Consultant for ICSP Syria Learning Initiative on Integrated Programming

## 1. Background

Trócaire received funding from Irish Aid under the five-year Ireland Civil Society Partnership (ICSP – 2023-2027) funding scheme to implement a programme in Syria. The program supports crisis-affected communities through a multi-sectoral response in a complex and protracted context. Programming has included basic assistance, livelihoods and early recovery, protection and referral pathways, and social cohesion, implemented through local partners and in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

As part of its strategic direction, Trócaire is seeking to strengthen integrated programming approaches that better respond to intersecting vulnerabilities and support more coherent pathways between sectors. The Syria programme has generated implementation experience over recent years, including lessons related to sequencing, referrals, coordination, package design, partner roles, and the enabling environment for integration.

To support programme adaptation in the current funding period and future decision-making, Trócaire intends to commission a consultant to lead an applied learning initiative focused on integrated programming in Syria. This initiative is intended to generate practical learning for programme improvementand future design for Trócaire and its partners.

## 2. Purpose of the consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to document, analyse, and synthesise practical learning on how integrated programming has been designed and implemented under the ICSP Syria programme from 2023 to 2026, and to translate that learning into clear and actionable recommendations, tools, and guidance for future programming.

The review is undertaken for learning and improvement purposes only and should not be understood as a formal evaluation. The consultancy should build on existing evaluations, monitoring evidence, programme documentation, partner reflections, and limited primary qualitative inquiry to interpret what has worked well, what has been challenging, under what conditions integration has been more or less appropriate, and what practical improvements are needed going forward.

## 3. Objective

The overall objective of the consultancy is to strengthen Trócaire Syria’s understanding and practice of integrated programming by generating learning on the processes, mechanisms, enabling conditions, constraints, and practical outcomes associated with integrated approaches under ICSP.

## 4. Specific objectives

- Document how integrated programming has been understood and applied in practice within the Syria ICSP portfolio from 2023 to 2026.
- Identify key enabling factors, bottlenecks, and implementation conditions affecting integration, including issues related to sequencing, referrals, coordination, targeting, package assignment, partner roles, and access.
- Analyse how existing evidence and stakeholder experience suggest integrated pathways have functioned in practice, including what appears to have added value and where important limitations or risks have emerged.
- To understand the perceived added value, limitations and risks of integrated support compared to more stand-alone or fragmented assistance, based on available evidence and stakeholder experience.
- Examine how integrated programming interacts with specialised protection services, particularly GBV-related response services relevant integration supports complementarity and where it may risk compromising service quality, confidentiality, safeguarding, or survivor-centred approaches.
- Differentiate between contexts or cases where integrated service packages are appropriate and those were standalone, specialised, or protection-led responses may be more suitable.
- Produce practical recommendations and tools to support more coherent, safe, and context-appropriate integrated programming in future cycles.

## 5. Scope of work

The consultant is expected to review and synthesis learning related to integrated programming across relevant sectors and pathways, which may include, but are not limited to: basic assistance and referral pathways; livelihoods (vocational training (VT), apprenticeship pathways, business development training (BDT), grants and business support) and early recovery pathways; protection-linked integration and referral mechanisms; social cohesion and community-level dimensions where relevant; and engagement with specialised actors, institutions, and service providers that shape the enabling environment for integration.

Particular attention should be given to practical implementation questions such as how integration was planned, understood, and operationalised by Trócaire and its partners; how decisions were made around sequencing and package assignment; how referrals worked in practice, including follow-up and drop-off points; how roles and responsibilities were shared across teams and partners; how partner profiles and technical mandates influenced integration; what conditions enabled or constrained integration; what risk