Learning and Adaptive Management Consultancy for Advancing Adaptation through Resilient mobility And Natural capital (AARAN) Project

The Norwegian Refugee Council seeks a consultant for the AARAN project, focusing on climate resilience and community adaptation in Somalia.

• *Table 1: AARAN Outputs and Workstream
• Lot 1: Learning Ecosystem Coordination, Learning Agenda Stewardship & Adaptive Management
• Lot 2: Thematic Learning Production & Dissemination
• *4.1 Objective: To operationalize and steward the AARAN Learning Agenda as a dynamic, participatory framework that captures evolving learning priorities, and to facilitate effective coordination and adaptive management across the AARAN learning ecosystem.
• *4.2 Scope of Work: The Learning Partner will:
• Update and Steward the Learning Agenda: Engage with project stakeholders to update and refine the existing BRCiS Learning Agenda, identifying 3–4 priority thematic areas with particular attention to rural-urban dynamics linking natural ecosystems, markets and livelihoods, social interaction, and mobility—themes that hold potential influence on the wider resilience, climate adaptation, and durable solutions system architecture in Somalia. For each priority theme, the consultant will define learning questions, responsible stakeholders, workplans, and expected products.
• Facilitate Bi-Annual Internal Coordination, Learning, and Adaptive Management Events: Convene Workstream Leads, PMG, MEAL and Finance Working Groups, and CMU for reflection sessions to review progress against the Learning Agenda, assess evidence produced, and identify gaps. The Learning Partner’s participation in these sessions will be virtual/remote and will not include in-person travel. In preparation for these sessions, the Learning Partner will compile and synthesize learning products from across the Learning Ecosystem once every six months, producing concise briefs with key recommendations for adaptive management. Additionally, these sessions may serve as a forum to identify and propose specific thematic learning exercises for consideration under Lot 2, where a demonstrated need exists and internal capacity is insufficient to address the identified learning priority. Proposals emerging from these sessions will be subject to the standard pitch and approval process outlined in Section 5.2
• Facilitate Annual External Learning Events: Convene representatives of the broader learning ecosystem including government counterparts, peer agencies, FCDO, and community representatives to participate in systematic reflection, identify synergies, and translate collective learning into concrete programmatic adaptations.
• *5.1 Objective: To conduct specific technical and thematic learning exercises as identified by the Consortium, produce high-quality synthesized learning products, and support their strategic dissemination to internal and external stakeholders to maximize uptake and influence.
• *5.2 Scope of Work: The Learning Partner will:
• Identify and Pitch Learning Themes: Maintain ongoing engagement with BRCiS programmes to proactively identify learning gaps. Where internal capacity is insufficient, the consultant will pitch thematic learning assignments for consideration by the CMU. The pitch process—including proposal development, stakeholder consultations, and scoping discussions—is considered a professional contribution expected of the partner and is not separately remunerated. Remuneration commences upon approval of a pitch and issuance of a specific ToR by CMU. The approved pitch and associated ToR serve as the foundation for the subsequent thematic learning exercise.
• Conduct Thematic Learning Exercises: Upon approval of a pitch and issuance of a specific ToR by CMU, design and lead proposed learning exercises to address prioritized learning questions. The findings and data generated from these exercises form the evidence base for the production of targeted learning products.
• Produce Targeted Learning Products: Synthesize findings into learning briefs, policy summaries, infographics, and/or other formats tailored to internal decision-makers, government counterparts, and external resilience actors. These deliverables are designed to translate evidence into actionable insights for diverse audiences and serve as the primary content for strategic dissemination. Specific learning products should be proposed, discussed, and agreed at the pitching stage.
• Support Strategic Dissemination: Ensure learning products are effectively shared with relevant stakeholders including federal and state-level ministries, Somalia Cash Consortium, IOM, and community structures in compliance with BRCiS's existing advocacy and influence strategy. Dissemination activities close the learning loop by ensuring that insights generated through the thematic exercises reach the right audiences to inform policy, programming, and adaptive management decisions.
• *5.3 Key Deliverables: For each commissioned thematic learning exercise, the consultant will deliver a coherent package of outputs, sequenced to build progressively from planning through to dissemination. Each deliverable serves as the foundation for the subsequent one, ensuring a seamless and integrated learning process.
• *6.1 Contract Duration: The contract will be awarded for an initial term of two years, from August 2026 to March 2028, with a possible third-year extension (April 2028 – July 2029) subject to satisfactory performance and budget availability, at the Consortium's sole discretion. The consultant should structure their financial proposal on an annual basis, aligned with the FCDO Fiscal Year (April – March), enabling clear budget tracking and alignment with AARAN project annual implementation plan. Engagement under this contract will be intermittent, with concentrated efforts aligned to scheduled events and commissioned assignments throughout the project period. The consultant should therefore plan for flexible resource allocation to accommodate peak periods of activity as outlined in the workplan.
• *6.2 Travel & In-Person Engagements (Lot 1 & Lot2): The Learning Partner is expected to travel to Mogadishu, Somalia for the following in-person events. All travel and logistics costs are the responsibility of the consultant, unless explicitly stated otherwise in Section 5 (Notes for Applicants).

• Cover Letter: Introducing the consulting firm, team composition, and roles of each team member.
• Technical Proposal (maximum 20 pages): A comprehensive technical proposal structured to demonstrate the firm's understanding of the assignment and its capacity to deliver. The proposal must include:
• Understanding of the ToR: Interpretation of the assignment objectives, scope, and context, including the AARAN project's learning ecosystem and the dual-lot structure.
• Methodology: Detailed approach for each lot, including:
• Lot 1: Approach to Learning Agenda stewardship, coordination of the learning ecosystem, facilitation of internal and external events, and adaptive management processes.
• Lot 2: Approach to identifying learning gaps, pitching thematic assignments, conducting participatory learning exercises, producing targeted learning products, identifying suitable technical specialists, and supporting strategic dissemination.
• Team Composition: Organizational chart and clear delineation of roles, responsibilities, and levels of effort for each proposed team member.
• Workplan: Phased implementation schedule with key milestones, deliverables, and timelines aligned with the project duration (August 2026 – July 2029).
• Local Presence Strategy: Articulation of the firm's local presence in Somalia, including:
• Details of the firm's Somalia office or partner organization
• Organizational chart showing local team members or partner staff
• Evidence of past successful field operations in Somalia or similar contexts
• Security and risk management protocols
• *3. Examples of Similar Assignments: Minimum two examples of CLA or learning assignments of comparable scale and complexity. In addition, applicants must clearly cite their expertise against each of AARAN’s thematic areas and provide a minimum of three (3) samples of related thematic work.
• *4. CVs of Key Personnel and/or Roster Evidence: For each of AARAN’s core thematic areas — climate adaptation, natural resource management (NRM), Housing, Land and Property (HLP), market systems & livelihoods, Early Warning and Early Action (EWEA), resilience building, durable solutions, and urban-rural linkages — applicants must demonstrate available expertise by providing either (a) confirmed CVs of proposed personnel with direct experience in that thematic area, or (b) evidence of an established roster of qualified thematic experts who can be deployed as needed. Firms are not expected to hold confirmed expertise in every thematic area at the time of application; demonstrated access to a responsive roster is an acceptable alternative and supports the firm’s ability to adapt its team composition to evolving learning priorities identified through Lot 2, understanding that BRCiS will reserve the right to review and approve CVs for individual learning assignments.
• *5. Financial Proposal: An itemized budget covering both lots, presented in USD, including all applicable taxes. The financial proposal must include:
• Lot 1 (Service Agreement – Fixed Deliverables): A clear breakdown of costs per deliverable, including professional fees and logistics. Applicants must indicate the percentage of the total fee allocated to each deliverable (total must sum to 100%).
• Lot 2 (Master Service Agreement – Need-Based Assignments):
• Professional Fees: Fixed daily rates for each role category (field and non-field engagements), as outlined in Table 4.
• Estimated Total: For the purpose of proposal evaluation, applicants must provide an estimated total cost for Lot 2 using the below given scenario though actual budget for these assignments will be agreed based on specific ToRs developed for each specific activirt. This estimate should be based on the assumption of two thematic learning assignments per year over the three-year project period (i.e., six assignments total). Applicants should use their proposed daily rates (Table 5) and reasonable assumptions regarding the scope and duration of typical assignments to calculate this estimate. When preparing this estimate, applicants should note that assignments may vary significantly in terms of:
• Number of respondents to be engaged (e.g., key informant interviews, focus group discussions, surveys)
• Number of locations for data collection (ranging from single-site to multi-district coverage across multiple Federal Member States)
• Logistics requirements (e.g., field transport, accommodation, per diems, translation, and community mobilization)
• Important: This is a budget estimate only. Actual costs for each assignment will be scoped, negotiated, and confirmed upon issuance of specific ToRs by CMU. The final contract value for Lot 2 will depend on the number, scope, and complexity of assignments actually commissioned during the project period. Each specific ToR will define the precise scope—including target respondents, geographic coverage, and logistics—and the consultant will submit a detailed budget for that specific assignment at that time
• Education: Advanced university degree (Master's) in Social Sciences, Economics, Statistics, or a related field. Ph.D. is preferred.
• Experience:
• Minimum 7 years of proven experience designing and facilitating participatory learning and adaptive management systems for large-scale, multi-partner international development consortia.
• Track record of leading high-level learning events with diverse stakeholders (INGOs, local NGOs, donors, government officials, community representatives).
• Demonstrated ability to work across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, with working knowledge of all AARAN's core technical areas: climate adaptation, natural resource management, HLP, market systems, EWEA, resilience building, or durable solutions.
• Significant experience working in Somalia or similar fragile, conflict-affected, and climate-vulnerable contexts. Understanding of Somali dynamics, displacement patterns, and rural-urban linkages is strongly preferred.
• Experience with USAID CLA or similar learning frameworks is required.
• Extensive experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods, demonstrated through publications, is an asset.
• Firm Requirement: This assignment is for a consulting firm, not an individual consultant. The firm must demonstrate:
• Flexible technical expertise across multiple thematic domains relevant to AARAN, including but not limited to climate adaptation, natural resource management, ecosystem restoration, Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights, market systems, Early Warning and Early Action (EWEA), resilience building, durable solutions, and urban-rural market linkages.
• Access to a roster of qualified thematic technical experts who can be deployed for specific Lot 2 learning assignments as needed. These experts must possess specialized knowledge in one or more of AARAN's core thematic areas and demonstrate proven experience in designing and leading research, assessments, or learning exercises in Somalia or similar contexts.
• Proven track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder learning assignments in fragile, conflict-affected, and climate-vulnerable environments.
• Capacity to rapidly deploy appropriate technical expertise upon issuance of specific Lot 2 ToRs, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of thematic learning assignments
• Local Presence Requirement: The firm must have established operational presence in Somalia or a verifiable partnership with a local entity registered and operational in Somalia. This is essential for effective field engagement under Lot 2. The proposal must include:
• Details of the firm's Somalia office or partner organization (name, registration status, years of operation, geographic coverage)
• Organizational chart showing local team members or partner staff
• Evidence of past successful field operations in Somalia or similar contexts
• [https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/brcis-consortium---building-resilient-communities-in-somalia](https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/brcis-consortium---building-resilient-communities-in-somalia)
• [https://somalia.iom.int/danwadaag-durable-solutions](https://somalia.iom.int/danwadaag-durable-solutions)