STTA Consultants - Local Government Areas (LGAs) Pathway to Resilience at Creative Associates / Northeast Connection Program (3 Openings)

Creative Associates International provides outstanding, on-the-ground development services and forges partnerships to deliver sustainable solutions to global challenges. Its experts focus on building inclusive educational systems, transitioning communities from conflict to peace, developing sustainable economic growth, engaging youth, promoting transparent elections and more. Creative is recognized for its ability to quickly adapt and excel in conflict and post-conflict environments.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: STTA Consultant - Local Government Areas (LGAs) Pathway to Resilience

RFQ Number: RFQ-YOL-05-22-0004
Locations: Adamawa, Borno and Yobe
Department: Programs    
Reports to: The Program Manager (Adamawa, Borno, Yobe)
Estimated Period of Performance:   July 2022 - October 2022
Estimated Level of Effort:  Around 12-15 days per month (60 days max.)

Summary

• Creative Associates International, Inc., acting on behalf of the Nigeria Northeast Connection in Nigeria is soliciting offers for technical expertise in accordance with the Scope of Work included in Attachment 1, and Creative’s Consultant Agreement Terms and Conditions included in Attachment 2. 

Background

• Creative Associates International (Creative) through United States Agency for International Development Nigeria Mission (USAID/Nigeria) funding is implementing the Nigeria Northeast Connection (NE Connection) program:
  • Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria. 
  • This program aims to strengthen the resilience of communities vulnerable to violent extremist infiltration and conflict in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe (BAY) states in northeast Nigeria.

Program Description

• Program activities will be implemented directly by NE Connection staff or through local actors (i.e., grantees), with close oversight and technical assistance from program staff in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
• The objectives of the NE Connection program are to ensure that:
  • Resilience of communities vulnerable to violent extremist infiltration and conflict enhanced. 
  • Local capacity to respond to emerging threats developed.
• The program is implemented primarily through small grants at the community level, designed to address specific problems or requests hinging on learnings and recommendations from quarterly research.  
• Activity processes are as important as activity outputs in contributing to the program’s strategic goal.  
• Program objectives are not met solely by performing tasks under an activity, but also through an inclusive locally led process that brings the community together to realize goals and foster positive engagement.

Position Summary

• The consultant will be expected to have the requisite skills, experience, education, and general expertise necessary in organizing and facilitating multi-stakeholder meetings, coordination, community mobilization, and sensitization. 
• The consultant will support the Northeast Connection program’s efforts in building the Local Government Areas (LGAs) Pathway to Resilience framework that fosters locally led initiatives for sustainable conflict prevention, mitigation, response, and social cohesion

Reporting & Supervision:

• The STTA shall report to the Nigeria Northeast Connection Program Manager (Borno/Yobe/Adamawa) state portfolio.

Tasks to be Performed
Primary responsibilities of the STTA will include but are not limited to the following:

Based on the requirements under this agreement, the consultant is expected to:

• Attend statutory briefings and planning sessions with the NE Connection team
• Mobilize members of target communities and LGA officials and sensitize them on the effort so far in developing the draft LGA pathways.
• Plan, design and facilitate LGA level multi stakeholders’ validation sessions for the pathways to resilience
• Support stakeholders make inputs into the draft local government pathways to resilience, develop simple action plans and suggest preferred format of presentation to communities
• Provide high quality analysis and process reporting on activity implementation progress
• Work with NE Connection staff to track activity challenges and accomplishments
• Travel to field locations to establish relationships with community actors and LGA officials through this short-term technical assistance (STTA) effort. 

Results and/or Deliverables
These will vary depending on the tasks in a specific work order. Illustrative results/deliverables include:

• Detailed reports of focused sessions and validation meetings held with stakeholders
• Final action plans with community inputs incorporated 
• Design and development of presentation format for community stakeholders
• Process reports, attendance sheets, photos and other materials that document engagements with various stakeholders

Desired Skills & Qualifications

Minimum Requirements
Proficiency in three (03) or more of the following technical and functional areas:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent required in related fields. 
• A minimum of three (03) years’ experience in related areas of expertise or five years (05) years’ consultancy experience in those areas.
• Community mobilization
• Facilitation and consensus building
• Practical negotiations
• Peace building
• Conflict prevention
• Countering violent extremism (CVE)
• Strategic planning
• Strategic communication
• Project report writing
• Strategic collaborations/partnerships and networking
• Advocacy
• Gender and youth engagement
• Demonstrated experience in working with communities, civil society, government, and non-governmental institutions.
• Experience writing reports, briefings and decks and ability to present to clients in a clear, professional, and persuasive manner.   
• Excellent facilitation and training skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, and oral presentation skills.
• Excellent planning, organizing, and time management skills.

Preferred Requirements:

• Master’s Degree preferred, but not required.
• Nigerian nationals highly preferred.
• Working proficiency or fluency in a local language in project areas is highly desirable 
• Professional training in the respective area of expertise is an advantage.
• Professional experience in consulting and/or program and project management in transition, conflict, or complex environments is highly desirable
• Professional experience working in peacebuilding, governance, community mobilizations, conflict resolution, preventing and countering violent extremism or similar technical areas.

Work Assignment:

• Consultants with the requisite qualifications will be given a blanket consulting agreement under which specific work assignments will be ordered on an ad hoc basis, subject to consultant’s availability.  
• Consultants may be required to compete against other similarly qualified consultants, though generally work will be assigned and negotiated directly with the consultant.

Other Matters:

• This consultancy is expected to be hybrid –in-person deployment/travel requirements and remote and remote assignments. To help the consultants complete their assignments, Creative may provide a communication allowance for (phone/internet credit). Project resources may also be available for the consultant’s use as appropriate. 
• Additionally, a list of contacts will be provided as a communication channel for reporting and deliverable submission. Consultants are expected to have their own computers, phones, and any other piece of equipment or software necessary in their line of work.
• Each consultant will be directly supervised by the corresponding NE Connection’s program manager in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States. The COP will provide high level oversight to ensure the consultancy achieved the expected outcomes. 

Application Closing Date
26th May, 2022.