Consulting To Strengthen Funding Opportunities And Local Partnerships For Plan International’s Response In Venezuela At Plan International

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  1. Background Information on Plan International

Plan International has been involved in the response to the Venezuelan crisis since 2018, initially supporting refugee and migrant populations in neighboring countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. In 2019, it resumed direct interventions in Venezuela under a remote model, implementing projects through local partners without a permanent legal presence. In 2023, the International Board formally approved its operation in the country as a “Temporary or Emergency Programme Entity,” allowing it to implement projects exclusively through local partners.

Read more about Plan’s Global Strategy: 100 Million Reasons at https://plan-international.org/strategy .

  1. Background/Context

The consultancy aims to strengthen funding opportunities and local partnerships for Plan International’s humanitarian response in Venezuela. The consultancy’s rationale is based on expanding operational capacity by mapping new local partners, identifying relevant funding sources, and promoting indirect intervention models aligned with Plan’s thematic priorities (child protection, gender equality, and humanitarian response).

The expected outcome is the identification of potential partners, viable financing opportunities, and the formulation of a country strategy to be implemented with local partners.

Activities include stakeholder mapping and assessment, concept note development, meetings with donors and NGOs, remote supervision of the RESPOND project, and context monitoring. The consultancy will last six months and will be implemented remotely. The target group includes children and adolescents in vulnerable situations, and the coverage area will be determined by the selected local partners.

The consultancy is developed in a complex sociopolitical and economic context, characterized by instability, hyperinflation, deteriorating public services, and operational restrictions for international actors. This presents challenges for execution and monitoring, as well as for access to certain territories and the availability of public financing, particularly from the United States. The consultancy considers tailored strategies to mitigate these risks and maximize opportunities within a volatile environment.

  1. Description and Objectives

General Purpose

Lead and oversee project implementation, actively manage new funding sources, and develop the national strategy. The consultancy will be responsible for effectively coordinating with the local technical team and the global organization to ensure strategic alignment, operational efficiency, and sustainability of programs in Venezuela.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

  • Identify at least 10 institutional and non-institutional funding opportunities, including public, private, and philanthropic sources, both at the Global Hub level and through National Offices (NOs), which meet Plan International’s institutional eligibility criteria.
  • Map and assess at least 10 local organizations with potential to be implementing partners in the different areas of the Plan, including their coverage area, sectoral experience, technical, and administrative-financial capabilities. Complete due diligence processes for these partners.
  • Accompany and provide technical support to the consulting team in Venezuela, through periodic facilitation to ensure coordination with the regional team, identify bottlenecks in a timely manner, and assist in proposing concrete corrective actions.
  • Remotely oversee the technical and operational implementation of the RESPOND project through regular meetings with the field team and the non-project team currently supporting it, ensuring compliance with objectives, schedules, and expected quality.
  • Work in coordination with the regional Business Development unit to use institutional tools to identify stakeholders and opportunities, ensuring at least three opportunities are prioritized through this process.
  • Lead, in coordination with the ROA regional office, bilateral and/or multilateral meetings with the National Offices (NOs) working with ROAH, together with the BD team, exploring their interest and funding possibilities for initiatives in Venezuela.
  • Coordinate virtual meetings with agencies of the United Nations System at both the regional and national levels to explore synergies, collaboration opportunities, and programmatic complementarity.
  • Actively participate, representing Plan International, in meetings of the INGO Forum and other relevant coordination platforms.
  • Seek creative approaches and alternative strategies to mobilize resources, given the current restrictions on U.S. public funds and the lack of an institutional presence for Plan in the country.
  • Promote and document two models of indirect support through local organizations, aligned with Plan International’s strategic priorities and emergency response.
  • Prepare and submit a monthly report that includes monitoring of the humanitarian context in Venezuela, along with a summary of the activities carried out and progress made toward the consultancy’s objectives.
  • Develop a country strategy for Plan International in Venezuela, which will guide the organization’s intervention priorities in the short and medium term, up to two years, considering the national context, internal capacities, and external cooperation opportunities.

Methodology

The consultancy will be developed under a strategic, participatory and results-oriented approach, structured on five methodological pillars:

The consultancy will be carried out with a practical, strategic, and adaptive approach, structured around five areas of work that will enable the defined objectives to be met:

  1. Initial Alignment and Definition of Priorities. – This will begin with a detailed review of institutional documents and a dialogue process with regional and global teams to agree on priorities, establish coordination mechanisms, and define the most appropriate framework for the Venezuelan context.
  2. Active Search for Funding Opportunities. – A systematic analysis of international, regional, and local funding sources, both institutional and non-institutional, will be conducted, prioritizing those identified in coordination with the regional fund development team. This process will include contacts with National Offices, exploring their interest and capacity to support initiatives in Venezuela.
  3. Identification and Assessment of Local Partners. – At least 10 local organizations with technical and operational capacity in relevant sectors will be mapped, assessing their experience, geographic coverage, and administrative strength. The required institutional validation processes will be completed, promoting indirect implementation modalities and documenting at least two models adapted to the current context.
  4. Technical Support and Operational Monitoring. – The consultant will maintain ongoing contact with the consultants operating from Venezuela, facilitating liaison with the regional team, identifying implementation challenges, and proposing concrete solutions. The progress of the RESPOND project will also be remotely monitored, ensuring technical and programmatic compliance.
  5. Strategic Engagement, Positioning, and Planning. – Participation in relevant humanitarian coordination forums (e.g., INGO Forum, UN System agencies) will be implemented to strengthen institutional positioning. Finally, a two-year country strategy will be developed to serve as a roadmap for Plan International’s action in Venezuela, based on an analysis of the context, capabilities, and opportunities.

User(s).

The results of this consultancy will be targeted at various groups within and outside Plan International, who will use them for strategic decision-making, intervention planning, and funding searches:

  • Plan International Regional Office (ROA): Will use the findings to validate and guide the operational strategy in Venezuela, as well as to prioritize investment and partnership decisions.
  • National Offices (NOs): They will use the consulting products to explore and define financing lines, formulate proposals, and channel resources toward interventions in the country.
  • Field consultants in Venezuela: They will receive input to strengthen collaboration with local partners, identify bottlenecks, and improve remote monitoring.
  • Institutional donors and United Nations agencies: They will be part of the mapping and engagement strategy; the products can serve as input for strategic discussions, country presentations, and funding decisions.
  • Local partner organizations: Through the evaluation and selection process, they will benefit from support to improve their technical and administrative capacities, facilitating their connection to the international cooperation system.

How to apply

To see how to apply and specific details of the consultancy, please click here: https://plan-international.org/uploads/sites/56/2025/08/Terminos-de-Referencia-Venezuela_fin.pdf