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Terms of Reference (ToR)

Consultancy Service to Develop a Five-Year Strategic Plan (2026-2030)

Background

Open Development Cambodia (ODC) is an ‘open data’ website, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, established in 2011 and officially registered as a local NGO in 2015. ODC provides objective, reliable, and politically neutral data to promote transparency, public participation, and informed decision-making in Cambodia’s development. The organization aggregates publicly available data from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector, making it accessible through interactive maps, datasets, infographics, and analytical tools.

In addition to maintaining a comprehensive information platform, ODC conducts capacity-building activities, including data literacy training, open data workshops, and public outreach events, to strengthen understanding and use of open data among youth, communities, journalists, government officials, children and civil society actors. By making information freely accessible and encouraging evidence-based engagement, ODC plays a critical role in enhancing openness, accountability, and informed public dialogue across key sectors such as land, environment, governance, economic and social development in Cambodia.
Under its current Five-Year Strategic Plan (2021-2025), ODC’s vision is for Cambodian people to have the data and objective information they need to empower their lives, and its mission is to make such information accessible to all. Guided by four core values – Openness, Neutrality, Innovation and Learning, and Partnership – ODC focuses on enriching the content of its platforms, expanding its reach to new user groups, building and strengthening strategic partnerships, and diversifying its services, including training programs and consultancy offerings.

To strengthen its organizational capacity and sharpen its strategic direction, ODC is developing a comprehensive Five-Year Strategic Plan (2026–2030). This plan will establish a refined vision and mission, set clear strategic priorities, and outline actionable pathways to ensure sustainable growth and long-term impact. In addition to guiding the organization’s social mandate, the process will incorporate recommendations from the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) on the development and optimization of ODC’s commercial arm, ensuring that mission-driven and revenue-generating activities are strategically aligned, operationally efficient, and mutually reinforcing.

Objective of the Consultancy

The consultancy aims to support ODC in developing a formal, actionable, and evidence-based Five-Year Strategic Plan. The plan will guide ODC’s organizational assessment, stakeholder engagement, strategy formulation, and the creation of a dual sustainability model consisting of ODC’s social arm and commercial arm from 2026 to 2030.

The consultant/team of consultants is expected to carry out the following tasks to achieve the above-mentioned objectives.

1. Organizational and External Assessment

• • Conduct a comprehensive organizational assessment, reviewing ODC’s internal capacity, governance structure, program performance, human resources, policies, and operational models to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement.
  • Facilitate a thorough external analysis, examining Cambodia’s open data ecosystem, civic technology landscape, legal and policy framework, stakeholder networks, and emerging trends relevant to ODC’s mandate. The analysis should also assess opportunities for advocacy on government data transparency, regional collaboration, and alignment with national and international priorities.

2. Stakeholder Engagement and Strategy Formulation

• • Lead participatory stakeholder consultations with the Board Members, management team, staff at all levels, beneficiaries, partners, relevant government agencies, private sectors, civil society organizations, and donors to gather diverse insights, specifically exploring needs and expectations related to citizen-generated data, accessible data visualization, civic tech innovations, and ODC’s role in the wider open data community.
  • Support ODC in refining its Vision, Mission, and Core Values for the 2026-2030 period.
  • Guide the development of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) strategic goals and objectives, ensuring strong alignment with ODC’s core thematic pillars and long-term strategic vision.
  • Develop key strategies, approaches, and priority action areas under each strategic objective to ensure clear pathways for implementation.

3. Organizational Alignment and Resource Strategy

• • Social arm resource mobilization
    • Map existing and potential donors, funding initiatives, regional programs, and strategic opportunities aligned with ODC’s mission.
    • Assess the internal capabilities required to deliver the social arm mandate efficiently.
    • Conduct a risk analysis related to financial stability, mission drift, donor dependency, and reputational concerns.
    • Recommend improvements related to staffing, systems, governance, data management, research quality, and project oversight.
    • Recommend a diversified funding strategy including grants, long-term partnerships, joint initiatives, and advocacy collaborations.
    • Recommend mechanisms for sustainability, including improved donor relations and partnership-driven programming.
  • Commercial Arm
    • Conduct a market assessment to determine viable revenue-generating services.
    • Evaluate competitors, pricing rules, and client segments in Cambodia and the region.
    • Develop pricing mechanisms for data packages, training, custom services, and subscriptions.
    • Propose a team structure that separates social and commercial workstreams while ensuring operational coordination.
    • Analyze risks including financial viability, limited market demand, staff diversion, brand risks, and legal compliance issues.
    • Propose mitigation strategies aligned with ODC’s organizational safeguards.
    • Recommend the most suitable business model for ODC.

4. Integrated Strategic Plan Development

• Prepare a well-structured, coherent Five-Year Strategic Plan (2026-2030) covering the social arm.
• Prepare a separate, coherent Three-Year Strategy (2026-2028) for the commercial arm.
• Ensure both strategies are mutually reinforcing, aligned with organizational values, and operationally viable.
• Provide a comprehensive implementation framework, including KPIs, timelines, budget considerations, and governance models.

5. Deliver presentation and facilitate the Strategic Workshop with ODC Board Members, Management Team and staff at all levels. The workshop should validate assessment findings, collectively refine strategic directions, and build internal alignment for the dual-arm strategy.

6. The Strategic Plan will be developed through a participatory process. Final approval authority rests with the ODC Board of Directors. The consultant will work closely with a designated ODC focal point and the management team to make sure timely feedback, validation of findings.

Timeframe

The consultant/team of consultants is expected to spend approximately three months to complete this assignment (from February – April 2026).

Deliverables

The consultant/team of consultants is expected to produce the following deliverables:

Qualifications and Experience:

• • At least five years of proven experience in strategic planning, organizational development, or related consultancy work for businesses, NGOs or civil society organizations.
  • Strong understanding of open data, digital governance, or transparency sectors is highly preferred.
  • Demonstrated skills in facilitation, analysis, and stakeholder engagement, with the ability to lead participatory and consultative processes.
  • Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Application process

Interested consultants (individuals, firms, or institutions) are invited to submit a comprehensive application package that includes the following:

• • A description of the consultant’s approach to completing the assignment, including the proposed methodology and any suggestions for strengthening or enhancing ODC’s strategic planning process.
  • A detailed description covering the proposed budget for all workshops, field trips, and data collection activities.
  • A draft timeline covering all stages of the assignment, from initial planning and consultations to the completion and submission of the final report.
  • A draft estimate and full budget for the assignment, including professional fees, required resources, and any other anticipated costs.
  • A work profile that includes a reverse chronological list of similar projects or assignments completed, along with samples of previous relevant work.
  • Contact information for at least two professional references.

Application information

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and a detailed CV with at least two referees, by using the contact details below:

• • Deadline for submitting applications is on January 30, 2026, at 5:00 pm Phnom Penh Time.
  • Email Subject of the application: ODC’s Five-Year Strategic Plan Consultant
  • Applications will be accepted by email ONLY: recruitment@opendevcam.net
  • Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
  • ODC does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

Note: Maximum file size for attachments is only 15MB.

For more detail information, please contact tocontact@opendevcam.net.