Crisis Response – Response Coordinator (Consultant)

Date of Issue of RFP: April 1, 2024

Date Questions from Consultant Due: April 4, 2024

Date Answers due from FHI 360: April 5, 2024

Date Proposal Due: April 10, 2024

Approximate Timeframe Consultant Agreement Issued to Successful Candidate(s): Early May 2024

Quote Validity: The Consultant agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 45 days from the date specified for the receipt of offers unless another time is specified in the addendum of the RFP.

Background

FHI 360 is a global organization operating in over 60 countries, focused on advancing equity, health, and well-being through data-driven, locally led solutions. FHI 360’s Crisis Response team enhances the organization’s efforts by offering technical expertise in response to the increasing humanitarian crises worldwide. The Crisis Response team plays a crucial role in areas experiencing fragility, emergencies, and conflicts, especially where FHI 360 has ongoing development projects. Through an integrated approach, the Crisis Response team aims to improve the health and well-being of those affected by crisis by working closely with communities and local actors. FHI 360’s Crisis Response programming focuses on the provision of essential services in health, nutrition, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to meet immediate needs while supporting the longer-term recovery and restoration of critical lifesaving services.

Placing a strong emphasis on age, gender, and diversity approach in its programming, Crisis Response targets the most vulnerable populations, including women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and all internally displaced persons (IDPs). Adhering to humanitarian and safeguarding principles, Crisis Response programming ensures the safety, dignity, and the rights and decisions of program participants.

FHI 360’s Crisis Response Team (CRT) requires the services of a highly skilled Response Coordinator to lead a multi-week scoping mission in Sudan (as well as other regional countries as required in order to support a Sudan humanitarian response), followed by the start up of FHI 360’s operations and presence in country, and design/implementation of a potential pilot humanitarian response project. The consultant is expected to deploy in May for an initial period of three months, with possibility for extension.

Stage 1: The consultant will lead on-the-ground scoping efforts (which will include significant time in Sudan, as well as Kenya, Chad, and/or other regional countries as needed), developing the strategy for FHI 360 to respond to humanitarian needs. This will include consultation with other implementing partners, local authorities, coordination with Clusters and other forums, and engaging with donors and potential partners to identify potential opportunities. During the first stage, the consultant should also identify challenges and constraints, design an operational setup, and identify required investments from FHI 360 (offices, personnel, among others) in order to enable future programming.

Stage 2: The consultant will work closely with FHI 360’s headquarters Crisis Response team (some of whom may deploy for shorter periods of time to support the consultant with specific elements of this scope of work as needed) to set up office locations, banking, registration, support business development and proposal processes, provide technical support, meet with donors, and provide on-site and remote management to implement activities. The consultant will continue to identify opportunities for FHI 360 to further expand its geographic presence in country through attending coordination meetings, liaising with the security, in consultation with HQ. The consultant will act as FHI 360’s lead representation in Sudan (and regionally, as related to the Sudan response), and will also be expected to raise FHI 360’s visibility among other actors, and identify and engage with potential partners (both local and international agencies).

Scope of Work

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Develops and executes FHI 360’s humanitarian response strategy for Sudan, working closely with FHI 360’s Crisis Response Team in headquarters.
• Supports FHI 360’s geographic expansion in line with the response strategy for Sudan.
• Manages coordination with stakeholders, such as government authorities, other humanitarian partner, donors, and UN agencies, and represents FHI 360 in coordination forums (e.g., humanitarian Clusters, NGO Forum, among others).
• Work with FHI 360’s Technical Advisors, Business Development team, and Program Management team to assess/identify needs and design (including budgeting) a small, internally-funded project to meet these needs and drive forward FHI 360’s humanitarian response strategy in Sudan.
• With FHI 360’s Crisis Response Business Development team, provide support and inputs into a BD strategy for FHI 360’s humanitarian response in Sudan, including consideration of a full range of opportunities and partnerships.
• Provide support and inputs on concept notes, proposal, and budgets, including assessment of new areas as needed.
• Provide leadership to the FHI 360 team in Sudan (to be selected), ensuring clarity over plans and priorities, encouraging effective teamwork, and overseeing achievement of deliverables.
• May supervise international and national consultants.
• Plans and directs proposed project schedules and monitors budget/spending.
• Coordinate with CR HQ to troubleshoot any issues and make recommendations for corrective actions.
• Ensures that programs are strategy-driven and developed in a cost effective, consultative, participative and gender sensitive way.

Deliverables/Milestones & Due Dates:

Deliverable 1: Provide a FHI 360 humanitarian response strategy and plan for Sudan (approximately 5-10 pages), based on Stage 1 discussions with coordination bodies, partners, authorities, and potential donors. This will also be expected to include annex with detailed meeting notes, assessment notes, and contact details of persons met with. This will also be expected to include a summary of operational challenges and requirements in order to implement the response plan, including a proposed operational structure and estimated resources required.

Deliverable 2: Based on the budget made available to the consultant, identify and design a small-scale, internally-funded pilot response program. The consultant will be expected to consult with the Crisis Response technical team and others to design this, and to develop a brief concept note and internal budget for the proposed pilot response project.

Deliverable 3: Working with Crisis Response team, contribute to the development of a business development strategy for FHI 360 in Sudan, and provide inputs for the development of an initial concept note and budget (and/or proposal if required) based on the humanitarian response strategy and plan.

Deliverable 4: Set up the FHI 360 platform within country, including but not limited to liaising on registration efforts, overseeing the identification of office space, and setting up systems in country.

Location of Work: Port Sudan, Sudan

Travel:

• Level of Effort: 5 Months; with one R&R break
• Period of Engagement: May 1 – September 30, 2024
• Travel, per diem, danger pay, and accommodation are provided.

Required Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience leading a humanitarian response program or country program.
• Experience working in remote, insecure, or challenging locations with minimal infrastructure or amenities.
• Experience working in a non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private company in emergency, humanitarian assistance, or international development industry.
• Experience establishing startup operations/projects in new countries/offices
• Validated experience of effective independent work; can quickly get others on-side and is able to influence.
• Demonstrated work planning and scheduling, staff development and capacity building experience
• Prior experience leading projects funded by the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and other institutional donors.
• Demonstrated experience leading or substantively contributing to program design, and the developing of concept notes and/or proposals.

Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

• Expertise in humanitarian programming and implementation
• Consultancy or employment experience with similar organizations
• Ability to deploy quickly

FHI 360 Disclaimers

• FHI 360 may cancel the solicitation and not award
• FHI 360 may reject any or all responses received
• Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment by FHI 360
• FHI 360 reserves the right to disqualify any offer based on failure of the offeror to follow solicitation instructions
• FHI 360 will not compensate any offeror for responding to solicitation
• FHI 360 reserves the right to issue award based on initial evaluation of offers without further discussion
• FHI 360 may choose to award only part of the activities in the solicitation, or issue multiple awards based on the solicitation activities
• FHI 360 reserves the right to waive minor proposal deficiencies that can be corrected prior to award determination to promote competition
• FHI 360’s supplier terms and conditions can be found here while our consultant terms and conditions can be found here