External Consultancy Support to Conduct Partners (Mentees) Selection for ToGETHER Project – Phase Two At

Project No. K-AFM-2020-4041: DKH, Somalia Programme- ToGETHER Project

Project Background

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe is an International Non-Governmental Organization that provides humanitarian aid worldwide supporting communities affected by natural disasters, war and displacement. Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe has been working in Somalia since 1992 and has an office in Mogadishu, supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid to internally displaced women, men, girls and boys through partnership with local organizations. These organizations provide assistance in the sectors of Shelter, Food security, Livelihoods and Markets, Education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

With the financial support of the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and its consortium partners Welthungerhilfe, Caritas Germany and Malteser International are implementing the ToGETHER programme (Towards Greater Effectiveness and Timeliness in Humanitarian Emergency Response) which supports localized humanitarian action in eight countries, including Somalia. The programme’s overall ambition is to contribute to the reduction of effects of disasters on local communities. To achieve this, ToGETHER programme aims at strengthening local humanitarian preparedness and response capacities and promoting local leadership in humanitarian action. Programme activities include Peer Mentoring and exchange, joint learning and advocacy for better access to humanitarian coordination and funding.

The peer mentorship aims to contribute to the country-level strategic planning, decision making and resource allocation of ToGETHER 2.0 led by Local Humanitarian Partners / Country Steering Committees.

For this purpose, the programme identified five local or national humanitarian partners (LHPs) during phase one of the project that strengthened and exchanged their institutional and operational preparedness and response capacities to reinforce effective, timely, and principled humanitarian action.

ToGETHER Phase Two will continue to play a proactive role in advancing the Global Grand Bargain movement and the localization agenda on a national and international level. The Grand Bargain Agenda 2023 will focus on Localization, Quality Funding, and Participation as the first focus area, and Anticipatory Action, Innovative Financing, and Nexus as the second focus area. GB 2023 identifies risk-sharing and gender issues as cross-cutting themes. ToGETHER Phase Two will address these issues through supporting 40 local organizations and 120 peer partners Globally from 2024-2027.

The program requires the current five partners to mentor other fifteen (15) mentees in Somalia. Through anticipatory humanitarian action, triple nexus approaches, and incremental innovation, the programme will strategically integrate people-centered approaches into the operations of local actors, delivering timely relief to those affected by disasters in a timely manner.

The peer partners will be assigned to the existing partners and in general the criteria for the new humanitarian peer partners will be as follows.

1. Small to medium-sized organizations that are not currently involved in capacity development projects
2. Organizations led by women, people with disabilities, youth, and minorities.
3. An organization willing to actively participate in and contribute to the localization process.
4. Organization not part of any other long-term project to strengthen the capacities of local humanitarian actors.

Assignment Objective

• The objective of this assignment is to provide independent professional support at various levels in onboarding PHPs for the mentoring process by existing 5 LHPs.
• To enhance the skills and capacities of mentees through tailored mentorship.
• To foster sustainable development practices and improve organizational effectiveness.
• To strengthen collaboration and networking among mentees.

This will be in reference to activity 1.4 and respective milestones 2,3,4, & 5 in the log frame of the project.

Activity 1.4: LHP engage in mentoring local humanitarian peer NGOs in the following milestone:

• Milestone 2: Somalia LHPs have developed ToRs and guidelines for onboarding peer humanitarian partners.
• Milestone 3: 7 of the 15 Peer Humanitarian Partners (PHPs) oriented towards the localization agenda, contributing by their participating in PRM activities with specific action points.
• Milestone 4: 30% of capacity-strengthening plans and mentoring plans for the PHP are implemented and adopted
• Milestone 5: 90% of capacity-strengthening plans and mentoring plans are implemented and adopted by the end of the project

Specific assignment tasks

In collaboration with 5 existing Local Humanitarian Partners of the ToGETHER project and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Somalia Country Office Program Team, the consultant will undertake the following task.

Part 1:

1. Develop the Expression of Interest EOI for selection of the new local humanitarian peer partners
2. Lead the mapping, identification & selection process for the new local humanitarian peer partner’s
3. Present the final list to DKH & CSC and facilitate further deliberation and pairing with existing 5 ToGETHER Partners
4. Support in facilitating the onboarding process for the selected peer partners

Part 2:

1. Through collaborative processes develop applicable tool for capacity assessment for the peer partners
2. Support in conducting capacity assessment for the peer partners
3. Through collobarative processes with the peer partners develop individual capacity strengethning plans and the implementation plans to be carried by the LHP’s
4. Support existing 5 LHP’s in mentoring process for the peer partners

Part 3:

1. Support in the review of progress of the capacity strengthening plans
2. Evaluate outcome of the overall peer mentoring activities, out puts and outcomes with reference to project activity milestones.

Methodology

• Assess current capacities and needs of mentee partners.
• Develop a tailored mentorship program, including workshops, one-on-one coaching, and peer learning.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions and best practice exchanges.
• Facilitate visibility for the Peer Humanitarian partners

Assignment Deliverables

1. Consultancy inception report.
2. Detailed consultancy report on the selection process on the PHPs
3. Workplan for the onboarding for the PHPs and support to LHPs on Mentoring
4. Detailed consultancy report for the capacity assessment with annexes of the developed tool and completed capacity strengthening Plans for the PHPs
5. Evaluation report based on the review of progress of the capacity strengthening plans and overall peer mentoring activities, outputs and outcomes with reference to project activity milestones.

Duration and time frame

Proposed Timing: The First part of the Assignment is expected to be carried in the month of December 2024.

6.0 Consultant Qualification

Essential

• An independent consultancy firm with solid expert knowledge & experience in Organizational assessment
• Experience in working with humanitarian sectoral and complex programs relating to emergency and development projects in Somalia preferably a minimum of 5 years
• Proven experience in working with local partners
• Proven ability to provide strategic recommendations to key stakeholders (e.g. beneficiaries, local authorities, and partners);
• Proven experience with participatory evaluation and qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed-method design, triangulation)
• Readiness and ability to travel to all LHPs areas of operation in Somalia
• Excellent English skills – speaking and writing are essential and speaking Somali languages is requirement
• Ability to deal with hardship and remote area fieldwork
• Present team with good background experience in organizational assessment, interpersonal skills and understanding cultural sensitivities