Consultancy for the development of a Strategic Plan (2023-2027) – Kenya

1. Background

COVAW seeks to develop a Strategy for 2023-2027, the key document that will define its mission and goals. This follows the 2023-2027 Strategy, Securing Rights: Influencing Sustained Engagement on Violations of Women and Girls in Kenya. The Strategy focused on five focus areas of Access comprehensive SGBV and SRHR services, Access to Justice, Women and Economic Empowerment, Women and Leadership Development and Institutional Development. A mid-term review of the strategy was conducted in 2021 and key findings and recommendations included focusing on securing impact and influence, strengthening women’s economic empowerment as a key focus area in mitigating violence against women and girls and strengthening partnerships including sub-granting to local CSOs and CBOs to allow COVAW to focus on impact influencing.

In the proposed strategic plan, COVAW will revisit its vision, mission, goals and strategic objectives and propose the direction for the next strategic planning cycle running till 2027. The new strategic plan will inform the renewal of COVAW’s commitment and approach to addressing violence against women and girls, recognizing it as a key impediment to womens’ rights development across the country and globally. It is expected that the new strategic plan will help COVAW to articulate its goals and priorities in order to be responsive and accountable to the social, political and economic realities of women and girls lives today.

The scope and focus of the assignment is to provide technical, strategic and facilitation support to enable the renewal of COVAWs strategic plan.

1. Importance of the strategic Plan to COVAW

The strategic plan is important document for the organisation as it:

• Gives direction to the organization
• Enhances governance and leadership
• Creates a vision that unifies the programs and fosters cohesion
• Improves organizational effectiveness and promotes greater accountability for results
• Assists in mobilizing resources and resource based planning,
• Legitimizes engagement with community based, national, regional and international partners
• Factors in sustainability at all levels, among beneficiaries and within the organisation

1. Purpose and Objective of the Assignment

COVAW is looking for a national consultant, who will closely work with the Board of Directors and the Executive Director to lead the process of the development of a new strategic plan for the period of 2023-2027.

Specific Objectives:

a. Define the scope of strategic plan development (SPD) process by meeting with COVAW’s Board and Senior Management Team(SMT).

b. Review and analyse COVAW’s existing strategic plan for 2018-2023 and key documents against prevailing operational environment for Women’s Rights Organizations with a focus to understanding “Where are we?”

c. Conduct workshop/consultations with Board of Directors, COVAW leadership and team, key stakeholders to synthesis COVAWs key learnings and identify strategic opportunities in the current environment with a focus to understanding “Where do we want to be?

f. Engage COVAW’’s Board of Directors, SMT, staff, key stakeholders meaningfully in the process to define mission, vision, values, objectives and priorities and ambitions of the organization and identify ‘’how we get there.’’

g. Draft the strategic plan and present it to the Board of Directors for validation and approval after necessary revisions.

4. Proposed Methodology:

The consultant shall propose methodology that would adequately result in the expected deliverables outlined in this ToR. A participatory approach together with critical reflection by Board, leadership, staff and key stakeholders will make the process meaningful. The following steps are highly recommended for the process.

i. Development of Strategic planning guidelines and discussion with COVAW leadership.

ii. Inception meeting with COVAW leadership to review SP guidelines, following which the consultant will prepare an inception report outlining the key steps, specific deliverables and timelines agreed upon for the SPD process.

iii. Review and analysis of existing documents, including but not limited to COVAW’s current strategic plan and key project documents, relevant sector/partner/donor publications, critical research on VAWG. The aim is to identify key opportunities and gaps, national and global priorities and what works.

iv. Conduct consultations/FGDS with Board of Directors, staff and key stakeholders to identify key strategic areas, critical issues, opportunities and gaps to be addressed in the Strategic plan.

iv. Develop draft one of strategic plan guided by the following questions:

1. What is the key purpose of COVAW as an organization?

2. Where does COVAW want to do in 2023-2027?

3. What does COVAW want to achieve during this period?

4. How will COVAW work to deliver its targets?

5. How will COVAW get there?

6. What are the risks COVAW might encounter and how will they be mitigated?

7. How the will COVAW know when we get there?

vi. Review and validation of the draft Strategic plan. The COVAW Board, leadership will receive and review the draft of the Strategic Plan in a session with the consultant. The consultant will modify the draft based on feedback and share the second draft. Further modifications may be required, but these should be minimal.

vii. The COVAW Board of Directors will formally approve the final document once satisfied and adopt it in a Board meeting.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

COVAW

The Board of Directors will understand the benefits of developing a Strategic plan and provide guidance to the Executive Director. The Board will participate in the consultations, review and analysis sessions

Executive Director will lead the process, to guide and supervise the SPD process including: preparing and approving the Terms of Reference; selecting, contracting and managing the Consultant; managing the costs of the SPD process, overseeing the logistics planning for meetings, engaging with the Consultant during the entire process, identifying stakeholders and linking them to the consultant, within the time agreed.

COVAW staff will understand the benefits of developing a Strategic Plan and actively participate in the process. They will share the relevant program documents and support the Executive Director.

The Consultant

The Consultant will be responsible for preparation of a inception report and a work plan with clear timelines, undertaking consultations with COVAW Board, leadership, team and stakeholders, assessing and analyzing data to identify gaps and critical issues, actively engaging with staff, Board members and other stakeholders through the use of participatory processes, providing regular progress reports to the Executive Director, preparing a first draft of the Strategic plan and presenting it for review to COVAW Board and staff, modifying the draft based on feedback received , preparing the final strategic plan document

6. Duration of Assignment and Key Deliverables

The duration of the assignment is twenty-four (24) working days spread over a three -month period from March-May 2023.

Key deliverables:

1. An inception report outlining the steps and methodology to be used
2. Agenda and participant list for the consultative workshop
3. Conduct FGD/interviews with key stakeholders to identify key strategic and program priority issues
4. Analysis report of document review and analysis
5. Draft strategic plan for review and feedback ( with clear vision, mission, TOC, strategic objective)
6. Feedback session from COVAW Board of Directors, leadership and staff
7. Approval from COVAW Board of Directors
8. Final Strategic plan document that includes: Executive summary, background (including SP development process), internal and external analysis, vision and mission statement , organisational values and guiding principles, strategic priorities, metrics to assess progress in the attainment of these strategic priorities, and Operational plan

7. Education and Relevant Experience of Consultant

• Advanced university degree in organizational development, social sciences, business management, strategic planning, law, development or other related fields.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in supporting strategic plan development and organizational development processes with a good understanding of NGO operations.
• Experience in working with women’s rights, human rights and feminist organizations
• Current knowledge of the womens rights movement and the violence against women and girls field
• Experience with participatory approaches in conducting assessments and facilitating strategic planning processes.

How to apply

Application process

Send an application responding to the Terms of Reference that includes a CV with three strong references, a proposed methodology (maximum 4 pages), an activity time schedule, and a financial proposal/ budget to recruit@covaw.or.ke with subject “Development of Strategic Plan”. The application should be accompanied by at least two samples of strategic plans that the consultant has led in developing.

The budget should include a daily consultancy rate for twenty-four (24) days along with other costs related to communication and local travel for meetings and workshops

Applications should be submitted by 31 January 2023.