Civil Society Expert ( Retainer Consultant )

Addis Ababa

Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
Location: Addis Ababa
Grade: Mid level - IICA-2, International Individual Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Civil Society and Local governance
- Programme Management
Closing Date: Closed

Background Information - Myanmar

Myanmar is one of UNOPS leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Three Millennium Development Goal Fund (3MDG), the Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) and the Joint Peace Fund (JPF). In addition, UNOPS Myanmar is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Myanmar and Cambodia, and for the Global Fund¹s Regional Artemisinin-resistance Initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS Myanmar plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Background Information - Job-specific

1. General Background of LIFT The Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) is a multi-donor fund established in 2010 to address food insecurity and income poverty in Myanmar. LIFT has received funding from 14 donors – the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark, the United States, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Luxembourg, Italy, New Zealand, Ireland and Mitsubishi Corporation. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the Fund Manager to administer the funds and provide monitoring and oversight.
The overall goal of LIFT is to sustainably reduce the number of people living in poverty and hunger in Myanmar. LIFT’s purpose is to improve the incomes and nutrition status of poor people in Myanmar by promoting resilient livelihoods and food security. LIFT’s designated outcomes are improvements in income, resilience, nutrition, and pro-poor policy developments.
LIFT works with implementing partners that include international and national non-government organisations, United Nations agencies, the Government of Myanmar, private sector organisations, academic and research institutions.
LIFT is active in the four main agro-ecological zones of Myanmar: the Ayeyarwady Delta, the Rakhine State, the central dry zone (including Mandalay, Magway and the southern Sagaing region), and the upland areas of Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin and Shan States and Tanintharyi Region.
So far, LIFT has reached more than 7.2 million people, or roughly 20 per cent of Myanmar’s population; and is active in almost half the country’s townships. LIFT is funding projects through to June 2019. For more details, visit www.lift-fund.org.
2. Background to the TOR

Since its inception, LIFT has worked with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) both as directly contracted implementing partners and as sub-implementing partners through INGOs and United Nations organisations. In 2016, 39% of LIFT’s grant funding was directly managed by local entities, which includes both CSO and private sector organisations.
Therefore, the number of local CSOs supported by LIFT is relatively low compared to international organisations. LIFT initiated small grant and strategic partnership programs in order to strengthen the local capacity to promote food and livelihood security of the poor. LIFT needs to give necessary technical support for these initiatives and the consultancy will contribute to this as requested by the FMO staff.
3. Specific Objectives of the Assignment

In order to follow up the effectiveness/ impact/ results of the efforts to support the CSO, LIFT plans to undertake two studies, one in 2017 and one in 2018. The consultant will be responsible to lead on the studies and to provide additional technical support as requested by LIFT’s Civil Society Partnerships Officer (CSPO) under the direct supervision of LIFT Program Coordinator.
3.1: Study 1 (start in October 2017): Indirect costs

The first study will focus on the use of indirect costs by the partner organization. CSOs have consistently stated that their major capacity challenge is in attracting unrestricted funds. The claiming of indirect costs is a key component of the unrestricted funding of international agencies. While some donors allow for Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR), these costs are generally retained in full by the contracted partner (usually international) to the exclusion of sub-contracted implementers (local).

In 2015, LIFT revised its Operational Guidelines to read “In partnerships and consortiums, the 6% indirect costs should normally be shared among implementing partner organizations, including local civil society organizations, proportionate to their implementation budget (6% of their total budget)."

In 2016-17, three small-grants funds were launched with LIFT support. For the first time in Myanmar, a sufficiently large sample of CSOs would be receiving their share of indirect costs. The opportunity arose to learn more about how CSOs allocate these funds and provide donor learning for their main-budget funding practice.

The first study will address three main questions

Where do CSOs allocate indirect costs (and unrestricted funds more generally)? Do CSOs have (feel a need for) an unrestricted funds policy?
What processes do they use to make these allocation decisions?Do these allocation processes have an added value in strengthening CSO governance, decision-making, accountability and financial planning?
Are there potential co-relationships between allocation decisions, processes and CSO ‘strength’, ambitions, influence, and organisational capacity? Do particular decisions, and decision-making processes, co-relate with other assessments of CSO “strength”?

3.2: Study 2 (start in October 2017): Effectiveness of LIFT’s Civil Society Strengthening Efforts :
The second study will address following main questions (Plan to conduct in second quarter of 2018):

What are the existing capacities of LIFT funded CSOs and how have they been changed/ improved/ strengthened through LIFT?
What contributions has LIFT made regarding changes in their capacity? (Including their perception on LIFT's support) and what is the way forward for their further improvement of internal capacities (LIFT's roles, their roles, the roles of other stakeholders, etc.)
What are factors from external actors and the context in which the CSOs operate? (Including roles of other strategic partners on the achievement of results)

3.3: Technical support to the CSOs

Assist the Civil society partnerships officer in organizing inter-fund learning events among small grant fund facilitators, strategic partners and LIFT- funded local CSOs when relevant
Design and organize civil society learning workshop with CSPO
Give other technical assistance to small grant fund facilitators and Strategic partners whenever necessary and as requested by LIFT FMO.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of LIFT Program Coordinator,the consultant will design and pilot both studies.

For the “Indirect Cost” study most of the data-collection will be done by the small-grants Fund’s teams as part of their end-of-grant Participatory Learning Exercises with each CSO partner. Communication/publication is a key element of the concept. It is likely that the wider audience of CSOs will be able to draw new ideas from the study’s findings.

For the first study, a tentative plan of all tasks is outlined below:

Tasks	Who	When
1. Design a brief questionnaire (likely 7 questions, 15 minutes). Schedule pilot interviews. Design reporting format	Consultant	October 17
2. Test questionnaire in live meetings with pilot group of CSOs (minimum 10) drawn from current 3MDG partners. Adapt questionnaire if necessary	Consultant + co-consultant[1].	October 17
3. Provide orientation/rehearsal for using the questionnaire and formats to 8 field-staff of the Uplands Township Fund (as part of their scheduled Dec. meeting in Yangon)	Consultant + co-consultant	November 17
4. Use questionnaire with 40 CSO grant-holders	Upland Township Fund (UTF) field-teams	November 17 to April 18
5. Produce first report based on sample of 50 in agreed format.	Upland Township Fund (UTF) field-teams
6. Write and print summary of first report in two languages for wide circulation amongst donors and at civil society meetings/events	FMO Communications Team
7. Expand formats and questionnaire to Delta and Dry Zone Fund teams	FMO programme team	Mar 18 May 18
8. Produce second report based on sample of 100 in agreed format	FMO programme team	August 18
9. Update brochure and reprint	FMO Communications Team

The consultant will be working closely with partners of LIFT, such as the current small grant fund managers, and the 3MDG programme (another multi-donor fund working with CSOs).

Note: The design and piloting of the “Indirect cost study” would take 4-6 consulting days. For 3-4 of these days, a local consultant (or possibly an FMO staff-member) would be required. The arrangement of this support will be the responsibility of LIFT. The detailed methodology for the second study on “Learning the effectiveness of LIFT’s civil society strengthening initiatives” will be developed next year.
Activities / Tasks include to the following:

A detailed work plan will be elaborated with the consultant at the onset of the contract. The number of days will be agreed during this period, currently, total time required is estimated to be around 50 days, with half of this working remotely.

The Consultant will be required to travel in Myanmar. Travel logistics will be arranged by the LIFT Fund Manager Office.
Monitoring and Progress Controls

The Civil Society Expert will work in close coordination with local and International Programme Officers under the direct supervision of the LIFT Programme Coordinator. He/she will be expected to report in a timely fashion on the agreed workplan.

Deliverables for the assignment:

The following documents / events will be required at the agreed times:

For the two studies (3.1 and 3.2), following deliverables are expected for each:

Design the study and have the design approved by LIFT
Inception reports, including refined study objectives, major questions, sampling strategy, data collection instruments (i.e., FGD and KII topic guides), and work plan
Debriefing workshop with IPs and LIFT to discuss the findings, lessons, and proposed recommendations (one week after completing the field trip)
A single Draft Final Report for each study (one week after the briefing presentation)
A single Final Report for each study (up to seven days after receiving final written feedback from LIFT)

For the support to CSO (3.3) following deliverables are expected:

Design and organize civil society learning workshop with CSPO
Other documents as requested by LIFT FMO

For the entire consultancy, following deliverables are expected:

- Inception report with agreed workplan

[1] Or FMO staff-member.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

A Master’s degree in Development Policy, Community Development and or any subject relevant to the TOR is required. Additional two years of similar experience with a Bachelor’s Degree is considered as equivalent.

Work Experience

A minimum 5 years of professional experience in the field of civil society strengthening is required.
Experience in conducting qualitative research in social and economic development is required.
Proven understanding of the socio-economic and political situation in Myanmar is desirable.
Extensive experience of working with civil society organizations in Myanmar would be an asset.
Proven ability in establishing good working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders with different cultural backgrounds is preferable.
A sound understanding of livelihoods and food security issues in South-East Asia and/or Myanmar is an advantage.

Language:

Fluency in both written and spoken English is required. Excellent report writing skills are required.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Additional Considerations

Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Applicants are requested to:

•            Submit a letter of motivation and a CV specifying experience and skills.

•            Include the names and contact details of three recent, professional referees.

•            Note that this is a home-based contract. Reimbursement of travel and payment of Daily Subsistence Allowance for international and national travel will be paid according to UN rules and regulations.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.

Additional information

ToR- Civil Society Expert.pdf (384 KB)

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