Consultancy Services: Consultant for READY tool

Response Deadline: May 24, 2024

Submit Questions by: May 21, 2024

Expected Award: June 7, 2024

About FHI 360

FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research, technology, communication, and social marketing- creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today’s interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 70 countries and all U.S. states and territories.

EpiC Project Background

The USAID and PEPFAR funded Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) Project, managed by FHI 360, aims to close remaining gaps in the continuum of HIV services towards achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals. EpiC Thailand has been a pivotal force in advancing HIV prevention, care, and treatment initiatives among Key Populations, with a primary focus on Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender Women (TGW) in Thailand. In response to country needs, EpiC rapidly delivers efficient, affordable, results-based technical assistance (TA) and direct service delivery (DSD) tailored to context and epidemiology that are effective in surging, scaling, and sustaining HIV services and systems for long-term epidemic control.

In alignment with PEPFAR’s strategic guidance to empower the leadership of key populations (KP) in HIV service delivery and uphold the principle of “nothing for us without us,” EpiC aims to strengthen the capacities of key population-led (KP) local partners, supporting PEPFAR/USAID in achieving UNAIDS 30-80-60 targets by prioritizing investments in and recognizing community-led responses.

To advance this objective, EpiC has developed the ‘READY’ tool and approach, which involves facilitating discussions with local Civil Society Organization (CSO) partners to identify organizational strengths and barriers. This process enables the creation of goal-oriented Capacity Strengthening Plans (CSPs) tailored to the partners’ priorities, equipping them to undertake internal capacity strengthening measures and effectively manage USAID funds.

Detailed Description of Tasks to be Performed:

The main objective of this consultancy is to the facilitation of EpiC’s READY tool and the associated development of capacity strengthening plans with one EpiC local implementing partner (IP) in Thailand. The consultant will be responsible for designing and leading the READY facilitation approach, conducting desk review about the organization, collaborating with the IP to develop a capacity strengthening plan, and providing feedback and recommendations to the EpiC Thailand team about considerations and next steps for supporting the capacity strengthening of the IP.

Deliverables:

• Orientation
  • Tasks
    • In-briefing with EpiC team.
    • Orientation to READY.
    • Shadowing the EpiC Philippines team to become familiar with the READY tool and processes.
  • Deliverables
    • Meeting notes
• Local partner familiarization
  • Tasks
    • Meetings with relevant stakeholders of IP.
  • Deliverables
    • Meeting notes with summary of pre-READY action steps.
• Desk Review
  • Tasks
    • Conduct background desk reviews on the IP.
    • Review relevant IP organizational capacity documentation.
    • Review relevant context/enabling environment documentation.
  • Deliverables
    • Desk review report identifying preliminary identification of areas for READY focus/adapted READY tool with prework and questions completed
    • Mapping of IP organizational capacity status against READY questions.
• Facilitation methodology
  • Tasks
    • Finalize facilitation methodology through collaboration with EpiC team.
  • Deliverables
    • Customized READY tool identifying questions for the IP.
    • Agenda for READY discussion with the IP.
• READY Facilitation
  • Tasks
    • Lead facilitation of READY discussion with IP, covering all relevant questions in READY tool.
  • Deliverables
    • Completed READY tool for each IP.
• Capacity strengthening plan
  • Tasks
    • Co-create CSP with IP, based on the discussion and analysis of READY questions.
  • Deliverables
    • Completed CSP for each LIP with SMART goals associated with each identified capacity strengthening action.
• Feedback and recommendations
  • Tasks
    • Provide feedback to EpiC team on READY Facilitation, CSP development, etc.
  • Deliverables
    • Facilitated READY report per IP
• Overall oversight and monitoring
  • Tasks
    • Conduct regular check in per IP to monitor progress in CSP implementation.
  • Deliverables
    • Updated CSP for each IP, including current detailed progress to SMART goals

DESIRED CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal Consultant will possess the following skills:

1. Minimum of 5 years of experience working in community development, preferably in HIV/AIDS.
2. Demonstrated professional experience in and/or with non-profit organizations, especially related to human rights, gender equality, and LGBTQI+ issues.
3. Excellent written and oral communication skills; fluency in English and Thai is required.
4. Ability to travel within Thailand and abroad.
5. Thai citizen only.

DISCLAIMERS AND FHI 360 PROTECTION CLAUSES:

1. FHI 360 will not compensate offerors for preparation of their response to this solicitation.
2. Issuing this solicitation is not a guarantee that FHI 360 will award a subcontract.
3. FHI 360 reserves the right to issue a subcontract based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion.
4. FHI 360 may choose to award a subcontract for part of the activities in the solicitation.
5. FHI 360 may choose to award subcontracts to more than one offeror for specific parts of the activities in the solicitation.
6. FHI 360 may request from short‐listed offerors a second or third round of either oral presentation or written response to a more specific and detailed scope of work that is based on a general scope of work in the original solicitation.
7. FHI 360 has the right to rescind a solicitation or rescind an award prior to the signing of a subcontract due to any unforeseen changes in the direction of FHI 360’s client, be it funding or programmatic.
8. FHI 360 reserves the right to waive any deviations by offerors from the requirements of this solicitation that in FHI 360’s opinion are considered not to be material defects requiring rejection or disqualification; or where such a waiver will promote increased competition.
9. Data produced under this solicitation belongs to FHI 360. Any distribution of data must first have written authorization from FHI 360 or its designated representative.