1-Request for Proposals- Fixer Teams initiative.pdf

Request for Proposals (RFP): Discovery, Design, and Prototyping Support for Network Solutions Lab at Ipas

Background

Ipas is a global organization working through an interconnected Impact Network of country and regional nodes, service nodes, Network teams, leadership bodies, and communities.

As part of its commitment to shared leadership and continuous improvement, Ipas regularly gathers feedback from staff (Netizens) on their experiences of working across the Network. Recent Network Evaluation findings highlighted several recurring challenges that affect day-to-day work, including operational processes, access to information, visibility into decisions, follow-through on feedback, and collaboration across nodes.

To respond to these challenges, NetCARE is inviting proposals to support a Network Solutions Lab referred to internally as the Fixer Teams initiative. The initiative is designed to routinely address a small number of high-priority, recurring issues that create friction and limit productivity across the Network through time-bound, quick action teams. Using a user-centered and participatory approach, Fixer Teams bring together people closest to a challenge to better understand the problem, explore solutions, test ideas, and recommend practical improvements.

For FY27, three priority areas identified through Netizen feedback require support that combines human-centered design methods with a systems-thinking lens to co-create, test, and recommend practical solutions for implementation. They include:

1. High-friction operational workflows

2. Decision visibility and feedback follow-through

3. Cross-node collaboration

Ipas is seeking an experienced design partner to lead the discovery, co-design, prototyping, and validation of practical solutions for three priority challenges identified through Network Evaluation feedback. The specific challenge to be addressed within each priority area will be refined and agreed upon during inception. The partner will work with Netizens, process owners, and NetCARE to develop user-informed recommendations that can be implemented across the Network.

Consultancy Objective

The objective of this assignment is to identify the root causes of three priority challenges highlighted through Network Evaluation feedback and co-create, test, and refine practical solutions that improve how people work across the Ipas Impact Network.

The selected consultant or firm will work with Netizens, process owners, and NetCARE to:

• Understand the underlying causes of identified challenges.

• Define and prioritize problems to be addressed

• Engage users in shaping potential solutions.

• Test and refine promising ideas.

• Provide practical recommendations and implementation considerations.

• Strengthen internal capacity to use user-centered design approaches in future Fixer Team efforts.

Scope of Work

The consultant will support discovery, co-design, prototyping, validation, and the development of implementation-ready recommendations across the following three priority areas:

High-Friction Operational Workflows

Explore challenges related to operational and administrative processes. This includes identifying specific issues of concern across areas such as procurement, payments, and financial monitoring. The goal is to identify where friction exists and determine whether improvements are needed in process design, systems, guidance, training, or a combination of these factors.

Decision Visibility and Feedback Follow-Through

Work with staff and leaders to better understand expectations around transparency, decision-making, and how feedback is acted upon. The engagement should help identify practical ways to improve visibility into decisions, ownership, rationale, and follow-through.

Cross-Node Collaboration

Examine barriers that limit collaboration, knowledge sharing, and access to expertise across the Network. The engagement should identify opportunities to strengthen connections and make it easier for people to work together across teams, functions, and geographies.

The consultant will be expected to:

• Conduct user research and stakeholder engagement.

• Analyze current experiences, workflows, and barriers.

• Facilitate co-design sessions and workshops.

• Develop and test solution concepts.

• Validate findings with users and stakeholders.

• Produce practical recommendations and implementation options.

• Share methods, tools, and learning that can support future Fixer Teams work.

Engagement Approach

The assignment should use an inclusive, participatory approach that enables meaningful engagement across functions, nodes, geographies, and languages. The consultant should propose methods that are proportionate to each priority area, minimize demands on staff time, and provide regular opportunities for NetCARE, process owners, and users to review and validate emerging findings.

Deliverables

The selected consultant or firm will be expected to provide:

• Inception Report, including methodology, work plan, and stakeholder engagement approach.

• Discovery Findings Report, summarizing key insights, root causes, and validated problem statements.

• Prototype and Validation Package, documenting the solution concepts developed for each priority area, the testing approach, user feedback, refinements made, and evidence supporting the final recommendations.

• Final Recommendations Report, including proposed solutions, implementation considerations, ownership recommendations, and success measures.

• Knowledge Transfer Package, consisting of reusable tools, templates, facilitation guides, and practical guidance that enable NetCARE and future Fixer Teams to apply user-centered design methods independently.

• Final Presentation of findings and recommendations.

Required Qualifications

Interested consultants or firms should demonstrate:

Required Experience

• Strong experience in user-centered design, service design, systems thinking, organizational development, or related disciplines.

• Experience leading discovery, facilitation, co-design, and prototyping processes.

• Experience working on complex organizational or operational challenges involving multiple stakeholder groups and multi-disciplinary teams across geographies.

• Strong qualitative research and facilitation skills.

• Experience working with geographically distributed organizations or networks.

• Ability to translate insights into practical, actionable recommendations.

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting international NGOs, global networks, or mission-driven organizations.

• Experience improving operational processes, employee experience, collaboration systems, or organizational transparency.

• Experience translating systems insights into practical, testable interventions.

• Experience working across multicultural and multilingual environments.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the bidder’s understanding of the assignment; the relevance and feasibility of the proposed methodology and work plan; demonstrated experience with comparable organizational challenges; the qualifications and availability of the proposed team; the strength of the approach to participation, learning, and knowledge transfer; and overall value for money.

Timeline and Selection Process

• RFP release date: 2nd October 2026

• Deadline for submission of questions: 23rd October 2026

• Proposal submission deadline: 30th October 2026

• Consultant selection and notification: 6th November 2026

• Anticipated project start date: 16th November 2026

• Expected completion date: April 30th 2027 [Note- completion dates would vary for different deliverables/work scopes]

Proposal Submission Requirements

Interested firms should submit:

1. Technical proposal outlining their understanding of the assignment and proposed approach.

2. Proposed work plan and timeline.

3. Description of relevant experience and examples of similar assignments.

4. CVs or profiles of key personnel.

5. Financial proposal, including professional fees, anticipated expenses, applicable taxes, payment assumptions, and a clear breakdown of costs by phase or deliverable.

Submission Instructions

Questions regarding this RFP should be submitted through the Portal or directed to Yinka Abiola Adojutelegan at AbiolaA@ipas.org.

Proposals should be submitted electronically via the Ipas procurement portal within the stipulated time window. Submissions by email will not be accepted.

mailto:AbiolaA@ipas.org