Catalyze Ethiopia: Ms4g Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Consultancy

CATALYZE ETHIOPIA: MS4G

Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Consultancy

Project Overview and Role:

MS4G is designed to benefit the Ethiopian people, build community resilience, and strengthen rural-urban linkages in the areas of food security and WASH. MS4G invests in developing strong relationships with private sector players, co-investing in inclusive business models, advisory services, digital solutions, and market-based initiatives that increase the resilience and sustainability of Ethiopian enterprises and employment for women and youth. MS4G uses a market systems approach to address key food security and WASH sub-systems, and the impact of economic shocks, including COVID-19 and political instability by stimulating adoption, adaptation, broad expansion, responsive institutionalization, and scaling of approaches and business models to transform the lives of Ethiopians. The project supports activities in Addis Ababa and the secondary cities of Ethiopia.

Through implementation of this TOR, MS4G will utilize a robust CLA approach that integrates processes, resources, and culture to ensure that all project activities promote continuous learning and applies adaptive management to intentionally adjust responses to new information and context. As learning is a critical focus of CATALYZE, it is our approach to put into place from the start of implementation, processes that provide regular opportunities for knowledge-sharing and dialogue among staff, collaboration with Mission and other USAID activities and engaged market actors.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The purpose of the assignment will be to conduct all-inclusive CLA activities including operationalizing the learning agenda, conducting Pause and Reflect (P&R) sessions with the project teams and management by developing appropriate tools and to train and enable the teams to conduct regular ongoing CLA activities. Through this assignment, the CLA consultant is therefore expected to work to enhance the capacity of the project staff to be able to regularly conduct P&R sessions and other learning sessions as part of regular activity monitoring in order to adapt lessons learned.

The evidence generated from the learning agenda assessment and P&R sessions will be used to refine the project implementation approach and contribute to improve results and overall project performance. The lessons and experiences gained from such CLA activities will help to build the capacity of project staff to conduct the assessments regularly. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Support the CLA implementation: The consultant will conduct all the CLA components and adapt and enhance a base set of tools necessary for the project teams to implement CLA. This includes:

a) Adapt and enhance tools from the AMELP that are necessary for teams to operationalize CLA regularly

• Review the tools and templates available for the project AMELP, and determine what is applicable for MS4G programming, adapting and enhancing the tools appropriately. This entails reviewing the components of the learning plan including the learning agenda that incorporate gender and youth, the activity reflection guide, the after-action reviews, the P&R and other tools. Based on this review, update the CLA framework to capture what kinds of activities have or will contribute to the CLA strategy
• Hold introductory meetings with the project staff to ascertain what activities have already contributed to the CLA strategy

b) Build the Capacity of CATALYZE MS4G staff and implementing partners

• Work with technical teams, project management and other stakeholders to strengthen their evidence base and evidence utilization,
• Work with technical teams to generate and help answer emerging learning questions for the Project, as part of Learning Agenda.
• Conduct at least two training sessions to train staff on how to capture learning on the developed tools.

Develop operational guidelines on how to use the tools to capture CLA

Learning Support: CATALYZE Ethiopia aims to mainstream a ‘learning approach’ into program execution from the start of implementation processes. This provides opportunities for learning, knowledge sharing and dialogue among the project staff, implementing partners, and engaged stakeholders. Under this, the consultant will contribute to the following:

a) Operationalize Learning Agenda

• Operationalize the Learning Agendas by adapting the tools for the learning questions and developing guidance for teams to operationalize these tools for future similar learning assessments.
• Implement explicit learning processes guided by the system map and results chains, and the formal AMELP.

b) Operationalize CATALYZE Ethiopia; MS4G Project

• Work with the CATALYZE Ethiopia: MS4G team to develop a CLA strategy that builds on current strengths and fills any gaps from weaknesses in understanding and application of CLA. This leverages the implementation approach and supports a designated CLA champion from each team.
• Support teams in operationalizing CLA processes articulated in the CLA strategy of the CATALYZE Ethiopia: MS4G AMELP.

c) Establish the framework and conduct Pause and Reflect Sessions with the Teams and Management

Specifically, the consultant will be required to:

• Establish the framework for conducting P&R sessions highlighting the following:
• What has worked, what has not worked well? What are the major reasons for not working well?
• Tools to identify major successes
• What are the challenges, potential risks, and possible mitigation measures? And identify areas that need management attention
• What changes are needed to improve the program and strategies and activities to be integrated in the coming workplans?
• Implications for the WASH and food security sectors
• Facilitate 2-3 P&R activities for staff and relevant stakeholders for selected technical areas (4 core, and 1 cross cutting technical areas) and at least 2 for operations (finance, human resources, procurement) using a variety of participatory approaches to encourage truthful conversation,
• Hold P&R activities to feed into design and implementation schedules so learning is generated when most usable.
• Prepare Produce the Pause and Reflect Activity Report and Action Plan

a) Knowledge Management

The consultant will develop knowledge management system to facilitate learning, including procedures on documenting and disseminating the information. The following will be key areas of the consultancy tasks:

• Develop various types of information and knowledge: MS4G will apply formal and recognized processes and principles to seek out and gather alternative information, especially knowledge that emerges from the project implementation processes.
• Facilitate information flows: ensure effective flows of information by developing platforms that push information to team members automatically to limit unintended stove piping of information flows.
• Use information and knowledge: ensure effective knowledge management by not only ensuring information flows, but by ensuring staff are able to regularly apply tools and processes to filter and prioritize information for decision-making.

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

DURATION OF THE TASK CONTRACT

The total performance period of this assignment will be for three months starting from mid-June to mid-October 2022 with LoE of 30 days that will be considered from the effective date of this assignment to the delivery and acceptance of the report.

THE CONSULTANCY FEE

The Price proposal should include all costs including applicable taxes that could possibly be incurred by the service provider. 

Company Overview:

About Palladium – Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives.

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