Consultant

Position description

1. Background

Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) is legal non-governmental organisation (NGO) with charity status which was set up in 2009 under the auspices of the Law Society of Ireland and the Bar of Ireland, as well as the Law Society of Northern Ireland and the Bar of Northern Ireland both of which joined in 2015. IRLI is primarily a project-based organisation with a variety of access-to-justice programmes in countries including Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, and has ambitions to expand this portfolio in future. It seeks to assist and support resource-constrained societies by protecting human rights and promoting and strengthening the rule of law. We provide technical support and assistance in the form of legal capacity and institution building to help tackle the effects of global injustice, and to empower freedom from inequality, corruption, and conflict.

Since the organisational review conducted in 2021, and a strategic planning exercise which followed, IRLI has been implementing the resulting recommendations. This review seeks to assess IRLI’s success in implementing the recommendations arising out of those exercises and to develop a strategic plan for the next three years.

2. Objective

The objectives of this assignment are threefold:

• To review and assess IRLI’s implementation of the 2021 organisational review recommendations.
• To review IRLI’s effectiveness in achieving objectives as set out in IRLI’s strategic plan. This includes a review of systems in place to enable IRLI to achieve its strategic objectives, as well as programmatic successes.
• To facilitate an updated organisational review and deliver an updated strategic plan that will guide IRLI’s direction and operations for the next three years (2026-2029).

3. Challenges

IRLI has experienced several changes in senior management in recent years, with three different people having held the role of Executive Director or Acting Executive Director since September 2023. In addition, one of our former Executive Directors sadly passed away in summer 2024.

These changes at senior staff level, as well as losing a key individual who was deeply connected to the organisation, has had several implications for the organisation, including on the implementation of the current strategic plan.

IRLI’s programmatic funding is usually secured on an annual basis. While it is hoped that some of the programmes will secure multi-year funding in the coming years, the standard practice and nature of short-term funding presents challenges for longer-term planning.

IRLI has grown steadily in recent years. From its inception as a small organisation supported by the Law Society of Ireland and Bar of Ireland, it is now a thriving hub with staff working across the island of Ireland and with a complement of full-time staff in one of its programme countries, Malawi. This has resulted in the need for a comprehensive suite of complementary polices and procedures to be introduced and implemented across the organisation. It has also created the need for an updating of systems and knowledge management. These are key priorities for our most recent appointee, Director of Operations.

Given the nature of its programmatic work taking place outside of Ireland, with a considerable sized staff team in Malawi while head office/‘HQ’ remains in Ireland, it has proved challenging to carry out and implement past strategic and organisational reviews. There is an increasingly obvious need to fully capture the perspectives, learnings and needs, of those working ‘on the ground’ as well as the communities they serve. In addition, historically IRLI’s staff have been made up of Irish lawyers. With the growth of the team in Malawi, and the staff there now being predominantly Malawian, there is a need to reflect and incorporate the views of IRLI’s diverse, multicultural and multinational team.

4. Scope of work

IRLI seeks support from experienced consultants in providing the following:

• Evaluation of the most recent organisation review and strategic plan (utilising OECD-DAC criteria)
• Organisational review
• Updated strategic plan, to include:
  • Purpose, vision and mission
  • Brand identity
  • Review of Board composition and operation
  • Review of staff structures and management
  • HR strategy
  • Communications strategy
  • Fundraising strategy
  • Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning strategy
  • Operational planning model
  • Summary document/strategy house

This review will require consultation with all staff and Board across the island of Ireland as well as staff based in Malawi, and consultants and volunteers of IRLI, some of whom are also based outside of Ireland. There are approximately 30 key individuals in total.

In addition, the review will require engagement with IRLI’s key stakeholders. A full list will be provided in due course but, by way of an indicative list, this will include:

• Law Society of Ireland
• Bar of Ireland
• Law Society of Northern Ireland
• Bar of Northern Ireland
• Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland
• Embassy of Ireland, Malawi
• Embassy of Ireland, Tanzania
• Embassy of Ireland, Zambia
• Pro bono partners (law firms in Ireland, UK, and South Africa)
• Other programmatic partners, including in Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Somalia and Ukraine
• Communications consultants

IRLI will nominate a member of staff with which the appointed consultant will communicate and plan the review. IRLI will also finalise the list of key stakeholders and identify points of contact in each of the stakeholders. We suggest that the engagement with stakeholders be carried out through a combination of focus group/workshops and one-to-one sessions for those who cannot attend the focus group sessions. Workshops and one-to-one sessions with stakeholders may take place remotely, where appropriate, but there is a requirement for in-person consultations, on at least one occasion, with leading staff at IRLI and Board members, most of whom are based in Ireland. This excludes the final presentation which will also be expected to be delivered in person. We welcome methodology options together with recommendations within submissions.

5. Deliverables

The consultant will deliver the following work on a phased basis:

Phase 1: Discover

An inception briefing provided within two weeks of contract commencement to include:

• Work plan, timeline, and methodology
• Meeting/workshop and ‘away day’ calendar requirements and proposed dates/locations for engagement with Trustees and IRLI staff
• Proposals for engagement with key stakeholders, including indicative dates

An analysis of the current structure of the organisation together with a review of the current strategic plan, following review of relevant documents and meetings with key members of senior staff and the Chair of the Board of Trustees, before the end of month one.

Phase 2: Develop

• Desk-based research as required
• Engagement with all staff, Trustees and stakeholders to gather information and data.
• Interim report with preliminary findings based on initial data collection and consultations before the end of month five

Phase 3: Decide

Summary report providing a comprehensive summary of the findings of the review and key priority areas, before the end of month six, to include:

• Assessment of the implementation of the 2021 organisational and strategic review recommendations
• Analysis based on OECD-DAC criteria
• Preliminary operational plan
• Preliminary strategic recommendations

Phase 4: Deliver

• Draft final plan, before the end of the month seven, to include all aspects of the scope of work as set out in section 5 of this document
• Review and incorporation of feedback from ILRL’s Trustees and senior staff.
• Delivery of final plan before end of month eight
• Presentation of final plan and strategic recommendations to IRLI staff and board members before the end of month nine

Progress updates will be required at the end of phases 1 – 3. This will include a report on actions and progress against agreed timelines.

6. Timeline

The assignment will span approximately nine months:

• Phase 1 – Month 1: Inception briefing, analysis of current model, and methodology approval. Submission of progress report.
• Phase 2 – Months 1 – 5: Stakeholder engagement and data collection. Submission of progress report.
• Phase 3 – Month 6: Summary report. Submission of progress report.
• Phase 4 – Months 7 – 9: Submission of final draft report, feedback collection and submission of final report. Presentation.

7. Consultant Qualifications

The consultant should have:

• Extensive experience in organisational reviews and strategic planning for international NGOs, ideally with programmes operating in Africa, and including the mainstreaming of perspectives and knowledge of the countries in which the organisation operates, avoiding approaches that reflect only the assumptions or experiences of the Global North.
• Expertise in all aspects of strategic planning, to include all aspects of the scope of work required by IRLI as outlined in section 5.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills.

8. Budget

The consultant will provide a detailed budget proposal covering fees, travel expenses, and all other costs.

The indicative budget for this strategy review process is €29,000 (inclusive of VAT). While we aim to adhere to this budget, we are open to considering an increased allocation should the consultant propose additional elements or enhancements that deliver significant added value.

As outlined in the selection criteria, the Value Add category (15 points) provides an opportunity for consultants to propose innovative approaches or enhancements that will improve the overall outcome and deliver long-term benefits beyond the original scope. Proposals demonstrating clear and measurable added value will be viewed favourably during the evaluation process.

9. Selection criteria

• Relevant experience (30 points): Demonstrated expertise in conducting organisational reviews and developing comprehensive strategic plans, particularly in the non-profit sector and with international development organisations.
• Approach (25 points): A comprehensive and practical methodology for the review process, tailored to meet the needs of IRLI.
• Budget and timeline (20 points): Ability to deliver the project within the allocated budget and specified timeline, demonstrating cost-effectiveness.
• Value Add (15 points): Additional elements or enhancements proposed by the consultant that will improve the overall outcome and provide long-term benefits beyond the original scope.
• Alignment with mission (10 points): An understanding of and commitment to IRLI’s mission.

Application instructions

10. Application Process

Interested consultants should submit the following by 17:00 GMT on 14 February 2025:

• Detailed proposal including methodology, timeline and work plan.
• CV highlighting relevant experience (no more than four pages using font size no smaller than 11).
• Detailed budget breakdown.
• References from previous similar work.
• One example of a strategic plan and one example of an organisational review previously delivered.

11. Contact Information

Only submissions received through [email protected] will be considered.

All applications must be submitted with the email subject line “Organisational Review and Strategic Planning”.

Any queries should be directed to IRLI at [email protected]

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