Consultant - Project design and development -...

Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our work environment and help advance our mission. Diversity—of ideas, identities, perspectives and backgrounds—is vital to who we are and what we do. We seek people who embrace these values and will help reinforce them. Our work culture is collaborative, creative and entrepreneurial. Teams across the organization frequently collaborate on programmatic work and support each other in continuously building a better R4D.
Likely contract duration: Contractor: Results4Development (on behalf of Frontier Tech Hub)
Background to FT Hub
The Frontier Tech Hub (FT Hub) works with the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at the intersection of tech, innovation, and international development. We work with FCDO colleagues to fund, test and scale frontier technologies worldwide, by calling for ideas to test frontier technologies in the real world. We connect FCDO colleagues with one another and the world of tech, helping them to explore the future, being critically curious about what radical technological transformation means for the future, and consequently, FCDO.
# We gather and share learnings from across our portfolio of pilot projects, sharing thought leadership from the frontier of tech for impact within the FCDO’s work.

The FT Hub is currently approaching the end of its second phase, a 4-year cycle of programming referred to as ‘FT2’. In looking ahead to the next phase (‘FT3’), the FT Hub consortium partners are keen to implement a comprehensive programme design phase to explore ways FT might evolve to meet ever-changing technological risks and opportunities.
To support the FT Hub in this process, we are looking for an experienced consultant who can facilitate the end-to-end programme design and help the FT Hub explore different technical and operational possibilities. The consultant will lead a structured approach that covers all relevant aspects of programme design (including delivery models, operations, management, budgeting and value for money) to ensure FT3 is a coherent, contemporary and efficient offering within FCDO’s wider technology portfolio. To do this, the consultant will work across the FT Hub consortium partners; at times convening us as a collective, and at other times working independently with individual consortium partners to drive forward elements of the programme design process.
The consultant will be someone who has significant, demonstrated experience managing highly collaborative programme design processes for large and complex initiatives. Ideally, they will also bring relevant experience with innovation and the application of technologies within development, and knowledge/experience with FCDO institutional processes and proposal writing. Many parts of the FT3 design process have already started informally, and the consultant will be invited to build on and potentially challenge existing thinking and approaches. We expect this design process to take no more than 4 months; subject to discussion and available budget, there is the possibility to extend this for a further 3 months with the intention of then utilising the final 3 months of the consultant’s contract to support the Hub in addressing any challenges transitioning to the new structure.
Provide a comprehensive Programme Design process and required outputs, with accompanying timeline (not to exceed 4 months in total).
# Ensuring that relevant FT Hub stakeholders are held accountable to timelines and outputs they are responsible for within the programme design process, providing support where necessary.
# Lead and facilitate workshops for technical solution design and programme design across the consortium (as a collective) and at an individual org level. Overarching design principles to ensure alignment across consortium partners
# Identification of changes that may be required to the current FT Theory of Change, in collaboration with the FT Hub Evaluation and Adaptive Learning (EAL) team
# Supporting the design of the FT Hub delivery model (explaining how the activities and the relationships between the activities deliver the outputs and outcomes of the programme)
# Supporting the development of a Governance Structure for FT3
# Supporting the development of organizational charts and staffing structures
# Identifying key commercial considerations (VfM, detailed budget forecasts, cost risks)
# Development of a risk management and mitigation approach, including the identification of key programme risks
# Ensure high-quality outputs are produced to ensure a common understanding exists between consortium members; Support the FT Hub to engage and present to relevant FCDO staff outside the FT Hub to secure their input, and to support in keeping them updated at key milestones within the programme design process.
# Coordinating inputs and translating programme design process and outputs into a comprehensive proposal to FCDO for FT3.

Outputs must include the following, although the consultants/partner should propose an approach and set of deliverables that will be deemed most useful to FT Hub/FCDO:
# Process and outputs for quality programme design and associated outputs (building on existing approach) Deadline: Additional 2–3 months to support the FT Hub in the Inception Phase Deadline: Months 5–7

Subject to the needs of the FT Hub, the consultant’s contract may be extended to cover additional activities associated with transitioning to the new FT3 programme.
10+ years’ experience in programme design for multi-million bi/multi-lateral agencies.
#10+ years’ working in the international development space, either for INGOs, private sector consultancies, innovation agencies and/or government and designing programmes in the international development sector.
# Significant demonstratable experience of working on programme design and bid/proposal documentation for the FCDO i.e. minimum of 5–6 multimillion-pound proposals/bid submitted to FCDO.
# Deep understanding of technical programme design requirements (especially for FCDO) including Theory of Change/Logic Model, Programme delivery model, Programme Governance Structures, Org Charts, Commercial Considerations (including value for money, cost-modelling and budget forecasts), Risk Management and Mitigation, value propositions and cross-cutting themes (gender, localisation).
# Experience of innovation and/or tech programmes.
# Knowledge of working in early-stage innovation with start-ups, innovators, accelerators, incubators or other forms of start-up architecture, or early-stage innovation.

org with ‘FT3 Programme Design’ in the subject line:
# Daily fee rate(s)
# Short commercial narrative explaining the reasons for your budget

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A 45-minute interview with the FT Hub team will likely take place w/c 8th November.
org for further enquiries regarding this Terms of Reference or for further information on the Frontier Tech Programme.
R4D provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.
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