Consultancy to develop VSF International’s advocacy strategy on One Health
Application deadline: 22/01/2023
Location: home-based (preferably the consultant will be based in the EU)
Type of contract: consultancy contract
Languages required: English
Duration: About 10 working days in February and March 2023
Background
Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International (VSF-Int) is a network of NGOs (the 13 national VSF organisations in Europe, Canada and Australia), working all over the world to support small-scale farmers, livestock keepers and local animal health and welfare initiatives. Through the implementation of our projects and programmes, we serve the most vulnerable populations whose livelihoods depend on livestock, and we act collectively to support small-scale family farming, pastoralism, animal and human
health and a healthy environment. The members of VSF International are autonomous organisations that directly implement projects in the field, but they are all aligned around the same vision, inspired on One Health (OH), under the motto “healthy animals, healthy people, healthy environment”.
The network facilitates collaborations in the field, supports the overall quality of the programmes, and coordinates communication and advocacy activities at the international level. With joint advocacy, communication and awareness raising efforts, the VSF network seeks to influence policies and programmes on One Health, small-scale family farming and pastoralism.
To foster this work, the VSF-Int network hosts different thematic working groups, including a One Health Working Group, where several OH experts from the different VSF member organisations share experiences and work towards common objectives.
On 2020, VSF International published a technical and a policy brief on One Health implementation in the Global South (http://vsf-international.org/one-health-implementation-paper), to provide evidence on the added value of One Health as a framework to achieve sustainable improvements for the well-being of humans, animals and the environment in the Global South through multisectoral and transdisciplinary collaborations between NGOs, local communities, research, international organisations, funding bodies and governments. The actual advocacy efforts of the network are therefore directed at promoting One Health as a reference framework for development cooperation and humanitarian aid to support resilient livelihoods. More specifically, we advocate for more resources to be allocated for One Health implementation on the ground with a strong involvement of local communities (bottom-up approaches).
Since the COVID-19 pandemics, One Health has been put high on the agenda of global donors and policymakers, especially in relation to the pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and many international organisations started to re-shape themselves to adopt the One Health approach (with more or less degree of success and accurateness). Also, the recently established One Health High-Level Expert Panel also proposed a new definition of One Health (https://www.who.int/news/item/01-12-2021-tripartite-and-unep-support-ohhlep-s-definition-of-one-health).
VSF International and its members are working towards the One Health approach since their very foundation, but due to a limitation of resources sometimes lack public recognition or visibility. Through the present consultancy, VSF International seeks to develop a focused advocacy strategy and theory of change, and to identify the means needed to put the strategy in place.
Purpose
The purpose of this consultancy is to develop VSF International’s advocacy strategy and theory of change on One Health by:
– Interviewing key representatives of the VSF-Int Network (especially members of the One Health Working Group) to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current work done on OH by the network, and identify the advocacy priorities and objective(s) for the new strategy, making alternative recommendations as applicable;
– Realising a stakeholder mapping and analysis to identify relevant advocacy targets, allies and entry points for VSF-Int;
– Interviewing key people among international institutions and platforms working on One Health (e.g. FAO, WOAH, WHO, OSH Forum, A4AH coalition…) that are relevant to the work of VSF International, to help the network prioritizing the advocacy targets and objectives (at national/regional/international level);
– Draft a strategic plan and Theory of Change outlining the VSF-Int One Health advocacy framework;
– Identify appropriate timeline, milestones and resources needed for the strategy.
Methodology
The consultant will collect and analyse information from:
– Review and analysis of existing strategies and working documents on OH within the VSF-Intnetwork
– Interviews (either as groups or individuals) with staff from the VSF network, partner organisations and possible advocacy targets (international organizations, donors, etc.)
VSF International will support the consultant in providing some external contacts (from partners), but a good knowledge of the international institutions and platforms related to One Health is required from the consultant.
Deliverables
The consultant is expected to provide the following deliverables:
(1) A stakeholder mapping and analysis
(2) A context analysis
(3) An advocacy theory of change
(4) A comprehensive advocacy strategy on OH, including timeline and milestone, and means needed to implement the strategy (human resources and other means).
Timeframe
The assignment is expected to be completed in about 10 working days (not necessarily consecutive) between February and March 2023.
Duty station
The consultant will be home-based. The consultant is expected to use own computer and other equipment required for the task.
Management
The consultant shall report to the VSF International’s coordinator and the chair of the OH working group.
The deliverables will be reviewed by the OH Working Group and the Board.
The consultant will follow the work plan and time schedule agreed with VSF International. He/she will
submit and share the progress of the activities on a regular basis.
It is expected that the consultant will attend an initial briefing with VSF International’s coordinator and the chair of the OH working group, and a final debriefing including the presentation of the deliverables to the VSF-Int network (Board, General Assembly and One Health Working Group).
The assignment is technically and administratively fully accountable to VSF International.
Property rights and confidentiality clause
All products, of whatever nature, produced within the framework of this consultancy, will belong to VSFInt without any limitation. VSF-Int decides autonomously and without limitation on the reproduction,
exploitation, and all forms of use of these products.
The consultant is obliged to keep the work entrusted to him/her by VSF-Int confidential and to keep confidential all information and documents related to the consultancy within the framework of the mandate as defined in these Terms of Reference.
Qualifications
Required competencies:
– Solid professional experience in advocacy, lobby & campaigning preferably in the NGO sector
or in international contexts
– Advanced competencies in establishing advocacy & campaign strategies, and related tools and
participatory methodologies
– Experience in fields related to either One Health, Public Health, livestock, rural development
– Fluency in English
– Strong conceptual and analytical skills
– Excellent oral and written communication skills
– Ability to work online with remote teams.
How to apply
Interested candidates should send an expression of interest comprising:
– Technical proposal (max 3 pages), including methodology and workplan to comply with the
requirements of the assignment
– Financial proposal
– Curriculum vitae.
Proposals should be written in English and sent to the following email addresses: coordinator@vsfinternational.org and m.miller@avsf.org , strictly indicating on the subject line “Consultancy OH advocacy”. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.
The deadline for submission of applications is 22 January 2023.
TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) : Consultancy to develop VSF International’s advocacy strategy on One Health
