Closing date: 21 Apr 2019
Peace Brigades International (PBI) is seeking a consultant with a strong background in participatory, process-oriented decision making to support our organizational development process. PBI uses a non-hierarchical model of organising and decision-making, which places importance on relationships and processes as well as on outcomes. The consultant will carry out a functional review of PBI’s decision making processes and structures, with the aim of providing practical recommendations for how these could be improved to increase our organizational effectiveness while also ensuring decision making is inclusive and in line with our organisational philosophy.
PBI is a non-governmental organisation, registered in the USA, which protects human rights and promotes nonviolent conflict transformation. We provide protection and support for threatened human rights defenders and communities striving to promote social justice and human rights in areas of conflict. PBI currently has field projects in Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Indonesia, Mexico and Nepal.
Our field work is supported by a network of 14 country groups in Europe, North America and Oceania, who carry out volunteer recruitment, advocacy and fundraising, and a small international coordinating office in Brussels, Belgium.
For further information see www.peacebrigades.org.
Scope of Consultancy
Since 2016, PBI has been carrying out an organizational development process, supported by the Peace Nexus Foundation. While the first phase of this process focused on diversifying PBI’s funding sources, the current phase is focused on improving PBI’s internal coordination and streamlining our decision-making processes, taking into account PBI’s current size, the scope of our work, and the global funding and human rights context in which we carry it out.
We are seeking external consultants who can help PBI identify practical changes in our structure and/or processes that will improve our efficiency while also ensuring that our commitment to inclusive, process-oriented decision making is upheld.
We invasion a collaborative consultancy which includes the review of internal documents and interviews with people from across PBI, but also dialogue between the consultant and PBI’s International Council (IC) and International Operations Council (IOC) on what recommendations would have a positive impact and how to best go about integrating them into PBI’s work.
Key Objectives:
- Review PBI’s global decision-making practices and structures in order to:
- Identify where coordination is working well and where it is not working effectively
- Identify overlapping or replication between different PBI spaces and suggest potential remedies
- Suggest tools and methods that PBI might adopt to ensure participatory decision making in which people from across the organization feel included and reflected, while also ensuring organizational efficiency and mission delivery.
- Recommend ways in which PBI’s processes or structures could be modified to improve our organizational agility and efficiency and limit overworking/burnout of staff and volunteers.
- Support integration and implementation of accepted recommendations.
Main Tasks:
- Desk review of internal documents, including bylaws, meeting agendas and minutes, and current ISEC structure, including ToRs for international councils, working groups and committees.
- Drawing on interviews with people from across PBI as well as a few trusted external interlocutors (key donors, partners and HRDs PBI works closely with), confirm the current working model of PBI and identify structures, systems or methodologies that are not working.
- Elaborate a report and recommendations for PBI’s International Councils on findings of initial stages of consultancy and concrete recommendations on how to improve PBI’s decision making structures, processes and results.
- Provide support to PBI in implementing accepted recommendations and updating our structures, bylaws and internal processes to reflect changes.
Outputs
A detailed report that contains the Consultant’s diagnosis and recommendations. A first draft of this report with preliminary findings and recommendations will be presented by the Consultant(s) prior to the annual meeting of the International Council (IC -- PBI’s Board) and International Operations Council (IOC -- key staff) which will take place in November 2019.
Based upon discussions with and feedback received from the IC/IOC members, the Consultant will finalise the report and propose a plan to support implementation.
Duration and Timeline
Initial phase (desk research, interviews, initial recommendations) should be carried out between May-September, 2019 with initial recommendations presented to PBI’s councils by early October 2019.
Second phase (support for implementing and incorporating accepted recommendations) would take place between November 2019 and May 2020.
Person specifications
- At least 7 years’ experience collaborating with international NGOs, preferably in the human rights, development and/or peace and conflict transformation sector
- Previous practical experience working in/with organizations that use participatory decision-making processes and clear understanding of consensus decision making philosophy
- Previous practical experience working with decentralized structures (such as networks or federations) where the majority of staff work remotely
- Experience undertaking evaluation processes
- Experience in strategic planning and organisational development
- Excellent organisational and time management skills
- Excellent report writing skills
- Excellent spoken and written English and at least a good understanding of Spanish. Fluency in Spanish would be a strong asset.
- Availability to fulfill the role and tasks within the stipulated timeframe.
Terms and Conditions
This work will be undertaken as an external consultant. Proposals should include an estimation of the days needed to complete the work and a lump sum or daily rate required.
How to apply:
Please view the full terms of reference and instructions for application on our website before applying. https://www.peacebrigades.org/en/jobs-with-pbi