Consultancy for advisory services on the procurement and management of Individual Expertise for Syria operations

Post Title: Consultancy for advisory services on the procurement and management of Individual Expertise for Syria operations.Location of assignment: SyriaStarting date: 1st of May 2026Duration of assignment: 12 months, with up to 60 working days1. INTRODUCTIONExpertise France is France’s public agency and interministerial actor in charge of international technical cooperation, the second-largest in Europe. As a subsidiary of Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group), it designs and implements projects that sustainably strengthen public policies in developing and emerging countries. Expertise France works in key areas of development: governance, security, climate change, health, education, and more. Alongside its partners, it contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within its Peace, Stability and Security Department, the Stabilization & Resilience Unit delivers multi-sectoral recovery programs in fragile and conflict-affected contexts through an integrated territorial approach that bridges emergency response and long-term resilience. In particular, EF has developed a strong track record in stabilizing essential services, including health systems, in crisis-affected regions through tailored, locally grounded solutions.2. CONTEXTIn Syria, EF has maintained a continuous presence since 2013, initially in non-regime areas of Northwest Syria (NOS), and expanding to Northeast Syria (NES) from 2019. Its programming has mobilized over €74.8 million across 25 projects and reached more than 3.8 million direct beneficiaries in sectors such as Health, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), Civil Society Support, Women Empowerment, and Climate Change Response. Through this approach, EF has restored access to essential services (health, electricity, water), supported economic recovery (agriculture, MSMEs, vocational training), and strengthened local civil society. To date, EF has collaborated with over 90 local CSOs, awarded more than 150 grants, and built a strong, trusted network that is central to its localized and participatory method of intervention.Since 2013, Expertise France (EF) operated through Syrian implementing partners and locally hired individual experts. Since December 2024, the political transition allows EF to resume work with the Syrian authorities and to implement projects throughout the country. In this context, EF identifies the need to benefit from the services of a consultant / consulting company for advice on the procurement and management of Individual Expertise in Syria.3. ASSIGNMENTWorking under the authority and supervision of the Syria Programmes Director (PC) of EF and the Syria Head of HR and Finance, both based in Erbil, the consultant’s main mission would be to advise EF on Syrian laws and regulations pertaining to the procurement of work services, to provide a benchmarking of perdiems and consultancy fees to help establish an appropriate and market-aligned scale of payment for individual experts, with a particular attention to potential differences across the country, and to conduct a market study on existing options for digital payments. In addition, EF may require punctual advisory services on specific topics pertaining to Syrian labor laws and regulations, procurement and vacancy websites, pools of experts etc.4. DELIVERABLESThe consultant/consulting company shall provide advisory services and tangible outputs aligned with the objectives of this assignment. All deliverables must be submitted in English, in both editable and PDF formats, and validated by EF’s Syria Programs Director.Key Deliverables1. Inception Report * Detailed understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, work plan, and timeline for deliverables. * Identification of key data sources, stakeholders, and potential limitations.(Due within 10 working days from contract start date)1. Legal and Regulatory Advisory Note * Summary of Syrian laws and regulations relevant to the procurement and management of individual expertise (consultants, daily workers, and experts). * Guidance on legal obligations related to taxation, contracting, and social security contributions for both national and international experts. * Practical recommendations for EF’s compliance and operational setup. 2. Benchmarking Study and Salary Scale * Comprehensive benchmarking of consultancy fees, daily rates, and per diems across Syria (covering Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia, Deir-ez-Zor, Raqqa, Hasakeh, or by Region, such as North East, North West, etc.). * Comparison with scales used by iNGOs, UN agencies, private sector, and local organizations. * Recommendations for a standardized EF Syria salary scale and daily rate grid that ensures competitiveness, equity, and compliance with local market conditions. * Final Salary and Daily Rate Scale for EF Syria operations, with clear justification of bands by: * Expertise level (junior, mid-level, senior) * Function (technical, support, coordination) * Location-based cost-of-living differentials 3. Market Study on Digital Payment Solutions * Assessment of available digital and electronic payment mechanisms in Syria, including mobile wallets, bank transfers, and third-party intermediaries. * Evaluation of each option’s accessibility, security, compliance with local regulations, and operational feasibility. * Clear recommendations for EF’s payment management of individual experts and service providers. 4. Standardized Tools and Templates * Draft template Terms of Reference (ToR) for individual experts. * Adapt EF standard service contract to be in line with Syrian regulations. * Guidance notes on recruitment channels (vacancy platforms, networks, expert rosters). * List of reliable recruitment portals or talent pools in Syria. 5. Final Advisory Report * Comprehensive synthesis of all findings, recommendations, and validated scales. * Executive summary and annexes containing supporting data, templates, and legal references. * Presentation of the findings to EF management (in-person or online).5. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONTRACTThe provisional amount of the contract is fixed at a maximum of USD 30,000.The provisional term of the contract is 12 months from its award date. The anticipated award date is 01/05/2026. The contract may be renewed for another 6 months.6. CANDIDATE PROFILEThe candidate should be an individual/a company registered in Syria with proven experience in the field of HR services and/or recruitment assistance services or similar. Experience with other international organizations operating in Syria would be an asset.7. ELIGIBILITY & EVALUATION CRITERIATo be considered eligible for evaluation, applicants must meet all of the following conditions:* The application must be submitted before the official deadline specified * The applicant must provide valid and verifiable proof of registration within Syria. * The application must be complete in all respects, including the submission of all required documents as outlined in the instructions above (submission process)CRITERIA WEIGHTTechnical Proposal: 60Understanding of assignment: 15Methodology: 15Experience and capability: 15Staffing: 15Financial Proposal: 40HOW TO APPLYSUBMISSION PROCESSCandidates must submit the following application documents:* Proof of formal registration in Syria * Evidence of compliance with social and tax obligations in Syria * List of references and credentials relevant to the object of the contract, stating the names and phone numbers of the competent contact persons * CVs of human resources relevant to the object of the contract * Technical offer: Understanding of the assignment, methodology, organization, staffing and practical arrangements * Financial offer including all types of expensesAll inquiries must be sent via email to [email protected] no later than March 31st, 2026, at 11:59 PM (Baghdad time). Expertise France will provide responses to all submitted questions within five (5) working days, or sooner where possible. To ensure proper processing, the email subject line must be clearly stated as: Question - Advisory services on the procurement and management of Individual Expertise for Syria.Interested applicants are required to submit their applications, along with all supporting documents, no later than April 12th, 2026, at 11:59 PM (Baghdad time) to [email protected] , with the email subject line clearly stating "Advisory services on the procurement and management of Individual Expertise for Syria"Please note that our email server can receive files up to a maximum size of 9 MB. Applications exceeding this limit will not be delivered to the tender email address. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to compress your application into a ZIP file or submit it via an easily accessible online platform to ensure successful delivery.