Local Capacity Development Consultant

Period of performance: 22 days, over the period June-August 2022. The timeframe may be adjusted based on the start date of the consultant.

Hiring manager: Amy Mangieri, Advisor, Program Management, Global Health, with technical oversight from Denis J. Hynes, Chief of Party, USAID Kulawa

Background/context:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Kulawa activity is a five-year (2020-2025) award to support the Government of Niger in improving health, family planning, and nutrition outcomes in Maradi, Zinder, and Tillabéri regions. Meaning “*to care for*” in Hausa, USAID Kulawa collaborates with the Ministry of Public Health, Population and Social Affairs (MOPH/P/SA), local government, health providers, and communities to implement activities that will reach 1.4 million women of reproductive age, 1.1 million children under five years old, and 2.6 million youth ages 15-35 in seventeen health districts in Maradi, Zinder, and Tillabéri, with a focus on youth aged from 10 to 24.

USAID Kulawa is part of USAID’s Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) II initiative, which supports vulnerable communities in Niger to effectively prepare for and manage recurrent crises and pursue sustainable pathways out of poverty. Building on prior investments, USAID Kulawa provides technical assistance and capacity development support to institutions to strengthen health systems and improve the quality of service delivery in communities, deepen government leadership and ownership of the health system, and empower community-led solutions that improve health care quality, coverage, use, and accountability. USAID Kulawa focuses on critical interventions that link the local population to health and nutrition services and provides technical and operational support to national, regional, district, commune and local institutions and counterparts to drive improvements in health service delivery, integration, coverage, quality and use. USAID Kulawa works with national non-governmental organizations (NNGOs) that are committed to strengthening health and nutrition outcomes for local populations, including women and youth.

Objective of consultancy:

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical assistance and strengthen the capacity of Save the Children staff in USAID’s Organization Capacity Assessment (OCA) and Organization Performance Index (OPI) approaches. The consultant will also provide support to conduct assessments with four NNGOs using the OPI approach and tool.

Complete list of specific tasks, associated deliverables and timeline can be found here.

• Regular check-ins with Save the Children will be required throughout the period of performance to discuss progress. Final deliverables must meet Save the Children, and where relevant, USAID requirements and receive approval from both (as relevant) before the final payment will be made.
• Timeframe may be adjusted based on the start date of the consultant.
• Save the Children staff will complete the OPI self-assessment with NNGO 4 and share the information with the consultant.

Total compensation: Payment tied to completion of deliverables, as above. Applicants should propose a budget in US dollars for the specific tasks and associated deliverables outlined above. SC will issue payments based on consultant submission of time worked and achievement of deliverables, to be approved by Denis Hynes.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master’s Degree in international development studies, anthropology, public health or a related disciplin
• 10 years’ experience in local capacity development, with specific experience in using USAID methodologies (OCA and OPI)
• Demonstrated proficiency in spoken and written English and French
• Work experience in sub-Saharan Francophone Africa

Desired

• Work experience in the Sahel, especially Niger