Building capacity, collaboration and diversity in the eNGO sector

Tender description

Client Organisation: Wales Environment Link Service required: Facilitation, specialist advice and evaluation Estimated value of tender: £32,000 Estimated duration: 60 - 70 days between March and July 2021 Name of Contact: Karen Whitfield, Joint Director, Wales Environment Link Response deadline: Wednesday 17th March 9am Clarification and negotiation meetings: Interviews week commencing 15 and/or 22 March Confirmation of contract: Decision by Friday 26th March Completion of work: Friday 30th July Overview Wales Environment Link (WEL) is a network of environment, countryside and heritage organisations working in Wales, and linking the work of the environmental NGO sector with the Welsh Government, public bodies and the Senedd. Our vision is a thriving Welsh environment for future generations. WEL supports its members to work together, primarily on environmental policy and advocacy, building trust and expertise within the network. In April 2019, the Welsh Government declared a climate emergency, and has since acknowledged the interlinked nature emergency, as referenced in the 2019 Interim State of Natural Resources Report. The work of the WEL network focuses on tackling the climate and nature emergency. WEL seeks a consultant with experience in building consortia and developing large multi-partner projects, to work with WEL members and appropriate external partners in developing their skills and capacity in this area. The work will involve the development of a minimum of three specific project ideas to project brief stage, and also requires an evaluation report for the whole project. Methodology There are three strands to this piece of work: 1. 15 days of consultancy time to be spent with approx 15 WEL member organisations. Each organisation receives up to a day of consultancy time so that its staff can identify priority project ideas, outcomes, challenges and training needs relating to the development of multi-partner projects. These days will lay the groundwork for a series of workshops and training that will help them develop their skills. 2. A series of six facilitated workshops to be undertaken to allow participants to improve their understanding and work on a minimum of three specific project ideas, taking each of them to project brief stage that includes identification of partners and possible funding routes. 3. Evaluation of the whole project to include a. baseline skill level of participants in project development b. an assessment of the usefulness of the project to participants in moving forward with the practical development of multi-partner projects in the 6-12 months following project’s end. c. an assessment of the usefulness of training courses provided through another strand of the project, which will focus on project development, improving diversity within organisations and more diverse community engagement d. an assessment of the usefulness to participants of diversity workshops provided by the project The successful candidate will develop an effective programme combining one-to-one consultancy time with facilitated workshops. Evaluation methodology should establish a baseline within both the project development and diversity strands of the project, then demonstrate how the programme, which will include a substantial training budget, has improved skills and/or capacity for participants in the area of multi-partner project development, improving diversity within organisations and in relation to more diverse community engagement and campaigning. Please specify in your application how you would go about delivering the three work strands above in the most effective way. Outputs/deliverables The following outputs will be required: • a minimum of three project case studies, to include method of development and project brief for participants to take forward following the end of the project • a mid-term progress report in Word • a final evaluation report for the whole project in Word and pdf •