Individual Consultant to Facilitate the Self-Help Groups Approach National Coordination Office Team Building and Retreat

Ekhaya Limited • Consultancy • Lusaka, Lusaka, Zambia • 1d ago

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Consultant to Facilitate the Self-Help Groups Approach National Coordination Office Team Building and Retreat

Context

The Self-Help Group (SHG) Programme, Supported by Kindernothilfe (Duisburg) in Zambia was initiated in 2007. The program is entering a new phase requiring strengthened team cohesion, improved strategic focus, and enhanced coordination across implementation areas. To support effective programme delivery, the SHG team will hold a retreat aimed at reflection, planning, capacity building, and alignment on priorities for the coming period. As the Self-Help Group (SHG) Programme in Zambia positions itself for the 2026 planning and implementation period, it is convening a Team Building Strategic Planning Retreat to take stock of program performance to date, strengthen internal alignment, and proactively translate forward-looking strategic priorities into actionable plans for 2026 and beyond.

The retreat is intended to provide a structured space for collective reflection, learning, and forward planning, while reinforcing teamwork, leadership cohesion, and accountability across the organisation in readiness for the next strategic cycle. The retreat will be delivered using a blended facilitation model that combines external facilitation for strategic framing and forward-looking reflection with internal facilitation to ensure institutional ownership, continuity, and sustainability of outcomes into 2026 and subsequent years.

Background

The SHG Project uses a rights-based approach which views poverty as the denial of rights and poverty alleviation as a process of reclaiming one’s rights. Given the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, however, the SHG Approach (SHGA) puts equal emphasis on the goals of economic, social and political empowerment. In order to achieve these goals, it offers a framework and guidance for establishing a community structure led by women, referred to as ‘People’s Institution’ which provide an environment of trust and cooperation in which people come to realise their capability to help themselves to achieve the economic, social and political goals that they themselves define and to ultimately improve the lives of children. The SHGA has a three-tier strategy including Self-Help Groups (SHG), Cluster Level Associations (CLA) and the Federation where 10 SHGs form a CLA with clear roles and responsibilities. The Federation is an apex body referred to as the People’s Institution which mainly focusses on policy engagement. The intended development cycle for the process to attain the apex takes a minimum of 5 years.

The Self-Help Group Program is implemented through a National Coordination Office made of five (5) professional staff, with a director providing oversight.

Purpose of the Retreat

The purpose of the retreat is to support the organisation’s end-of-year transition from 2025 into 2026 by consolidating learning from the current period and setting a clear, shared direction for 2026 priorities, plans, and resourcing. The retreat will ensure the organisation enters 2026 with strategic clarity, aligned teams, and practical, implementable action plans.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the retreat are to:

1. Review the SHG Program performance, delivery progress, and lessons learned during 2025, including emerging risks and opportunities.

2. Strengthen a shared, forward-looking understanding of the program’s strategic priorities for 2026.

3. Align leadership and teams around 2026 objectives, roles, and performance expectations.

4. Strengthen coordination, accountability, and monitoring arrangements to support effective implementation and reporting in 2026.

5. Enhance team motivation, cohesion, and interpersonal relationships through motivational speaking and interactive team-building activities.

6. Translate agreed strategic priorities into costed, time-bound operational and action plans for 2026.

Scope of Work

The scope of work for the retreat includes, but is not limited to:

1. Develop and execute a 1.5-day team building and strategic planning program for a team of 5 to 6 National Coordination Office Members. The plan must be submitted for review and approval prior to the workshop date.

2. Facilitate strategic reflection and planning sessions.

3. Facilitate review of program priorities, plans, and performance.

4. Utilize interactive methods of facilitation. These may include, but are not limited to, Group discussions, breakout sessions, and plenary synthesis.

5. Incorporate motivational speaking sessions and structured team-building exercises to boost morale and improve understanding and collaboration among team members.

6. Develop clear action points, responsibilities, and timelines.

7. Document and consolidate retreat outputs and submit the report.

Facilitation Modality and Level of Effort

The retreat will be delivered through a participatory facilitation model, combining external expertise and internal leadership to achieve the intended purpose.

External Facilitation

The external facilitator shall be engaged for a total of 1.5 days, covering Day 1 and the morning session of Day 2. During this period, the facilitator will:

1. Establish a shared understanding of the retreat objectives, expectations, and priorities.

2. Facilitate discussions and critical reflection.

3. Facilitate leadership and team alignment sessions.

4. Facilitate synthesis of key insights and way forward for successful implementation of the program.

Internal Facilitation

The remaining 2.5 days of the retreat shall be internally facilitated by the team. Internal facilitation will focus on:

1. Deep-dive technical and operational discussions.

2. Translation of strategic directions into operational and action plans.

3. Consolidation of retreat outputs and commitments.

4. Strengthening ownership, accountability, and follow-through mechanisms.

This blended approach is intended to optimize costs, strengthen internal leadership capacity, and ensure sustained ownership of retreat outcomes.

Expected Outputs

The retreat is expected to produce the following donor- and management-relevant outputs:

1. A consolidated 2025 performance reflection and learning summary to inform future programming.

2. A clearly articulated set of organisational strategic priorities and focus areas for 2026.

3. Agreed 2026 operational and action plans, including roles, responsibilities, timelines, and indicative resource requirements.

4. Strengthened internal alignment and accountability mechanisms to support delivery, monitoring, and reporting in 2026.

5. Increase team motivation and morale, evidenced by feedback from motivational speaking sessions and team-building activities.

6. Improves interpersonal relationships and collaboration among team members, demonstrated through team-building exercises and group dynamics

7. A concise retreat report suitable for internal governance and donor reference, capturing key discussions, decisions, motivational insights, team building, outcomes and agreed actions.

2026 Strategic Focus Areas

Discussions and planning during the retreat will be guided by a set of proposed 2026 Strategic Focus Areas, which may be refined during the retreat. These include:

1. Strategic positioning and organisational readiness for 2026.

2. Programme and portfolio prioritisation aligned to available and prospective funding.

3. Innovative approaches, management of partnerships.

4. Operational effectiveness, systems strengthening, and risk management.

5. Positive organisational culture and staff wellbeing.

6. Monitoring, evaluation, learning, and accountability for results in 2026.

Methodology

The retreat will employ participatory and adult-learning approaches, including:

1. Plenary discussions.

2. Facilitated group work and breakout sessions.

3. Reflection exercises and guided dialogue.

4. Action planning and prioritization tools.

Duration and Timing

The retreat will be conducted over a total of 4 days, structured as follows:

· Day 1: External facilitation (full day).

· Day 2: External facilitation (morning) and internal facilitation (afternoon).

· Days 3–4: Internal facilitation (full days).

Roles and Responsibilities

External Facilitator

The external facilitator will be responsible for:

· Designing and facilitating assigned retreat sessions.

· Guiding strategic discussions and reflection.

· Supporting synthesis of strategic insights.

Internal Team

The internal team will be responsible for:

· Leading internal facilitation sessions.

· Coordinating logistics and participant engagement.

· Documenting retreat proceedings and outputs.

· Ensuring follow-up on agreed actions.

Reporting and Deliverables

The key deliverable shall be a Retreat Report capturing:

· Objectives and agenda.

· Key discussion points and reflections.

· Decisions taken and agreed points.

· Assigned responsibilities and timelines.

Logistics and Administration

The organisation will be responsible for all logistical arrangements, including venue, materials, participant coordination, and accommodation where applicable.