Company Profile

About Futures Group
Futures Group, the global consulting firm, helps to protect and promote people’s well-being around the world. For 40 years, Futures Group has created lasting solutions to some of the most pressing public health challenges facing nations. We predict future health and development trends, uncover barriers to well-being, and forge on-the-ground partnerships to ensure lasting change.

About GRM International
GRM International is a leading international development management company specializing in the provision of project design, management expertise and technical assistance to development projects for bilateral and multilateral funding agencies, governments and corporations. For more than 45 years, GRM has been bringing expertise in managing large-scale projects, and sourcing and managing high quality experts covering all disciplinary skills required to implement development projects.

About our Group of Companies
GRM International, Futures Group, and the Effective Development Group are a group of companies with a joint focus on reaching people in need and creating better futures for our clients, communities and colleagues around the world. With more than 90 current projects operating in more than 85 countries, and $225 million in revenue, our combined group has a multisectoral focus, diverse technical offerings and a wide geographic reach. For more information, please visit www.futuresgroup.com, www.grminternational.com, and www.edgroup.com.au.

Global Project Summary: Health Policy Project
Futures Group is the lead partner on the Health Policy Project (HPP), a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The project’s HIV activities are supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). To implement HPP, Futures Group collaborates globally with CEDPA (part of Plan International USA), Futures Institute, Partners in Population and Development, Africa Regional Office (PPD ARO), Population Reference Bureau (PRB), RTI International, and the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA). In Haiti, the HPP partnership is Futures Group and RTI.

Globally, HPP contributes to improved health outcomes through strengthening the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of health systems in a multi-sectoral context. HPP focuses on the policy aspects of health and other social sectors, often in a multi-sectoral context. We also assist countries to improve health outcomes by addressing barriers due to gender inequalities, socioeconomic status, stigma and discrimination, operational issues, and other factors that prevent people from seeking the health and related social services they need. Throughout our work, we are committed to encouraging in-country capacity for policy, advocacy, governance, and finance. For additional information on HPP see www.healthpolicyproject.com.

Background and Context

In January 2014, USAID Haiti requested assistance from HPP to implement the activities previously granted to CARE to support a multi-sectoral approach to strengthen the Haitian environment for human rights in general and for vulnerable populations, in particular, children, women, and sexual minorities. The program was given a Creole name, Aksyon Kolektif pou Sekirite kont Eksplwatasyon (AKSE), which means “collective action for security against exploitation.”
HPP presented an 18 month draft strategy and workplan with accompanying budget and draft performance management plan (PMP) to USAID Haiti on February 14, 2014 which was approved on March 25, 2014. HPP and USAID agreed that the project name should be retained, so it became “HPP AKSE.”

Upon approval, HPP immediately engaged in a phased hiring of staff to implement the project. Of the technical and administrative staff that worked for CARE AKSE, approximately 14 – including the Director and Deputy Director -- were brought forward from the CARE project, and with 5 new hires. Given the transition, the HPP design team included funding for a team building exercise within a few months of workplan approval, as soon as the full new HPP AKSE team was formed. The team building process was co-facilitated by an experienced Haitian Team Building Expert and the HPP Senior Technical Advisor from Washington, DC. The facilitators implemented the retreat process in three phases from 12 – 31 May 2014: Phase 1, Assessment and Design; Phase 2, Team Retreat; and Phase 3, Debrief and Reporting. The retreat was highly interactive, with a mix of individual, small group, and full team experiential exercises to ensure widespread participation. A report of the Team Building is provided as an attachment to this Statement of Specifications.

The facilitators for the Team Building provided some recommendations for potential follow-on on-the—job support and coaching:

• Follow up by Haitian facilitators with the Director and Deputy Director to assist them in Team Management.
• Coaching for individuals and activity task teams on a periodic basis.
• Possible half-day team building sessions on to-be-identified areas. Examples might be additional practice on feedback, or techniques for balancing personal, task team and overall project priorities.
• Follow-up team building evaluation in 6 months with possible short retreat thereafter.

Objectives
HPP AKSE requires the services of a Team Building and Management Specialist(s) to co-facilitate the follow-up team building evaluation and to provide follow-up advisory assistance to senior management; coaching for individuals and activity task teams; and one or more possible short-term (half-day) team building sessions for the HPP ASKES team. The assistance will continue to reinforce HPP AKSE’s shared objectives and increase the HPP AKSE’s skills and ability to pursue the objectives efficiently and effectively. The assistance is expected to be targeted to different cohorts, including but not limited to: senior management (Director and Deputy Director); Activity Task Teams (ATT); technical team; operations team; or the whole team.

Illustrative Tasks

The deliverables will be delivered in two major phases: Phase 1 is the preparation and conduct of the Follow-up Team Building evaluation and retreat; and Phase 2 is follow-up management advisory services and coaching.

Phase 1: Follow-Up Team Building Evaluation and Retreat

• Evaluation and Retreat Prep (Dec. 1-2-3-4-5-6/7):
- Monday, Dec. 1: The Technical Advisor will travel to Port-au-Prince on Dec. 1. The Team Building Specialist in Haiti will review the earlier Team Building report, including evaluation findings. He will also begin to gather materials and information that may be relevant for the follow-on and may consult individually at the HPP AKSE offices to ensure that appointments for individual meetings are being made and that arrangements for the off-site portion of the retreat are well underway.
- Tuesday, Dec. 2: The Specialist will collaborate with the Technical Advisor to develop and administer an evaluation tool to assess progress made by the team on five team dimensions: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability and focus on results. These dimensions are considered vital in characteristics of a functional team. The Specialist and Technical Advisor will also develop an interview guide for the individual interviews.
- Wednesday-Thursday, Dec. 3-4: The Specialist and Advisor will administer the tool and interview guide during a series of individual interviews with all team members that will also explore team progress in following the recommendations made at the team building (ref. Final Report) and in embracing the team norms adopted during the Moulin sur Mer retreat (ref. Final Report).
- Friday, Dec. 5: The Specialist and Advisor will complete the off-site retreat design, with specific objectives identified and exercises planned, and with all necessary supporting materials created and reproduced as necessary to the smooth functioning of the retreat.
- Saturday or Sunday, Dec 6 or 7: The Specialist and Technical Advisor may travel to the off-site venue to organize room set-up and make sure that everything is ready for the retreat to being Monday when the team arrives. HPP AKSE will provide transport.
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• Short Follow-Up Retreat (Dec. 8-9): The Team Building Specialist will travel with the team to the off-site venue and will co-facilitate the retreat for the two days. It is anticipated that the venue will be 1.5 hours from Pétion-Ville. Assuming some time for loading and unloading busses and check-in and check-out, it is assumed that the actual time for the interactive retreat will be approximately 10:30 AM Monday – 2:30 PM Tuesday.

• Debrief and Report (Dec. 10-12): is expected to take place over 3 work days will include preparation of a Retreat Report, with recommendations to meet defined objectives, as well as a one-on-one debrief with the Director.


Phase 2: Management Advisory Services & Coaching
The Management Advisory Services & Coaching are expected to be scheduled by HPP AKSE and the Consultant based on mutual agreement and availability. Illustrative tasks might include, but would not be limited to:

• Observation of specific meetings and/or routine workdays, with summary analysis and recommended improvements provided to senior management.
• Individual and joint coaching sessions with the Director and Deputy Director on specific topics, as requested and jointly defined with the Vendor.
• Management coaching for individuals and/or ATTs on specific topics, as requested thru the Director and jointly defined with the Vendor.
• Possible group (technical, ops team, whole team) half-day team sessions to address specific needs areas. Some examples might be: improving meeting effectiveness; improving ATT communications and accountability; improving internal administrative systems; etc.
• Management advice to the Director and Deputy related to preparing staff for the end of HPP AKSE on September 30, 2015. Advice should address team motivation to continue high performance as well as potential transition issues.

All Phase 2 tasks shall be completed no later than March 31, 2015

• Demonstrated experience in project management, including the development of schedules, correspondence, templates and managing multiple priorities, often with simultaneous timelines.
• Minimum 5+ years’ experience in project management or management advisory and/or coaching
• Experience with Collaborative model and point of service delivery mentoring.
• Experience in advising, training and mentoring of the improvement efforts including building a cadre of Improvement coaches
• Proven relationship builder based upon trust, respect, effective communication, and achievement of common goals; experience in identifying potential needs and opportunities and in fostering collaboration and support.
• Anticipates needs and is skilled in resolving current issues, with the ability to build long-term solutions and roadmaps to meet the needs of HPP AKSE Staff.
• Independent, self-directed, and proven ability to anticipate and execute at an advanced level.
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, including communicating complex information with clarity to diverse audiences and preparing and presenting reports and other written communications.
• Must be detail-oriented with demonstrated strength in customer service, conflict management, problem-solving and organization.
• Willingness and eagerness to research and learn and determine best resources for a project

Technical and Financial Proposal including CV.

Applications are welcomed either from individuals (consultant) or Firms.