Consultant - Government Stakeholder Mapping at Nigeria INGO Forum

Nigeria INGO Forum (NIF) was founded in 2014, it is an alliance of international NGOs providing humanitarian and development assistance in Nigeria. Starting with 14 members in 2014, we have now grown to fifty four (54) members and nine (9) observers. All our members and observers have physical presence in Nigeria and are legally operating in the country. With the scale-up as a result of the increased needs and corresponding global, political, and financial attention that north-east Nigeria received since 2016, it is now more important than ever to have a collective voice when addressing critical challenges. While our members are international NGOs, NIF commits to strengthening relationships, linkages, and collaborative efforts where appropriate with existing national NGO platforms and entities.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultant - Government Stakeholder Mapping

Location: Abuja (FCT)
Employment Type: Contract

Related Programmes and other Donor activities
The Nigeria INGO Forum:

• The Nigerian INGO Forum (NIF) was formed on 2014 to facilitate the coordination and cooperation of humanitarian and development INGO’s and between INGO’s and external stakeholders including Government of Nigeria, Nigerian civil society, UN agencies, diplomatic actors, and donors.
• In response to the escalation of conflict in the north-east and increase in humanitarian needs, as well as presence of operational actors, the INGO Forum established a sub office in Maiduguri, Borno State to facilitate coordination, advocacy, and external stakeholder engagement. With INGOs also decentralising senior decision making to operations in the field, the imperative to facilitate information sharing to address duplications and gaps, strengthen quality of responses, advocate for the rights of affected populations, and ensure INGO leadership in operational level decision-making entities.
• NIF exists to facilitate members' collective action in the principled and effective delivery of much needed assistance to save and improve the lives of poor and vulnerable people.
• To this end, NIF provides a coordinated approach through which INGOs, the Government of Nigeria (GoN), the UN, donors and other external stakeholders can exchange information, shared expertise, and establish guidelines for a more coordinated, efficient, and effective use of aid resources in Nigeria.

Objective, Expected Results
Overall Objectives:

• INGOs engagement with government actors is critical to achieve NIF purpose – both in terms of facilitating INGOs operational environment and advocating collectively for those whom we support.
• With the increase in number of impediments to humanitarian access, both of bureaucratic/legal/administrative nature, and prompted by the military driven by the negative misconceptions and the lack of understanding of the way humanitarian organisations work, there have been an increased need to:
  • Recognise all relevant government stakeholders and their mandates
  • Engage with a broader representation of government actors to increase information sharing and advocacy.
• This approach would equally support an increased INGOs engagement with the government to improve living conditions of IDPs and the vulnerable population at broader.
• To this end, NIF is recruiting a consultant to support in the development of strategic government stakeholders mapping and government engagement workplan.

Mapping of Government Stakeholders relevant in the humanitarian response in both Federal and State Levels (BAY states and Northwest States) and development of engagement Strategy:

• Map the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (including security) relevant for humanitarian (and development) response in Nigeria at the Federal level and at
• State level for the BAY and Northwest States.
• Detail the mandate of each government stakeholder and provide contacts for entry points of engagement.
• Develop a strategy on how to best undertake engagement with the various levels of government stakeholders for NIF staff and members.

Results to be Achieved by the Contractor

Assumptions & Risks
Risks:

• One of the key risks is the challenges in mapping government stakeholder’s structures in
• the current context, where travel is restricted by COVID-19, as well as the more general
• travel constraints of travel into, and around north-east Nigeria.

Scope of the Work

Specific Work
Government Engagement Plan:

• Government Stakeholders mapping:
  • Report – mapping of relevant government stakeholder’s structures,
  • including federal and state governments (BAY states and Northwest
  • States). Max 40 pages.
• Government Engagement Strategy:
  • Strategy document - based on the output from 1a, develop a strategy to utilise already existing structure to enhance government engagement by NIF staff. Max 10 pages.

Milestones
Government Engagement:

• Government Stakeholders Mapping:
  • Proposed methodology (4 pages max.)
  • Draft report (30 pages max.)
  • Final report (30 pages max.)
• Government Engagement Strategy:
  • Proposed strategy
  • Assigned accountabilities
  • Expected timeline for strategy roll out

Logistics and Timing:

• Start date & period of implementation:
  • The start date for this work will be the end of September, with all the work to be completed by end of November.
  • The consultant(s) will have a weekly update call with the focal person at NIF on the progress of the deliverables
• The below timelines are suggested for each element of work:
  • Mapping of Government engagement structures currently in place (12 days)
  • Government Engagement Strategy (12 days)
• All work must be completed at the latest by the first week of December 2021.

Requirements
Facilities to be provided by the contractor:

• NIF is able to provide office space for the consultant in both its office in Abuja and Maiduguri, should it be needed.
• Expenses, including but not limited to accommodation, food, phone credit, local transport, are to be included in the consultant(s) proposed daily rate.

Equipment:

• The consultant(s) will be expected to work off their own laptop and/or phone.

Reports
Submission & Approval of Reports:

• Report will first be submitted to the technical referent, NIF’s Director and Government Liaison Officer jointly for review. Only once the reports are found to be of sufficient quality will they be approved.
• NIF maintains the right to make the final decision on approval of products.
• It is expected that the consultant(s) will provide drafts in a timely manner to allow for comments and feedback to be incorporated within the project deadlines.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• The consultant(s) will have weekly progress calls with the technical referent and/or the Liaison Focal Point.
• This is to update on progress, make NIF aware of any challenges that may arise in the undertaking of this work.

Application Closing Date
30th September, 2021 (5pm).

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their proposals to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.

Note: For Nigerian nationals only.