Consultant Power, Diversity and Inclusion Learning Facilitators at WaterAid

Title of Activity

TERMS OF REFERENCE

CONSULTANT POWER, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION LEARNING FACILITATORS

Background

The George Floyd case and resultant ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement in the US sparked off conversations on racial equality at the workplace including at WaterAid. This led to decision to hold hearing conversations across the organisation.

In 2020, WaterAid West Africa region had the Black Lives Matter listening conversations at Regional Leadership Team (RLT) and Country Programme levels for people to share experiences around this areas and suggestions on how to address the issues. In November 2020, WaterAid launched a global framework for racial equality and inclusion across all WaterAid countries, with the following commitments: 

We are committed to being an organisation where everyone is welcome, included, respected and where we celebrate diversity. 
We are committed to standing against all forms of racism, injustice and inequality. 
We are committed to ensuring we are an antiracist organisation and that we address the internal power dynamics within and between WaterAid countries that hold us back from achieving our mission.   
We have identified 4 areas of focus under this framework:

Following this, the International Programmes Department (IPD) agreed a phased approach to respond to area 3 set out above: 3 phases over a 2-year period, see below:

In addition, our Global Strategy being developed has racial equality, inclusion and power dynamics as one of the workstreams in focus. As we are currently developing our next global strategy, the consultant/s will be briefed on the emerging themes to enable alignment with this piece of work.

Scope

These terms of reference focus on action that International Programmes Department (IPD) needs to take to tackle Area 3 of the framework: Internal power dynamics within WaterAid between the Global North and Global South/ between the region and Country program, in country teams: to work in true partnership across WaterAid, valuing the skills and perspectives of all WaterAiders and empowering stakeholders across all aspects of our work.

We are seeking a consultant to work with us over Phase 1 highlighted above for a period of up to 4 months.  Consultants may wish to bid to work in a specific country only or multiple countries.  We are open to working with a number of consultants who are sensitive to cultural differences and/or able to work in the local languages. The scope includes to:

• Analyse and synthesise the voice of staff: Define the root cause
• Repeat conversation in all locations
• Identify the source of Power differentials
• Identify short term priority actions, communicate, and implement
• Connect to actions in Members
• Identify a 2-year plan
• For effective facilitation of discussions and development of action plans for each office, it is important that the organisation engages external experts who are independent and provide an impartial review of the existing organisational culture and lead in development of a proposed action plan.

Although we will stay connected with what is happening across the sector, we will focus our energies and actions on addressing the issues we surface internally (not sector wide issues) which hold us back from achieving our mission.

Aim

• Under the supervision of Country Director/ Head of People & Organisational Development, the Consultant will facilitate conversations in Country Programme to allow all staff to understand each other’s experiences better, and to increase awareness of these issues agree way forward to tackling the issues identified. The conversations should be able to focus on the existing systematic and systemic exclusions, some of which are institutionalized, different ways in which these manifest and ideas on how to address challenges. A maximum of 3 sessions over a period of time (with agreed actions in-between the sessions) is recommended but depending on the Country Programme preference.
• In addition, the Consultant will facilitate and build the capacity of WaterAid staff at all levels in this area regarding different issues that impact on diversity, inclusion or discrimination (e.g. cultural differences (tribe, gender, hierarchy, etc.), and help us formulate an action plan for the Country Programme.
• to reinforce International Programmes Departments commitments and ensure that WaterAid is a truly antiracist and diverse organisation where unhelpful internal power differentials that relate to cultural differences are surfaced and tackled.
• to implement a series of facilitated staff conversations which meet our commitments under Phase 1 of the International Programmes Departments (IPD) plan. To support teams and the International Programmes Departments (IPD) function prioritise activity that will make the biggest difference to positively shifting power dynamics internally at WaterAid within and between teams.
• To support the organisation to create a work environment of inclusion that accommodates for and is sensitive to cultural differences, in a way which allows all employees to reach their full potential.
• To create a safe space for courageous and exploratory conversations to hear the voices of staff and deepen research into the initial feedback provided by country programmes and regional teams.

Expected Deliverables

• Facilitate between 1 and 3 staff discussions within each country/regional office for personal reflection, learning and action.
• To support teams to identify root causes of current staff experience, identify and break down unhelpful power differentials. What will inclusion mean? What needs to change?
• Support teams to translate discussions and analysis into an action plan/ recommendation for response.
• Through discussions, scrutinise power differentials between and within teams and countries, power structures that impact relationships between region to Country Programmes and how power and privilege plays out within each country or member office in which we work.
• Facilitate cross country discussions around racial literacy, addressing language barriers, cross-cultural awareness and understanding personal power and responsibility in our ways of working.

Duration

This consultancy will span for 2 months starting from the commencement date stated on the contract.

Location

Flexible

Expected Outcomes

A set of 3 all staff conversations to:

• Identify root causes of current staff experience, break down and identify unhelpful power differentials. Identify what needs to change.
• Enable personal learning, reflection and action.
• Help teams to work together to look at areas such as: racial literacy, addressing language barriers, increasing cross-cultural awareness, understanding personal power & responsibility
• A Report incorporating all expected deliverables and a 2-year plan

Key Stakeholders

The Head of international People Management and the relevant Regional People Leads will be the primary contact points and owners of the overall approach.Once a plan is agreed for the conversations by country, the local Country Director and Head of People & Organisational Development will be the key stakeholders.

Skills Profile Required 

• Proven experience in working in the international development sector.
• Lived experience of African countries with deep understanding of power and inclusion.
• Excellent understanding of the complexities of different cultural environments, particular in African countries.
• Excellent facilitator, who is comfortable holding courageous and sensitive conversations.
• Ability to deliver interactive and experiential learning and development sessions.
• Experience in complex and multi geographic federated structures like WaterAid.
• Ability to work in French in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso
• Cultural sensitivity.
• Ability to cut through complexity and identify proposals which are results orientated and advance achievement of the organisation’s mission.