Country: South Sudan
Closing date: 08 Feb 2019
1. Objective and purpose of the consultancy
The Protestant Agency for Diakonia and Development/Bread for the World is searching for a consultancy service to improve the management system of its implementing partners/IPs in South Sudan.
The objective of this consultancy service is to assist its IPs to strengthen their organizational and financial management by enabling them to maintain solid internal structures and systems to meet national, international standards and donor requirements.
The consultancy service will build on already conducted assessments by Bread for the World (BftW) through verification audits.
2. Background
2.1. Financing Partner
Bread for the World is the international development agency of the Protestant Agency for Diakonia and Development (PADD), an organization of the Protestant Churches in Germany based in Berlin. It works with a great variety of faith based and secular civil society partners around the world with whom it shares similar values.
The Horn of Africa Regional Office (RO) works with partners in Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. BftW is working with partners in South Sudan since the inception of the country in 2013. Prior to independence BftW has accompanied partners through its Sudan program.
2.2. Implementing Partners
BftW has currently five partners in South Sudan implementing different development projects in the areas of basic health care, vocational training, higher education as well as functional adult literacy, peace building and reconciliation.
The following describes a brief background of BftW’s partners:
I. AAH-I: Action Africa Help International (AAH-I) is a regional African-led nongovernmental organization that supports livelihood-challenged communities in East and Southern Africa to sustainably improve their well-being and standard of living. Its South Sudan program was started over 20 years ago and is the largest of AAH-I’s five country programs. It is uniquely known for its community empowerment approach for helping refugees, stays, returnees, and host communities get over the effects of war and other forms of conflict.
With the partnership modality of BftW, through its financial support, AAH-I runs Regional Primary Health Care Program in various states and Nurses and Midwives Training School in Maridi.
II. ACROSS: Association of Christian Resource Organization Serving Sudan is an interdenominational, international Christian organization focused on South Sudan, founded in 1972 by four mission societies. ACROSS works to build communities, improve education, strengthen churches, improve livelihoods, and teach about health. Churches, schools, gardens, and health centers alike work with ACROSS to aid in the mutually envisioned development. Through training programs and local resources, ACROSS works to understand and engage root causes of problems from the perspective of those affected. A holistic approach, one for the whole person and whole community, is necessary for creating meaningful relationships and authentic change. Since 2015 ACROSS Head Office is in Juba, South Sudan with a liaison office in Nairobi, Kenya. It has a workforce of around 325 staff, the majority of which are South Sudanese.
III. CDSS: Community Development Support Services was founded in 1995 by seven (7) members from different denominations in Chukudum Eastern Equatoria, Southern Sudan. At that time the organization was known as Christian Development Services (CDS). Over the years, CDSS has been working to enhance the capacity of the communities mainly in the areas of Food security, Livelihoods, Peace Building and Conflict Mitigation. Through a financial support of BftW, CDSS is implementing a livelihood enhancement project with a special focus on youth and women in Torit, Eastern Equatoria state.
IV. RECONCILE: The Resource Center for Civil Leadership is a grassroots NGO based in South Sudan. It strives to help communities and citizens gain the knowledge they need to be active and effective members of peaceful and democratic society. The Organization was established in 2003 as an affiliate church organization by the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC). RECONCILE aims to contribute to Nation Building by facilitating processes for equipping communities in South Sudan and the region with knowledge and skills for sustainable Peace through trauma healing, accountable governance and social transformation. Through BftW’s financial assistance, RECONCILE is implementing Community Empowerment and Peace Building project.
V. SEM: South Sudan Evangelical Mission is a Christian faith based, non-governmental organization, operating in Mundri West, East and Mvolo Counties, in Western Equatoria State; and also, in Wau and River Jur Counties in Western Bahr el Ghazal State; in South Sudan. It was established in 1998 and has a considerable experience working in Southern Sudan with different partners. SEM aims to establish counseling and training centers in its operational areas to the less privileged groups, to rehabilitate them and to enable them undertake income generating activities.
Within the framework of the partnership with BftW, SEM is implementing a project which promotes literacy and economic empowerment as well as peaceful co-existence in Mvolo county.
2.3. Program Description
The following are descriptions of recent projects supported by BftW
a)AAH-I
Project 1:
Regional Primary Health Care Program (RPHC)
Period:
01.06.2018 – 31.05.2020
Budget:
1,600,000 EUR
Location:
Western and Central Equatorial
Project Objective:
Basic health care services utilization with a special focus on others and neonatal children in central and western equatorial is improved
Indicators 1:
DPI' 3 & measles immunization coverage for children is at least 90%.
Indicator 2:
Coverage of fourth anti-natal care visits (minimum of visit recommended by the
WHO) has reached at least 32%
Indicator 3:
Institutional delivery attended by a skilled attendant has reached at least 20%
Project 2:
Maridi Nurses Training School (MNTS)
Period:
01.04.2015 – 30.03.2020
Budget:
1.785.000,00 EUR
Location:
Maridi
Project
Objective:
The overall 120 graduates of the three course cycles 2015 –18, 2016 -19, and 2017-20 graduate from their diploma courses successfully and contribute in national (decentralized) health institutions to providing improved basic health services to the population.
Indicator 1:
The share of successful graduates (m/f) of the diploma course has increased from 92% to 97% by the end of the project period, despite more demanding qualification requirements.
Indicator 2:
At least 95% of graduates (m/f) take up work positions in correspondence with their education/ training upon graduation
Indicator 3:
Sustainability of the training services offered by MNTS is improved by a step-by-step rise of the government’s allocation that corresponds at least with the average of government’s contributions to national health institutions in the year 2019
b)
ACROSS
Project Title:
Positive Integration of Rural Communities into the Peace Economy
Period:
01.05.2018 - 30.04.2020
Budget:
500,000 EUR
Location:
Rumbek centre and wulu countries
Objective:
Communities livelihoods in Rumbek central and Wulu countries are improved.
Indicator 1:
Two target community groups for dialogue and trauma healing are established and functional.
Indicator 2:
600 HHs reduced their food shortage from four to one month
Indicator 3
84 out of 120 Women engaged in village saving and loan association increased and functional.
c)
CDSS
Project Title:
Practical Vocational Skills Training with Perspective of Self-Employment in Torit (Phase II 2018)
Period:
01.04.2018 - 31.08.2019
Budget:
145,000.00 EUR
Location:
Torit, East Equatoria State
Objective 1:
Unemployed youth and widow women in Torit town are employed or self-employed
Indicator 1:
80% (24 Females and 24 Males) out of 60 vocational and entrepreneurship skills trainees secured employment or self-employment and realized their income increased by 50%
Indicator 2:
Out of the total 60 trainees of the functional adult literacy education program 50 (30 Females) trainees passed the non-formal adult education exam
d)
RECONCILE
Project Title:
Community Empowerment and Peace Building
Period:
01.07.2018 - 30.06.2020
Budget:
550.000,00 EUR
Location:
Yei River State, South Sudan
Objective 1:
Violent conflicts at community level are reduced in Yei River State
Objective 2:
Community member’s resilience in Yei River State is strengthened
Indicator 1:
Violent conflicts related to competition over resources, ethnic and/or political difference reduced from 150 cases to 85 in the five counties by the end of the project period.
Indicator 2:
At least 70% of the 1108 project beneficiaries demonstrate a positive attitude towards the peaceful relation and stability initiatives in the five counties
Indicator 3:
Number of incidences such as suicide, mental health and drug abuse related to trauma cases reported from five counties reduced from 225 to 75.
e)
SEM
Project Title:
Integrated Functional Literacy with Economic Empowerment and Peace Building Phase III
Period:
01.01.2016 – 31.12.2018
Budget:
560.000 EUR
Location:
South Sudan, Mvolo County, Western Equatoria State.
Objective 1:
Adults use their self-help literacy skills to improve their living conditions, income and the social cohesion within their communities and with their pastoralist neighbors.
Indicator 1:
70% of representatively sampled project participants agree in focus group discussions to the statement that “Engaging in FAL courses has helped them to improve their household’s living condition and retain their job”.
Indicator 2:
70% of the female and male members of Village Saving and Loan Associations have been able to increase their income by 25% by the end of the project.
Indicator 3:
Intensive lobbying for peaceful coexistence by the trained peace committees in the target community leads to decreased incidences of violence related to ethnic conflict and cattle raiding.
3. Scope of Work
The consultancy service shall engage to work with the partners in the following three key areas:
· HR Management
o Provide guidance to the partner organizations on the application of international Human Resource Management standards.
o Review and if necessary, propose redesigning of the HR management system for partners considering the specific requirements of each organizations based on the verification audit, management letters of audit reports and your own findings.
· Procurement management
o Provide guidance to the partner organizations on the application of international Procurement Management standards.
o Review and if necessary, propose redesigning of the procurement management system in use by partners considering the specific requirements of each organizations based on the verification audit, management letters of audit reports and your own findings.
o Assist the partner organizations to have a thorough understanding of and adherence to BftW’s regulations as outlined in the implementation guidelines, cooperation and audit agreements.
· Financial management
o Provide guidance to the partner organizations on the application of internationally accepted accounting standards.
o Assist the partner organizations to have a thorough understanding of and adherence to BftW’s regulations as outlined in the implementation guidelines, cooperation and audit agreements.
o Review and if necessary, propose redesigning of the financial management system for partners considering the specific requirements of each organizations based on the verification audit, management letters of audit reports and your own findings.
§ Review the annual cashflow including preparation of projections for the projects, to ensure that cash on hand is sufficient for the expected expenditure and the respective time period and provide timely feedback,
§ Review budget versus actual expenditure of the projects and ensure that it’s monitored in a systematic and regular manner,
§ Review that expenditures are charged to the projects accurately with correct coding and that any discrepancies are investigated and resolved,
§ Ensure the proper recording of exchange rate gains and losses and reporting to BftW,
§ Assess the accuracy of financial statements
§ Enhance the understanding of staff to understand audit reports and management letters and to make required improvements.
o The consultant is expected to conduct training for financial staff and other relevant staff responsible for BftW funded project/s.
4. Expected Result:
The following outputs are expected from the Consultant:
· Partners’ capacity is enhanced in regard to:
o HR management
§ Partners have solid HR management system in place which are functional, transparent and prevent fraud
o Procurement management
§ Partners have solid procurement systems in place
o Financial managements
§ Handling their own financial management at the internationally accepted standard level
§ As well as adherence to BftW’s regulations
5. Assignment period:
· The contract period is from February to December 2019 for 20 workdays for each of the five partner organizations listed above.
6. Expected qualification
· Experience of development issues and/or project implementation and monitoring.
· In depth experience in organizational development, audit and financial analysis,
· Previous NGO experience with some international experience (especially in South Sudan)
· Experience in training others
· Ability to convey complex financial information in an easily understandable form to non-financial staff.
· Discretion in handling confidential information
7. Expression of interest
Successful proposals must contain:
• CVs of all financial consultants proposed, clearly highlighting their qualifications
• A proposal outlining the planned consultancy procedure and an explanation of the consultancy methodology to be used
• Tentative work plan
• Financial proposal with a breakdown into consultation fee and ancillary costs such as transport, accommodation and other fees.
How to apply:
The proposals shall be submitted to the following contact person by e-mail no later than February 8, 2019.
Contact Person:
· Ms. Hildana Teklu (hildana.teklu@bregional.org or hildana.teklu@padd-africa.org)