Fellowship Program Design Consultant

Background:

As an effort to increase the participation and representation of diverse US professionals in the HS&S sector, Habitat for Humanity (HFHI) and USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) seek to develop a practicum component under the current HS&S Fellowship program for graduate or undergraduate students.

Purpose:

Design a practicum component of the HS&S Fellowship program to be implemented by HFHI through the analysis of key elements of successful internships/fellowship programs at national and international institutions that consistently engage a diverse applicant pool of US students.

Deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Inception Report

• Activity 1.1. Outline the methodology, the programs selected for evaluation, project timeline, and the selected data collection and analysis tools. HFHI and USAID/BHA must approve the inception report and the selected program before research begins.

Deliverable 2: Mapping Internships within Other Institutions

Activity 2.1. Identify HS&S internships, study relevant approaches and analyze the efficacy and applicability to HFHI and USAID/BHA’s criteria. The data to gather should include, but not be limited to, common logistical aspects such as:

• Internship duration
• Modality of delivery (virtual/hybrid/in person)
• Funding allocations
• Common tasks and duties
• Training opportunities
• Affiliation with experts
• Post-Fellowship employment rate
• Provision of emotional and work/life balance support
• Integration of each institution’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) guidelines throughout the program.
• Activity 2.2. Propose a methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of selected programs through the identification of key metrics. The methodology must include an assessment of each institution’s ability to meet program goals, including those related to diversity and inclusion.
• Activity 2.3. Identify considerations to be addressed during the formation of the Fellowship, including the diverse socioeconomical and demographic engagement of the graduate student pool.
• Activity 2.4. Present a report on gathered quantitative and qualitative data.

Deliverable 3: Fellowship Design Report

• Activity 3.1. Develop successful guidelines that will efficiently structure the student experience.
• Activity 3.2. Identify and report a series of core values and goals including learning objectives, mentorship significance, and key takeaways.
• Activity 3.3. Identify potential issues that could arise and mitigation measures.

Activity 3.4. Report customizations needed to fulfill organizer’s criteria:

• The Fellowship should have a strong focus in HS&S Sector in an international setting and will target US citizens currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program.
• INGO or Local Host Organizations will be vetted and approved by HFHI, and they must be managing HS&S programs in a non-US country.
• INGO are required to support 50% of the fellow’s stipend (match funding). National NGOs won’t be required to provide matching funds.
• HFHI and USAID/BHA will sponsor a total of six fellows during 2023 and 2024, including stipends, international travel costs and subgrant to Host Organization.
• HFHI and USAID/BHA will actively seek to remove barriers of access and expand engagement opportunities to students with a diverse background.

Activity 3.5. Develop the structure of the Fellowship, including:

• Application timeline
• Required application materials
• Duration and funding allocation
• Content for the Host Organization agreement
• Expected deliverables and metrics
• Minimum curriculum requirements
• Identification and integration of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) guidelines throughout the fellowship.

Deliverable 4: Presentation to organizers and Final Report

Communications

• Commitments related to this RFP will only apply when they are put in writing by the employee who is responsible for managing the RFP process. In no case shall verbal communication govern over written communications.

Proposal submission Process:

• Please send all communications related to this RFP, including questions and vendor proposals to: [email protected] and [email protected] by January 5th, 2023

The proposal should include:

• Expression of Interest, brief description justifying the vendors expectation of success in delivering the work described in this RFP and a summary of the vendor’s relevant experience.
• Technical Proposal, describing the methodology and how the vendor’s expertise and experience can provide depth to each of the deliverables described in this RFP (max 6 pages).
• CV(s) of key personnel whom the vendor proposes will perform the work, including citations of relevant publications, if any.
• Illustrative writing samples of work from similar projects authored by key personnel.
• Budget proposal, estimating total cost for the engagement, estimated number of days for completion and daily rate(s). Habitat anticipates that this contract will not exceed USD $12,500.
• Vendor’s corporate overview – Legal name; contact information including email address; year of incorporation; number of employees, description of products & services.
• At least three references that can be contacted for feedback on past performance.

Deadlines:

• RFP Delivered to Vendors: Nov 7- 8th, 2022
• RFP Deadline for submissions: Jan 05th, 2023
• Vendor Interviews: Jan 16th -19th, 2023
• Award contract to Vendor: Jan 2023
• Start of consultancy: Feb 6th, 2023
• Final draft of deliverables: March 24th, 2023
• Final deliverables due: April 12th, 2023

Selection Criteria Weight

• Familiarity with U.S. Internship and Fellowship Programs: 50%
• Proven Experience in Relative Research: 20%
• Consultancy Proposal (including consultancy budget and fee rate): 30%

Reporting Lines

• The consultant(s)’ work will need to be approved by the DR3 Senior Director and guidance will be provided by a core Steering Committee.

ONLY CANDIDATES WHO FOLLOW APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THE ROLE.