BACKGROUND
AFSC is a Religious Society of the Friends (Quaker) organization, founded in 1917 to create alternatives to military service during World War 1. Throughout the organization’s history, AFSC has stood with communities around the world taking bold action to overcome injustice and build peace.
AFSC works for a just, peaceful, and sustainable world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. We join with people and partners to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light of each person, AFSC works with people of all faiths and backgrounds to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace.
AFSC’s history of work in Africa goes back decades. The organization led a delegation of U.S. Quakers to South Africa to push back on nascent apartheid in the 1930s, long before most of the outside world was focused on the issue. AFSC would ultimately be the first organization to divest from South Africa in the 1980s.
AFSC helped to address critical housing and education needs in newly-free Zambia in the 1960s, brought famine relief to drought-stricken Mali in the 1970s, and has recently built training centres in Zimbabwe to encourage entrepreneurship and community-led economic development. AFSC currently has programs in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, South Africa, and Zimbabwe
THE CONTEXT
Throughout Africa we see the legacy of colonialism in the form of ongoing peace and migration challenges. Arbitrary borders, drawn without consideration for ethnic and cultural differences, that have led to conflicts and forced displacement, worsening regional instability. Economic inequality, political corruption, and the exploitation of natural resources have further complicated these issues, driving people to leave their homes in search of safety and better opportunities. The presence of armed groups and the use of violence have created environments of fear and uncertainty, disrupting communities and unleashing suffering and pain among different communities.
The absence of inclusive democratic governance and shrinking political space allows for rampant injustice with a difficult path forward. Political actors feel that elections will not be free, fair, inclusive, or peaceful. This creates a culture of retaliation. A winner-takes-all philosophy spurs violent rivalry and instability. Youth are exploited through mobilization into political parties or radicalized to join armed groups. Manipulation of identity by political actors is a key driver of conflict. This manipulation weakens the social cohesion of communities along ethnic, gender, and generational lines.
Yet, there is hope. The continent has the world’s youngest population, many of whom are eager to make change. Youth are increasingly well-connected to each other and to their changemaking peers across the globe. Africa has significant natural resource wealth. The region is home to the world’s largest arable landmass, in addition about 30% of all global mineral reserves are found in Africa.
Women and girls have long been marginalized in political, economic, and social spheres, critical public policy spaces, and important discourse and dialogues. In recent years, they have in many places successfully achieved a growing voice in decisions. In this critical moment, AFSC is bolstering the work of women, youth, local leaders and changemakers in mediation, conflict resolution and inclusion in decision making processes.
THE ASSIGNMENT
AFSC global developed a strategic plan to guide its operations for 10 years from 2020 to 2030. The Strategic Plan was developed through a consultative process. The Strategic plan covers AFSC’s work around the globe including Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, and the USA. The work is all consolidated in one document. The purpose of this assignment is to identify Africa’s priorities, analyse the context and AFSC Africa’s competitiveness aligned to the global strategy and repackage it into a strategy document to guide AFSC Africa region over the next 7 years. This will include working with the staff, partners to develop strategic priorities for the region that will inform region specific strategic plan.
THE APRROACH
The consultant is expected to propose a methodology that will deliver the results spelt out in this TOR. A participatory approach with critical reflection by the Africa Leadership Team (ALT), AFSC staff, partners, and key stakeholders will make the process meaningful. The draft domesticated strategic plan will be developed guided by the following questions. •
- What is the key purpose of AFSC in Africa? (Vision)
- What is AFSC’s reason for existence (Mission)?
- How does AFSC Africa see the context evolving over the next 7 years? Opportunities and Threats?
- Informed by its contextual analysis & its purpose definition what does AFSC Africa want to do 2024 – 2030? (Mission)
- What does AFSC Africa want to achieve during this period. (Outcomes)
- How will AFSC’s work deliver its target. (Methodologies & Approaches)
- How will AFSC get there? (Partnerships and stakeholder analysis)
- What are the risks AFSC will encounter and how will they be mitigated.
- How will AFSC know it has achieved its target? (Milestones, sustainability, learning and M&E).
The Africa leadership team, staff and partners will receive and review the draft strategic plan in a session with the consultant. The consultant will modify the draft based on the feedback received. The Associate General Secretary International programs will formally approve the regional strategic plan once satisfied and adopt it in an IPEC meeting.
DELIVEABLES
Preparation phase
Develop an inception report that clearly stipulates the proposed methodology, approach, a review checklist, delivery plan, assumptions, anticipated risks, and mitigating strategies.
SP domestication phase
Review the current AFSC strategic plan 2020 – 2030. Analyze and generate the context that speaks to AFSC’s work in Africa. Work with staff and partners to capture the priorities. Align the goal, and strategic objectives with the global strategy in a language that speaks to the Africa context. The consultant will be expected to provide periodic updates to the Regional Director Africa through in-person (where applicable) or virtual meetings.
Reporting phase
At the end of the assignment. A comprehensive AFSC Africa strategic plan will be presented to the Africa leadership team. Inputs from ALT will be incorporated, and the report proofread and edited to be delivered in publication ready status.
OUTCOME OF THE ASSIGNMENT
At the close of the assignment, it is anticipated that AFSC Africa region will have a domesticated strategic plan clearly aligned to the Global AFSC strategy through a consultative process.
DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
This assignment will be conducted and completed in 30 consultancy days spread within the month of June and July 2024.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Postgraduate qualification in relevant discipline such as organization development, peace building, management, or any social science discipline
- Minimum 10 years relevant experience in analyzing complex information with a strong bias in peace building.
- Demonstrable track record in delivering peace building and governance programs.
KEY SKILLS AND COMPETIES
- Strategic planning skills
- Expertise and understanding of peace building in Africa.
- Strong oral and written skills
- Excellent facilitation skills managing group feedback
How to apply
Interested consultants are expected to submit their proposals both technical and financial) with CV(s) of the proposed team. The technical proposal must detail the following:
- Objective and understanding of the assignment.
- Expected outputs and the product.
- Demonstrable experience in similar assignment
- Availability to deliver the assignment within the required timeframe.
- Financial proposal in Kenya shillings or USD for the entire assignment
Please submit your proposal responding to the terms of reference by 12 noon EAT on Wednesday 22nd May 2024 to infoafrica@afsc.org
