CONSULTANCY FOR DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE GUMS AND RESINS ASSOCIATION(GARA)-2025-2030 Full Time NEW

A. BACKGROUND

Millennium Water Alliance, through Resilient Arid Land Partnerships for Integrated Development Plus (RAPID+) program, is providing funding to facilitate the review and development of Gums and Resins Association (GARA) new strategic plan as part of the program’s objective to strengthen market systems and institutions in Rangelands.

The Gums and Resins Association (GARA) is a national membership-based organization founded in 1996 and registered in 1997 under the Societies Act of Kenya. GARA brings together stakeholders in the gums and resins value chain, including producers, traders, processors, researchers, and government agencies. The association’s secretariat is hosted at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) in Karura.

Since its inception, GARA has played a central role in promoting the development of the gums and resins sub-sector, lobbying for policy support, and enhancing stakeholder collaboration. It provides a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and advocacy, aimed at addressing challenges such as market access, quality standards, sustainable harvesting, and environmental degradation.

The association’s last strategic plan covered the period 2016–2020. Given emerging opportunities, evolving market dynamics, climate change impacts, and increasing attention to dryland value chains, GARA seeks to reposition itself through the development of a new five-year strategic plan (2025–2030).

B. PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT

The purpose of this consultancy is to support GARA in the development of a comprehensive, participatory, and forward-looking Organizational Strategy for the period 2025–2030. The strategy will serve as a roadmap to guide the association’s operations, partnerships, advocacy efforts, and resource mobilization.

C. OBJECTIVES

Millennium Water Alliance is looking for a consultant who will work closely with GARA board and GARA secretariat to lead the process of developing the GARA strategic plan for the period 2025-20230.

D. SCOPE OF WORK

The scope and focus of the assignment is to provide both technical and strategic support required to facilitate the review and updating of GARA’s Strategic Plan. This process will align the strategy with emerging political, economic, and social developments affecting the gum and resin sector.

The strategy review and development process will encompass the following:

1. Thorough review of GARA’s current organizational strengths and weaknesses, including its internal and external capacities.
2. Thorough review of GARA’s strategic objectives and goals.
3. Review of past GARA’s strategies and their implementation frameworks.
4. Co-developing of GARA strategic plan of 2025-2030

E. Methodology

The consultant is encouraged to incorporate best practices from their experience with similar organizations’ strategic plans, particularly those operating in ways comparable to the Gum Arabic and Resin Association (GARA). To capture GARA’s unique characteristics, the consultant should employ a participatory approach that ensures inclusivity and engages all relevant stakeholders during the strategy review and development process.

1. Preparation Phase – Assessment and Diagnostic Stage

The consultant is expected to conduct the strategy review with insight into the current state of GARA and its operational capabilities. Key elements for review include:

• Carry out a SWOT analysis of GARA, its management staff, member organizations focusing on internal capacities and external operating environment, including gathering members’ aspirations for the next 5 years.
  • Review GARA’s performance against past strategies, including the 2016-2020 strategy and related documents, GARA’s constitution, progress reports etc.
  • The goal is to identify strengths, challenges, opportunities and shortcomings facing the organization for purposes of uncovering strategic opportunities and propose innovative approaches to enhance GARA’s efficiency and impact through the upcoming GARA strategic period 2025-2030.

Deliverable 1 and 2:

1. Inception report with detailed methodology and workplan.
2. GARA’s organizational capacity assessment report.
3. Co-developing Phase – Consultation and drafting of strategic plan

The consultant is expected to conduct consultations with GARA members and its strategic partners, lead initial stakeholder workshops, write-shops and stakeholder validation workshops. The consultant is further expected to:

• Review the organization’s vision, mission, core values, strategic objectives in relation to its overall mandate to determine strategic alignment.
• Review existing GARA implementation and monitoring framework.
• Develop a results-based implementation framework outlining objectives, outcomes, indicators, and targets.
• Provide a phased implementation roadmap including roles, timelines, and resources.
• Compile draft strategic plan and present it for stakeholder validation.

Deliverable 3, 4, 5:

1. Initial stakeholders workshop report
2. Draft GARA strategy 2025-2030
3. Final validated Strategic plan

F. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES

The expected deliverables are:

s/no

Deliverable/Outputs

Timelines

1

Inception report with detailed methodology and workplan

1 week after signing contract signing

2

Organizational capacity assessment report (SWOT).

1 week after signing contract signing

3

Initial stakeholders workshop report

2-3 weeks after contract signing.

4

Draft GARA Strategy 2025–2030.

5 Weeks after contract signing

5

Final validated Strategic Plan 2025–2030.

7-8 weeks after signing

G. Duration and Level of Effort

The assignment will be carried out over 17 working days across 2 months, starting from the date of signing contract.

H: REPORTING AND COMMUNICATION

The consultant will report jointly to Millennium Water Alliance (MWA) and GARA’s Board Chair, maintaining regular communication with both the Rangeland Intervention Coordinator (RAPID+ Program) and GARA’s Secretariat throughout the assignment.

I. SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CLIENTS

Millennium Water Alliance will provide support to the consultant by:

1. Issue letters of introduction and invitations to county governments.
2. Cater cost for the initial stakeholder workshop and validation workshop for the final Gara strategy.
3. Facilitate county government staff participation in the initial stakeholders’ workshop and the GARA strategy launch.
4. Design and print GARA strategy 2025-2030.
5. Organize, convene and cater cost for the launch of the GARA Strategy (2025–2030).

Gum Arabic and Resin Association will provide support to the consultant by:

1. Provision of all materials and information required for the strategy review.
2. Identify all stakeholders having direct and indirect interest in GARA strategic plan.
3. Mobilize its members and board to support the co-development of GARA strategy (2025-]2030) during the strategy review writeshops and GARA final strategy validation workshop.

The consultant will be responsible for

1. covering his logistical cost during engagements with GARA staff, board members and stakeholders.
2. Lead the Initial stakeholder workshop, Strategy review writeshops and GARA final strategy validation workshop.
3. Production of deliverables in accordance with the requirements and timeframes of the Terms of Reference.

J. EXPERTISE REQUIRED FOR THE ASSIGNMENT

• A minimum of an advanced degree in business management, Strategic Management, Organizational Development, Natural Resource Management, or related fields.
• At least 7 years of experience in strategic planning or institutional development.
• Proven expertise in participatory approaches and results-based planning and experience working with Agricultural associations.
• Strong facilitation, analytical, and report writing skills.
• Familiarity with development issues in arid and semi-arid including dryland economies in Kenya.

K. BID SUBMISSION DETAILS

All applicants that do not meet these requirements will not be considered in the subsequent levels of bid analysis and evaluation. Each application should consist of:

• A cover letter- 2-3 page.
• The consultant’s profile and relevant projects undertaken – 4 pages.
• Contact details of 3 organizations that have contracted the Consultant to carry out similar assignments in the last 3 years.
• The methodological approach to the assignment. – 7 pages.
• The financial proposal/Budget**- 2 pages.**
• Up-to-date Curriculum Vitae. – No more than 4 pages per CV.
• Attach or link to one strategic plan or equivalent document you developed that best illustrates your approach and capabilities in similar assignments.

Tagged as: Kenya, Millennium Water Alliance