Consultant for ICSP Syria Learning Initiative on Integrated Programming

1. Background

Trócaire received funding from Irish Aid under the five-year Ireland Civil Society Partnership (ICSP – 2023-2027) funding scheme to implement a programme in Syria. The program supports crisis-affected communities through a multi-sectoral response in a complex and protracted context. Programming has included basic assistance, livelihoods and early recovery, protection and referral pathways, and social cohesion, implemented through local partners and in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

As part of its strategic direction, Trócaire is seeking to strengthen integrated programming approaches that better respond to intersecting vulnerabilities and support more coherent pathways between sectors. The Syria programme has generated implementation experience over recent years, including lessons related to sequencing, referrals, coordination, package design, partner roles, and the enabling environment for integration.

To support programme adaptation in the current funding period and future decision-making, Trócaire intends to commission a consultant to lead an applied learning initiative focused on integrated programming in Syria. This initiative is intended to generate practical learning for programme improvementand future design for Trócaire and its partners.

2. Purpose of the consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to document, analyse, and synthesise practical learning on how integrated programming has been designed and implemented under the ICSP Syria programme from 2023 to 2026, and to translate that learning into clear and actionable recommendations, tools, and guidance for future programming.

The review is undertaken for learning and improvement purposes only and should not be understood as a formal evaluation. The consultancy should build on existing evaluations, monitoring evidence, programme documentation, partner reflections, and limited primary qualitative inquiry to interpret what has worked well, what has been challenging, under what conditions integration has been more or less appropriate, and what practical improvements are needed going forward.

3. Objective

The overall objective of the consultancy is to strengthen Trócaire Syria’s understanding and practice of integrated programming by generating learning on the processes, mechanisms, enabling conditions, constraints, and practical outcomes associated with integrated approaches under ICSP.

4. Specific objectives

• Document how integrated programming has been understood and applied in practice within the Syria ICSP portfolio from 2023 to 2026.
• Identify key enabling factors, bottlenecks, and implementation conditions affecting integration, including issues related to sequencing, referrals, coordination, targeting, package assignment, partner roles, and access.
• Analyse how existing evidence and stakeholder experience suggest integrated pathways have functioned in practice, including what appears to have added value and where important limitations or risks have emerged.
• To understand the perceived added value, limitations and risks of integrated support compared to more stand-alone or fragmented assistance, based on available evidence and stakeholder experience.
• Examine how integrated programming interacts with specialised protection services, particularly GBV-related response services relevant integration supports complementarity and where it may risk compromising service quality, confidentiality, safeguarding, or survivor-centred approaches.
• Differentiate between contexts or cases where integrated service packages are appropriate and those were standalone, specialised, or protection-led responses may be more suitable.
• Produce practical recommendations and tools to support more coherent, safe, and context-appropriate integrated programming in future cycles.

5. Scope of work

The consultant is expected to review and synthesis learning related to integrated programming across relevant sectors and pathways, which may include, but are not limited to: basic assistance and referral pathways; livelihoods (vocational training (VT), apprenticeship pathways, business development training (BDT), grants and business support) and early recovery pathways; protection-linked integration and referral mechanisms; social cohesion and community-level dimensions where relevant; and engagement with specialised actors, institutions, and service providers that shape the enabling environment for integration.

Particular attention should be given to practical implementation questions such as how integration was planned, understood, and operationalised by Trócaire and its partners; how decisions were made around sequencing and package assignment; how referrals worked in practice, including follow-up and drop-off points; how roles and responsibilities were shared across teams and partners; how partner profiles and technical mandates influenced integration; what conditions enabled or constrained integration; what risks emerged when integrating with specialised protection services; and where a more protection-led, standalone, or phased approach may have been more appropriate.

6. Core learning questions

1. How do Trócaire and partners currently understand and apply integrated programming in the Syria ICSP context? What activities, approaches, support packages, referrals or ways of working are considered “integrated” in practice?
2. What forms of integration are currently happening or being considered in Syria, including partners combining different types of support for the same participants, referrals across sectors, or possible coordination between partners working in the same geographic areas?
3. Based on existing evidence, programme experience and partner perspectives, what appears to be working well, and what has been more challenging, in these approaches?
4. What are the main factors that enable or limit integration in practice, and what minimum practical steps or conditions would make integration more meaningful, realistic and safe in the Syria context?
5. How are decisions currently made, by whom, and based on what criteria, regarding targeting, referral pathways, sequencing of support, and the provision of different combinations of assistance across sectors, including referrals from MPCA to livelihoods? What refinements are needed to strengthen clarity, consistency, fairness and accountability?
6. How do current partnership approaches, programme decision-making, MEAL practices and capacity strengthening support enable or limit integrated programming in practice?
7. What additional partner capacities, tools, coordination mechanisms, MEAL approaches or technical support are needed to strengthen integrated programming in a way that is practical and useful for partners and communities?
8. What forms of integration are most realistic and useful for future programming in Syria, including for the next ICSP, and where might standalone, phased, referral-based or partner-coordinated approaches be more appropriate?

The consultant should also consider how partner roles and selection influence integration in practice, including the role of specialised and women-led organisations as technical actors within integrated programming.

7. Methodology

The consultant is expected to propose a robust, feasible, and learning-oriented methodology. The approach should be practical, participatory, and adapted to the Syria context.

The methodology should include a combination of desk review of key programme and learning documents; review of existing evidence, including relevant evaluations, monitoring data, partner reflections, case examples, and internal learning materials; key informant interviews with Trócaire staff, partners, technical advisors, and other relevant stakeholders; focused qualitative inquiry with selected programme participants, where feasible and appropriate; facilitated reflection and validationsessions with Trócaire and Partners ; and synthesis and sense-making oriented toward practical learning, not impact evaluation.

The learning should analyse similarities and differences across geographical areas, recognising that integration may function differently depending on location, partner presence service availability, and operational context and the delivery model used; including whether integration is led primarily by one partner or through coordination across multiple CSOs and/or state services.

Any primary qualitative inquiry should be limited and proportionate, and should be used to deepen understanding, triangulate findings, and support practical learning while keeping the assignment clearly framed as a learning exercise rather than a formal evaluation.

The methodology should build on existing evidence rather than duplicate past evaluative work, focus on practical interpretation and actionable learning, explicitly consider ethics, safeguarding, confidentiality, and do-no-harm, ensure that any discussion of specialised protection services is handled in a survivor-centred and protection-sensitive manner, and remain realistic in scope and proportionate to available time and resources.

Safeguarding should be treated as a cross-cutting consideration throughout the learning process, including in the design of tools, stakeholder consultations, analysis, and recommendations related to integrated programming.

8. Key tasks and responsibilities

Phase 1: Inception and design

• Review the relevant background documents provided by Trócaire.
• Hold inception discussions with Trócaire to refine scope, expectations, and priority questions.
• Develop an inception report including refined methodology, workplan, learning questions, stakeholder map, and data collection plan.
• Develop or adapt data collection and facilitation tools.

Phase 2: Evidence review and learning inquiry

• Conduct a desk review of key programme, monitoring, learning, and evaluation documents.
• Refine any data collection tools (e.g. KII interview guide) based on desk review.
• Map the main integration pathways, approaches, and relevant programme variations within the Syria portfolio.
• Conduct KIIs and other agreed consultation processes with relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate reflection discussions with Trócaire, partners and relevant stakeholders such as municipalities, Trócaire Ethiopia team etc.
• Collect and synthesise relevant stakeholder and participant persectives, where agreed and feasible from the reflection discussion and KIIs.

Phase 3: Analysis and synthesis

• Analyse findings across key themes such as sequencing, referrals, package assignment, coordination, partner roles, protection considerations, enabling environment, and practical outcomes.
• Distinguish between what can be concluded from existing evidence, what reflects stakeholder perception or practitioner experience, and where evidence remains limited.
• Develop actionable recommendations for future integrated programming in Syria.

Phase 4: Validation and finalisation

• Facilitate at least one validation workshop or structured validation session with Trócaire and relevant partners.
• Revise outputs based on feedback.
• Finalise the learning paper and practical tools.

9. Expected deliverables

Deliverable

Description

Inception report

Including refined scope, methodology, learning questions, stakeholder mapping, workplan, and proposed outline of outputs.

Data collection and facilitation tools

Including interview guides, reflection tools, and any participant consultation tools as relevant.

Evidence reviews summary / annotated synthesis matrix

A concise synthesis of key documents and existing evidence reviewed.

Draft learning paper

A well-structured draft presenting methodology, scope, limitations, key findings, learning, and practical recommendations.

Validation workshop/session materials

Including agenda, facilitation approach, slides or discussion materials, and summary notes.

Practical programming tools/guidance package

Based on the findings, the consultant should provide practical recommendations to support future programming. This may include proposed adaptations to existing Trócaire tools, guidance on ways of working, coordination and decision-making processes, or, were justified and feasible, the development of targeted practical tools or frameworks. The consultant should take into account existing Trócaire tools and the evolving design of future programming, and should avoid proposing new tools unless they are clearly needed, feasible, and likely to add value.

Final learning paper

Incorporating Trócaire feedback and validation inputs.

Final presentation / debrief

A concise presentation of findings, recommendations, and practical implications for the Syria programme.

10. Expected structure of the learning paper

• Executive summary
• Background and purpose
• Scope and methodology
• Limitations of the learning exercise
• Overview of integrated programming under the Syria ICSP
• Key findings by thematic area
• Protection-sensitive considerations and limits of integration
• Practical implications for future programming
• Recommendations
• Annexes as needed

11. Stakeholders to be consulted

• Trócaire Syria programme team
• Relevant Trócaire technical advisors
• ICSP implementing partners in Syria
• Selected programme participants
• Relevant service providers, specialised actors, local authorities, local NGOs, and community-based organisations, where relevant and feasible
• Final stakeholder selection will be agreed during inception

12. Management and reporting lines

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Trócaire MEAL Manager and Grants Manager.

Technical oversight and review of deliverables will be provided by relevant Trócaire colleagues, which may include programme, protection, and technical team members as designated by Trócaire.

The consultant will be expected to maintain regular communication with Trócaire throughout the assignment and to incorporate feedback at agreed milestones.

13. Ethical, safeguarding, and quality requirements

• Informed consent for all primary consultations
• Confidentiality and safe handling of information
• Protection of participants from harm
• Application of a do-no-harm approach throughout the assignment
• Protection-sensitive and survivor-centred handling of issues related to specialised protection services
• Avoidance of unnecessary collection of sensitive personal data
• Clear communication of the purpose and limits of the learning exercise
• Commitment to respecting agreed timelines and feedback rounds
• Where a team is proposed, diversity in team composition, including gender balance, is encouraged

The consultant must pay particular attention to safeguarding implications within integrated programming, including any risks related to confidentiality, inappropriate referrals, unsafe sequencing, role confusion, or reduced quality of specialised services.

14. Duration and level of effort

The consultancy is expected to take place between July 1st 2026 and 31st of August 2026.

The consultant should propose a realistic level of effort aligned with the scope, methodology, and deliverables.

15. Budget

Financial proposals should be submitted in USD and should provide a clear breakdown of professional fees and any other anticipated costs, as applicable.

16. Consultant profile and qualifications

Essential

• Strong experience in conducting learning reviews, applied research, programme learning, or similar analytical assignments in humanitarian or fragile contexts
• Demonstrated experience with integrated programming or multi-sectoral programming
• Strong facilitation and qualitative analysis skills
• Experience working with NGOs, local partners, and partnership-based programming models
• Strong written English and ability to produce clear, practical, high-quality outputs for operational use

Preferred

• Demonstrated understanding of protection-sensitive programming, including work around specialised protection services in an ethical and appropriate manner
• Relevant experience in one or more of the following areas: livelihoods, basic assistance, early recovery, protection, nexus-oriented programming, or multisectoral programming
• Familiarity with the Syria context and/or similar conflict-affected settings

17. Proposal submission requirements

• A technical proposal including understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, draft workplan and timeline, key risks and mitigation measures, and team composition if applicable
• A financial proposal with a clear budget breakdown
• CV(s) of the consultant(s)
• At least two relevant examples of similar work previously completed
• Two references from recent comparable assignments

18. Evaluation criteria for proposals

Criterion Weight

Understanding of the assignment and quality of proposed approach and methodology 30%

Relevant technical experience in learning / research / integrated programming / protection-sensitive programming 30%

Experience in Syria or similar fragile / conflict-affected contexts 15%

Quality and relevance of previous work samples 10%

Language capacity and facilitation ability 5%

Financial proposal / value for money 10%

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted to: infolebanon@trocaire.org, with the subject line: Application – ICSP Syria Learning Initiative Consultancy.

The deadline for submission is 15 June 2026. Late applications may not be considered.

The deadline for questions or clarifications is 10 June 2026.