Consultancy to Develop (2027–2031) Strategic Plan for Population Council Ethiopia

Background

Population Council Ethiopia, established as a country office of the global Population Council since the early 1990s, has made significant contributions to reproductive health, adolescent and youth well-being, gender equity, and population research in Ethiopia. Following the Population Council Board of Trustees’ approval in late 2025 for the Ethiopia office to transition to complete independence, the organization is now positioned to operate as an autonomous Ethiopian-registered nonprofit entity.

This transition presents an opportunity to develop a standalone strategic plan that builds on past achievements, aligns with national priorities (e.g., Ethiopia’s Health Sector development and investment plan, urbanization, climate change, livelihood Education sector plan, National Population Policy, and Sustainable Development Goals), and responds to emerging needs in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), youth empowerment, gender equality, and climate-health intersections.

The strategic plan will cover 2027–2031 (5 years from the completion date) and guide the independent organization’s vision, mission, programmatic focus, organizational structure, resource mobilization, and sustainability.

Objectives of the Consultancy

• Primary Objective: To facilitate the development of a comprehensive, participatory, and evidence-based strategic plan for the independent Population Council Ethiopia.
• Specific Objectives:
  • Conduct a situational analysis, including review of past performance, stakeholder mapping, and external environment assessment.
  • Facilitate inclusive consultations with staff, partners, beneficiaries, government, donors, and the global Population Council.
  • Articulate a clear vision, mission, strategic goals, objectives, and results framework with Clear and measurable goals, objectives, and KPIs, helping transform the broad vision into actionable steps with clear benchmarks for success and progress tracking.
  • Develop an implementation of roadmap, monitoring & evaluation framework, and risk management strategy.
  • Ensure alignment with the global Population Council’s 2023–2030 Strategic Plan while asserting local ownership and priorities.

Scope of Work

The consultant(s) will:

1. Inception Phase: Review key documents (e.g., global Population Council strategic plan, past Ethiopia office reports, transition documents, national health/education/population policies). Prepare an inception report that includes the methodology, work plan, and tools.
2. Situational Analysis: Conduct SWOT/PESTLE analysis, donor and partner mapping (analysis of current and potential future donor landscapes), stakeholder consultations (interviews, focus groups, workshops), and review of achievements/challenges in SRHR, youth programs, climate change, gender, and research.
3. Strategy Development: Facilitate 2–3 participatory workshops (in-person/virtual) with staff and stakeholders to co-create vision/mission, strategic pillars, and theory of change.
4. Drafting and Validation: Prepare draft strategic plan; facilitate validation workshop and produce a report
5. Finalization: incorporate feedback and submit final plan with executive summary, M&E framework, and costed implementation matrix.

Expected Deliverables

• Inception report (including methodology, tools, timeline, and outline of the strategic plan document)
• Draft strategic plan.
• Validation workshop report.
• Final strategic plan document (30–50 pages, including annexes), an executive summary and presentation slides.

Timeline

• Duration: 3–4 months (e.g., January–April 2026).
• Key Milestones:
  • Inception: 2 weeks.
  • Data collection/analysis: 6 weeks.
  • Workshops/drafting: 4 weeks.
  • Validation/finalization: 2–3 weeks.

Methodology

Participatory and inclusive, combining desk review, key informant interviews (20–30), focus group discussions (FGDs), online surveys, and workshops—emphasis on gender equity, climate change, youth voices, and Ethiopian leadership.

Qualifications of Consultant(s)

• Advanced degrees in public health, development studies, economics, business administration, organizational development, or related fields.
• At least 10 years’ of proven experience in strategic planning for NGOs/nonprofits, preferably in health/SRHR//education/population sectors in Africa/Ethiopia.
• Experience in nonprofit financial modeling and sustainability planning
• Proven facilitation skills for participatory processes.
• Knowledge of Ethiopia’s health, population, and NGO regulatory context.
• Experience with organizational transitions/independence processes (desirable).
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English (Amharic an asset).
• Firm/individual with no conflict of interest with Population Council.

Reporting and Coordination

The consultant will report to the Country Director (including staff and global Population Council representatives).

Confidentiality: The Consultant shall maintain strict confidentiality regarding all non-public information, documents, and data accessed or produced during this assignment. This obligation shall survive the termination of the consultancy.

Intellectual Property (IP): All materials and output produced under the consultancy are the intellectual property of Population Council, or its transitioned new entity.

Budget and Payment

As per the consultant service fee negotiations, payments linked will be based on what is to be delivered and on the agreed terms of payment in the consultancy agreement.