Refine and Implement Culmination Facilitator (Consultant)

Purpose

The role of the culmination facilitator is to contribute to overall delivery of the Mali and Zimbabwe Refine and Implement (R&I) Culmination Workshops, including:

• facilitating RFSA application of findings sessions, dry run preparation, and virtual workshop breakout sessions;
• engaging participants in collaborative discussions and facilitating agreement on way forward for Year 2, and;
• capturing key notes and decisions by stakeholders during sessions.

Dates: January 3, 2022 – March 30, 2022

Background

The Program Cycle Support (PCS) Associate Award is a five-year, global activity, under the Implementer-Led Design, Evidence, Analysis and Learning (IDEAL) Activity that supports implementing partner (IP) efforts to design and implement evidence-based, effective, efficient, and sustainable food security development activities funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) that result in substantial food and nutrition security gains.

Since FY 2016, the Office of Food for Peace—now BHA—has awarded some resilience food security activities (RFSAs) under a collaborative model known as Refine and Implement (R&I). The model is designed to allow implementing partners the opportunity to improve activity design, fit to context, and implementation planning after receiving the award.[1] PCS supports IPs at key points during R&I, including the Culmination Workshop, which convenes BHA and IPs to review the key learnings from the research and proposed modifications to the RFSA’s design and implementation strategy. These workshops have been held both in-person and virtually.

Duties and Responsibilities of the R&I Culmination Facilitator

The facilitator will work in consultation with PCS points of contact for workshop planning. The primary duties and responsibilities of the facilitator are geared toward providing support to the IPs in preparatory sessions prior to the workshop to ensure clarity of expectations and smooth flow of discussions and/or presentations, effective delivery of delegated workshop content, and maximizing the participatory nature of the culmination technical preparation sessions and Culmination Workshop sessions.

Specifically, the facilitator will carry out the following activities:

• Assist the PCS team in finalizing the process and outputs of the Mali and Zimbabwe Culmination Workshops.
• Participate in planning meetings with the PCS team, BHA, and other stakeholders when appropriate.
• Develop facilitation guides for RFSA preparation sessions and workshop breakout sessions assigned by the PCS Technical Director.
• Review PCS’ detailed session plans and coordinate with PCS’ event support staff to ensure smooth operation.
• Following RFSA preparation and Culmination Workshop sessions, work with the PCS technical director to make modifications to subsequent sessions based on stakeholder feedback.
• Other workshop preparation and execution tasks as determined by PCS.

Timeframe/Schedule

• Level of effort: Total of 20 working days (versus calendar days), estimated from January–March, 2022;
• The facilitator will invoice Save the Children based on actual number of hours worked;
• All work is anticipated to be completed remotely and there is no anticipated travel for this work.

Deliverables and Timeline

• Mali Culmination Workshop preparation, including background reading and planning calls with PCS (2 days / January 3 – January 24, 2022)
• Support PCS team in the delivery of technical support to RFSA team, review and provide comments on application of findings spreadsheet, assist with preparatory “dry run” sessions. (2 days / January 10 – February 3, 2022)
• In preparation for Zimbabwe facilitation, become familiar with PCS culmination process by attending the Mali workshop. Assist with back-end facilitation efforts. (3 days / January 25-26, 2022 & February 15-17, 2022)
• Zimbabwe Culmination Workshop preparation, including background reading and planning calls with PCS (3 days / January 3 – March 1, 2022)
• Support PCS in the delivery of pre-workshop technical support to both RFSA teams, including but not limited to review and provision of comments on application of findings spreadsheet, and assistance with preparatory “dry run” sessions (4 days / January 18-27, 2022 (Confirmed dates: January 24 & January 27 – 2 hours each))
• Facilitate Zimbabwe workshop breakout sessions and participate in daily AARs (including finalization of facilitator’s guides) (6 days / Tentative: February 7-10 & 22-24, 2022)

The facilitator will report to PCS’ Technical Director.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor Degree or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated virtual facilitation experience
• Minimum of 4 years’ experience implementing and/or providing technical support to USAID-funded food security programs, preferably BHA-funded
• Demonstrated skill in application of research findings to program design
• Experience developing and adapting BHA TOCs
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with field-based leadership and technical staff of food security activities.
• Professional proficiency in Microsoft Office suite
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with BHA Refine and Implement Model for Resilience Food Security Activities
• French fluency

[1] USAID BHA Refine and Implement Overview for Implementing Partners. (2020)