Stakeholder Analysis & Mapping Consultant

Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

In August 2021, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (commonly known as the Taliban) took control of Afghanistan. International donors immediately suspended most non-humanitarian funding and froze billions of dollars in assets. Without this funding, the economy has spiralled downward. Meanwhile, Afghanistan faces ongoing drought and a possible fourth wave of COVID-19.

This situation has left 24.4 million People in need all over the country. Afghanistan could see near universal poverty (97 percent) by mid-2022. Over 90 percent of the country’s health clinics are expected to shut down, depriving millions of basic care, threatening the COVID-19 response, and creating a major risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition and preventable deaths. Women and girls are at higher risk of gender-based violence, child marriage, and exploitation and abuse, all magnified by gender-specific restrictions on work and education.

The IRC has been working in Afghanistan for over three decades, providing education, protection, water and sanitation, and economic recovery programs. We support over 60 health facilities and provide information and training sessions about COVID-19. In recent years, the IRC has become a leader in women’s protection and empowerment in Afghanistan.

Under its Strategic Action Plan (SAP), the IRC Afghanistan Office is looking to significantly expand its work with local actors, including the development of long-term strategic partners. We aimed to support, learn from, and work alongside these partners in ‘long-term, principled, feminist partnerships that share power and resources, and elevate the knowledge and expertise of each partner, to develop better solutions for people in Afghanistan.’ To do this, the IRC Afghanistan Office is looking to conduct a stakeholder mapping/analysis to identify what local structures exist and what IRC’s added value can be to ensure strong program outcomes addressing areas of need.

Scope Of Work

The contracted consultant will be focusing on the following project components: Identifying potential partners as per the inputs and priorities from program and partnership team and providing key information and recommendations that will support IRC’s strategy to partner with them.

Please find below more information about the expected deliverables of this consultancy.

• Conduct desk review of stakeholder information provided by country program including programs, field teams, clusters, relevant working groups, and partnerships – for geographic and sector areas agreed with the DDP
• Undertake own research to identify any more local stakeholders relevant to the mapping
• Hold Stakeholder Mapping/Analysis sessions with country program to review findings of desk review and research
• Present findings of mapping and sessions to Partnership Working Group (PWG).

Methodology

The proposed methodology is divided into three phases below. The consultant is free to propose an alternative or modified methodology for IRC’s review.

Phase 1: Desk Review

Review of existing data of stakeholder information provided by country program

Review of existing studies and literature, if any, on stakeholders’ information provided by country program in the areas of interest

Phase 2: Data Collection

Based on desk review and consultations with IRC program teams, the consultant will design or adapt existing IRC data collection tools to collect data for the field-based mapping exercise for the stakeholders in the agreed areas

Using the approved tools, the consultant will conduct a field-based mapping exercise for of stakeholder information provided by country program in the areas of agreed areas.

Phase 3: Ranking and profiling Potential Partners

Using a pre-agreed criterion, profile three organisations per geographical area by country program with the highest potential for strategic partnership with IRC

Deliverables

• Stakeholder mapping document completed, detailing the potential partnership opportunities based on discussions with technical leads and PWG (including women-lead organization willing to provide third party monitoring activities).
• Draft of the report for review.
• Producing the final report containing an executive summary, findings, analysis, conclusions, and actionable recommendations including the proposed organisations for strategic partnership.
• Final analysis report summary in visual presentation format for each sector using PEERS templates.