HOPE, Port-Sudan Office 

Terms of Reference (TOR)

14 Oct 2026

No. HOPE/2026/102

Position / Consultancy Title: FSL Consultant – for Development of Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Manual Guideline

Duty Station: Port Sudan/ Khartoum (50% physical presence in Port Sudan / 50% Work from Home)

Propose Duration of consultancy: 2 Months 

Start Date: Immediately

Reports to: Central Programs Manager with copy to Country Director

Total Payment for this assignment: 3,000 USD (the payment will be in SDG currency using bank rate).

Consultancy application deadline: 28 Oct 2026

Where announced: Sudan Jobs and Sudan Bids

1. Background

HOPE is dedicated to delivering impactful humanitarian and developmental interventions to vulnerable populations. In response to ongoing food security challenges and operational requirements in Sudan, HOPE is strengthening its FSL programming. To ensure standardized, high-quality, efficient, and compliant project design and implementation across all field locations, HOPE requires the development of comprehensive Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

2. Objective of the Consultancy

The primary objective of this consultancy is to draft, refine, and finalize a Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and manuals guideline for HOPE’s Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) interventions. The SOPs will align with international humanitarian standards (e.g., Sphere, SEADS, FAO guidelines), local Sudanese context, donor requirements, and HOPE organizational standards.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of HOPE management, dividing time between remote deliverables (50% working from home) and in-person engagement, stakeholder interviews, and validation workshops (50% on-site in Port Sudan).

The SOPs and Manuals guideline for FSL should include the below related activities and roles:

1. Provision of agricultural inputs and services including distribute of stable crops seeds, vegetable seeds and agricultural planting & harvesting tools.
2. Capacity Development for smallholder farmers on the usage of agricultural technologies includes mentorship and agricultural extension.
3. Support irrigated farms and demonstration farms (school farms).
4. Establish/ refresh community Agricultural cooperatives and Value Chains Development for cash crop (groundnuts, sesame, sorghum, vegetable, fruits).
5. Establish/ refresh community General Cooperatives.
6. Livestock support services include vaccination, treatment, deworming, and capacity building.
7. Support Crop and Livestock Protection Committees to prevent and mitigate violations of access to natural resources by farmers and pastoralists.
8. Support community Kitchens to distribute hoot meal.
9. Provision of Food Baskets/ Items.
10. Women Empowerment and Provision livelihood assets/ start-up grant on vegetable trade, Soap Making, Perfumes Making, Tailoring, Food Processing, Handcrafts, and Festival renting equipment.
11. Vocational training for youth on Welding, Auto-mechanic, Tractor repair & maintenance, Tractor & pump operator, Tricycle repair & maintenance, Mobile phone repair and maintenance, General Electricity, and Bricks Making.           
12. Provision of Business training and Entrepreneurship training.
13. Establish and support Village Savings & Loan Association (VSLA).
14. Establish and support Agro-business and Human Resource Development for small-scales.
15. Provision of milking goats, and Fishing activity.
16. Capacity building on Microfinance, and provision of Income Generating Activities (IGAs).

Key tasks include:

1. Desk Review & Inception Phase:
   • Review HOPE’s existing strategy documents, FSL project proposals, assessment reports, partner agreements, and relevant national guidelines/clusters documents in Sudan.
   • Conduct an inception briefing with HOPE management and submit an Inception Report outlining the methodology, work plan, structure of the SOPs, and interview schedules.
2. Stakeholder Engagement & Assessment (Port Sudan & Remote):
   • Conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions with internal staff, technical specialists, field officers, relevant technical working groups (FSL Cluster), and partners in Port Sudan.
   • Map core FSL processes including targeted food distributions, cash and voucher assistance (CVA) for FSL aspects, agricultural input distributions, livestock support, vocational training, and income-generating activities (IGAs).
3. Drafting the FSL Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Manual Guideline:
   • Draft clear, practical, step-by-step procedures covering all phases of the FSL project cycle:
     • Needs Assessment & Targeting: Community engagement, vulnerability criteria, registration, and verification.
     • Implementation Modalities: Cash/Voucher distribution protocols, in-kind food distribution, agricultural/livestock input delivery, and business grant administration.

• Coops, VSLA, and Agri-business: Membership, roles, regular meeting, and reporting templets.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL): PDM (Post-Distribution Monitoring), market price monitoring, beneficiary feedback/complaint response mechanisms (CRM).
• Cross-Cutting Issues: Protection, gender mainstreaming, inclusion of vulnerable groups, and Do No Harm principles.
• Supply Chain & Risk Management: Coordination with procurement/logistics for input quality assurance and market/security risk mitigation.

1. Validation and Finalization:
   • Present the draft SOPs and Manual Guideline in a validation workshop with HOPE program teams and leadership in Port Sudan.
   • Incorporate feedback from key stakeholders and produce the final polished SOP document along with practical annexes (checklists, templates, and reporting forms).

4. Key Deliverables

1. Inception Report & Detailed Work Plan (Within 5 days of start date).
2. First Draft of FSL SOPs and Manual Guideline (Including all relevant annexes and templates).
3. Validation Workshop Presentation & Report (Conducted in Port Sudan).
4. Finalized FSL SOPs and Manual Guideline (Comprehensive, fully edited document in Word and PDF formats).

5. Working Modality & Duty Station

• Duty Station: Port Sudan/ Khartoum (50%) and Home-Based (50%).
• Schedule: The consultant is expected to dedicate specific rotational or block periods in Port Sudan/ Khartoum for field meetings, team consultations, and the validation workshop, while handling research, drafting, and document review from home.
• Duration: December 1, 2026 to 31st January 2027.

6. Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s preferred) in Agricultural Sciences, Development Studies, Economics, Food Security, Humanitarian Affairs, or a related field.
• Experience:
  • Minimum 7–10 years of professional experience in Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) program design, management, and strategy development in complex humanitarian settings.
  • Proven experience in authoring guidelines, SOPs, policy papers, or manuals for international NGOs or UN agencies.
  • Demonstrated familiarity with Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), agricultural interventions, emergency food distributions, and livelihoods restoration.
  • Deep understanding of the humanitarian context and operational environment in Sudan / Port Sudan is highly desirable.
• Competencies:
  • Excellent technical writing, analytical, and communication skills in English (Arabic proficiency is a strong advantage).
  • Ability to facilitate participatory workshops and consultations with multi-disciplinary teams.

7. Application & Proposal Submission

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents:

• Technical Proposal: Updated CV/Resume, cover letter outlining suitability, and a brief draft methodology/work plan.
• Financial Proposal: All-inclusive fee covering daily rates, travel/accommodation considerations for Port Sudan time, and remote work costs.
• Work Samples: 1–2 samples of previous SOPs, manuals, or similar technical documents authored by the applicant

8. Expected Duration and Location and Payment Schedule 

Location & Working Modality

The consultancy will follow a hybrid working model, split as follows:

• 50% Working from Home (WFH): Desk research, tool development, data processing, drafting, and remote coordination.
• 50% In-Person Presence in Port Sudan: Key informant interviews, technical consultations with the FSL cluster and HOPE leadership, stakeholder validation, and final presentation of deliverables.

Duration & Work Plan

The exact timeline and operational duration will be agreed upon between HOPE and the selected FSL Consultant based on the approved methodology and work plan.

The consultant shall submit a detailed work plan indicating the proposed timeline for:

• Phase 1 (Home-Based): Desk review of secondary data, drafting assessment methodology, and designing FSL tools.
• Phase 2 (Port Sudan): Stakeholder engagement, key informant interviews with FSL technical leads/working groups, and field validation.
• Phase 3 (Home-Based & Port Sudan): Data consolidation, analysis, draft report compilation, and final validation workshop with HOPE SMT in Port Sudan.

Payment method and Schedule

The total consultancy fee is USD 3,000 (Three thousand US Dollar only), inclusive of technical fees and remote/home office costs. (Accommodation and travel arrangements for Port Sudan time will be handled as per HOPE standard policies).

Payment will be processed upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of agreed deliverables, subject to HOPE’s financial procedures and the following milestone schedule:

• Tranche 1 (20%): Upon submission and approval of the Inception Report, methodology, and finalized FSL survey tools (Home-Based).
• Tranche 2 (40%): Upon completion of stakeholder engagements in Port Sudan and submission of the Draft FSL Deliverables (SOPs and Manual) and cleaned dataset.
• Tranche 3 (40%): Upon successful facilitation of the validation session in Port Sudan, integration of feedback, and final approval of the Final FSL Deliverables (SOPs and Manual).

9. Confidentiality, Data Ownership, and Protection

All information obtained during the course of this FSL assignment shall be treated with strict confidentiality and used exclusively for the designated scope of work.

All primary and secondary data, survey tools, raw/cleaned datasets, analytical models, maps, draft/final reports, presentations, and supplementary materials developed under this consultancy shall remain the sole property of HOPE.

The consultant shall strictly adhere to humanitarian data protection principles and shall not disclose, reproduce, share, or disseminate any project, beneficiary, or organizational information to third parties without prior written authorization from HOPE leadership.

10. Management and Reporting Line

The consultant will operate under the following line management and reporting structure:

• Direct Line Manager: Reports directly to the Program Manager for all routine assignment deliverables, technical alignment, operational schedules, and day-to-day coordination.
• Executive Oversight: All formal deliverable submissions, inception reports, milestone payment requests, and official correspondence must be submitted to the Program Manager and Cc’d to the Country Director.
• Technical Collaboration: Works closely with Senior MEAL Officers and FSL Technical Leads in Port Sudan regarding data quality, analytical framework verification, and technical reviews

11. Requirements: Only short-listed candidates will be called for oral interview

1. Consultancy application Letter to outline applicant motivation and why you believe you are qualified for this assignment

2. CV including two (2) personal references. 

3. Certificates that supporting CV. 

4. Relevant tasks/ assignment delivered.

5. Written Proposal to deliver this assignment.

The above documents must be sent to HR in Port-Sudan via e-mail of hopesudan.hr@gmail.com