Terms of Reference: Market Based Programming Capacity Building Process

BRCiS Consortium is looking for expertise to support Members capacity building in terms of market sensitive and Market Systems Development (MSD) programming in Somalia.

Background

BRCiS stands for Building Resilient Communities in Somalia. The Consortium was established in 2013 and implements projects in all Federal Member States of Somalia. BRCiS is a Consortium formed by 9 NGOs, including both national and international organizations. BRCiS’ overarching objective is to support and accompany vulnerable communities in Somalia on their pathways to resilience through a nutrition-sensitive, integrated and adaptive approach. BRCiS vision for sustainable livelihoods is outlined in capacity outcome 3 of the BRCiS logframe: Somali communities (youth, women and vulnerable groups) have protected assets and diversified productive livelihoods that improve resilience to shocks.

Market Based Programming (MBP) and Systems approach are repeatedly highlighted in the BRCiS strategy as a key approach which the Consortium will pursue to build resilience of targeted communities. The Consortium started investing in Market Based Programming in 2019 through a capacity building workshop which took place in November. To further this investment and to reach the concrete outcomes which were outlined in this workshop, BRCiS is committed to engaging in a long-term process which hopefully will benefit the communities involved in the project.

By investing in MBP, BRCiS wants to encourages a holistic and sustainable approach to meeting objectives, adding value to programme quality, purpose and strategic relevance. Within the framework of BRCiS resilience projects, MBP can:

• Enable exit by contributing to support economic growth, linking vulnerable populations with the systems that will continue to support them in the future, and expanding access to basic services, which are critical in developing competitive and inclusive economies and reducing poverty.
• Increase the sustainability and impact of interventions that support the local economy, potentially creating cost-efficient and cost-effective programmes, with lower fraud and protection related risks.
• Promote a ‘do no harm’ approach as MBP can assist in the understanding of how and why market systems serve various groups (youth/ women/ men) differently. This is through designing interventions that are market sensitive, gender and protection orientated. [1]

Objectives

The consultancy has three main objectives:

• Objective 1: to review the Consortium market based programming approach.
• Objective 2: to guide Consortium Members through their transition to a higher level of market sensitivity in programmes (socialize and monitor good practices of market based programming within the Consortium).
• Objective 3: to build Consortium Members capacities in terms of designing, implementing and monitoring Market Systems Development interventions, which could then be scaled up through other community-led resilience building projects.

The consultant(s) will work with 8 different BRCiS Members, particularly with their programme and M&E teams, but also when necessary with their support teams.

Timeline

The support should be provided to the Members teams throughout a period of 18 months, starting in April 2020.

• April 1^st 2020: Contract is signed and consultancy starts
• April 1^st to 15^th 2020: Preparatory phase
• April 15^th to June 15^th 2020: Inception Period
• June 16^th 2020 to September 2021: Implementation Period
• October 2020: first review of learning
• April 2021: second review of learning
• September 2021: Consultancy closing – submission of final report

Objectives, Processes and Deliverables

Preparatory Phase – 2 weeks

As part of the application process, the Consultants will have provided a proposal which includes their approach to meeting the objectives of the consultancy and a work plan with the tasks that they will undertake. During the first 2 weeks of the consultancy, initial discussions will take place with key actors in the Consortium under the leadership of the Consortium Management Unit, to kick off the work.

The consultants will then produce a short report which expands on the application documents which were submitted. The document will include a detailed methodology and refined work plan which will be shared with the Consortium. The document will also detail the roles and responsibilities in the team as well the as the communication lines between consultants and the Consortium.

Outputs:

• The Consortium and the consultants have a clear road-map of how the consultancy will unfold and meet its objectives
• The Consortium and the consultants have an accountability document to fall back to throughout the consultancy.

Deliverables:

Preparatory Phase report, including methodology, work plan and details on the consultants’ team roles and responsibilities.

Inception Period – April to May March to April

Initial meeting to present the approach to all Members and the Consortium Management Unit (CMU).

Deliverables: meeting report – 3 pages

Inception Objective 1: Refine and enhance BRCiS MBP strategy

• Review Consortium project and learning documents including theory of change, logframe, learning strategy, livelihood strategy, Market Based Programming technical brief, M&E framework, EWEA framework, including these ToRs..
• Interviews with Consortium Management Unit to understand capacities, expectations, ambitions, etc.
• Produce early recommendations to inform the Consortium approach of MBP, how the approach relates and is embedded in project documents and other approach documents. The consultants should build on international standards such as the DCEC standards and adjust the recommendations to ensure that they work for the context of resilience building in Somalia.
• Produce early recommendation to help the Consortium improve its measurement approach of market based programming at outcome level

Inception Objective 2: Develop diagnosis of market sensitivity and capacity at Member level

• Develop a simple framework to assess Members’ market awareness – mostly in their BRCiS interventions and portfolio.
• Conduct Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and / or focus group discussions within each organization to assess the level of market sensitivity in their Community Action Plans (CAPs)
• Write a short diagnosis for each member with key recommendations and capacity building plan in relation to topics specific to market based programming (e.g.: market mapping and assessments, facilitation skills, measurement)
• Validate the diagnosis recommendations and action plan with Members

Inception Objective 3: Outline MSD interventions for each Member

• Literature review and in particular CAPs, market maps on 4 key sectors developed in the MBP capacity building workshop as well as market / value chain literature
• Conduct KIIs and / or focus group discussions around opportunities for MSD programming for each Member, to pre-identify markets of interest.
• If necessary, conduct additional interviews with relevant partners – donors, FAO, WFP…
• Finalize of the selection of markets / value chains of interest for each Member and identify for each Members of 1 to 2 key opportunities for MSD interventions to be included in their Community Action Plans. Also identify if external value chain analysis is required prior to starting the implementation of the interventions.
• Outline of the intervention design with Members

Outputs:

• Inception Objective 1: the CMU understands how to guide and lead the Consortium on MBP, based on a clear way forward
• Inception Objective 2: Each Member has understood the diagnosis proposed by the expert and knows of the way forward to address the main barriers to change and to implement their pathway to market sensitivity.
• Inception Objective 3: Each Member has added to their CAPs at least 1 MSD intervention and is ready to start the implementation with continuous support from the expert. The Consortium agrees on a capacity building plan for facilitation skills to ensure that staff are able to undertake MSD interventions successfully.

Deliverables:

Inception report shared with donor and external actors

The report should include:

• 3 pagers of critical thoughts on BRCiS approach reflecting an analysis of the key project documents and including recommendations to update / enhance the BRCiS MBP technical brief and overall MBP approach
• Reviewed consultancy ToRs
• The outline of the MSD interventions proposed for each Members, a detailed action plan for each intervention
• 8 member’s diagnosis of market sensitivity including a set of recommendations for each Member and a clear pathway to improve market sensitivity in their CAPs and implementation;
• An overall action plan for the rest of the consultancy. The action Plan will include the number of days that the experts will dedicate to each Member throughout the capacity building and mentoring process to enable a good enough implementation of a MSD project that encompasses activities that support and use market capacities (due to humanitarian context and vulnerabilities of the target populations).

Presentation of the main recommendations coming from the report to the Technical Working Group (TWG), the Programme Steering Committee (PSC), the Consortium Management Unit (CMU) and the donor.

Implementation Period – June onwards

Objective 1: During the implementation period, most of the responsibility to take up the recommendations of objective 1 relies on CMU and Consortium Members. They will adapt the Consortium’s guiding documents and tools to reflect the consultants recommendations. Then they will socialize the adapted documents and ensure that the guidance is taken up at operational level.

The uptake and implementation of the strategy and document will be monitored and reviewed during the learning sessions proposed below.

Objective 2:

Monitor and support Members as they implement their Market Sensitivity pathway

• Presentation of the Market Sensitivity pathways to PSC (Programme Steering Committee)
• Mentor and advise programme managers and TWG as they implement the improvement plan, including evidencing the changes that are made to the CAPs.
• Support programme manager and TWG as they socialize the Market Sensitivity pathway within their organizations **

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Deliverables:

• PowerPoint presentations
• Members self-assessment on changes achieved

Objective 3:

Implementation and monitoring of the capacity building action plan for each Member

• Support Members with establishing a suite of interventions using, strengthening and developing markets (integrating the MSD interventions with the rest of the CAP)
• The interventions should include a clear focus on sustainability, highlight how the intervention fits with other BRCiS work, and how the model will address conflict, vulnerability and exclusion (e.g. who is being targeted, why) in the particular market context
• Support Members in designing their MSD interventions and first steps of implementation
• Support M&E teams in designing a monitoring framework for the interventions and first steps of the monitoring
• Coaching Programme throughout the implementation of the MSD interventions
• Coaching MEAL staff throughout the implementation of the MSD interventions

Deliverables:

• MSD interventions are included in the CAPs
• M&E plan for each of the interventions is validated by the MEAL and Programme teams
• Factsheet to present each MSD intervention (including the broad line of the needs and capacity analysis, objectives, scope, target groups, and topline of the M&E framework after 6 months)

Building facilitation skills of programme staff involved in the MSD interventions

• Propose a capacity building plan for facilitation skills and/or other skills identified through the review of capacities during the inception phase, to ensure that staff are able to undertake MSD interventions successfully.
• TWG and CMU review and agree on timelines and approach.
• Experts implement the capacity building plan

Deliverables:

• Capacity building plan endorsed by TWG – including provision to sustainably replicate the learning within the Consortium
• Training sessions are delivered
• Capacity building materials (presentations, factsheets, videos) are shared with CMU for utilization by other staff

Learning and Sharing

• Learning and sharing workshops will be organized 6 months after the beginning of the implementation period, and then again after another period of 6 months. The experts would lead on agenda and facilitation with support from the CMU on the logistics and organization.
• Learning and sharing workshops can be done in person or through facilitated zoom conference or other webinar tools.
• The workshops should allow to assess progress and challenges with objectives 1, 2 and 3.
• Recommendations from the workshops will allow the consultants to update the Consortium’s guiding documents and recommendations on BRCiS approach to MBP.
• Other learning tools such as short videos and factsheets should be produced to ensure that the knowledge produced is sharable and replicable. CMU communication would also support with the production of the videos and factsheets, in terms of editing, formatting, etc.

Deliverables:

• Short videos, factsheet and learning review reports, including updated recommendation on objective 1 – Support the Consortium reviewing and refining its market based programming approach –
• Number and content of the documents to be agreed upon during inception period.
• Specific recommendations on how to update the Consortium’s guiding documents to reflect lessons learnt and best practices.

Key Requirements

• The team of experts should ideally be comprised of international experts and Somali experts. Somali experts at least should have access to Somalia and be able to visit Consortium Members in their offices. International team members should at least have access to venues located in secure locations of the country.
• The experts should have an extensive knowledge of humanitarian, resilience and market programming in Somalia so as to be well place to advise, mentor and coach.
• The experts should have experience of applying gender, vulnerability and conflict sensitivity lenses to market approaches.
• The experts should have a long experience of providing capacity building, coaching and mentoring support with respect to Market Based Programming
• The experts should have a long experience of production of market mapping and analysis, as well as value chain analysis
• The experts should have an extensive experience of designing, monitoring and evaluating Market System Development projects.

Application Process