1. Introduction

Centre for Research on Development Communication (RED) is founded in Vietnam in 2011 working with main themes including research and application solutions and innovation in development communication; Communication capacity development through advisory and training services; Popularizing knowledge, legal practices and communication relating to development issues; and linking communication with development.

In the last 4 years, RED had successfully implemented two projects on journalists' professional rights protection funded by FCO, UK and a project on justice reform and connecting CSOs to media funded by JIFF under JPP of Denmark, Sweden and EU. The projects together with consulting and training activities have helped RED develop its organizational capabilities, build up credibility, connect with networks, identify the needs of the community and set up programs to meet these needs.

Currently, RED has started a number of new projects funded by institutional donors such as DFATD, UNDEF, IA, and UNESCO. Simultaneously, the organization is facing the need of developing its organizational capacity to achieve its vision and missions set out and to deliver the projects, programs with high quality performance. In this regard, developing the strategy paper is one of the most urgent tasks in the months to come.

This overall term of reference (TOR) primarily aims at setting out the objectives, aspects for reviewing processes, and an indicative timeline for the completion of the review as well as the development of a new Strategic Paper (SP).

2. Objectives, scope and deliverables 

2.1. Objectives

• To facilitate a 5 years Organisational Development Strategy[1] elaboration process with RED and relevant stakeholders in a participatory manner.
• To draft a gender responsive 5 years Organisational and Institutional Development Strategy for RED that includes an organisation development plan and capacity development plan.

2.2. Tentative scope (to be finalised with consultant based on their methodology):

For Organisational review/scan, the following aspects are looking at:

ü  Understanding the impacts of RED’s projects and its effectives on the target groups (journalists and CSOs) in related to main areas of RED's activities over the last 4 years;

ü  Reviewing organizational policies including financial procedures, reporting, organizational structure, management system, and its implications on the program;

ü  Assessing capacity of RED’s staff to meet the requirements to deliver RED’s programs, projects effectively;

ü  Identifying gaps in capacity of RED organisation to ensure its staff has the required knowledge and skills to fulfil RED programming with quality performance.

For environment scan and institutional analysis

ü  Analysis of the social, economic, political context (with regards to media and civil society participation in policy making and media development), in which RED Communication operates

ü  Stakeholders mapping and analysis of key stakeholders currently and potentially influencing the organisation’s programming, media and civil society development.

ü  Analysis of RED relationship with various actors of strategic importance to RED current programming

For development of the Organisational Development Strategy for the period of 2015 – 2020:

The Organisational Development strategy includes the organisational development plan (e.g. vision, mission, priorities, internal governance system, communication, and fundraising) and capacity development plan which are to be developed basing on the above organisational review and institutional analysis.

The following aspects are looking at:

ü  RED's vision, missions, values and target groups in the next 5 years.

ü  What RED’s strategic aims and priorities (formulated in the Result Based Management language as immediate and intermediate outcomes) in five years, what measures it will undertake to achieve these objectives or priorities?

ü  Definition of capacity gaps between current capacity and desirable capacity for meeting the 5 years planned strategy.

ü  Set out key activities requires by RED Communication to deliver its strategies including internal governance system, staff training plan, fundraising strategy and communication strategy.

ü  Set out key indicators to measure RED Communication organization’s evolution within the 5 year timeframe.

 2.3. Deliverables:

• An organisation review report analysing current RED organisation capacity and training needs assessment to fulfil the current programming portfolio.
• An institutional analysis including an environment scan and stakeholders mapping
• A 5 year gender responsive Organisational Development Strategy draft (both in Vietnamese and English) that is based on the organisational review, training needs assessment, incorporating inputs from RED and consulted stakeholders. The Organisational Development Strategy will include a gender responsive organisation development plan and capacity development plan.
• A whole process report.

3. Methodology

 Will be proposed by external consultants and finalised upon discussion with RED. In principle, it should base on the present ToR scope, except otherwise rationalised and agreed by RED.

4. Process

The external consultants will propose tools and process for reviewing and strategic planning and support RED team to follow this process.

5. Consultant Qualifications:

The consultant or team can be an organisation or individuals who are able to meet required qualifications:

ü  Knowledge and experience in press, media and communication in Vietnam;

ü  Knowledge of socio-economic development and governance issues in Vietnam;

ü  Knowledge of gender and human resource management;

ü  Expertise in human resources and organisational development;

ü  Expertise in human resources and organisational development;

ü  Experience and sufficient skills in facilitating strategic planning and strategic paper development;

ü  Experience in fundraising, concept note writing and project proposal writing.

RED Communication team: besides external consultants, RED Communication will set up an internal review team who can provide support to consultants during the review process in respective issues.

6. Budget and payment

The consultant will send a technical proposal to RED including budget items. The level of effort breakdown to each team member is required in case a consultant team proposal is submitted.

The payment will be settled based on actual cost except otherwise specified

Disbursement and payment modalities will be agreed upon by both parties and specified in the contract with consultant(s). 

7. Timeframe

Activities	Time	Responsibility	Notes
Desk study	Nov 2015	Consultant
Strategic planning sessions	Nov 2015	RED staffs and consultant	Consultant and PM facilitate
SP Draft (1st draft)	1st week of Dec 2015	Consultant and RED’s team	PM supervise process of writing
Consultation process	Mid Dec 2015	Staff, partners, key stakeholders	Consultant and PM facilitate
Draft (2nd draft)	Last week of Dec 2015	Writing team	PM supervise process of writing
Consultation meeting over 2nd draft	Last week of Dec 2015	Staff, partners, key stakeholders	Consultant and PM facilitate
Final draft for approval	Mid Jan 2016	Consultant and RED team	Director
Sharing	Last week of Jan 2016	RED Communication team	Communication team

8. Requirements and contacts

The consultants will send a technical proposal and a consultancy profile to RED Communication by email or mail before 5 pm 25 Oct 2015 at contact:

Pham Thanh Huyen

Center for Research on Development Communication (RED Communication)

Tel/Fax: (+84)4 38566777

Email: phamhuyen@red.org.vn and cc: center@red.org.vn

Adds: Room 707 Building 142 Le Duan - Hanoi, Viet Nam.

[1] Organisational Development refers to both internal factors (e.g. governance system, staff, culture..) and external factors (relationship with authorities, collaborating partners, clients…) with relation to the development of the organisation