https://devbusiness.un.org/content/strategic-plan-consultancy-au-ecosocc
  REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOI)   STRATEGIC PLAN CONSULTANCY FOR AU ECOSOCC   Procurement Reference No. ECOSOCC/03/11/240.21                   SECTION I: LETTER OF INVITATION   15th October 2021   Dear Applicants,   REF: STRATEGIC PLAN CONSULTANCY FOR AU ECOSOCC 1. The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) an advisory organ of the African Union wishes to recruit highly qualified African experts to undertake the above assignment.  The ECOSOCC now invites interested Individual Consultants to submit CVs for the assignment as per attached Terms of Reference (TORS).    2. The Consultant will be selected under the fixed budget Selection method and the pass mark shall be 70%.    3. The EoIs must include the following:   A Cover Letter outlining the understanding of the assignment, methodology and work plan. CV demonstrating experience with similar assignments   4. The EoIs must be submitted to the following e-mail address:  [email protected]   5. The title of the Procurement must appear as the subject of e-mail submissions.   6. The Deadline for submission of EoIs is on 31st October 2021 at 1500 hours Lusaka (Zambia) Time.  Late submissions will not be considered.    7.  This call for Request for Expressions of Interest comprise of the following:            Section I – This Letter of Invitation            Section II- Terms of Reference                Yours sincerely,     Head of Administration, Finance and Procurement Department.       1.0       Background The establishment of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) was a culmination of several decisions to actively engage civil society in the processes and work of both the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and its successor, the African Union (AU), particularly with regard to Africa’s integration and development. ECOSOCC was subsequently established during the third Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 4-5 July, 2004, under the provisions of articles 5 (i) and 22 of the AU Constitutive Act. It serves as an advisory organ of the AU composed of civil society organizations (CSOs). The ECOSOCC Secretariat is currently based in Lusaka Zambia. The principle of ECOSOCC is therefore to facilitate effective interface between AU Member States and their people, through partnership and engagement with African CSOs. Guided by statutes, ECOSOCC’s mandate entails to: Promote dialogue between all segments of African people on issues concerning the Continent and its future; Forge strong partnerships between governments and all segments of civil society, in particular, women, the youth, children the Diaspora, organized labour, the private sector, and professional group; Promote the participation of African Civil Society in the implementation of the policies and programmes of the Union; Support policies and programmes that promote peace, security and stability and foster Continental development and integration; Promote and defend a culture of good governance, democratic principles and institutions, popular participation, human rights and social justice; Promote, advocate and defend a culture of gender equality; and Promote and strengthen the institutional, human and operational capacities of the African civil society; As an advisory organ of the AU, ECOSOCC’s mandate includes: Contributing, through advice, to the effective translation of the AU’s objectives, principles and policies into concrete programmes, as well as evaluating those programmes Undertaking studies and making recommendations Contributing to the promotion and realization of the AU’s vision and objectives Contributing to the promotion of human rights, the rule of law, good governance, democratic principles, gender equality and child rights Promoting and supporting the efforts of institutions engaged in reviewing the future of Africa and forging pan-African values in order to enhance an African social model and way of life Fostering and consolidating partnership between the AU and CSOs Assuming functions referred to it by other AU organs. CSO members include but are not limited to: Social groups: E.g. those representing women, children, youth, the elderly and people with disabilities and special needs Professional groups: E.g. associations of artists, engineers, health practitioners, social workers, media, teachers, sport associations, legal professionals, social scientists, academia, business organizations, national chambers of commerce, workers, employers, industry and agriculture, and other private sector interest groups Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and voluntary organizations Cultural organizations Social and professional organizations in the African Diaspora (in accordance with the definition approved by the Executive Council) It is therefore clear that effective implementation of the mandate of the organ hinges on developing and operationalizing its structures and capacities. As part of the organ’s efforts to continuously check on and improve on its services, ECOSOCC seeks qualified Individual consultant/s to develop a five-year strategic plan for the organization to guide and outline clear directions for ECOSOCC in the implementation of the policies and Programmes for the organ and the Commission at large. This implementation plan will prioritize the remaining 2 years of the FTYIP after which a mid-term evaluation will be conducted to realign the programmatic focus of the five year strategic plan to the Second Ten Years Implementation Plan of the Union. 2.0 Rationale for the Consultancy The first ECOSOCC Strategic Plan covered only two years; January 2017- December 2018. In line with a policy practice that organs implement Agenda 2063 first ten year implementation plan (FTYIP) ending in 2023 through two 5 year Mid-Term plans, it was determined that a second Strategic Plan be developed to cover the second part of Agenda 2063 FTYIP, i.e 2019 – 2023. This means for the last two (2) years, the organ has been operating under the old strategic plan which necessitates the evaluation of the role of ECOSOCC in the implementation of Agenda 2063 FTYIP under the 2017-2018 strategic plan, and develop another 5 years strategic plan to guide the organ in the direction of the priority areas for the remaining two years to the expiry of Agenda 2063 FTYIP and project beyond to the second ten year implementation plan through a mid-term evaluation for realignment to the next implementation plan of the Union. ECOSOCCs programmatic environment is also constantly changing and is characterized by an evolving policy and political environment, growing stakeholder numbers and expectations, evolving staffing structure and capacity, amongst other factors. Additionally, this is a critical change management period especially with the recent establishment of the new ECOSOCC Secretariat in Lusaka, Zambia. At secretariat level, major transitions have also happened (and more are ongoing). This is therefore a good time for the organ to reflect on its past and think through the most effective way to capitalize on the new governance and programmatic realities in the light of promoting the achievement of the overarching vision of the AU, especially the implementation of AU’s Agenda 2063. 3.0       Objectives The overall objective of the consultancy is to develop a new five year strategic framework for ECOSOCC that takes into account the current internal and external operating environment in order to enhance the effectiveness of ECOSOCC in undertaking its mandate as advisory organ of the AU. The specific objectives of the consultancy will be: To formulate the strategic direction for ECOSOCC in the coming years which defines the strategic objectives for the core functional areas of ECOSOCC and identifies the requisite distinct set of capabilities and resource endowments for the key strategic areas to build institutional capabilities and organ’s competencies To develop a ‘Monitoring and Evaluation’ framework to guide ECOSOCC in aligning its activities for the coming years with the priorities for the 10 year implementation plan for agenda 2063 ending at 2023, and further plan for the next implementation plan for Agenda 2063. To highlight the possible impediments that are likely to confront the organ in executing its mandate in the coming years and suggest what ECOSOCC should do in order to overcome the challenges based on a situational analysis. To propose and justify a relevant theory of change and pathways for the organ to achieve better synergy within the organ, between the organ and other AU organs, with the Commission and with other actors at large. 4.0       Scope of the Services The scope of work for the individual consultant(s) will entail working with the AU’s Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery and ECOSOCC Secretariat to undertake (but not limited to) the following activities/tasks:  Undertake a thorough ‘Strategic Plan Review Process’ of ECOSOCC’s first FYIP (2017-2018) by proposing a review methodology and providing detailed analysis on its successes and gaps. Undertake a situational analysis of ECOSOCC operations to date including consultative interviews with various stakeholders at national, regional and continental levels Through a consultative process and application of appropriate tools of analysis, identify main challenges constraining mandate implementation; propose focus areas and develop strategic objectives and key result areas for the same in line with the priorities for the 10 year implementation plan for AU Agenda 2063, and project beyond. Develop a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis that will cover ECOSOCC’s institutional and human resource capacity, organizational set-up, financial and administrative systems against its mandate, communication strategy for the implementation of the work-plan and the identified strategic objectives and key result areas; and make appropriate recommendations on strategy for achieving key result areas identified. The SWOT analysis should also propose a road-map on how ECOSOCC can engage with a greater number of CSOs in Africa. Develop a theory of change or pathways to guide the organization over the strategic plan period Develop an M & E framework for the five-year strategic plan period Propose as an annex, a framework for the formulation and submission of policy/advisory opinions to the relevant AU entities Hold meeting(s) with ECOSOCC secretariat, the Agenda 2063 team of the AU strategic planning, ECOSOCC members and selected stakeholders to validate the draft Strategic Plan. Develop the final Strategic Plan and submit to the ECOSOCC Secretariat within the agreed timeline.   5.0       Transfer of Knowledge/Training The individual consultant(s) in liaison with the Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery, ECOSOCC Secretariat and wider CSO members will organize a forum to present the strategic plan document and discuss the strategic objectives and key result areas, as well as the recommendations made. 6.0       Key Deliverables The main deliverables of this assignment shall be the Inception Report for the assignment and the Final 5 Year Strategic Plan Document that clearly provides 1) A theory of change for ECOSOCC, 2) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, 3) Communications Strategy to guide ECOSOCC in executing its mandate for the next 5 years. 7.0.      Methodology The methodology detailing the analytical instrument and analytical approach will be proposed by the consultant. The key stakeholders shall be the ECOSOCC Secretariat and the Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery. However, it is expected that participatory and interactive methods and approaches will be used within the context of COVID-19 restrictions. 7.1 Strategic Plan and Guideline Design In addition to providing details regarding analytical instruments, the methodology shall indicate how the consulting firm plans to manage the assignment design process, including finalizing data elements, and incorporating input from the various stakeholders. The contracted consultancy firm shall submit its proposed methodological approach and schedules (as part of its inception report) to the AU’s Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery and the ECOSOCC Secretariat for review and validation. The proposed design for the strategic plan should include the following: 7.1.1 Virtual Fieldwork It is expected that the consulting firm shall undertake virtual data collection fieldwork at CSOs that are members of ECOSOCC and the wider CSO family to collect data that provides useful insights to understand the realities pertaining to CSOs engagement at the national, regional and continental levels. 7.1.2 Inputs from Key Stakeholders The individual consultant(s) is expected to gather inputs from the ECOSOCC’s General Assembly, chairs of 10 Sectoral Cluster Committees, and other key stakeholders. 7.1.3 Inputs from Sectoral Cluster Committees and CSOs Conduct extensive engagements with the members of the Sectoral Cluster Committees in ECOSOCC (Peace and Security; Political Affairs; Infrastructure and Energy; Social Affairs and Health; Human Resources, Science and Technology; Trade and Industry; Rural Economy and Agriculture; Economic Affairs; Women and Gender; and Cross-Cutting Programmes), as well as CSOs representatives, so as to understand current status, challenges and future trajectory. The Sectorial Cluster Committees will later be realigned to the new AUC departments in line with the ongoing reforms at the Commission. NB: Before formally incorporating inputs taken from the key informant interview and interview of Sectoral Cluster Committees members and CSOs representatives, a validation meeting shall be organized in order to show the results and analysis made based on their inputs and suggestions.   8.0       Assignment Reports and Schedule of Expected Documents The consultant (s) is expected to prepare and present the following report and document to ECOSOCC Secretariat within the set timelines as follows: NO ACTIVITY TIMELINE   1 An inception report   Two weeks (2) after signing the contract.     2 Draft strategic plan document Ten weeks (10) after submission of the inception report.   3 Final strategic plan document Two weeks (2) after presentation of the draft strategic plan document     9.0 Inception Meeting and Validation of the Work Plan Meetings are to be held with AU’s Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery, the General Assembly and ECOSOCC Secretariat as deemed appropriate, to review and discuss the process of developing the strategic plan, clarifying the roles and responsibilities and to receive relevant correspondence. 10.0    Facilities, Services and Resources to be provided by the Client The client (ECOSOCC) shall facilitate all the logistical arrangement attached to the assignment which may be required for the consulting firm. The client will further facilitate communication with external stakeholders to bring to their attention the undertaking of the exercise. (This will include preparation and administration of introduction letters as well as pass/passes for the consulting firm where necessary). All meetings organized between ECOSOCC and the consultant in the course of the assignment will also be facilitated by the ECOSOCC Secretariat 11.0    Assignment Period The consultant (s) is expected to undertake this assignment within a period of sixty (60) days after signing of the contract. The consulting firm will provide a breakdown of the period within which the various activities for the assignment are expected to complete within the fourteen week timeframe. 12.0    Assignment Management & Administration 12.1 This assignment will be managed by the ECOSOCC Secretariat in collaboration with the Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery. The Secretariat will be responsible for servicing the consulting firm, support with setting-up appointments with stakeholders, ensuring that payments are made in time, and tracking the work plan of the firm 12.2 The AUs Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery will take the lead in providing the strategic direction of the plan while the consultant will be more of a facilitator. The consultant will report directly to the ECOSOCC Secretariat and the Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery on all matters pertaining to the assignment.   13.0    Documents for Review The just concluded ECOSOCC Strategic plan and all relevant programmes and activity related reports of ECOSOCC. The consulting firm must exercise due diligence to ensure that confidential documents that may be availed to the consulting firm for  the purpose of this assignment are not leaked to any third party whatsoever. 14.0    Selection Criteria and Qualifications The consultant (s) to undertake the assignment is expected to have the following qualifications: At least a master’s degree in a relevant field in the area of planning, public policy, development studies, social sciences or any related field. The individual consultant(s) is expected to have adequate experience working on similar tasks within international organisations, preferably in Africa. Experience working with the African Union on similar tasks will be an added advantage. Must also have at least 15 years in handling similar projects in international private or public sector organization and in the development of strategic plans for like-minded institutions. Extensive experience and knowledge of organizational development. A good understanding of the AU/ECOSOCC and its operating mechanisms will be an asset. Civil society experience and linkages, within an African context, will be considered an asset. A good understanding of the operations framework of ECOSOCC and the AU in general will be an added advantage; Must be an African, from the continent or Diaspora The individual must represent a diversity of relevant technical skills that proves a wealth of expertise that best fits the requisite skills of the assignment including leadership and strategic management, project management, monitoring and evaluation, statistics etc. Fluency in spoken and written English. Knowledge of French will be an added advantage 15.0    Budget and Payment The total cost of this assignment shall be a fixed lumpsum of  fifteen thousand United State Dollars ($USD 15,000). 16.0    Duty station and Travel requirements The assignment will be 80% home based and 20% travel to conduct the face-to-face and consultative interactions with the relevant stakeholders in cases where virtual interaction prove impractical. Travel will only be approved if there is a motivated reason where virtual engagements are impractical or insufficient. In any eventuality, that the Secretariat feels the need to have an in-person working session with the Consultant or any other travel requirements; a DSA (daily substance allowance) and economy class travel ticket will be covered by the former in accordance with AU rules and regulations. 17.0 Language: Fluency in spoken and written English will be the language requirement for conducting this task however Knowledge of French will be an added advantage. Also the bid, as well as all correspondence and documents relating to the bid shall be written in English language. Supporting documents and literature furnished by the Bidder may be in another language provided they are accompanied by an accurate translation of the relevant passages in the English language. 18.0 Selection Criteria General qualifications and experience 10  Specific experience of the consultant relevant to the assignment   35 Adequacy and quality of the proposed methodology, and work plan in responding to the Terms of Reference (TORs)-Technical approach and methodology-Work plan             30 15 Language 10 Total Weight 100   African Union Commission Zambia Not cancelled Request for Expression of Interest Consulting Services- Individual Sunday, October 31, 2021- 09:00 AU-P850154-10/21 General- Miscellaneous Monday, October 18, 2021 English Monday, October 18, 2021- 10:33 African Union Commission