Terms of Reference for agency, company or organization to develop and implement a strategic sustainability planning process with partner organisations related to their organizational and financial sustainability with focus on Drop-in centers services

“Terms of Reference for agency, company or organization to develop and implement a strategic sustainability planning process with partner organisations related to their organizational and financial sustainability with focus on Drop-in centers services”

1.     Introduction

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the North-West Balkans and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met, and their voices are heard.  We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Save the Children (SC) is the world’s leading independent organization for children. SC vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. SC mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

In the North West Balkans Region, SC strives to improve child rights situation in general and especially in the areas of education, child rights governance, protection of children from all forms of violence and emergencies. In all of the mentioned areas SC aims at providing professional and financial support to partners.

Since 2000, SC in the North West Balkans has programming in the Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro and it supports implementation of regional initiatives in the region of South East Europe.

Save the Children in North West Balkans (SCiNWB), based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) conducts its activities in three countries: BiH, Serbia and Montenegro and supports realization of regional initiatives in the area of South East Europe.        

2.     Background and Rationale

Street involved and at-risk children present one of the most jeopardized groups in the state of social need that due to the poverty and high unemployment rate remain excluded from all relevant social systems. The number of street-involved children has increased rapidly over the past few years. Most street-involved children live below the poverty line, often part of a cycle of poverty that is passed on from generation to generation.  As a group, street-involved children have been ‘hidden’ from the public eye as well as excluded from the main spheres of political, economic and social life in B-H. 

Opening of Drop-in centres (DiC) for street-involved and at-risk children was on several occasions characterized as the only positive example of support provided to this population. Strengthening the existing and replicating quality services for street-involved children has become a basis of the ENVISION project within which Save the Children has established strategic partnerships with governmental institutions and NGOs in Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka, and Brčko in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Podgorica and Nikšić in Montenegro. 

This service consists of several components: from specialized programs for children and families, legal assistance, psychological counselling, educational activities, school inclusion, and reintegration to access to welfare benefits.

Drop-in centres are now well integrated into their communities and have so far served over 8,000 children and 1,100 families. DiCs are critical in responding to the above described burning needs for vulnerable children as they provide a variety of protection and education services to children and support programs for parents and caregivers. Three of the six DiCs have received official accreditation from relevant authorities and some have managed to secure a portion of their funding in the local budgets. Due to the lack/inadequate implementation of relevant legislation and continued de-prioritization of children’s rights amidst permanent political struggles, the need for DiC services for children and families is even more present. 

In period 2022-2023 Save the Children will phase out its support to partners who lead DiC services and it is therefore crucial that partners develop their strategies and action plans related to their organizational and financial sustainability with focus on Drop-in centers services. It is also important that all partners after development of strategic document imediately start with operationalisations of their strategic goals and implementation of their Action plans aimed at achieving sustainability.

3.     Objective

Save the Children in the North West Balkans seeks an agency/company/organisation (from now on: the Agency) to plan and implement Sustainability Strategy planning process for six partner organisations[1] related to their organizational and financial sustainability, with particular focus on the drop-in centers services. As a result of this consultancy each partner organization will have developed their own sustainability strategy, including an action plan for its implementation.

Engagement involves the development of a plan and methodology for strategic sustainability planning process and its operationalization in a form of the training for six partner organisations, which will be followed with direct support to each of the six partner organisations, including individual workshops,  throughout the development of their own Sustainability Strategy documents and action plan(s) as two main deliverables from the engagement.

The purpose and main goal of the strategic sustainability planning process is that each partner organization develops their own sustainability strategy and implementation action plan related to systematic recognition and long-term sustainability of Drop-in centers’ services  for vulnerable children.

The main target groups are six partners organisations who lead the Drop-in centers, as well as the professionals and associates employed in the above-mentioned centers.

The development and the implementation of this assignment is expected to be completed between April and December 2022 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

4.     Expected outputs 

•        Developed tailored design document and implementation plan related to the Sustainability Strategy planning process for six partner organisations, including capacity building activities (joint introductory training and follow-up workshops with each partner organisation), providing direct support and mentoring to six organisations in the process of developing their own sustainability strategy and roll-out action plans.

•        Developed training program on strategic sustainability planning and training agenda.

•        Organized joint introductory training for six partner organisations.

Expected outputs of the training are:

-        common understanding of strategic sustainability development process;

-        agreed structure/form  of strategic document and action plan

-        agred plan for workshops with each of six partners organization.

•        Organized follow-up workshops with each partner organisation individually aimed at development of their sustainability startegies

Expected output of workshops for partner organizations are the fully designed and prepared sustainability strategies and action plan documents.

·        Six fully designed and prepared sustainability strategies and action plans, with a maximum of five strategic goals, of which one needs to be related to the advocacy and lobbying for ensuring support from other sources in the transition period 2022-2023 of Save the Children phase-out.

•        Mentoring during the strategic sustainability planning process for six partners organisations – development of documents and first phase of action plans’ implementation until end of 2022.

•        Reporting – prepared and submitted reports, in English and local languages, as follows:

-        Training report

-        Six reports on conducted workshops (relevant reports to be shared with each of the partners)

-        Final report, including overview of whole process; main achievemnts, chalengies, lessons learned and recommendations and final version of Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan documents for all 6 included organizations.

5.  Timeframe and methodology

In order to complete the above-specified tasks, the Agency will be engaged from April 20 to December 20 2022. The Agency will develop and implement the work plan in consultations and with the support of SCINWB designated staff, in line with the proposed timeframe below.

v  *Timeframe can be changed in consultations with SCINWB.

The engaged agency will be tasked with developing a detailed plan and implementing agreed activities, in collaboration with SCiNWB and partner organisations. The methodology should include an innovative approach to the topic being addressed.

   6. Funding and logistical support and organisations

Funding will be provided by Save the Children in North West Balkans.

The Agency will design and implement the task in accordance with this ToR and consultation and support from relevant SCiNWB staff.

Responsibilities and duties of the Agency:

•        The Agency will be in contact with Save the Children staff throughout the process, regularly updating the process (on a monthly basis) and seeking information and guidance when needed.

•        The Agency is responsible for developing a document and plan for implementation of the strategic sustainability planning process for six partner organisations, including capacity building activities (joint introductory training; follow-up workshops with each partner organisation), providing direct support and mentoring to six organisations (four in BiH and two in Montenegro).

•        The Agency will include feedback received from Save the Children and Project Partners in the final version of the said document, where appropriate.

•        The Agency will develop the joint introductory training program and agenda

•        The Agency will organize follow-up workshops with each  partner organisation aimed at development of their sustainability startegies and action plans

•        The Agency will support six partners in development of their sustainability strategies and  action plans for implementation

•        The Agency will provide mentoring during the strategic sustainability planning process for six partner organisations – development of documents and first phase of action plans’ implementation until end of 2022.

•        The Agency will abide by the timing of the agreed consultancy work.

•        The Agency will produce a final report about all activities implemented, and outputs developed in local and English language.

  7.Qualifications and Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required  

Minimum expertise and skills an Agency must possess:

•        At least five years of domestic and/or regional experience in implementing similar tasks, with experience in strategic planning processes and development of strategic documents;

•        Years of proven experience in the field of capacity building for companies and civil society organisations, including experience in strategigic planning process focused on sustainability,

will be considered an advantage;

•        Good knowledge of present context in BiH and Montenegro;

•        Experience in direct work with local civil society organisations will be considered a definitive asset.

8. Budget

The Agency should indicate the amounts of fees and costs of the services it expects in the engagement, with currency, in the document "Bidding Response", and complete the form "SC-PR-10 - Request for Quotation". All budget items should be clearly described, explaining how they fit into the proposed methodology and work plan. It is mandatory to indicate the names of budget items as well as specific budget lines within the proposed budget.

Note* Companies/Organisations/Agencies should take into account travel, food and accommodations, and all other expenses related to their tasks as they will not be reimbursed.

9. Formal Expression of Interest for Consultancy

The interestedconsultantshoulddevelopandsubmitthefinancialproposaltorespondto the above mentionedspecifictasks.Theproposalshouldinclude:

1.      Submission of the Bidders response document with a specified budget breakdown (Annex 1);

2.      Letter of interest with confirmation of the availability for the proposed dates and work dynamics;

3.      Biography of each team member listing relevant experience in SCI template (Annex 2);

4.      Brief initial conceptual design of the strategic sustainability planning process for local civil society organisations;

5.      Reference list and at least two examples of previously designed and implemented tasks.

The interested applicants should submit their proposals on Procurement.NWB@savethechildren.org no later than April 26, 2022. Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Please find document for application: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Njn0iEP3nEkN5z7weeD-w29x2zLzJYZU/view?usp=sharing

Particular requirement: no person is performing any task on behalf of Save the Children may, in any way, be involved in or connected with abuse or exploitation of children.