Consultancy Services to Develop a Five-Year Strategic Plan (2026–2030) for the Ethiopian Business and Disability Network (EBDN)

Background   The Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) is a non-governmental, non-partisan, and non-profit organization committed to promoting the rights and opportunities of persons with disabilities through policy advocacy and the mainstreaming of disability inclusion in service delivery, development programs, and humanitarian actions. Established in 2005 and re-registered by the Agency for Civil Society Organizations in 2019, ECDD works toward an inclusive Ethiopia where persons with disabilities exercise their human rights and access mainstream services on an equal basis. ECDD envisions an inclusive Ethiopia, where children, youth, and adults with disabilities, regardless of gender or type of disability, as well as their parents and families, exercise their human rights and have access mainstream services and opportunities on an equal basis enjoyed by other citizens.   The Ethiopian Business and Disability Network (EBDN), established in 2015 by ECDD with support from ILO Ethiopia, addresses disability as a diversity issue from a business perspective. Through knowledge sharing, joint action, technical skill development, and corporate social responsibility initiatives, EBDN fosters inclusive workplace cultures that promote the hiring, retention, and professional development of persons with disabilities. Since joining the ILO Global Business and Disability Network in 2016, EBDN has grown to include more than 120 member companies and business organizations committed to disability-inclusive employment.    To further strengthen EBDN’s work and ensure its sustainability, ECDD, with the financial support of Light for the World (LFW) under the current project “Promoting Employment of Persons with Disabilities through the WE CAN WORK Program”, plans to develop a robust five-year (2026–2030) strategic plan that will define the future strategic direction of EBDN. To this end, ECDD seeks a highly qualified external consultant to lead the strategic plan development.       General Objectives   To develop a comprehensive, realistic, evidence-based, result-oriented and actionable five-year strategic plan (2026

• 1. that advances EBDN’s mission of disability inclusion while strengthening its sustainability and impact within Ethiopia’s business sector   Specific Objectives   Conduct a detailed situational assessment of EBDN’s operating environment, achievements, challenges, opportunities and risks within the broader context of disability inclusion in the Ethiopian labor market. Review relevant national and international frameworks on disability-inclusive employment Review and integrate best practices from other Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) members in Africa and beyond. Facilitate an inclusive and participatory review of EBDN’s vision, mission, and values and strategic planning process involving key stakeholders. Develop a five-year Strategic Plan with clear strategic goals, objectives, result framework and implementation roadmap for 2026–2030. Establish robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework with clear indicators and an implementation roadmap. Propose an institutional sustainability and resource mobilization strategy    Scope of Work    The consultant will implement the strategic plan development process through an organized, phased approach that incorporates desk reviews, stakeholder consultations, analytical assessments, and validation exercises. The assignment will include, but not be limited to, the following responsibilities:   Phase 1: Inception  Review relevant documents (previous EBDN plans, reports, membership data, partnership agreements, project documents, etc.). Conduct initial consultations with ECDD leadership Submit an Inception Report outlining understanding of the assignment, refined approach, and detailed work plan.     Phase I: Situation Analysis   The consultant will prepare a comprehensive situation analysis report by: Conduct a comprehensive organizational and strategic assessment of EBDN, including: Governance and institutional structure Membership engagement and growth trends Service delivery model Financial sustainability Partnerships and stakeholder relationships Communication and visibility Conduct a SWOT and/or PESTLE analysis clarifying the institutional positioning of EBDN within ECDD Examining external documents such as national and international disability-focused legal frameworks, best practices from the Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN), and other national business disability networks (NBDN) including Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia and others. Conduct consultations with key stakeholders, including ECDD management, government agencies, organizations of persons with disabilities, non-governmental development partners, BDN member companies, business associations, chambers of commerce, and HR professional bodies. Ensure meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and gender responsiveness. Phase II: Strategy Development   In this phase, the consultant will: Facilitate strategic planning workshops with relevant stakeholders to synthesize findings from the situation analysis. Develop draft strategic pillars or priority thematic areas that reflect EBDN’s future direction. Review and refine EBDN’s guiding statements (vision, mission, and values) to ensure alignment with long-term objectives. Phase III: Finalization and Validation   In the final phase, the consultant will: Produce a comprehensive and actionable strategic plan incorporating all agreed components, including a detailed Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework. Present the draft strategic plan to key stakeholders during a validation workshop. Integrate stakeholder feedback into the final document. Submit the finalized strategic plan in both PDF and Word formats. Provide a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the strategy Methodology (To be proposed by the consultant) The consultant is required to propose a clear, participatory, inclusive, and results-oriented methodology for conducting the assignment. The proposal should clearly outline: Overall approach and conceptual framework; Data collection methods (qualitative and/or quantitative); Stakeholder engagement strategy; Tools for analysis (e.g., SWOT, theory of change, stakeholder mapping, etc.); Approach to integrating disability inclusion and gender considerations; Approach to developing measurable indicators and results framework; Quality assurance mechanisms; Detailed work plan and timeline. Note: The proposed methodology will be evaluated and scored as part of the technical proposal.   Key Deliverables: Inception Report: Methodology, work plan, timeline, and data collection tools. Situational Analysis Report: Desk review findings, stakeholder consultation summary, SWOT and PESTEL analysis. Draft Five-Year Strategic Plan: Refined vision, mission, values, objectives, strategic pillars/goals, result framework, implementation roadmap and MEL framework. Validation Workshop Presentation: Draft plan presented to stakeholders. Final Strategic Plan: Comprehensive, actionable plan submitted in electronic format (PDF and Word).           2. Duration of the Assignment The assignment is expected to be completed within 60 calendar days from the date of contract g.