Strategy Consultant

STRATEGY CONSULTANT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND SCOPE OF WORK


1. BACKGROUND


Founded in 1951, Amideast is a leading American nonprofit organization engaged in international education, training, and cultural exchange activities in the U.S, the Middle East and North Africa region, and beyond.  The organization works in partnership with governments, corporations, educational institutions, and individuals to provide critical 21st-century skills that position individuals and organizations to thrive in a global marketplace. 


2. PURPOSE


Amideast is seeking to engage an experienced and qualified consultant to guide the executive team and a select number of other management staff through a strategy setting process that will result in Amideast’s having a new strategy that will serve the organization for the next 3 to 5 years. 


Setting a strategy for a successful business model and a new internal structure is of critical importance due to several factors. First, the external environment changes that recently occurred regarding U.S. Government funding opportunities require the need to focus more on the aspects of our portfolio we control, i.e., our commercial, fee-for-service lines of business.  


Second, there is a growing number of U.S., international, and local organizations offering similar lines of business in our traditional area of operations - the Middle East and North Africa region. Many of these organizations have lower indirect rates than Amideast, making us less competitive than some of our competitors from a cost perspective.  


Third, we need to better understand our current and future clients and beneficiaries and what their most important academic and training needs are.  


Fourth, our organizational capabilities are changing.  Amideast has started to implement modifications to its staffing structure, its approach to communications, and its use of digital technology, all to sustain the organization and to increase the reach and impact of our programs and services.  


And fifth, we have determined, with the support of Amideast’s Board of Directors, to explore expanding Amideast’s geographic footprint beyond MENA to open new markets for our products and services. Thus, having an updated strategy will inform the setting of priorities and associated planning and resource allocation activities. 


It should be noted that through this engagement Amideast is looking to set its business strategy for the coming years, not engage in a strategic planning exercise. 


3. SCOPE OF WORK


PART 1.  STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT


Phase 1:  Discovery and Planning


The selected consultant will:


-  Conduct an initial planning meeting with the organization’s Senior Leadership Team.
-  Review selected organizational documents such as the most recent Strategic Plan from 2018, technical reports, promotional materials, etc.
-  Conduct interviews with selected stakeholders, including 
-  President & CEO
-  Other Members of the Expanded Senior Leadership Team
-  Chair of the Board of Directors
-  Key External Stakeholders, Partners, and Clients, as appropriate
-  Select Field Office Directors
-  Select Alumni

- Design an approach and develop an agenda and associated materials for the strategy process. 
- Design a template that will capture and present the outputs of the strategy-setting exercise.


Phase 2:  Strategy Process 


The selected consultant will:


-  Design an engaging, participatory, and data-driven process 
-  Develop materials and facilitation tools for the process
-  Develop templates and materials, as required


Phase 3:  Process Facilitation


The selected consultant will facilitate a strategy-setting process that includes:


-  a focus on the external environment, including key competitors, key regional challenges and opportunities. 
-  Identifying opportunities and trends in the education, exchange, training, and testing sectors, etc.
-  helping to assess how Amideast can create superior value for its clients and customers.
-  an assessment of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
-  a prioritization of strategic opportunities and associated risks.
-  making recommendations on strategic choices regarding the organization’s business lines.


Amideast anticipates that the strategy process will be conducted through an in-person, online hybrid format.


Phase 4:  Preparation of Strategy Document


The consultant will prepare a draft multi-year strategy document that captures recommendations on the practices Amideast should adopt, modify, eliminate, help identify priorities and focus areas for the business lines we will offer and recommendations on eliminating unprofitable and/or strategically misaligned business lines; a summary analysis of the clients and customers we should  focus on, key industry trends, an overview of our key competitors, and a summary of the superior value we will provide.  The document will include an executive summary of the strategy as well as a summary framework of the identified strategic priorities. 


Phase 5:  Deliverables


The consultant will present the draft strategy document to the Senior Leadership Team for discussion.  


The consultant will then prepare the final strategy document and submit it along with a summary of the stakeholder interviews, and the final versions of the executive summary of the strategy and the summary framework of the identified strategic business priorities.


The Strategy Development process will address, at a minimum, the following framing questions:


-  What are our end goals for Amideast in Years 3, 4, and 5 regarding core business issues such as annual revenue targets, market presence, client portfolio mix, and geographic reach? 


-  Who are the clients, customers, donors, and beneficiaries we seek to serve?


-  What are the individual and institutional human resource development needs of these clients, customers, donors, and beneficiaries? 




PART 2. INITIAL ONE-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN


Phase 1. Initial One-Year Implementation Plan Development


The selected consultant will facilitate meetings that will focus on the development of an initial one-year implementation plan for the organization’s strategy. 


Phase 2. Deliverables


The consultant will prepare a draft of the initial one-year implementation plan and present it to the Senior Leadership Team for review. 


The consultant will also identify and present to the Senior Leadership Team key performance indicators and associated metric to measure success during the implementation of the plan. 


The initial one-year implementation plan will address, at a minimum, the following framing questions:


-  How does Amideast properly align senior leadership roles and tasks when implementing our new strategy?


-  How does Amideast integrate a desire to expand beyond our traditional business footprint/geographic region during the implementation of its new strategy?


-  What changes to staffing structure, such as new or reassigned positions, does Amideast need to consider to implement its new strategy in a results-oriented and impactful manner?
 
-  What changes to internal structures and processes (including, but not limited to, internal/external communications, data for decision making, and alumni engagement) does Amideast need to become more agile, competitive, and transformative and thereby ensure the financial sustainability of the organization?



4. DESIRED CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS


Interested consultants should have the following qualifications:


-  demonstrated experience in designing, planning, and facilitating strategy-setting processes for non-profit organizations. 
-  strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills. 
-  knowledge of governance and non-profit management practices.
-  demonstrated consensus building skills.
-  exemplary written and verbal communications skills.


Preference will be given to consultants who have experience in the non-profit world, with specific work and consulting experience in the education, workforce development, and exchange sectors.
 


5. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS


Interested consultants should submit a proposal for this engagement that includes the following:


-  an expression of interest.
-  a consultant or company profile.
-  an updated resume.
-  an overview of relevant experience with facilitating strategy-setting sessions for non-profit and for-profit entities over the past 5 years.
-  a description of the proposed facilitation approach.
-  references from at least three non-profit and/or for-profit clients.
-  a statement of availability.
-  a detailed fee proposal that includes all estimated expenses.