Crisis management training & plan

Tender Description

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Subject: Request for consultancy to conduct a Crisis management training & plan

Date of issuance: March 26th, 2024

Due Date for submission of offers: April 9th, 2024

Purpose of the consultancy

Following the onset of the aggression currently taking place, Asala found itself in a situation where normal and regular activities of its programs are difficult to implement, either due to the inability to move within the West Bank safely, or due to the sensitivity of the situation where some activities are not accepted by the community, and are not possible to implement normally, under such circumstances. It has also become clear that Asala members are not able to continue working within their MSMEs normally, and as per the survey, a large number had to stop operating the MSMEs temporarily or permanently.

As an organization that strives to be sustainable, and in an effort to continue supporting women MSME owners at all times, even in times of crisis, Asala itself needs to create a crisis-responsive action plan, where the essence of the organization’s vision and mission is preserved, but with changes to the shapes of its regular activities to fit the situation and enable the organization to work under such circumstances.

The action plan will address all aspects of Asala’s work, including access to markets, capacity building, issue advocacy, as well as communication strategies that are informative and sensitive to the situation.

The situation has significantly impacted the members of the association and its beneficiaries. The prevailing political and security conditions have directly affected their projects and production, giving rise to new challenges that hindered project growth and even threatened their sustainability. These circumstances have resulted in the closure of a notable percentage of businesses and a significant decrease in sales for many existing projects. To address these pressing issues, it is imperative to provide crisis management training to equip the members with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate through these challenges effectively.

To create this action plan, and implement the training, external expertise of consultants and crisis management professionals will be needed.

The objective of this consultancy is to recruit a specialist in crisis management who will provide training for entrepreneurs in this field. In addition, the specialist will collaborate in developing a comprehensive crisis management plan to be integrated into Asala's strategic framework.

1. Background

Asala is a leading Palestinian business association established in 1997 and specialized in supporting women micro-entrepreneurs to be successful by breaking down social and financial barriers through business training, capacity building, marketing, and advocacy and lobbying. Asala aims to provide Palestinian women with the necessary skills and opportunities to successfully contribute to the advancement of their society on the basis of equal rights and access to resources and markets.

Asala provides comprehensive and needs-based services to women entrepreneurs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip along three strategic tracks, namely:

Advocacy and lobbying for women’s economic and social rights
Capacity building for women entrepreneurs

Facilitating access to local, regional and global markets for women entrepreneurs.

2. Methodology and Scope of Work

The consultant will help ASALA fortify the organization's resilience in light of the challenges resulting from the war on Gaza and resulting restrictions across Palestine and the West Bank by developing a crisis management plan.

The crisis management plan should address the following elements:

Risk Assessment and Mitigation on the members level– the plan should identify risks, threats, and suggested mitigation mechanisms that should be employed by the ASALA to address issues related to the ongoing conflict, such as disruptions in transportation, communication, supply chains, members’ business continuity and livelihoods, among others. Please identify the varying levels of risks based on business size, location, and sector, in addition to common risks factors that are shared among all ASALA members with taking in consideration member safety and well-being.
Communication Strategy -the plan should include a detailed communication strategy to address the needs presented by the ongoing crisis and risks identified. The strategy should include general key messages to members and tailored messages to members segments and external stakeholders, such as civil society partners, coalition members, policy makers, sponsors and donors, among other stakeholders. Content for one-pagers and infographics to help members navigate the crisis is also expected to be part of the communication strategy. The strategy should include a designated protocols and spokesperson/s in emergency cases.
ASALA’s Business Continuity Planning: the plan should address the impact of the ongoing conflict on ASALA’s ability to operate, identify risks and develop a contingency plan to address the existing risks or a worsening situation. The plan should identify trigger points for remote work postures, establish emergency phone trees and identify any tools and technologies that are needed to help facilitate business operations in the current situation or in a worsening situation. The plan should also address ASALA’s financial resilience and strategies to cope with unexpected expenses and ensure diversity of revenue streams and financial reserves identified to help the association mitigate the impact of the crisis. The plan should also address how ASALA can ensure staying informed of relevant laws and regulations and ensure compliance to avoid legal risks during the crisis.
Collaboration and Partnerships: the plan should include stakeholder mapping and identify which partnerships should be deepened or created to help ASALA and its members navigate the crisis. Among the stakeholders to be considered are: civil society partners, local and national authorities, emergency services, informal community organizations, media outlets, ASALA’s Membership Council, local and national coalitions, among others.

Subsequently, the consultant will develop a crisis management strategy and action plan, tailored specifically to address Asala’s needs, leveraging insights and lessons learned during the assessment phase. This plan will be integrated into the organization's overarching strategic framework, ensuring alignment and preparedness to adeptly navigate unforeseen crises.

Furthermore, an orientation workshop will be developed and delivered to Asala board, staff and members council, focusing on the best practices in crisis management. This workshop aims to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure the continuity of ASALA in one hand and of the members projects in the other hand, amidst the ongoing crisis caused by the war and its consequences. Documentation and reporting mechanisms will be part of the consultancy process, with regular progress updates to monitor advancements.

3. Characteristics of the consultancy

Type of consultancy: Individual / Group Consultancy

Duration: April- May

Place of work: Palestine, Ramallah and AlBireh

Qualifications: The Consultant should have high technical and/or academic qualifications and extensive experience in crisis management.

General Work Experience: At least five (5) years of professional working experience in teaching and training in digital marketing

Specific Work Experience: The consultant must provide at least two (2) contactable references of similar work done within the past five (5) years.

4. Deliverables

The following will be the expected deliverables of the consultancy:

An assessment report outlining findings and recommendations.
Customized crisis management strategy and detailed action plan (updated crisis management policies and procedures).
Progress reports and status updates throughout the consultancy.
Training for ASALA’s board, staff and membership council on the strategy and action plan.

5. Duration and time frame

The consultancy shall be expected to be completed within May and June 2024.

Five (5) days after signing of the contract the consultant will have to provide Asala with an inception report that will articulate the overall requirements of the TOR including proposed methodology, and work plan with clear timelines.

6. Requirements

A summarized description of the scope of work and the intended methodology to be used as well as a tentative work plan including activities and timeframes.
An example of similar pieces of work completed recently.
For companies: Registration certificate, source of deduction and tax invoice.
Freelancer: Copy of ID
For Both: CVs of the team who will implement the assignment and examples of previous similar projects, and policy papers (attach written policy papers if available).
Itemized financial proposal.

7. Evaluation and Selection Process

This application is open to trainers/specialists who are specialized in delivering the consultancy in crisis management with proven experience in the field of specialization and entrepreneurship. The selected contractor will be responsible for designing and executing all the activities described in this TOR in collaboration with Asala.

The selection process of the consultant will be based on the set of criteria developed by the Asala Evaluation Committee to evaluate the proposals. The Evaluation Committee will evaluate the proposals by using the combined scoring method. The technical proposal will be evaluated on 60%; whereas financial proposals will be evaluated on 40%. The shortlisted bidding consultant or firm may be asked for a formal presentation prior to the final selection.

8. Final report

The final reports for the training and crisis management strategy and action plan will document the context in which the consultancy took place, challenges, suggestions, opportunities and next steps.

The deadline for sending the report is 10 days after the completion of trainings/workshops. Approval of the final report will be the basis for issuing the final payment.

9. Proposal Structure:

Interested Consultants should submit:

Technical Proposal

Explaining your experience in similar assignments, technical approach, and methodology of work, team structure (for companies), C.V of consultant/ team members.