Consultant Vacancy at ActionAid Nigeria

ActionAid is an anti-poverty agency that prioritises works with the poor and excluded; promoting values and commitment in civil society, institutions and Governments with the aim of achieving structural changes in order to eradicate injustices and poverty in the world. ActionAid Nigeria is an affiliate of ActionAid International, an International Non-Governmental organisation registered in The Netherlands with its headquarters in Johannesburg South Africa. ActionAid International works in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. 

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title:  Consultant – Documenting Findings from the Use of Organisational Capacity Assessment (OCAT) in Improving Organizational and Technical Gaps of the Formal and Informal Social Welfare and Protection Systems at the State, LGA and CSOs Level

Location: Nigeria

Background

• The SMILE Program is a five year (April 2013 –September 2018) Cooperative Agreement between Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
• In addition, SMILE facilitates CSOs’ collaboration with communities to increase access to integrated and comprehensive services for vulnerable children and households with a focus on household economic strengthening (HES) and quality nutrition and food security services. In order to achieve these lofty ideals, there was the need to conduct an organizational capacity assessment of the implementing CSOs, LGA and states.
• This showcased the level of implementation of the programme, which each of the partners (States, LGAS and CSOs) have attained and help determine what interventions are necessary to strengthen their capacity for service delivery geared towards VCs and households. The assessment was carried out using the organizational capacity assessment tool (OCAT)
• Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) Tool is a self-assessment instrument that helps non-governmental organizations to identify capacity strengths and challenges and establish capacity building goals. It is primarily a diagnostic and learning tool. Results from the Assessment help grant makers deepen their understanding of the current capacity of their grantees as well as track their growth in capacity over time.
• CRS Nigeria leads the SMILE consortium consisting of Action Aid Nigeria and Westat. SMILE is designed to scale-up care and support services for orphans and vulnerable children in Benue, Kogi, Edo, and Nasarawa states and the FCT.
• The program seeks to improve the wellbeing of 600,000 Vulnerable Children (VC) and 150,000 caregivers. It is being implemented through an umbrella grants mechanism (UGM) whereby CSOs receive sub-grants to support capacity strengthening and OVC program implementation at the community level.
• The project also strengthens the Nigerian VC response by working at the state level to enhance the coordination and monitoring capacity of the five State Ministries of Women Affairs and Social Development (SMWASD) and Social Welfare Departments of targeted Local Government Areas (LGA).
• It provides organizations with a set of criteria to assess their current management capacity to implement quality programs, to identify key areas that need strengthening. Although many capacity assessments exist, the structure and process of the UGM Harmonised OCA tool distinguishes it from others. It has multi-level and multi-department involvement measurable in eight (8) domains, which fosters team building and organizational learning. Inclusion of management, compliance, and programme components ensure a holistic understanding of the organization’s strengths and challenges and the guided self-assessment by skilled facilitators instills ownership on the part of the organization for its improvement plan.

Purpose of the Consultancy

• The effectiveness of OCAT and its usage under the SMILE project as shown overtime in reports and other documentations that tangible results have been achieved, this is based on the understanding that OCAT is a means to an end. As such discussions on the effectiveness of
• OCAT are summed in the achievable actions recorded through the CSOs, LGAs and SMWASD within a multi sectoral approach. This is assumed that multi-sectoral and multi-partnering teams relied on decisions from multi-level decision-making processes that are directly relevant to the impacts of the lives of children, other than from one partner’s/sector situation analysis.
• However ActionAid Nigeria SMILE Projects Seeks consultants to re-evaluate through a systematic study approach the effectiveness of OCAT with facts and figures and document findings that evidence the effectiveness of OCAT as a tool for capacity assessment in OVC response across the SMILE State” starting clear achievements’ on how the improved organizational and technical capacity of the States, LGAs and CSOs have contributed to child protection systems-strengthening and contributing to the SMILE Overall goal “ The well-being of OVC and care givers is improved through a sustainable, comprehensive & coordinated program”.

Role and Responsibility of the Consultant

• To undertake the systematic study using agreed tools and methodology across all SMILE State, LGA and CSO
• Aggregate scores and produce an analytical report of the implications of the assessment for the SMILE Programme.
• Clearly articulate the achievements on the use of OCA at the state , LGAs/Area Council and CSOs
• Document evidence based achievements that had/can stimulate replication by government and other projects.
• Recommend steps to take in addressing any identified gap(s).

Specification

• Interested candidates MUST have a degree in Science, Health or relevant Social Science course.
• A Master’s degree in Public Health, Business Administration or Management is desirable but not essential.
• Candidates applying must have at least 3 years professional experience on organizational capacity development, orphans and vulnerable children issues and household/livelihoods strengthening.

Duration of the Consultancy

• The contract is for 14 days to include 10 days of field assessment and 3 days of report writing.
• There will be a one day of pre – assessment orientation meeting.

Deadline:1st July, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified canidates should send an Expression of Interest electronically to: procurement.nigeria@actionaid.org and cc: Sesugh.Yaji@actionaid.org