About HelpAge
HelpAge International, either through direct implementation or its global network of 200 members in 98 countries, is committed to supporting older people to live safe, dignified, and healthy lives. By fostering partnerships and collaborations, HelpAge ensures the inclusion of older people in all aspects of society and strives for a just and equitable world for individuals of all ages.
Background
Syria Context: More than a decade of conflict, combined with economic collapse, climate shocks and large-scale displacement, has severely weakened essential services and undermined social cohesion across Syria. While recent political developments have created opportunities for recovery and return, communities continue to face significant challenges, including damaged infrastructure, overstretched public services, unresolved grievances, and increasing competition over scarce resources. Fragile return dynamics, continued insecurity and recurrent violence affecting minority communities further highlight the volatility of the context.
Water, sanitation and health systems remain under significant strain. Damaged WASH infrastructure, water scarcity, drought and extreme heat are reducing access to safe water and increasing health risks, while many health facilities remain partially operational or at risk of closure. At the same time, widespread poverty, inflation and declining livelihood opportunities have eroded household coping capacities and increased vulnerabilities, particularly among older people, women and persons with disabilities. These groups continue to face significant barriers to accessing services, participating in decision-making processes and benefiting from recovery efforts.
In response, HelpAge International and its partners are developing a BMZ-funded Transitional Development Assistance (TDA) project that seeks to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations and local systems through an integrated Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus approach.
The proposed intervention aims to:
- Strengthen inclusive and sustainable WASH, health and protection services.
- Support food security through climate-resilient agriculture and livelihood interventions.
- Promote social cohesion, community-led peacebuilding and inclusive participation.
The project seeks to strengthen resilience capacities at individual, household, community and institutional levels, with particular attention to older people, women, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, returnees and other vulnerable groups.
The consultant will be provided with relevant project design documents and available secondary data, including:
- Concept note and draft project design documents.
- Existing sectoral assessments.
- Gender analysis (coordination while development is in progress)
- Peace and Conflict Analysis (coordination while development is in progress)
The strategy of BMZ/TDA is also online available here: Transitional development assistance | BMZ.
Also supporting documents for this consultancy service is available the same site: Strengthening resilience. Creating new prospects (bmz.de) and on the methodology of resilience analysis including scoping questions: Product sheet on resilience analyses (bmz.de)
Purpose:
The purpose of the Resilience Analysis is to inform and shape the design of the proposed BMZ-funded project in a risk- and crisis-informed manner that builds on the strengths, capacities and potential of older people and other vulnerable people and local structures. The completed resilience analysis should provide a clear rationale for how project interventions will contribute to sustainable recovery and resilience.The findings will be used to:
- Refine project priorities and intervention strategies.
- Strengthen the project’s Theory of Change and results framework.
- Inform targeting, sustainability and stakeholders engagement approaches.
- Identify resilience capacities to be strengthened at different levels.
- Develop context-specific recommendations (and indicators where relevant).
- Ensure alignment with BMZ’s resilience approach and HDP Nexus objectives.
Objectives
The objective of the Resilience Analysis is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of:
- Existing risks, crises and vulnerabilities affecting the target areas.
- The affected and responsible actors, institutions, organisations, networks and structures, including their strengths, capacities and resilience potentials.
- Opportunities and needs for strengthening resilience capacities through integrated humanitarian, development and peacebuilding interventions.
In line with BMZ guidance, the analysis should answer the following five scoping questions [For details see: Product sheet on resilience analyses (bmz.de)]:
- Against which risks, crises and vulnerabilities should resilience be strengthened?
- Whose resilience should be strengthened? (Target groups, institutions, organisations, networks and structures at individual, household, community and sub-national levels.)
- In which sectors or areas should resilience be strengthened?
- With what objective should resilience be strengthened? (In relation to stabilisation, adaptation and transformation capacities.)
Additional aspects:
- How can resilience be strengthened through an HDP Nexus approach? The analysis should also identify opportunities for strengthening social cohesion, inclusion and conflict sensitivity within resilience programming.
- Do No Harm Analysis: With regard to the crisis and conflict context, what are the possible unintended negative effects of the project? What are potential measures to mitigate the risks
Gender and inclusion considerations should inform the resilience analysis. A gender analysis is conducted in parallel.
Coordination with the Peace and Conflict Analysis:
HelpAge International is concurrently commissioning a Peace and Conflict Analysis (PCA) to inform the same project design process. Applicants are encouraged to apply for both assignments where relevant expertise exists. The Resilience Analysis should complement and build upon the PCA by:
- Identifying links between conflict drivers, vulnerabilities and resilience capacities.
- Analysing community assets, institutions, networks and practices that act as connectors and strengthen resilience.
- Identifying opportunities to strengthen resilience, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence simultaneously.
- Supporting the development of integrated recommendations across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
The consultant will be expected to coordinate with the PCA consultant/team where appropriate and participate in joint discussions.
Methodology
The consultant will propose a methodology consistent with BMZ guidance on project-designing resilience analyses. The methodology should include:
- Desk Review: Review of relevant data, assessments, and documents (conflict, fragility, protection, health, social care, etc.). Development of a preliminary resilience analysis and draft resilience capacity matrix.
- Primary Data Collection:
- Qualitative methods: Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)
- Quantitative tools may be used to complement qualitative findings where feasible.
- Data collection should ensure participation of older people and be gender- and conflict-sensitive.
- Validation Workshop: Facilitate a participatory workshop with HelpAge International and partners to validate findings and refine recommendations.
Sampling and tools should ensure representation across geographic areas (urban/rural, frontline/rear areas), displacement status, gender, age, and functional diversity.
Scope of Work
Key Deliverables
The consultant will be expected to deliver:
- Inception Report, including methodology, workplan and tools.
- Draft Resilience Capacity Matrix.
- Validation Workshop and presentation of preliminary findings.
- Final Resilience Analysis Report.
- Completed Resilience Capacity Matrix.
- Theory of Change and Results Framework Recommendations.
- Partner Reflection and Project Design Workshop.
- Brief Summary Note outlining priority recommendations for proposal development.
Budget and Timeline: The assignment timeline must be aligned with the proposal development schedule and completed no later than 15 August 2026.
Desk Review and Inception Report- 5 Days
Data collection- 12 Days
Data Analysis- 5 days
Report Writing and Validation- 8 Days
Total- 30 Days
Maximum available budget is £ 13,000; however, the contract will be awarded using a Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) methodology
Safeguarding
Everyone has a role in creating and sustaining a safe and respectful working environment, where no one comes to any harm or is maltreated. At HelpAge we take our responsibilities very seriously and will take action against wrongdoing. We will do everything we can to ensure that we do not engage people that pose a safeguarding risk and will undertake criminal record checks as required.
Diversity & Inclusion
HelpAge International is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all its employees/consultants while extending the culture of inclusion into our work.
We believe that our workforce should reflect the wide diversity of the communities we serve, and that diverse voices should be elevated and intentionally integrated into our work. We embrace difference and diversity of identity, experience, and thought, and actively strive for inclusive behaviours across our organisation and work regardless of gender, race, disability, age, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, marital status, pregnancy, social status, and political beliefs.
Required Qualifications
- Proven experience conducting resilience or contextual analyses in fragile/conflict-affected contexts; ideally previous experience in conducting similar analyses for BMZ
- Sound theoretical knowledge of development theory and/or experience of project management for an NGO or UN agency in delivering humanitarian or development projects, ideally with a focus on inclusion
- Good knowledge and proven experience in research design, implementation, data collection and analysis; esp. participatory methods
- Expertise in designing and writing high quality documents for publication.
- Understanding of the context in Syria is an asset
- Cultural sensitivity and adherence to do no harm principle.
- Fluency in English is required; Arabic language skills are an asset
How to apply
Interested consultants are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to Jobs@helpage.org with the email subject: Consultancy – Resilience Analysis – Syria. The short EOI should include:
- A short proposal (max 2 pages) outlining methodology and approach. The proposal should include an additional page with a timeline table confirming the number of days required to complete the assignment and the availability to submit all deliverables by the deadline mentioned above. In addition to a budget in sterling pound outlining daily rate incl. VAT (if applicable), and any additional costs.
- CV and references
- Examples of similar past assignment.
Expression of Interest (EOIs) should be submitted no later than Tuesday 23 June 2026
IMPORTANT NOTE: HelpAge International has also advertised a consultancy for a peace and conflict analysis and welcomes applications covering both assignments, provided they clearly demonstrate the link between the peace and conflict analysis and the resilience analysis. If the assignments are conducted separately, data collection for both studies should be coordinated. For more information on the Peace and Conflict Analysis consultancy, please visit the posting here:Â https://www.helpage.org/vacancy/consultancy-peace-and-conflict-assessment-syria/