Terms of Reference

Part time Advisory consultancy to support the programme team by providing quality oversight and management support to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and progress to meet the agreed commitments for the DiPECHO funded project in Cambodia on ‘Strengthening National and Sub-national Capacity to implement Disaster Management Towards Increased Community Resilience’

Deadline: 20th May 2013

Background

A consortium of Plan International Cambodia and World Vision Cambodia has been formed to implement the project on ‘Strengthening National and Sub-national Capacity to implement Disaster Management Towards Increased Community Resilience’. This project is supported by DIPECHO/ECHO under Action 8, and runs from 01 June 2012 to 30 November 2013 inclusive. The implementing institutions of Plan International Cambodia (lead agency) and World Vision Cambodia will work in partnership with the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM). The project in partnership with the NCDM will focus on five provinces (Siem Reap, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang and Kandal) and target 20 districts and 20 communes.

The principal objective of the project is to “increase resilience of vulnerable people including children and women living in the most disaster-affected areas in Cambodia”. The specific objective is “enhanced coordination and increased collaboration between the NCDM and partners resulting from the development of partnership guidelines (TOR & Action Plan) and disaster management related documents”.

The required project results are as follows:

Result 1: Strengthened capacity of National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) to coordinate disaster management initiatives among partners.

Result 2: Increased capacity of NCDM to provide strategic direction and partnerships for implementing disaster management beyond SNAP 2014-2018.

Result 3: Enhanced capacity of Sub-national Committees for Disaster Management to develop and implement contingency/preparedness plans.

Result 4: Best practices and lessons learned are documented and shared in relevant fora to contribute greater impact to the National CBDRM program.

The action requires project management support over the final six months of the programme from June 1st 2013 to November 30th 2013 to ensure that the remaining activities and revised implementation plan are implemented in a manner that contribute to the achievement of the actions objectives.

Objective of Consultancy

The objective of the consultancy is to provide part-time quality oversight, management support and advice to the Project Team particularly the Project Manager of the ECHO funded action to ensure that the action is managed in an effective and timely manner through quality and effective planning, quality and appropriate communication and addressing strategic and policy issues directly related to the achievement of the actions results and objectives

Methodology

The consultancy will take place on a part time basis for six months from June 1st to November 30th in the Plan Cambodia office in Phnom Penh, with support in Siem Reap as agreed with the SMT and/or Plan Ireland.

The consultant will liaise with the Project Manager, the DRR Specialist, Grants Coordinator and the Business Development Manager in Plan Cambodia with interaction with the Programme Manager in World Vision Cambodia. The Consultant will report to the PSM & CD in Plan Cambodia and share communication regularly with DRM Coordinator in Plan Ireland.

The first month of the consultancy will require 10 working days, with a minimum of one and half day per week for project management support with the remaining days for familiarization with the action implementation and all project documentation to date.

The subsequent four months will consist of one full day support to the action each week over the course of the action, with the final month consisting of 9 days support to ensure that preparations for final ECHO reporting are in place.

The total days for the consultancy will be 37 days with flexibility within these days for prioritizing certain periods where additional support is required.

Scope of Work

The current project management of the DiPECHO consortium action which is designed to address national level strategic and policy issues on one level led by NCDM Coordinator (Supported by World Vision), and sub-national DRR activities on the second led by respective Project Officers, is currently being managed by the Project Manager . The strategic nature of the action, as well as the complexities of working with DG ECHO, has resulted in the identification of the necessity for additional support to the Project Manager and team to ensure the effective implementation of the action leading to measurable results based on the agreed contract with DG ECHO.

The consultant will be expected to provide oversight and strategic support directly to the Project Manager and team, while advising the Senior Management Team, on the delivery of an effective DG ECHO funded consortium programme. This will be effectively realized as an advisor on concrete actions in relation to project management of the action.

The consultant will be expected to advise and support on engagement with all stakeholder in the action, including DG ECHO, Government Line Ministries, the DRR forum, Joint Action Group, Plan Ireland and other DRR actors in the action. The consultant will advise on communication on issues related to the action with stakeholders and preparation of quality periodic reporting to DG ECHO and Plan Ireland.

Consultant’s Task and Activities

The consultant will be responsible for

Reviewing action progress to date and ensure familiarity with the action

Reviewing short, medium and long term action plans

Support in the preparation of communication with stakeholders

Support in preparing information to be communicated with external actors to the action

Review, recommendations and support on the quality of the actions deliverables

Assess project M&E systems and their analysis and make recommendations and support team to apply these;

Support the Project Manager and team in the delivery of these recommendations;

Support in effective budgeting and financial review;

Support in preparation of effective documentation for communication with DG EGHO including preparing for addendums to the agreement of the action

Review weekly activities and support preparation of weekly and monthly actions plans in a manner that will ensure effective programme management

Pay particular attention to progress in relation to the development of the Strategic National Action Plan on DRR, understanding and reviewing Consultancy documents, assessing EPRPs and contingency plans at sub-national level

Support in the preparation of quality and compliant reports for donors and interested parties;

The consultant shall request justification from the Project Manager and team on the failure to implement weekly and monthly action plans to be shared with Plan Ireland and the Senior Management Team of Plan Cambodia

Proposed detailed schedule

Month

Days

Activities

Locations

June

Action overview to date,