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ZAMBIA NGO WASH FORUM
Consultancy – Finance, Procurement, and Human Policy
Consultancy to review and update the Finance, Procurement, and Human Resource Manual.
1. Background
The Zambia Non-Governmental Organisation Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Forum known as the NGO WASH Forum is a platform for NGO coordination, harmonisation of policy and practice. Among other things, it sets out to provide a mechanism for effective consultation and a marketplace for information sharing among NGOs as well as other stakeholders on the achievement and challenges faced in the sector. The Secretariat, which serves as the coordination arm of the NGO WASH Forum seeks to engage a qualified consultant to review the existing policy documents, assess alignment with best practices and current operational needs and recommend revisions for improvement.
2. Objectives
The overall objective of this consultancy is to review and enhance the existing policy documents to foster good governance, transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency.
Specific objectives include:
To critically assess the existing finance, human resource and procurement policies for consistency, clarity, and alignment with legal and regulatory requirements.
The assessment shall cover specific finance policies (e.g. budgeting, payroll, travel and subsistence, asset management, grants management, fraud management
Recommend minimum standards and Specific Finance Procedures (e.g. Procurement, banking, and accounting routines) among others.
To identify gaps, redundancies, and areas for improvement within the policies.
To benchmark the policies against best practices in the NGO sector and relevant Zambian laws.
To develop comprehensive recommendations for revising and updating the policy manual.
To provide guidance on implementing the revised policies and procedures.
3. Scope of Work
The consultant will undertake the following tasks but shall not be limited to:
Reviewing existing documents:
Secretariat’s current policy manual.
Relevant Zambian laws and regulations regarding finance, human resources, and procurement.
Best practices in policy development for NGOs, particularly in the WASH sector.
Review current donor requirements.
Recommend new developments and best accounting and audit practices
Develop procurement and contracting policies and procedures
Develop NGO WASH Forum’s procurement tool kit,
Recommend and develop Grants Management procedures
Recommend Cost allocation policy for projects and donor proposals
Conducting stakeholder interviews:
Consult with key Secretariat staff, board members, and network members to gather feedback on existing policies and identify areas of concern.
Analysing findings:
Assess the effectiveness and relevance of existing policies for the Secretariat’s operations.
Identify inconsistencies, ambiguities, and potential risks.
Compare the Secretariat’s policies to best practices and legal requirements.
Presentation of the draft report to the NGO WASH Forum Board and Management team.
Train the Forum Secretariat staff on the revised Finance, Procurement and Human Resources polices and procedure manual.
Developing recommendations:
Propose clear and concise revisions to existing policies, considering stakeholder feedback and best practices.
Consider including flowcharts, templates, and practical guidance for policy implementation.
Develop an implementation plan for the revised policies.
Deliverables:
A comprehensive written report outlining the review findings, recommendations for revision, and an implementation plan.
A revised and updated draft of the Secretariat’s Finance, Human resource and procurement policy manual(s) incorporating the recommended changes.
A presentation summarizing the review findings and proposed revisions to the Secretariat staff and board.
Training
4. Methodology
It is expected that the consultant will carry out several activities:
Propose and design a mixed-method approach in responding to different deliverables of this assignment.
Conduct consultations with the Forum staff members, Board and stakeholders.
Review current Finance NGO WASH Forums and Procurement policies and procedures manual.
Use both SWOT and PESTEL models and other frontier models in developing NGO WASH Forum’s strategic direction and positioning.
Apply relevant analytical to assess NGO WASH Forum’s financial and procurement processes, their risks and propose mitigation measures.
Apply and introduce contemporary Finance, Accounting, Auditing and Supply Chains/Procurement best practices in reviewing and updating the existing Finance and Procurement policies and procedures manual.
5. Consultant Qualifications
The consultant should possess the following qualifications and experience:
Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., finance, human resources, public administration, law) or equivalent professional experience.
Minimum of 10 years of experience in developing and reviewing policies for NGOs or similar organizations.
Solid knowledge in financial management applicable to General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), International Standards on Auditing (ISA), Financial Statements Analysis and public financial management
Knowledge and experience in managing multiple donor funds for program/project implementation and is familiar with various international donor expectations, audit, and grant compliance.
Demonstrated expertise in finance, human resources, and procurement management for the NGO sector.
Strong understanding of relevant Zambian laws and regulations.
Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.
Experience working with diverse stakeholders and facilitating participatory processes.
Familiarity with the WASH sector in Zambia is a strong advantage.
6. Supervision
The Consultant will be expected to be self-motivated and able to work independently. The NGO WASH Forum Board Chair and Treasurer with support from the Administration and Finance Officer will provide supervision and support including induction to the work, provision of the relevant background documents, and links to the relevant internal and external stakeholders.
Timeframes
It is anticipated that the assignment will be completed within 20 working days from the date of the signing of the contract between NGO WASH Forum and and the consultant.
How to Apply
Please respond to this EOI with not more than 15 pages technical and financial proposal (including all attachments) to zambia_ngo_wash_forum_@yahoo.com
by 13:00pm CAT Friday 3rd May 2024
The EOI proposal should cover:
Your understanding of the assignment.
Evidence of past work experience.
A proposed approach and methodology for carrying out the assignment.
Core team, responsibilities, and level of effort.
A detailed work plan, timeframes, and milestones.
A financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs for each task or element in the ToR.
Any Inquiries can be sent to the same email and shall be collectively responded to not later than Friday 3rd May 2024
1/7/2025