Terms of Reference – Consultancy Evaluation of the Co-Leadership Model At St. Andrew’s Refugee Services

Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo

Vacancy Announcement: Terms of Reference – Consultancy Evaluation of the Co-Leadership Model

Founded in 1979, StARS is a refugee service provider in central Cairo that works to enhance the quality of life for refugees and vulnerable migrants through five broad program areas: education, psychosocial, legal, community outreach and unaccompanied youth and children support services. We provide high-quality services meeting the unaddressed needs of refugees, and we provide a safe and inclusive space for displaced people to come together as a community. We work for refugees, with refugees, to make rights recognition a reality.

StARS’ Mission: Driven by a commitment to justice and fairness, StARS works as displaced people and for displaced people to respect human dignity and enhance quality of life.

StARS’ Vision: Displaced people lead in the creation and implementation of responses to different forms of migration to establish safe, just, welcoming, and inclusive communities globally.

We serve people from many places, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

To learn more please visit our website: www.stars-egypt.org or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/standrewsrefugeeservices?fref=ts

Acting in response to service gaps and the unaddressed needs of refugees and forced migrants in Greater Cairo, StARS implements a range of programs to address the challenges facing communities while recognizing their agency, skills, dignity, and capacities. StARS provides services in five broad programmatic areas: (1) Education; (2) Legal aid; (3) Psychosocial services; (4) Specialized services for Unaccompanied Children and Youth and (5) Community Outreach.

In 2021, StARS served displaced people from more than 50 nations but predominantly originating from Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and Eritrea. Across our programs, StARS has been assisting 40,000 displaced people.

StARS is led by an Executive Leadership Team composed of 10 Co-Directors. StARS aims to decolonize the models of traditional humanitarian assistance so that refugees become central actors in the decision-making process. 85% of StARS staff have experienced forced displacement, while more than 70% of managers and senior leaders also draw on this lived experience. More than 50% of StARS staff are women and more than 20% are youth (between 18 and 21 years old). Toward the realization of its vision, StARS seeks to partner with and support other refugee-led organizations working in Egypt (and beyond), and much of its work is also undertaken within communities.

All programs are supported by solid Case Management procedures, Financial Guidelines, and Monitoring & Evaluation tools and processes.

BACKGROUND

Following the voluntary resignation of the Executive Director (of seven years), StARS Directors started reflecting on the leadership model in place, and the potential for implementing meaningful change. It was acknowledged that StARS requires a comprehensive and diversified scope of management which led to the adoption of a horizontal Co-Leadership model composed of 9 Directors and the Pastor of St Andrew’s United Church of Cairo. **

StARS has grown significantly since 2014. Staff members and volunteers face challenges similar to other refugees and forced migrants, hence the need to consider their specific vulnerabilities. In line with its commitment to a holistic approach, StARS has a wide range of services available and seeks to make all of its services available according to need. StARS also operates within communities and cooperates with about 30 refugee community-based organizations across Greater Cairo.

Refugee and migrant communities have been severely and disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. StARS has been one of the few organizations which maintained its services and responded to emergencies. To date, communities still experience the long-lasting consequences of the outbreak. As a result of the deteriorating socio-economic and protection environment, the workload at StARS has been steadily increasing.

RATIONALE, SCOPE, AND OBJECTIVES

StARS seeks suitably qualified consultants to conduct an evaluation of its governance model. It is expected that a team of two consultants will be needed to carry out the evaluation.

The evaluators shall look at the Co-Leadership model from the perspective of its members, of StARS staff members, and from a broader organizational perspective considering StARS status, mission, vision, and overall resources. The consultancy shall seek to evaluate the Co-Leadership model in terms of its adequacy, consistency, efficiency, and sustainability.

Two (2) evaluators shall co-design, and lead the evaluation process, as follows:

1. Evaluation of the Co-Leadership model

1a. The evaluators shall receive a full briefing about StARS overall organizational structures, systems, and policies

1b. The evaluators shall present an evaluation methodology, design, plan, and timeline, which shall be validated by the Executive Leadership Team, and the Advisory Board

1c. The consistency, adequacy, efficiency, and sustainability of the Co-Leadership model for its members and for StARS as a whole shall be thoroughly assessed., based on a selection of indicators agreed upon. The evaluators shall work closely with Directors, Deputy Directors, and Coordinators, and decide on voluntary interviews with selected staff members

In particular, the definition of roles and responsibilities within the Executive Leadership Team, the decision-making process as well as the channel and modalities of communication shall be analysed in light of the applicable policies (in particular the Executive Leadership Team Handbook) but also the practices, group or individual behaviours, informal hierarchies, and underlying power dynamics that might be at play

1d. Potential needs for adjustments and/or change in the governance structure and systems in terms of roles, responsibility-sharing, balance in decision-making power, existing leadership approaches, evaluation and succession mechanisms, composition, and role of existing sub-committees, creation of new sub-committees (e.g. audit, risks assessment/management, internal controls, remuneration)

1e. Potential needs for adjustments and/or change in the definition and positioning of managerial roles, and in the responsibility-sharing (Deputy Directors, and Coordinators) shall be analysed

1f. Potential needs for longer-term team coaching shall be defined

2. Formulation of recommendations and definition of a plan of action

2a. Formulate detailed and workable recommendations to adjust, modify, and/or enhance the Co-Leadership model from a structural and systemic perspective

–Identify potential needs for adjustments and/or change in the governance structure and systems

–Formulate recommendations for adjustments and/or change in the definition and positioning of managerial roles and responsibilities (Deputy Directors and Coordinators)

2b. Formulate a detailed plan of action, including timeline and resources needed

DURATION

It is expected that this evaluation will require approximately 20 consultancy days for each evaluator.

COMPETENCIES AND EXPERTISE REQUIRED

● At least one of the evaluators should be fluent in Arabic (spoken). Fluency in English (written and spoken) is a requirement for both evaluators.

● Available to work in Greater Cairo (StARS premises)

● A minimum of 5 years of experience in organizational development and professional team coaching, certification in organizational development and/or organizational psychology and/or change management and/or leadership coaching, an asset

● Familiar with the non-profit sector in general and the operating modalities of grassroots organisations in particular, background in humanitarian assistance desirable

● Able to manage cross-cultural diversity and navigate multi-cultural environments, In-depth knowledge of the issues affecting refugee and migrant communities in Egypt an asset

● Ability to formulate workable recommendations and elaborate realistic plans of action

DELIVERABLES

1. Evaluation methodology, design, plan, and timeline
2. Draft report of findings
3. Final evaluation report, including workable and realistic recommendations
4. Detailed plan of action

EVALUATION PROCESS

● StARS Executive Leadership Team composed of 10 Co-Directors as well as the Advisory Board shall validate the evaluation methodology, design, plan, and timeline

● StARS Executive Leadership Team shall support the evaluators and facilitate the conduct of the evaluation

● The Final Evaluation Report shall be transparently shared with all staff as well as the Advisory Board together and Plan of Action

● StARS Executive Leadership Team shall be responsible for implementing the Plan of Action and report regularly to the Advisory Board and to staff members on progress.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES

● Secours Catholique-Caritas France (SCCF) has been partnering with and supporting StARS since 2018. In the frame of its support to initiatives and innovations aimed at driving and shaping Social Transformation, SCCF financially supports the assessment of StARS governance model.

● The evaluators shall be able to come and work in Greater Cairo, Egypt, at StARS premises.

APPLICATION PROCESS

● A technical offer (in English) presenting briefly the methodology, a draft plan of action detailing the course of the evaluation, and a provisional timeline

● A financial offer (a minimum of 20 days of work for each evaluator)

● A cover letter outlining how the consultant(s) meet the criteria

● A Resume for each evaluator

Closing date for applications: 20 May 2022

Anticipated Starting date: As soon as possible