Job Description

Posted on May 12, 2022

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
FOR
Technical Proposal Writers
Short-Term Contract Assignment
1. Purpose of Consultancy
Plan International Zambia is seeking to secure and increase its funding to operationalize it new country strategy. In order to achieve this, Plan International Zambia is seeking experienced proposal writers, with a proven record of success, to work closely with Plan International Zambia’s Proposal Development team to support writing grant concepts and full proposals in response to competitive solicitations issued by various bilateral and multilateral entities,  including but not limited to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Swedish Government, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Dutch Government (DGIS), Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), DG INTPA / European Union, UN agencies, US and European foundations and corporations, World Bank, etc.
Consultants will be responsible for the development of technical narratives for the development of compelling and evidence-based proposals, that are compliant with donor requirements and instructions in the solicitation.
Subject matter expertise in one of the following areas is required: sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); Youth economic empowerment; inclusive quality education, Early childhood Development, nutrition and climate resilience.
Plan International Zambia seeks to build a roster of Proposal Writers who can support the organization with the development of compelling and evidence-based proposals, through both writing and coordination. Selected consultant candidates will be kept on file as part of a roster of proposal writing experts and will be called upon on an as-needed basis by the organization. Consultants must have availability from  May 2022.
2. Objectives of the Wor
The objectives of this work are to:
Build an approved vendor list of Proposal writers from which our Business Development team can request services, in the area of: sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); Youth economic empowerment; inclusive quality education, Early childhood Development, nutrition and climate resilience, through both writing and coordination. These experts will be called upon on an as-needed basis by the organization.
3. Activities/Deliverables:
The Consultant, in consultation and agreement with Plan Zambia Country office management team, will provide services including the following:

Review solicitation and all background documents provided by Business Development Manager (BDM) in preparation for assignment;
Collect, organize, and collate inputs from Plan Zambia Technical Thematic Lead, Programme Specialists, and other resource persons during the design process;
Create a workplan for proposal development and plan for and engage in design meetings and field visits in close collaboration with the proposal development team, as needed to understand local dynamics, approaches in each context, opportunities and challenges, and other aspects.
Participate in and/or lead technical design meetings, particularly results framework/logical framework formulation sessions; and finalization of results framework, incorporating design workshop discussions;
Gather input from internal and external key stakeholders during the design process as needed, to ensure that the program design incorporates the expertise of all relevant actors/sectors, including the government ministries, private sector, INGOs, universities, institutes, etc.;
Design and writing responsive and high-quality technical sections of the proposal (technical approach, rationales & contexts, strategies, activities, annexes such as management, personnel, and institutional capabilities, Logical frameworks and others as appropriate) in accordance with bid-specific timeline provided by BDM, and revising and editing based on feedback and information received.
Integrate technical sections written by different writers into the technical proposal draft;
Review to ensure quality, responsiveness, technical soundness, integration of best practices and effective programming approaches, and alignment of technical proposal sections provided by technical staff or partners, and integrate sections into the overall technical application;
Review and edit the draft technical proposal for clarity, responsiveness to evaluation criteria, cohesiveness, and compliance with all technical and formatting requirements outlined in the solicitation.
Review the budget (and supplementary cost documents, such as the budget description) for consistency with the technical proposal and annexes;

4. Required Experience & Skills:
Education & Background

Master’s degree in one or more of the following areas: international affairs/development, public health, social sciences, or related field;

Experience

5+ years’ experience writing technical proposals, with a proven track record of writing successful proposals and tenders for international development donors, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), FCDO (DFID), the Swedish Government and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), DG INTPA / European Union, UN agencies, ADB, World Bank; etc.);
Strong project design skills, including the ability to prepare logical, coherent, and consistent documents, including logical frameworks and budgets;
5+ years of experience in technical writing and editing and proof-reading of proposals, including a winning track record of response to RFPs
Strong negotiation skills and experience developing multiple-partnership arrangements for proposal development.
Ability to lead teams, communicate, and resolve complex and sensitive issues in coordination with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels and cultural backgrounds.
Excellent writing and editing skills
Excellent interpersonal communication skills

5. Deliverables:
A complete technical proposal for the proposed project in question, including:
a. Final technical Proposal document (e.g. technical narrative and its technical annexes);
b. Final budget proposal documents (e.g., budget, budget narrative, schedules); and
c. Any other documents/deliverables that the Consultant and Plan Zambia agree to produce as part of the proposal submission package.
Application Process:
Deadline and Submission of Expression of Interest
Proposal Submission
The EoI should include:

A cover letter outlining how your experience and competencies meet the requirements.
Detailed Curriculum Vitae
Expression of interest (financial and technical proposals) outlining how the consultant meets the selection criteria and their understanding of the TOR.
Your expected daily rate.
Your availability over the next 12 months.
Provide methodology, work plan and understanding of the assignment
3 referees including past and most recent clients indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments carried out

The EOI should be sent to [email protected] for any queries with the subject line: “Technical Proposal Writers” by 17:00 pm Monday, 20th May, 2022. Any application received after the stated time will not be accepted.
Plan International Zambia will evaluate all received EOI immediately after the deadline and revert to the selected firms/individuals shortly thereafter.

To apply for this job email your details to Planzamtenders@plan-international.org