs, and NRC will support in country costs including transportation, security, accommodation, and meals.

9. Application Procedures and Requirements

The consulting firm interested are expected to provide following documentation:

• Fully Completed tender bid documents (Section 5 – 9)
• A cover letter introducing the consultant. The cover letter should introduce the team composition and specify the role to be played by each team member.
• A technical proposal of no more than 20 pages outlining how to execute this task with a clear framework, methodology and timelines. Proposed methodology should demonstrate a clear understanding of the ToR (Terms of Reference) (Learning agenda, adaptive programming, and knowledge management)
• Resume of each team member
• Evidence of experience conducting similar assignments (Samples of similar work) is required.
• Proposed total budget with budget breakdown for each component (CLA framework including learning agenda and facilitating learning and adaptive programming) indicating consultancy fee, logistics cost and all other auxiliary costs in USD.

Qualifications or specialized knowledge and/or experience required.

• Consultant team: An advanced university degree (Master’s) in Quantitative & Qualitative Social Sciences, Economics, Econometric and cost analysis, Statistics, or a related technical field(s) is required. Ph.D. is preferred.
• At least 8-10 years of experience in learning and adaptation facilitation or change management is required.
• Proven experience in developing CLA strategies for development or resilience projects with a geographical focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably on the Horn of Africa is required.
• Experience with resilience projects is required.
• Experience in USAID CLA framework is required.
• Extensive experience both in qualitative and quantitative methods demonstrated through publications is an asset.
• Extensive experience in outcome harvesting and outcome mapping is required.
• Previous experience in similar assignments in Somalia is an asset.
• This exercise is not for an individual consultant, but for a consulting firm.

[1] https://www.nrc.no/brcis

[2] https://causaldesign.com/

[3] https://www.goalglobal.org/

[4] https://www.cifor-icraf.org/

[5] https://thesharetrust.org/

[6] https://www.rescue.org/country/somalia

[7] https://usaidlearninglab.org/cla

[8] https://www.outcomemapping.ca/download/OM_English_final.pdf

[9] https://outcomeharvesting.net/