Consultant Call For Application

Starting Date:
(Date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 15-Jan-2021
Expected Duration of Contract: 3 months

Background

Youth Positive Transformation Initiative (YOPTI) commences a new project titled: “YOPTI Capacity Renaissance Project” with funding from ForumCiv Liberia. The project aims to strengthen YOPTIs institutional capacity and community engagement for improved organizational functions, practices, standards, and indicators. As part of the project, YOPTI is embarking on the development of a strategic plan which will serve as a powerful and effective tool to define the further course of action for YOPTI over the next five years. In framing the strategic plan, YOPTIs organizational capacities and expectations will be examine from different perspectives including Governance, Human Resource, Finance, Communication, Risk Management, Planning and Evaluation. This will be completed through interviews, online surveys, focus groups discussion, and community meetings. The strategic planning process will further:

• Look at the function of YOPTI and its historical roles
• The present expectations facing YOPTI
• Identify primary programmatic initiatives, service delivery and expected outcomes for YOPTI; review the characteristics and needs of the people YOPTI serves
• Examine ways/means to better serve its constituents
• And identify key perspectives of YOPTI to enhance in order to meet the increasing needs of the people the organization serves.

Purpose
The purpose of the consultancy is to support and lead YOPTI and its staffs in a technically grounded, consultative and participatory planning process, to include extensive consultations with stakeholders. These stakeholders include: Board of Directors, Staffs, Programs beneficiaries/constituents, volunteers, collaborative partners, funders, peer organization and the larger community. The substantive outcome will be a five-year strategic plan for the period 2021-2025 charted towards turning YOPTI vision into reality, and including institutional arrangements, specific activities, proposed programs, timelines, targets and a detailed costing. The consultant should also provide a communication and monitoring plan.

Scope of Work
The consultant will work with YOPTI strategic planning committee under the guidance of YOPTI Board of Directors. The consultant will lead and guide the process of developing the full five-year strategic plan.This will include:

• A review of existing organization plans, policy frameworks, laws, approaches, national implementation plans and other relevant documents;
• Development of an economically sound methodology for the strategic plan for how YOPTI can most effectively meet its objectives;
• Collection of additional data;
• Lead needs assessment of YOPTI;
• Stakeholders mapping and consultation;
• Situation analysis, including identification of constraints and opportunities for sustainable development, investment promotion, work force enhancement and Community engagement;
• Plans for new programs and sub-strategies that address the constraints and create the needed support systems and incentives;
• Strengthen of a vision and mission statement;
• Develop, validation, finalization and costing of a strategic plan 2021-2025 including a log frame, and a detailed implementation plan for 2021-2022 and general activities for 2021-2025.
• Monitoring and evaluation strategy and communications plan.

Specific Tasks
The Consultant will:
Carry out a desk review of documents relevant to the modification of the Vision, legal framework, work and context of YOPTI. These will include the existing programs, By-law and Constitution, other instruments relevant to youth development, and assessments of the youth community.

• Review existing program implementation plans on Youth issues.
• Develop an understanding of the current situation of Youth in Liberia, paying special attention to issues of sustainable development, investment promotion, export promotion, work force enhancement, industrial policy and trade facilitation;
• Hold discussions with the staff and the strategic planning committee to build a common approach to the assignment;
• Conduct a needs assessment of YOPTI, which will include a review of YOPTI existing structure and institutional arrangements with a view to developing a strategy for expansion. This will be a component of the final plan;
• Develop a comprehensive methodology and work plan for a participatory process of the development of YOPTI strategic plan with a view to achieving both support, concrete co-operation and programming with relevant stakeholders
• Develop an advanced draft strategic plan for discussion with staff and the methodology for a stakeholder consultation process which will closely include YOPTI staff;
• Finalize the strategic plan, including a log frame and a detailed implementation plan for 2021-2022 and provide general activities for 2022-2025. The plan should include jointly developed vision and mission statements, priority programs and sector strategies, baselines and targets, timelines and resource allocations and a monitoring & Evaluation plan and communications plan;
• Ensure that the strategic plan is professionally costed and includes a plan for how to integrate the strategic plans into day-to-day activities of YOPTI.

Deliverables

YOPTI will appoint a Committee (made of staffs of the organization) which will be led by the consultant to accomplish the following: Developing Planning timeline/schedule and modules

• Discuss format of the plan with them; determine desired process and format of end product
• Identify information needed for strategic planning
• SWOT Analysis (including the review/validation of mission and vision, bylaws and current organizational systems, financial health, and identify gaps)
• Develop a plan for soliciting stakeholder input

Gather relevant data and stakeholder input

• Conduct Focus groups, community meetings, interviews, and online surveys as ways to listen to stakeholders (constituent, volunteers, members, partners/funders,)
• Research other models and conduct a competitive scan

Goal Setting/develop plan framework

• Review Data
• Brainstorm goals and objectives
• Prioritize/cluster goals to fewer (3-5) areas that will make the most impact in accordance with the organizations capacity.
• Draft objectives

Drafting the strategic plan

• Assign each strategic priority to an appropriate group of the planning committee members that will be involved in doing the work and let them create that section of the Implementation Plan
• Provide coaching, training, and assistance to support development of the plan narrative and measureable outcomes
• Compile/edit draft strategic plan

Review Draft Plan

• Review, feasibility testing, additional prioritization if necessary, clarify roles and responsibilities (how will the plan get done?)
• Financial projections/analysis
• Check for clear outcomes/ensure that progress can be shown/evaluated and develop strategy for ongoing board monitoring of progress

NB:
This list is not intended to be exhaustive. The Consultant has the responsibility to consult all documents necessary for the successful execution of this assignment.

Competencies Required:

• Good understanding of trending youth development issues, inclusive of organization development;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• Ability to analyse data and identify issues;
• Ability to present practical, innovative youth solutions to organization for Strategic and operational planning levels;
• Proven record of conducting stakeholder consultations.

RequiredSkills and Experience

Education:

• At least an advanced degree in a technical field of Development Studies, Sociology, economics, or related areas of study
  Experience:
  At least 5 years experience in the area of Non-Governmental Organization sector, of which at least 3 relates to the development of organization policy;
  Strong professional knowledge in Youth issues with particular reference to youth development;
  Experience in leading strategic planning processes and good facilitation skills;
  Experience in program management and understanding of the planning and funding cycles of the Non-Governmental Organization and development financing organizations.

RecommendedPresentation of Offer:Interested individual must include the following documents when submitting application for this post:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• May provide website or link to work experience