Call for Proposal: Advocacy Strategy Consultant

Call for Proposal: Advocacy Strategy Consultant

Background
VillageReach is a non-profit organization that partners with governments to help deliver quality and equitable health care access for all communities, especially the under-reached. We co-develop people-centered solutions that transform health care delivery by building tech-enabled pathways to primate health care, making products available to people and driving sustainable impact. VillageReach operates in three core countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi and Mozambique, and partner countries where we are deepening our work, such as Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, and Tanzania.

VillageReach is a dynamic organization that works collaboratively with partners to influence policy and practice priorities and encourage action from decision-makers at all levels of government. Our success is driven by professionals locally based with technical, program management, financial, and operational expertise and deep connections to the local community, policymakers, donors, and partners. Regional and global professionals further our ability to achieve impact at scale with a breadth of expertise and connections
to international norming bodies, donors, and partners.

Purpose of Consultancy
VillageReach is looking for a consultant or team of consultants to develop an advocacy strategy that will guide the organization’s approach to influence decision-makers and political processes at national, regional and global levels. VillageReach gives high priority to policy and advocacy as a tool to achieve equitable access to essential services and strengthen health systems. Our advocacy work is focused on helping decision-makers, people, and communities to make evidence-based policy and funding decisions. It informs policies, resource mobilization and holds decision-makers accountable.

The strategy will help strengthen VillageReach’s approach to driving change through evidence-based policy advocacy by identifying tools commensurate with the organizational approach and mission. The strategy should include advocacy approaches at global/regional, VillageReach’s core countries (DRC, Malawi and Mozambique) and partner countries (Kenya and Nigeria). It should include strategies for engaging intergovernmental institutions and governments and participating in regional/global forums to advance VillageReach’s objectives.

The country components will strengthen joint national-level partner advocacy initiatives and engagement with decision-makers, policymakers, and the private sector. The strategy should respond to the following:

1. Guide VillageReach’s policy and advocacy approach to be distinguishable from other like-minded organizations.
2. How VillageReach’s advocacy approach and priorities can effectively contribute to health systems strengthening.
3. Highlight resources required to achieve policy and advocacy goals and the donors interested in VillageReach’s advocacy approach and priorities.

Why is now the time to invest?

VillageReach is entering into a new strategy cycle that leads to our 2030 goal of reducing inequities in access to health care and doubling down on efforts to create responsive primary health care systems and become a leader in influencing the policy and funding ecosystem towards designing PHC systems with and for the most under-reached communities. This will require an advocacy approach and priorities that can influence decisionmakers and communities to make evidence-based policy and funding decisions. A new strategy cycle is a good moment to reposition the organization and our approach to advocacy.

Scope of Work
We are looking for either an individual consultant, a group of consultants or a firm to help deliver on this scope of work for twelve (12) weeks. For this assignment, we are looking at four complementary buckets of work:

1. Desktop review of our current policy and advocacy landscape (3 weeks)
    Map out existing gaps, challenges and opportunities that align with VillageReach’s mission and priorities at regional/global levels and in core and partner countries;
    Map out policy and advocacy interventions; identify key stakeholders, audiences, messaging, and actions; and establish a clear global/regional and national path forward.
    Map out potential partnerships (new and existing) that are vital to achieving the advocacy objectives for VillageReach to consider.
2. Interviews with VillageReach Teams (3 weeks)
    Work with the Director for Advocacy and Partnerships at VillageReach to identify teams and their focal point for interviews;
    Interview focal points from VillageReach teams to complement the mapping exercise conducted under the desktop review;
3. Develop an Advocacy Strategy which includes the following (but not limited) (5 weeks)
    The current situation
    Vision
    Objectives
    Theory of change
    Policy priorities
    Audiences for advocacy (regional/global and country level)
    Key actions to bring about change
    Risks and opportunities to bring about change (including those that are regional-specific)
    Monitoring and evaluating the advocacy strategy
    Identify champions from different constituencies
4. Map out donors with investments aligned with the Advocacy Strategy (1 week).
    A list of funders that might be interested in VillageReach advocacy strategy and agenda
    Description of the funder’s key priorities and areas of alignment with VillageReach
    Summary of Funders’ Cycles
   Deliverables
   We expect the following deliverables to be submitted at the end of the assignment.
5. Advocacy strategy for the organization. The strategy should identify entry points for VillageReach to influence decision-makers at regional/ global and national levels on policy and resource allocation.
6. An action plan. We expect a concrete plan for VillageReach to implement the strategy, including the resources needed.
7. List of funders. We expect a list of funders that align with VillageReach’s advocacy strategy, approach and priorities, with short descriptions and funder cycles.
8. Detailed notes from desktop review and interviews with VillageReach Teams. The consultant/s should write and submit detailed reports for the assignment’s desktop review and interview stages.
   What to Include in your submission
   As part of this effort, we will make ourselves available as necessary and provide access to the information and informants you need to succeed. Please consider this as you prepare your expression of interest.

Submissions to include:

• A narrative proposal that outlines the approach and methodology for this scope of work in sufficient detail for us to get a deeper understanding of how you plan to approach this work;
• Summary of experiences of individuals proposed to carry out this assignment, emphasizing work experiences that are closely related to this scope of work (Please attach CVs, maximum three pages)
• A summary of your budget – Please keep in mind that we are a non-profit, so if you have a special rate for our category, it would be helpful to factor that into your proposal.
  Timing
  The consultancy is for twelve (12) weeks, starting December 15, 2023. Please submit an expression of interest, with the heading ‘Consultant Advocacy Strategy’ by November 29, 2023, to: [email protected]

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