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Tenders are invited for Conduct Organizational Capacity Assessments and Develop Capacity Development Plans for Local Civil Society Organizations in Israel and Palestine. Service Location: Palestine 1. Context Over the past three years, the situation in Israel and Palestine has significantly deteriorated, with a marked escalation in violence, displacement, and humanitarian needs. Large-scale hostilities resumed in October 2023, resulting in civilian harm and significant destruction. Humanitarian access remains limited, and the space for civil society activity has narrowed in both contexts. Despite these challenges, Israeli and Palestinian organizations committed to peace and justice continue their work on the ground under growing political, administrative, and financial pressures. In this context, the Empowering Palestinian and Israeli Civil Society and Media project led by Expertise France, in partnership with Canal France International (CFI) and with support from the European Union (EU), aims at strengthening the role of civil society and media. The project responds to the need for rapid response approaches that go beyond traditional models, which have often failed to address structural inequalities and entrenched power asymmetries. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to creating a more conducive environment for sustainable coexistence by strengthening Israeli and Palestinian civil societies and supporting independent media in advancing dialogue, mutual understanding, and collaboration. 2. About Expertise France Expertise France is the French international development cooperation agency, created in 2015. Expertise France is part of the Agency Française de Development (France Agency for Development, AFD) since 2022. It designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the balanced development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. EFs Stabilization and Resilience Unit has been implementing programs in crisis and conflict settings since 2013, positioning itself as a leading organization in supporting the recovery, stabilization, and resilience of vulnerable populations in fragile contexts. 3. The Project Expertise France, with support from the European Unions Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI), is implementing an 24-month project that aims at empowering Civil Society and Media to foster community resilience and social cohesion. The project aims at strengthening the role of civil society and media, both historically underutilized in the mediation and peace processes between Israel and Palestine in spite of their critical role in empowering diverse voices across Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Israel, and the diaspora. The project responds to the need for inclusive, justice-oriented approaches that go beyond traditional models, which have often failed to address structural inequalities and entrenched power asymmetries. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to creating a more conducive environment for sustainable peacebuilding by strengthening Israeli and Palestinian civil societies and supporting independent media in advancing dialogue, mutual understanding, and collaboration. The project is structured around two sub-objectives that focus on reducing immediate tensions and fostering gradual steps towards peaceful coexistence between communities in Israel and Palestine: Sub-objective 1 (SO1): to sustain and amplify the voices and actions of Israeli and Palestinian civil society - including community leaders, diaspora, youth, and women through initiatives that promote dialogue, reduce tensions, and foster mutual understanding within their communities and amongst different communities. Output 1.1: CSOs demonstrate strengthened capacity to lead and implement peacebuilding initiatives Output 1.2: Peacebuilders have strengthened resilience and access to trauma support, enabling sustained engagement in conflict-affected environments Output 1.3: Communities experience incremental progress toward peace through CSO-led collaborative projects and intra-community dialogue Sub-objective 2 (SO2): to support independent media actors in fostering a more pluralistic and informed public debate, combating disinformation, and facilitating collaboration with civil society to enhance peacebuilding efforts. Output 2.1: Independent media actors maintain operational resilience and continue delivering unbiased information amidst external pressures Output 2.2: Media actors produce and disseminate quality, fact-based information that counters disinformation and hate speech Output 2.3: Palestinian and Israeli media stakeholders engage in exchanges, building trust and addressing shared challenges The project currently funds 42 initiatives implemented by local civil society organizations registered and/or active in the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem, and Israel. These organizations are the focus of the organizational assessment this consultancy aims to conduct. 4. Objective of the Consultancy 4.1 Overall Objective The overall objective of this consultancy is to assess the organizational capacities of 42 local civil society organizations (CSOs) supported under the project and to develop tailored capacity development plans responding to the identified strengths, gaps, and priorities at both the individual organizational level and the portfolio level. The consultancy is expected to contribute to strengthening the institutional resilience, operational effectiveness, sustainability, and compliance capacities of local organizations operating in Israel and Palestine in a complex and rapidly evolving environment. 4.2 Specific Objectives The consultancy shall pursue the following specific objectives: Develop and/or adapt organizational capacity assessment tools and methodologies suitable for the operational, political, and organizational context of local civil society organizations in Israel and Palestine; Conduct Organizational Capacity Assessments (OCAs) for 42 local organizations through a participatory and context-sensitive methodology; Identify organizational strengths, weaknesses, risks, and priority capacity gaps across key functional areas; Develop tailored capacity development plans for each assessed organization, including prioritized recommendations and proposed support modalities; Develop a consolidated portfolio-level capacity development plan identifying common trends, overlapping needs, and opportunities for collective capacity strengthening initiatives, including group trainings, peer learning, mentoring, communities of practice, and other joint support mechanisms; Provide Expertise France with strategic recommendations regarding the prioritization, sequencing, and delivery modalities of future capacity development support under the project. 4.3 Scope of the Assessment The assessment framework should cover, at minimum, the following organizational dimensions: Governance and strategic leadership; Financial management and internal controls; Procurement and compliance systems; Human resources management; Safeguarding and accountability mechanisms; Project management and operational systems; The consultant/the Consultant firm may propose additional assessment areas deemed relevant to the operational context and profile of the organizations. The consultancy shall target all CSOs funded under the project; these are local organizations registered and/or active in the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem, and Israel. 4.4 Methodology The consultant shall propose a detailed methodology for the assignment. The methodology is expected to combine qualitative and participatory approaches, including: Review and adaptation of existing organizational assessment tools where relevant; Desk review of relevant project and organizational documentation; Review of organizational policies, procedures, and systems; Interviews and consultations with leadership, staff members, and where relevant board members; Organizational self-assessment exercises; Validation sessions with participating organizations; Comparative and cross-cutting analysis across organizations. The methodology should ensure: Confidentiality and ethical handling of information; Conflict-sensitive and context-sensitive approaches; Participatory engagement with organizations; Practical and action-oriented recommendations. The consultant is expected to adapt the assessment methodology and tools in consultation with Expertise France prior to implementation. 4.5 Expected Deliverables The consultant shall deliver the following: Deliverable 1 Inception Report An inception report including: Detailed methodology; Workplan and timeline; Proposed/adapted assessment framework and tools; Data collection methods; Stakeholder engagement approach. Deliverable 2 Organizational Capacity Assessment Reports A separate assessment report for each of the 42 organizations, including: Organizational profile; Summary of findings; Analysis of strengths and capacity gaps; Risk analysis; Priority recommendations Deliverable 3 Individual Capacity Development Plans A tailored capacity development plan for each organization, including: Priority capacity strengthening objectives; Recommended activities and modalities; Indicative timeline; Suggested sequencing and prioritization; Proposed indicators of progress. Deliverable 4 Portfolio-Level Capacity Development Plan A consolidated portfolio-level plan synthesizing: Common strengths and weaknesses across organizations; Cross-cutting trends and systemic constraints; Overlapping capacity development needs; Recommendations for group-based capacity strengthening activities and collective learning approaches; Recommendations regardi Tender Link : https://www.jobs.ps/en/tenders/organizational-capacity-assessments-15746.html
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