**CLOSED** Request for Expression of Interest for Consultancy Services for the development of a Strategic Plan for the Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF)

Scope of Work

The scope of work for the Consultancy firm will include but not limited to the following:

• • Participate in an Inception Meeting with the BSIF Board and management team to: (1) discuss the scope of the Terms of Reference (TOR) and deliverables to be produced and (2) discuss and finalize the work-plan and proposed consultation schedule.
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  • The consultancy team, in their response to this ToR and based on the results of the inception meeting, will be expected to develop, and submit an approved consultancy work plan, which details specific activities, timeline, and their sequence.
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  • Conduct stakeholder data collection meetings with relevant Government Ministries/Departments including, but not limited to:
    • Ministry of Finance,
    • Economic Development and Investment, Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW);
    • Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MoECST);
    • Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government (MRTCDLLG);
    • Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing (MIDH);
    • and key donor agencies including the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the World Bank (WB).
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  • Review all relevant literature, to include but not be limited to the SIF Act, Operational Manual, and tripartite agreements; previously completed Impact Assessment, Institutional Assessment and Participatory and Gender Inclusion Methodologies and performance audit reports.
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  • Assess and identify BSIF’s existing organizational performance (including a review of overall strengths, deficiencies, opportunities and threats and a situational analysis of organizational operations to date.) related to the organization’s current programmatic scope and operational capacity.
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  • Develop a new BSIF Strategic Plan including a new strategic direction and/or revised mandate.
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  • Review and revise (if necessary) the organizational vision and mission statements based on the organizational mandate.
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  • Undertake stakeholder mapping and analysis exercise to comprehensively identify BSIF’s full spectrum of stakeholders (groups and individuals).
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  • Engage identified BSIF stakeholders in a highly consultative process for their inputs into the strategic planning process through multiple consultation sessions (preferably 20+ stakeholders).
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  • Through appropriate consultative and analytical processes and techniques, identify programmatic and operational focus areas and develop strategic objectives and key result areas for the same. Specific actions include the following:
    • Broadly assess the institutional capacity, organizational set-up, financial and administrative systems against the potentially new/revised organizational mandate and the identified strategic objectives and new key result areas; and make recommendations, if any.
    • Identify areas in the operational plans and policies including the SIF Act, Operational Manual and tripartite agreements which will require updating aimed at making them more
      • (i) results-based, gender-responsive, flexible, and relevant;
      • (ii) better aligned with national poverty reduction and growth objectives; and
      • (iii) more efficient and effective.
    • Identify new areas of interventions, innovative ways of doing business and the capacity needs of BSIF to mainstream cross-cutting areas such as gender, environment and energy efficiency and fully apply results-based oriented management approaches.
    • Identify strategies to improve internal controls, processes, and procedures as well as the sub-project cycle management process to facilitate more effective and efficient use of resources.
    • Enhance BSIF targeting mechanism to mobilize in marginalized, remote, and indigenous communities and to reach the poorest of the poor, to stimulate demand for sub-projects among the most vulnerable and to improve beneficiary participation especially among women.
    • Develop best practice guidelines for incorporating gender analysis, stakeholder engagement, reporting, and data collection throughout the sub-project cycle.
    • Propose a strategy for achieving the strategic objectives and key results.
    • Develop a Results and Resources Framework for the plan period.
    • Develop an accompanying Action Plan in the Strategic Plan including recommendations, options, associated costs and timeline aimed at improving service delivery and that are aligned with the strategic direction of GOB as outlined for Plan Belize – Medium Term Development Strategy and
    • Develop an M&E framework with key performance indicators to support the pending BSIF Strategic Plan via a consultative process.
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  • Hold stakeholder meeting(s) to validate the draft BSIF Strategic Plan.
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  • Finalize BSIF Strategic Plan and submit to BSIF for review and approval.
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  • Develop a staff awareness and sensitization document (including summary framework) for the BSIF Strategic Plan and corresponding M&E Framework (inclusive of performance measurement indicators that track plan implementation progress).
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  • Conduct two (2) two-day sensitization and awareness sessions for twenty-five (25) BSIF staff and 10 Board members on the new strategic plan.
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  • Develop a BSIF Strategic Plan Implementation Capacity Development Strategy and Plan including a training needs and recruitment plan based on management, staff, stakeholders’ expectations, and strategic needs.
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  • Capture lessons learnt during implementation of consultancy.