Giving for Change programme seeking consultant to facilitate endline evaluation (external facilitator)

Background
Giving for Change is a five-year, €24.2 million programme, which sets out a bold vision for transforming how “development is done” by focusing specifically on the recognition and importance of domestic resources in increasing local ownership, unlocking agency and strengthening communities’ ability to express and claim their rights from other stakeholders, including governments and international development institutions. The programme aims to advance the theory and practice of community philanthropy as a development strategy.

Community philanthropy, which itself is an emergent body of work, is based on the premise that all communities have their own assets (money, skills, knowledge, networks, etc.) and that when these are pooled together, they build community power and voice and enable people to become co-investors in their own development. By drawing learning from current theory and practice, supporting and piloting new and emerging models of community philanthropy, and contributing to enabling environment, Giving for Change seeks to foster the conditions in which public participation, collective action and the expression of rights can thrive. The issue of power is central to programme: in addition to an explicit focus on strengthening communities’ abilities to claim rights and entitlements from public government structures, Giving for Change also seeks to overcome power dynamics and establish more equitable practices within the international development system itself.

Giving for Change is funded under the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Strengthening Civil Society policy framework. Activities are structured around three domains.

1. Central domain: to unlock the collective power of local communities, represented by Civil Society Actors, to express their opinion through community philanthropy.
2. Domain 2: Influence in-country national state and societal actors to support community philanthropy and domestic philanthropic giving.
3. Domain 3: Challenge and change the existing practices of international development donors.

The Giving for Change alliance comprises anchor partners from eight countries, and four consortium partners working at the international level, each of which shares the vision of community-led development through community and domestic philanthropy. The alliance members are:

Country anchor organizations
Brazil: Comuá Network and Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço (CESE)
Burkina Faso: Association Burkinabé de Fundraising (ABF)
Ghana: STAR Ghana and West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)
Ethiopia: Development Expertise Center (DEC)
Kenya: Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), also a consortium member
Mozambique: Fundação Micaia
Palestine: Dalia Association
Uganda: Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF)

International consortium
Africa Philanthropy Network (APN)
Global Fund for Community Foundations
Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF)
Wilde Ganzen Foundation

Purpose and Objectives of the Consultancy
The overall purpose of the consultancy is to ensure that the Giving for Change evaluation objective is met taking into account the learnings from the midterm review related to the importance of engaging evaluation consultants that are familiar with Giving for Change’s work and emergent practice and ensuring a deepened analysis and reflection around the process of influencing the aid system and highlight Giving for Change’s emergent work. Specifically, the external facilitator will ensure the smooth operation of the endline evaluation (internal) steering committee by organizing and facilitating meetings, linking the steering group with the external reference group, managing documentation, and providing regular updates to the consortium leadership and other relevant stakeholders. The other key role of the consultant is to design, facilitate and coordinate the Partnership Review for the Giving for Change alliance as well as analyze the findings of the review with an end view of identifying recommendations for the future work of the Giving for Change alliance.

Scope of work

• Organize and facilitate bi-weekly meetings of the internal steering group, ensuring effective agenda setting, time management, and active participation from all members.
• Plan and facilitate additional meetings or discussion as needed, helping to resolve issues and ensure that all voices are heard.
• Conduct regular debriefings with the consortium leadership on the process of the external evaluation and the updates from the steering group.
• Ensure that meetings are conducted in a productive and efficient manner, with clear objectives and outcomes.
• Design and conduct the Giving for Change partnership review; analyze the findings and identify key recommendations for the alliance.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the internal steering group and the external reference group for the endline evaluation.
• Coordinate and facilitate communication, ensuring that feedback from the external reference group is effectively communicated to the internal group and vice versa.
• Assist in the alignment of activities and decisions between the two groups, promoting collaboration and coherence in the external evaluation process.
• Prepare detailed minutes of each steering group meeting, capturing key discussions, decisions, action items, and deadlines.
• Maintain a comprehensive record of all documentation related to the external evaluation process, including meeting agendas, reports, correspondence, and feedback.
• Ensure that all documentation is stored securely and is easily accessible to authorized stakeholders.
• Regularly debrief the consortium leadership on the progress and outcomes of the internal steering group meetings.
• Provide summaries of the key decisions, challenges, and upcoming actions to keep the consortium leadership informed and engaged.
• Ensure the consortium leadership is aware of and connected to relevant stakeholders and developments within the external evaluation process.
• Facilitate communications and coordination among all relevant stakeholders including the external reference group, consortium leadership, and other key actors.
• Ensure the stakeholder perspectives are integrated into the external evaluation process and that all relevant parties are kept informed of the process and outcomes.
• Assist in the identification and resolution of any communication or coordination challenges that may arise.

Timeframe and location
The facilitator is expected to commit to three days per month for the duration of the evaluation period from setting up of External Reference Group / hiring of evaluation consultant to completion of the evaluation report (1st October /November 2024 – 31 December 2025). This consultancy is a remote position but meetings may be conducted remotely or in person.

Deliverables

• Bi-weekly meeting agendas and minutes.
• Documentation of communication with the external reference group.
• Regular debrief reports to the consortium leadership.
• Partnership Review methodology and report (highlighting the key findings and recommendations).
• A final summary report at the end of the contract period, detailing the outcomes and lessons learned from the facilitation process.

Skills and Experience

• Strong facilitation and mediation skills, with the ability to manage diverse opinions and drive consensus.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• High level of organizational skills with experience in managing documentation and records.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Knowledge / experience engaging with the #ShiftThePower debate / decolonization / locally-led development.
• Knowledge on the Giving for Change topics and emergent practice.
• Knowledge / experience on community philanthropy as well as understanding of the African context.
• Familiarity with evaluation processes and/or working in international development contexts is an advantage.
• Knowledge and experience on partnership / coalition building involving NGOs, development and philanthropic actors in multiple countries.

Language(s)
Fluency in written and spoken English (deliverables will be in English). Portuguese, French and / or Arabic language skills an advantage.

Application and submission deadline
Applications should be submitted to Lori Cajegas (lori@wildeganzen.nl) on or before 4 October 2024. Application should include a CV, motivation letter (highlighting the interest and how the skills and experience match with the requirements of the consultancy) and an indicative daily rate / professional fee in US dollars.