Consultancy for project development / livelihoods experts

The Syrian conflict is having a devastating and lasting impact on Syria and across the region. With the conflict entering its tenth year, the needs of the affected populations for assistance, including 13.1 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 6.1 million internally displaced persons and more than 5.6 million refugees in neighboring countries, are of an unprecedented scale.

At present, particularly those who live outside of Government of Syria controlled areas face at best irregular humanitarian supplies and quickly deteriorating public services and infrastructure. Local councils have been formed in many places as makeshift governance structures to maintain or rebuild a minimum of basic services. In that context, and since 2013, Expertise France has developed and manages direct stabilization projects to conflict-affected communities in Syria, including the support to civilian structures.

Following the territorial collapse of the Islamic State (IS) in North-Eastern Syria in 2017, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took control of quarter of the Syrian territory. The significant support provided by the international coalition to the SDF led to the military defeat of IS. However, in the absence of sufficient efforts and investment by the international community in reconstruction and development within a comprehensive stabilization strategy for post-IS territories, escalation is likely to reemerge.

The overall objective of the Syria Area Based Integrated Recovery (SABIR) Project is to reinforce stabilization in North-Eastern Syrian areas recently liberated from Islamic State through the contribution to enhancing the resilience and early recovery of Syrian populations.

The SABIR project uses a holistic and multi-sectoral approach to maximize its impact by implementing multiple activities to support the progressive recovery of essential services and the local economy and strengthen social capital through the capacity development of local civil partners. The project’s first phase will be concluded in September 2021, and the end line and final evaluation are currently underway. In parallel, the development of the second phase commenced.

The SABIR project is implemented through partnerships with 10 local actors working in the Northeast of Syria. All SABIR’s activities have been implemented within Al Kisrah sub-district of Deir ez-Zor.

The SABIR project has main three components:

• Early Recovery and Livelihoods: support income-generating activities on agriculture, TVET, small grants, etc.
• Essential Services: support access to essential services by rehabilitating power stations, water networks, and schools.
• Capacity Development: provide tailored capacity-building activities, including coaching and training following the execution of a detailed organizational capacity assessment.

In that framework, EF is seeking to hire an expert in proposal writing and project development for the second phase of the SABIR project.

Overall purpose of the assignment:

The general objective of this consultancy work is to support Expertise France to develop a high-quality proposal (including context analysis, methodology, theory of change, initial logframe, workplan and risk matrix) for the second phase of the SABIR programme. Taking into account the results of the first phase, the project proposal should be adapted and reorganised to maximise efficiency and integrate the lessons learned from the first phase. Any new proposition in terms of approach, set-up or area focus will be welcomed and discussed along the mission with the field teams.

Methodology:

Prior to the mission, the consultant will receive a briefing by the implementation team in Paris, Erbil and Syria to review the context of the mission and have the same understanding of what is expected. The consultant will receive notes and reports written during the life of the programme. The consultant will also receive recommendations and key contact points to start the mission.

The tasks will include:

• Review internal and external documents to ensure the proposal is developed in full alignment with the needs as well as donor guidelines.
• Develop the concept note and annexes.

A specific calendar will be developed once the consultant is contracted. The calendar will specify deadlines for intermediary drafts and final drafts with sufficient time for review.

Key tasks and Deliverables:

1. Inception report and workplan

   • Hold inception meetings with relevant staff and members of EF management to discuss the assignment.
   • Review core project documents for SABIR 1, review secondary literature on situation and needs in northeast Syria.
   • Develop a workplan/timeline of deliverables across the assignment.
   • Submit an inception report (1 pager) to EF along with the general approach and workplan for the assignment.

2. Concept note development

   • Organise meetings with SABIR team to have an in-depth overview of the current programming and lessons learned.
   • Consult with several SABIR partners about the lessons learned, brainstorm activities and design elements,
   • Interview (remotely) key stakeholders in north-east Syria as per needs to ensure that the programme design encompasses and integrates relevant inputs from stakeholder consultations.
   • Consult regularly EF team at different steps of projects’ development.
   • Review the preliminary findings of SABIR evaluation (available Mid-September) and incorporate recommendations and lessons learned in the new programme design.
   • Develop the proposal for SABIR 2 and present it to EF team/relevant stakeholders.

The final deliverables should include:

• Narrative description of the action (including theory of change and risk matrix).
• Log-frame.
• Proposition of budget.