Call for Consultancy Services for Facilitating the Rivers, Rights, Resilience Forum & Reporting

Date:  21 Sep 2023

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Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE

TROSA Phase 2: Rivers, Rights and Resilience (T2-3R) is approved by Sida as a four-year programme from May 2023 to March 2027. T2-3R explicitly focuses on further improving cooperation in governing shared water resources to strengthen riparian communities’ resilience to climate change’s impacts. The program is supporting climate-resilient livelihoods for vulnerable natural resource-dependent communities in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) basins, improved management of shared river ecosystems, and scale up efforts to empower and increase participation of women, youth and Indigenous People in water governance, as well as strengthening institutions and partnerships for cooperation on higher level governance of shared water resources.

The program works in selected shared sub-basins within the GBM river basin system.

The overall goal and outcomes of T2-3R are as follows:

Overall Goal: Improved cooperation in governing shared water resources, strengthening resilience to climate change of riparian communities in the transboundary Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River basins.

Outcome 1: Strengthened climate-resilient livelihoods of communities living in the GBM river basins.

Outcome 2: Improved and inclusive management of transboundary river ecosystems and protection of biodiversity across the GBM river basins

Outcome 3: Strengthened leadership of civil society, especially women, Indigenous People, and youth to influence government and private sector on water governance across and between the shared GBM basins.

Outcome 4: Strengthened cooperation, collaboration, and accountability across and between the shared GBM river basins.

TEAM PURPOSE

Oxfam is working towards an Asia Water Governance Program that aligns Mekong Regional Water Governance PEM (People managing their eco-systems in the Lower Mekong basin) and T2-3R Programme. The programme duration is from Dec 2022 to Mar 2027. The Program Management Unit (PMU) is under Oxfam in Asia. Country-level portfolios are managed at a country level, and the regional PMU manages regional partnerships and maintains an overview that the respective programs achieve their objectives. The program contributes to Oxfam Asia Regional Strategy and Oxfam Country Strategies in the program area and is being implemented together with approximately 24 partners (including 6 Oxfam entities and 6 regional partners).

Oxfam’s program objectives are to enable communities and civil society to be better able to realize sustainable livelihoods, reduce poverty and promote transboundary cooperation in the Brahmaputra, Ganges, Mahakali/Sharda, and Mekong River basins. Our objectives are that we will achieve this by facilitating i) increased civil society participation and engagement in transboundary cooperation and water resource governance and ii) promoting more open, inclusive, accountable, and effective water resource governance. Iii) Strengthened climate-resilient livelihoods of communities and improved and inclusive management of transboundary river ecosystems and protection of biodiversity across the GBM river basins. We seek to convene dialogues and work with a range of partners and allies, including governments, the private sector, academia, and institutions.  The work seeks to influence change at the community and civil society levels and changes in policies and practices at the national and transboundary levels.

The objectives of the Rivers, Rights, Resilience Forum (RRRF) are to:

1. Discuss and share programme learning and insights with partners and relevant external audiences/stakeholders.
2. Facilitate learning and sharing among T2-3R partners, other similar water governance initiatives and key stakeholders such as governments, civil society, businesses, research institutes, academia and the media.
3. Foster longer-term engagement and synergies across different stakeholders and initiatives engaged in regional water cooperation issues in the region and 
4. Identifying ways for the sustainability of the program and resource mobilization.

This forum is expected to deliver the following outputs:

1. Sharing of achievements/results/lessons learnt of the T2-3R Programmed implementation by the partners,
2. Adopting/harnessing a clearer approach/action for the interventions at their respective sub-basin/basin/regional levels as per the learning/knowledge which have been shared by others during the learning event, and
3. Enhancing further collaboration and leveraging resources within the region.
4. Identifying key issues and areas for program sustainability and resourcing.

RRRF is an important component of T2-3R program and RRRF report would be very useful for programme partners and other stakeholders to foster longer-term engagement and synergies across different stakeholders and initiatives engaged in regional water cooperation issues in the region. This report would also be useful for Identifying ways for sustainability of the program and key thematic areas and issues for future programming.

JOB PURPOSE

Oxfam  is looking for a consultant/team to facilitate the RRRF at Kathmandu, Nepal, from 4 to 8 December 2023 and finalise the associated communication products (report and Learning Brief).

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

1. In collaboration with the RRRF Steering Group, develop an agenda and plan the sessions.
2. Work with session leads/facilitators/rapporteurs to identify the key learning questions, conduct the sessions and capture the main findings/lessons shared.
3. Develop the final report and a Learning Brief based on the forum inputs from partners and discussions held at the RRRF.

DELIVERABLES:

1. RRRF Final Session Plan and Methods
2. RRRF Proceedings – (a compendium of summary discussions and learning outcomes of each session) 40 pages (approximate)
3. RRRF Learning Brief: 4-6 pages communication product capturing the key learnings of the forum and way forward.

TIMELINES: This consultancy assignment will start from 1st November 2023 onwards and is expected to be completed by 26th December 2023.  The total effort is expected to be less than 15 working days.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

We are looking for a consultancy team to facilitate the meeting and produce the expected reports within a limited timeline. The team should be able to maintain the mutually agreed timeline of deliverables and work closely with the responsible Oxfam team.

Essential

• A consultant or a team of consultants can be of any age group.

• Prior workshop/conference facilitation experience. Experience in working with civil society-led influencing and advocacy programmes. Technical and writing skills to distil the content from various sessions. Ability to summarize key points, capture quotes and document main messages delivered.
• Must be proficient in English; capacity in other programme languages (Nepali, Hindi or Bangla) would be an advantage.
• Able to transcribe and produce qualitative reports from recordings of sessions.
• Have good knowledge of any of the four themes (water governance, gender equality, civil society and human rights) from regional perspectives.
• Able to travel to Kathmandu, Nepal from 3rd to 9th December 2023 (travel expenses will be covered by Oxfam).

Desirable

• Experience in working with and/or knowledge of Oxfam or similar organizations, universities, and other development setups.

• Relevant qualifications in social sciences or a related field
• Well-developed computer skills.
• Awareness of and commitment to gender equality and commitment to Oxfam’s equal  opportunity
• An understanding of and commitment to putting gender equality at the heart of development work;

Postgraduate and doctoral researchers, young professionals, experienced action researchers, development practitioners, independent writers, bloggers, communication experts, and women are encouraged to apply.

Key Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible

Organizational Values

• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences

Other

• Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women’s rights
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidate(s) can submit their application including the following components:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV), max 4 pages, showing relevant experience.
• Technical proposal including interpretation of the ToR and methodologies to be used (2-3 pages max.)
• Detailed budget estimation including consulting fee, and other tax included costs.
• Portfolio if you have done similar work.

This post is opened on Oxfam recruitment website. For those who are interested in this post, please apply through the website https://career2.successfactors.eu/career?company=OxfamNovibP  

by 05th October 2023 at 23:59 Cambodia time (GMT+7.00). 

For further questions, please contact Mr. Avinash Singh at avinash.singh@oxfam.org

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