Organization: Save the Children – US
Country: United States of America
Closing date: 10 Aug 2015
****Perspectives on Addressing Urban Children’s Needs****
****Scope of Work; 29 July 2015****
- Background
For the first time in history, over half of the world’s population currently live in cities. Over the next 100 years, this trend will continue as cities across the world are projected to double their population size. It is estimated that 5.2 billion people will be added to urban populations in the developing world; 60 million per year for the foreseeable future. These new inhabitants will be predominantly young and poor. Save the Children (SC) is committed to meeting the distinct needs of this expanding population of vulnerable children.
Save the Children is a global NGO, consisting of 29 national members, who program internationally through Save the Children International (SCI) in over 40 countries. Emerging from a recommendation in SC’s 2010-15 Mid-Term Strategy Review, the Urban Strategy Initiative is working to develop, publicize, and invest in urban value propositions that a) meet the needs of urban children and b) inform SC’s 2016+ Strategy. The Urban Strategy Initiative is a joint venture managed and funded by seven SC national members (Australia, India, Italy, Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States) and SCI.
SC’s new strategy is expected to propose a strong focus on urban children, and to address their needs in a holistic way, either directly or in partnership with others. Most of SC’s work is organized thematically, and SC’s strategy will continue to be guided by thematic “breakthroughs”.
- The urban programming challenge
Increasingly civil society organizations are working in cities, but often lack a clear programming framework under which they can operate to support city-wide development approaches, that puts primary emphasis on inclusive and strategic approaches to urban planning and development. In fact, civil society organizations struggle to cope with the dynamic character of the municipal governments, urban planning, and urban development processes all together, not least, engagement with a broad range of urban stakeholders in the development of neighborhood and city level action plans and securing financial outlays for priority urban development projects.
In this context, the most vulnerable, who are often children, are typically overlooked by local government, urban planning and urban development authorities and, in similar vein, civil society organizations tend to overlook these actors as legitimate forces for positive change in children’s lives. As such, efforts to bridge gaps between these urban actors and civil society to address the needs of the most vulnerable requires significant attention, thus attracting organizations such as Save the Children to strategically engage in this space.
A further challenge for Save the Children is the lack of knowledge and understanding of the built environment and spatial aspects necessary in addressing large inequalities. The use of space – a limited resource particularly in low socio-economic neighborhoods – needs to be taken into account while planning for sustainable urban development.
A third challenge is the chaotic and fragmented urban development processes, policies and strategies already in place. Save the Children needs guidance to carefully choose in which of these it will invest its precious resources and time.
- Objectives, Deliverables and Tasks
Save the Children is seeking to develop guidance for urban program / project design teams on how to effectively analyze the situation of the urban poor, in particular the actors, systems and processes under which they are governed. Furthermore guidance must capture the unique features and characteristics of urban space – density, diversity, mobility complexity etc. – in order to frame any urban analysis and eventual program / project design. Our objective is to improve the design and implementation of urban program /project design by developing such guidance, which is tailored to Save the Children as a global international NGO focused on children in all contexts (emergencies, fragile states, developing and developed settings) and in support of our three breakthroughs (Survival, Learning, Free from Violence) and Urban Guiding Principles. The work should include
1) reviewing Save the Children’s existing situational analysis guidance (including but not limited to Save the Children’s Urban Guiding Principles, Child Rights Situational Analysis tool, Child Rights Governance Analysis, and the Common Approach to Sponsorship Programs Guide,
2) a review of external guides and tools that other NGOs or likeminded stakeholders use to assess the urban context or design urban programs, and
3) any additional information about partnership, principles, objectives, or activities necessary to achieving high quality urban situational analyses.
The deliverables are:
- A completed urban situational analysis methodology, including reference annexes (which after editing and design support can be published); and
- A summary PowerPoint presentation, to be submitted and delivered to the urban situational analysis steering group at the conclusion of the project.
Proposed activities, and estimated level of effort, include:
- Review SC strategy and urban portfolio documents 2 days
- Conduct interviews with key leaders within SC (e.g. urban situational analysis steering group, visit to country office for review and testing if possible, Urban Leadership Group, etc.) 2-5 days
- Provide up-dates to SC’s internal urban situational analysis steering group 1 day
- Prepare deliverables 6 days
- Present draft guidance document and tools to steering group & respond to group 1-3 days
- Present final guidance document and presentation to steering group 1 day T
TOTAL 13-18 days
Timeline: Save the Children intends to complete this consultancy by 31 October 2015.
- Reporting
The consultant will report to SC’s Urban Convenor, Justin Mortensen, and an urban situational analysis steering group.
- Qualifications
Applicants should meet the following criteria:
- Extensive experience in analyzing, addressing urban issues, particularly affecting the urban poor
- Extensive experience working with donors and civil society organizations addressing urban issues.
- Extensive experience in advising or working with large international organizations, particularly at the strategic level
- 5-10 years experience required
- Instructions to Apply
Proposals should be no more than two pages using 12-point font. Submit all required information to the Email address listed below.
- Cover letter and C.V,
- Overview. Describe your understanding of the work to be performed.
- Professional Experience. Describe your qualifications for completing this activity and working with an international NGO with a similar size and/or operations.
- Approach. Describe the approach and methods you intend to use to develop and complete the guide, including a notional work plan.
- Budget. Provide a basic budget justification with estimate of fees and costs. (If an individual a submission of a US Government 1420 bio-data sheet. Click here to download.)
- Client References. Include a list of no more than three reference for relevant work and/or clients.
How to apply:
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