Consultant to Design and Facilitate an Innovation and Learning Lab with Dan Church Aid

BTDC-ID: 35444

Closing Date: 03-Jul-2025

Consultant to Design and Facilitate an Innovation and Learning Lab

Office Address

#51 Building CLY Apartment 3rd floor Street 302 corner of Street 63 Village 7 Boeng Keng Kang Ti Muoy , Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Contact Name

Pen Socheata

Phone

077 663 651

Email

TO: sope@dca.dk

Website

www.danchurchaid.org/

Announcement Description

DCA established its first office in Cambodia in 1997 after having supported partners since its inception in 1979. Currently, DCA's global strategy focuses on three areas: 'Fight Extreme Inequality' supporting active citizenship and human rights work, 'Save lives' focused on flood and drought humanitarian response, and 'Build Resilient Communities' boosting right to food, sustainable livelihoods, and agroecological food system. DCA approach is working through implementing partners, both NGOs and line Ministries. Up to 2025 DCA Cambodia is cooperating with more than 22 partners to implement various projects.

In today’s complex and fast-changing development landscape, civil society organisations (CSOs) face mounting challenges — from limited resources to growing social needs. To remain effective and resilient, CSOs must embrace adaptive thinking and explore innovative, context-appropriate solutions to address evolving social issues. Innovation, understood as the ability to design, test, and scale new approaches or improve existing practices, is increasingly essential for sustained impact.

Against this backdrop, DCA Cambodia seeks a consultant to design, develop, and facilitate an Innovation Learning Lab tailored for mid- to senior-level professionals in the development sector. The Lab will foster a culture of creativity and continuous learning, equipping CSO leaders and practitioners with practical tools, tailored mentorship, peer learning, and hands-on exercises. Participants will be supported to generate fresh ideas, pilot new solutions, and build stronger, more adaptive organisations in an increasingly dynamic environment.

Consultant to Design and Facilitate an Innovation and Learning Lab

Career Category: Consultancy
Location: Phnom Penh

Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this consultancy is to strengthen the capacity and confidence of civil society leaders and practitioners in Cambodia to apply innovative approaches in their work, through practical mentorship, tools, and peer learning. Aiming not only to build technical skills but also to foster a mindset shift toward openness, creativity, and adaptive problem-solving in response to the complex challenges faced by the development sector.

Timeframe and Duration

The consultant is expected to start in July 2025 for a maximum period of 12 months. You can find the draft outline of the programme timeline in the attached request for proposals page 20.

Location of Assignment

This assignment will take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and training sessions will be done in person at DCA office or online depending on the availability of the consultant/participants’ preference.

Note: Please refer to the ToR attachment below for the Scope of Work and Deliverables.

The consultant team can consist of 1 or 2 persons max; it is preferred that at least one of the team members can speak Khmer. It is preferred if the consultant (s) is physically based in Phnom Pehn during the consulting period but not essential. The lead consultant should possess the following expertise:
Proven experience in designing, developing, and facilitating innovation-focused programs/ labs and capacity-building programs in the development, social impact, or civil society sectors.
Strong understanding of innovation methodologies, tools, and approaches (e.g. human-centered design, systems thinking, problem-solving frameworks, adaptive leadership) and their application within resource-constrained or rights-based contexts.
Proven expertise on the cross-cutting issues such as Rights Based Approach, Gender and social Inclusion.
Excellent facilitation, coaching, and mentorship skills, with the ability to engage diverse groups, complex nature of work/programs foster creative thinking, and support practical application of new concepts.
Strong track record of producing high-quality resources, tools, and reports tailored to different audiences, including mentorship guides, workshop materials, and training resources.
Relevant academic qualifications in innovation, organisational development, social entrepreneurship, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and cross-cultural collaboration skills, with a commitment to participatory, inclusive, and locally led approaches.
Experience of working with and understanding the context in Cambodia is required.

Interested applicants are invited to submit a proposal of no more than 10 pages, clearly demonstrating how the consultant(s) meet the stated criteria. The proposal should include:

A detailed explanation of the proposed methodology and approach tailored to the needs of mid- to senior-level professionals working in the development sector.
An explanation of how the Lab will be developed in a consultative manner with participants, including strategies to ensure participant engagement and sustained commitment throughout the program.
A summary of relevant experience in designing and delivering similar programs for civil society organisations (CSOs), including concrete examples of successful outcomes and impact.
A high-level timeline outlining key activities and milestones, along with the anticipated time commitment required from participants.
An explanation of how the Lab will strengthen key competencies, such as leadership, adaptive thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.
A clear articulation of what success will look like within a short 12-month timeframe, including realistic and measurable indicators. Applicants should outline how progress and impact will be assessed, and what outcomes can reasonably be expected given the limited duration of the program.
Applicants are also required to provide a lump sum financial proposal in USD, inclusive of all applicable taxes, to cover the full scope of work as outlined in the Terms of Reference (TOR).
Please note:
Training venue, materials, and refreshments will be provided by DCA and should not be included in the consultant’s fee.
If not based in Phnom Penh, travel expenses should be included in the financial proposal and travel should align with the workplan.

Please see more details about the Submission Requirements in the attachment below.

Attachment

Office Address