Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo
Vacancy Announcement: Strategic Planning
Founded in 1979, StARS is a refugee service provider in central Cairo that works to enhance the quality of life for refugees and vulnerable migrants through five broad program areas: education, psychosocial, legal, community outreach and unaccompanied youth and children support services. We provide high-quality services meeting the unaddressed needs of refugees, and we provide a safe and inclusive space for displaced people to come together as a community. We work for refugees, with refugees, to make rights recognition a reality.
StARS’ Mission: Driven by a commitment to justice and fairness, StARS works as displaced people and for displaced people to respect human dignity and enhance quality of life.
StARS’ Vision: Displaced people lead in the creation and implementation of responses to different forms of migration to establish safe, just, welcoming, and inclusive communities globally.
We serve people from many places, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
To learn more please visit our website: www.stars-egypt.org or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/standrewsrefugeeservices?fref=ts
The Evolution of StARS
StARS has changed significantly in recent years. The organization has expanded to 540+ staff members and 200 volunteers, secured funding for more than 30 programmers, and provides services to 40,000 clients annually. In parallel to the rapid expansion of services, StARS has also undergone significant reform of their leadership structure. These changes follow a meaningful commitment to decolonialize services, share and redistribute power, and give more agency to refugee leaders. 85% of StARS staff have experienced forced displacement, while more than 70% of managers and senior leaders also draw on this lived experience. More than 50% of StARS staff are women and more than 20% are youth (between 18 and 21 years old).
In line with the commitment to being “for refugees, by refugees” StARS has shifted from a traditional pyramid structure of leadership to a flat structure of leadership at Director Level. This shift was driven by a desire to achieve equal voice and decision-making power amongst the leadership team. The Executive leadership Team (also referred to as ELT or the Executive Directors) consists of eight individuals from across service functions and operations/support functions.
Following an organizational evaluation in early 2023, StARS is prioritizing the development of a three-year strategic plan, and is looking for an experienced consultant to manage this work.
Lastly, StARS works closely with a network of 30 Refugee Led Organizations who will need to be consulted and is in partnership with many other INGOs and local organizations
Position Details
Position title
Strategic Planning Consultant Partners
Compensation
No more than 10,000 USD
Work Location
Ideally, Cairo-based. Hybrid working would be considered.
Length of role
At least 6 months, starting as soon as possible
Further information
The role in partnership with another consultant and will work under the guidance of the Directors of Programs and Development to plan and execute consultation in the preparation and production of a three-year strategic plan
THE ASSIGNMENT
StARS is putting together a small team to work on its next three-year strategic plan. StARS is lucky enough to have recruited a highly skilled data analyst and Monitoring and Evaluation expert, and is looking for someone with strong experience and talents in qualitative data collection (focus groups, workshops) and writing to finalize the team. The ideal candidate will be experienced in strategic planning and in group facilitation.
The Strategic Planning Consultants shall deliver:
- StARS Strategic Plan to cover the period 2024-2028. The Strategic Plan should include four – five key objectives
- A Monitoring and Evaluation plan shall include means for measurement, evaluation, and learning, and recommendations for placing the plan at the center of StARS decision making.
The Strategic Plan shall be submitted to the Executive leadership Team for review by the end of September and to the StARS advisory board the following month.
StARS expects that the Strategic Plan will be consultative, giving staff, volunteers, clients and other stakeholders a chance to contribute their opinions and ideas through different methodologies.
Key activities are likely to include the following:
- Desk review (StARS Statutes, governance documents, Steering Committee meeting minutes and decisions, previous structure reviews, current strategic plan, etc.).
- Detailed work plan showing key dates and deliverables.
- Design and administer survey of stakeholders
- Focus Group Discussion Program specific staff
- Focus Group Discussions with StARS Executive Leadership Team and Board
- Key informant interviews
- Key informant interviews with key stakeholders outside of StARS staff and structures.
- Regular workshops with the Executive leadership Team to assess the progress of the work
- Drafting and finalization of StARS Strategic Plan 2024-2028, including processes for ongoing evaluation
- Other duties as assigned.
Key Selection Criteria
StARS welcomes and encourages applications from people who have lived experience of forcible displacement, or come from such a community but candidates of all backgrounds will be considered.
Experience
- Previous experience of leading organizational strategic planning for an organization engaged in refugee rights.
- Experience consulting with multiple partners/stakeholders across contexts in order to design and develop strategic plans
- Experience of leading strategic planning and governance workshops.
- Experiences in working in or with non-traditional organizational structures is preferred
- Minimum of five years of senior management or governing body experience in a not-for-profit entity working with and for refugees.
- Demonstrable knowledge of the refugee civil society landscape in the Egyptian context and familiarity with the major challenges and opportunities facing NGOs working with refugees in the region.
- Familiarity with the work of StARS
Candidates with the lived experience of displacement are encouraged to apply.
Skills
- Good qualitative data collection skills
- Professional narrative writing skills
- Facilitation skills
- Great communication skills
- Ability to work in a diverse work environment
StARS is looking to fill the vacancy with the best possible applicant, even where that applicant may not precisely fulfil all requirements listed in this announcement, or where the applicant may demonstrate similar transferable skills. The role will require good humor, patience, optimism, and consensus building skills, as well as a willingness to learn and grow into the role. StARS is interested in applications from people with a lived experience of forced displacement.
Deliverables
- It is anticipated that the consultant will work for the equivalent of 1.5 days per week for 6 months (a total of approximately 312 hours), of which at least 100 hours will be spent in two separate periods at StARS. (Ideally, the candidate will be available throughout the six months in Cairo).
- After one month, a detailed work plan with appropriate tools to ensure all staff members, and other stakeholders can add their opinions and voices to the consultation. This work plan will need to be agreed with the Executive Leadership Team.
- After six months, a detailed strategic plan, with monitoring and evaluation framework, should be delivered.
Terms of Consultancy:
Start date of the contract: 1 April 2024 (To be determined)
End date of the contract: 1 October 2024 (depending on start date)
There is a possibility of extension of the period if required.
It is anticipated that the consultant will work for at least 312 hours during this period
Compensation
Compensation is available in the amount of up to 10,000 USD. Compensation includes all travel and in-country expenses if the consultant is not based in Cairo.
Closing date for applications: 7 March 2024
How to apply
To apply: Please send your Cover Letter and CV and a sample of your writing to applications@stars-egypt.org using the subject line “Strategic Planning”. Please also include a budget for the work, indicating for which parts you would intend to be in Cairo**.** All applications should provide contact information for two professional/academic reference (referees will only be contacted after interviews).
Note: Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.