Myanmar: Consultant for External Review of Consortium Structure and Ways of Working

1.Background, rationale of the consultancy

Since February 2015, Oxfam manages an EU funded consortium of seven national and international NGOs, plus a further 20 CSOs, delivering the Durable Peace Programme (DPP) in Kachin. Supporting peace, reconciliation, rehabilitation and development across 12 townships of Kachin, the DPP delivers a broad range of activities under four main objectives, as follows:

1. To support greater community participation and influence in peace processes, particularly for women and youth;

2. To support the peace process through improving trust and reconciliation;

3. To link relief with rehabilitation and development by supporting improved education and livelihoods outcomes; and

4. Local authorities and community structures are more receptive to community peace and development needs.

Key themes underpinning the programme include a priority focus on supporting women and youth, mainstreaming advocacy throughout programme activities, and extensive capacity development for civil society. Indicative activities include peace and civic education, peace seminars and consultations, trauma healing, personal and community-level reconciliation initiatives, small-scale livelihood activities, early childhood care and development, research to support conflict-affected communities, and advocacy towards authorities and other stakeholder engagement. Over the course of three and a half years, the DPP will reach over 85,000 conflict-affected people, primarily displaced people living in IDP camps, but also some villages.

As the Consortium’s Managing Partner, Oxfam is seeking the services of an external evaluator or consultant with extensive background on developing participatory, equitable and practical governance structures.

Another consultancy is being advertised for a consortium leadership Reflection and Design workshop on 7 and 8 December; initial findings gathered during this consultancy would need to be presented at the workshop.

2.Purpose and Deliverables of the Consultancy

The senior leadership of the Joint Strategy Team (JST) and the Steering Committee of the DPP have decided to review the governance structure and ways of working of the consortium in order to develop recommendations for the second phase of the project.

This consultancy is to deliver a final report on DPP consortium structure, ways of working and accountability processes as well options and recommendations for the future construction of the consortium in a second phase of the project. The review will require analysis of existing documentation, interviews with partners and stakeholders, presentation of initial findings, and tangible recommendations for a second phase.

The review should:

· Examine the entire structure of the consortium including governance, division of roles and responsibilities and ways of working and make recommendations regarding the same. More specifically, it should:

o Examine the relationship between and roles of the Steering Committee (SC) and Project Management Committee (PMC)

o Examine the Third Party Structure

o Examine the role, location and responsibilities of the PMU

o Examine the way information flows through the structure

o Examine efforts of localistion and sustainability

o Examine efforts to coordinate technical approaches

· Explore the extent to which the project involved project beneficiaries in the whole project management cycle;

· Examine the extent to which the project met the needs of the community of Kachin State as a whole and different groups of people within it;

· Explore both context-related and consortium-related challenges and constraints faced; and highlight structural recommendations to overcome some of these challenges and constraints.

The consultancy (team) will be expected to complete the following at a minimum, but not limited to:

· Literature review of programme governance structure, ways of working and external documents;

· One week in Kachin state to conduct interviews with partners and external stakeholders;

o Interviews with all consortium members and some CSOs involved in the programme;

o Meetings with external stakeholders, including at a minimum the European Union (as donor), Myanmar Government authorities in Kachin and the KIO (TAT);

· Presentation and discussion of initial findings to the consortium on 8 December;

· Write up of a draft review, not exceeding 20 pages (excluding annexes);

· Incorporating consortium feedback, write up of a final report, not exceeding 20 pages, in addition to annexes. Single spaced, size 10.5 Arial font.

3.Consultant(s) and Oxfam Responsibilities

The consultant(s) is expected to work largely autonomously, but with support from Oxfam and the consortium as required. The following is an approximate division of responsibilities:

Consultant/Review Team

· Ideally, arrange all logistics (transport, accommodation, etc.) for the review;

· Arrange a translator if required;

· Conduct data collection without Oxfam or consortium accompaniment, except where introductions need to be made;

· Present initial findings to the DPP consortium in Yangon on 8 December

· Write the report, submit to Oxfam and consoritium for feedback and make revisions accordingly;

· Recommendations will feed into design of DPP phase 2;

· Conduct all of the above according to agreed timelines; and

· Confidential treatment of all information gathered.

Oxfam/Consortium

· Support on logistics if required (travel, accommodation and translation)

· Provide all required programme documentation;

· Provide contact details for relevant people;

· Respond to adhoc requests; and

· Conduct all of the above in a timely and responsive fashion.

4.Requirements of the consultant

· Demonstrable experience in set up or review of structures for large consortia, networks or alliances

· Excellent listening skills, respectful approach toward partners (Myanmar and International)

· Strong writing and communication skills to ensure effective collaboration

· Experience and background on peace issues or programmes in conflict contexts preferred

· Experience in gender analysis preferred

· Experience working with Oxfam, JST, consortia preferred

· Familiarity with EU contract compliance is a plus

5.Indicative process and timeline

· Applications reviewed on a rolling basis, and Oxfam reserves the right to select a candidate before the closure of applications.

· 13/11: Application Deadline

· 14-16/11: Contracting of Candidates and reference check

· 17/11: Orientation meeting and contract signing at Oxfam office

· 19/11-15/12: Duration of assignment

· One week of research and interviews in Kachin is required to complete the assignment

· 8/12: Presentation of initial key findings at Reflection and Design workshop in Yangon

· 13/12: Final draft of report submitted to Oxfam for review and feedback

· 15/12: Oxfam feedback on report

· 20/12: Submission of final report

6.Selection process and payment

All applications will be assessed on technical competency, value for money and overall ability to deliver the desired deliverables according to or quicker than the tentative schedule. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

40% of the overall fee will be paid upon signing the contract and the remaining 60% paid upon completion of the final version of the reports to a standard that meets Oxfam’s requirements.

7.Contact details

For further details or clarifications, please contact Adriana Franco Chitanana, Programme Manager, via email, achitanana@oxfamn.org.uk or phone (+95) 9794949872

Oxfam invites applications from individuals and teams of consultants. All applications should include only the following (extra documentation will disqualify candidates):

· Maximum one page cover letter including examples of relevant previous work;

· Maximum two page CV(s);

· Contact details of at least two references for the lead consultant;

· Proposed review process, totalling no more than one page;

· An indicative budget in excel format of no more than one page including all expected costs and copy editing if English writing is not native fluency level.

· All text must be in size 10.5 Arial font, single-spaced and with standard margins.

Applications must be submitted electronically in a zip file with the subject line: ‘External Review Consortium Structure’ to:myanmarhr@oxfam.org.uk and achitanana@oxfam.org.uk