Title: / CBA Traineeship Programme Development
Length of the Assignment / Up to 90 days 2017
Daily rate / £400/day
Reporting lines / BRC line manager: Jenny Harper
BRC International HR Focal Point: Beatrice Nardi
Key BRC stakeholders
Key movement stakeholders / BRC Cash Team
Beatrice Nardi, International HR Adviser for Cash & Markets
Cathy Fitzgibbon, Head of International HR
Hilary Oakley, Head of Organisational Development and Learning
Stephanie Harris, International Learning & Development Adviser
ICRC EcoSec Training Coordinator
IFRC Cash Officer (tools and training)
Location / London UKO and home based

Background

The humanitarian landscape is changing and it is now widely accepted that providing crisis-affected populations with cash based assistance (CBA) brings greater choice and dignity with humanitarian agencies being better able to meet needs in a more efficient and effective way. The Movement is in a unique position to continue and build its leadership role in predictable and scalable CBA based on its mandate and Fundamental Principles, its strong foundation of experience and tools and the unique role of National Society members in their national contexts. Strengthening national humanitarian action and localisation of aid through investments into National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will be fundamental to building the overall capacity of the humanitarian sector to deliver more effective and efficient humanitarian assistance.

The BRC as a key member of the Movement and an early innovator in CBA is now looking to reinforce its role and support the Movement to transform the way it delivers assistance through upscaled CBA. Strategic planning is currently underway to ensure that this support and transformation is defined, measurable and achievable over the longer term (5 years).

The BRC CBA programme has seven areas of work to develop and deliver from 2017-2021. One of these work streams is cash ready people & staff development with the objective to attract, retain, and grow the necessary CBA practitioners that provide high quality CBA preparedness and operational capacities to enable timely and appropriate multi-sectoral CBA. The Movement, like other agencies, has a chronic lack of cash expertise that has the confidence to assess, design andimplement scalable cash where appropriate. This piece of work is to address this shortage and for BRC to grow and develop a cadre of cash experts to facilitate scale up across the Movement. The model developed will initially focus on small scale development of these cash experts to test, refine and ensure the success of the model before potential scale up is considered to meet Movement demands.

The deliverables of this work stream is for:

Cash trainee/development programme researched and developed by Qtr 4 2017

At least 3 trainees complete development programme by end of 2019 having deployed to at least 3 country operations shadowing existing Cash Markets Advisers (by end of 2018) and at least 3 country operations independently (by end of 2019). A new cohort of 3 trainees will be developed as above from 2020 – 2021.

At least 6 cash experts developed/grown by BRC by 2021

Purpose/Goal

The main purpose of this ToR is to consult, define and design a cash trainee/development programme as part of the cash ready people & staff development work stream. The consultantToR will explore and map current traineeship/development programme practises both within and outside the humanitarian sector. This research will be analysed to detail learnings, with relevant information taken forward to design a recommended model for the BRC, with clarity over the structure, format, training pathways, deployment details,timescales and required BRC resourcing.

Objectives

  1. Research and benchmarking exercise:
  2. To map existing similar programmes and initiatives (through interviews, speaking directly with organisations and a desk review) alongside existing research, to identify learning from previous programmes. Research will include contacting organisations both within and outside the humanitarian sector.
  3. To research and recommend accreditation of the programme by working through existing research and researching new organisationsto recommend providers who would be suitable for accrediting the programme. To detail options, timelines, and implications on programme.
  4. To explore and map existing partnerships and approaches to detail recommendations and justification for using/not using a partnering approach, including funding implications.
  5. To analyse research and detail learnings of relevant information from organisations that are to be taken forward into the design of the BRC programme (section 2 of the ToR).
  6. To consider wider International Directorate development schemes and detail relevant learnings for broader L&D strategy.
  7. Define and design the programme:
  8. To use research from benchmarking exercise and internal consultation to define programme success criteria (professional skills e.g. training, technical). This will include consultation with the cash and markets team, international HR, organisational development (OD) and other key stakeholders to articulate what skillsets, behaviours (incorporated from the BRC behaviours framework) and core humanitarian competencies are required.
  9. To design development/trainee plan, to include consultation with the L&D adviser on the training pathway and the cash and markets team/International HR on deployment opportunities. This proposal will be based on the programme success criteria and agreed pre-requisite technical skills of trainees. Model to include:
  10. what is required from the BRC to manage the programme in the future, to include what human resources are required and at what capacity, timeinvestment required from the cash and markets team and expected costs.
  11. training events, deployments, structure, format and timescale that will work within the agreed budget of the programme and HR legislation and policies.
  12. how to capture on-going learning from the pilot to allow for continuous improvements and future recruitments
  13. what materials are required throughout the programme e.g. workbook, induction pack and learning log.
  14. communications planning for launching the programme for recruitment in October.
  15. comprehensive set of objectives to track impact over time.
  16. where possible, to identify markers for accreditation and incorporate these into design.
  17. toprovide recommendations on internal and external options for trainees on completion of the programme and appropriate exit strategy for BRC and the trainees from each phase of the programme.
  18. to make recommendations on the minimum and optimum resourcing for the model for the first phase and to make initial indications on how scalable the model would be (i.e. to support x trainees this is considered, to increased that 2 fold this is required).
  19. To share draft design of programme with hiring manager to coordinate internal consultation with key people in July.
  20. To update model based on one round of feedback provided, and shared with the hiring manager, key international and BRC staff, cash & markets team and international HR by end of August.

Outputs:

A final consulting report that includes sections on:

oSummary of the benchmarking exercise, including relevant information to be taken forward into the design of the BRC programme

oLearningof relevant information from organisations that are recommended for the design of the BRC programme

oAccreditation options of programme

Comprehensive traineeship programme to include:

oResource (management, support, HR etc.) requirements from BRC to manage programme

oStructure, format, training pathway, deployment details and timescales

oHow to capture on-going learning from the pilot

oWhat materials are required

oCommunications plan

oComprehensive set of objectives to track impact over time

oIf applicable, details of what has been included that are mapped to accreditation options

oRecommendations on internal and external options for trainees on completion of the programme

oRecommendations on the minimum and optimum resourcing of the model and indications of how scalable the model would be

Methodology

Desk review of existing RC/RC and non-RC/RC documents

Consultation with available external organisations for benchmarking exercise

Desk review examination of available external comparative models to ascertain accreditation options

Workshops and interviews with key BRC and Movement stakeholders as outlined above to agree success criteria and essential experience required for programme

Consultation with BRC stakeholders to explore deployment opportunities

Consultation with International HR to align programme to HR legislation and BRC policies

Consultation with key Movement stakeholders to investigate scalability of programme

Interviews with key BRC stakeholders to provide recommendations for trainees on completion of the programme

Activities and estimate timeframes

Activity / No. of Days
Research and benchmarking exercise; mapping similar programmes and initiatives / 20 days
Research and analysis of accreditation options / 15 days
Analysis of benchmarking exercise to detail learnings of relevant information / 10 days
Conduct stakeholder consultation meetings (with cash team, HR, OD and key BRC stakeholders) to define programme success criteria / 15 days
Design programme plan (to be submitted by July) following all objectives in 2.b / 20 days
Report writing / 5 days
Incorporate internal feedback into updated model / 5 days
Total / 90 days

Consultant profile

Essential knowledge, skills and experience:

  • Experience of developing and rolling out development programme or equivalent professional knowledge gained through the significant experience working as an OD specialist or as an HR generalist with an OD focus (essential)
  • Able to demonstrate up to date knowledge of theory and good practice in learning and development, particularly development (essential)
  • Knowledge of HR best practice and current employment legislation (essential)
  • Demonstrated strong research/analytical skills (essential)
  • Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills (essential)
  • Strong skills in report drafting and communication (essential)
  • Ability to work with staff at all levels and from all backgrounds (essential)
  • Knowledge and experience of BRC internal systems (preferred)
  • Strong knowledge of the international humanitarian sector and cash agenda (preferred)

CBA traineeship programme development