Capacity Strengthening Consultant for local organizations, Short Term Assignment – Democratic Republic of Congo

Capacity Strengthening Consultant for local organizations,

Short Term Assignment – Democratic Republic of Congo

Background:

SoCha is contracted to provide technical and advisory services to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (USAID/DRC) and the CAR (Central African Republic) on the 5-year Mission Strategic Support Program (MSSP). MSSP works to strengthen Mission strategic monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems; manage high-quality data; provide geo-intelligence; produce rigorous analyses that inform decision making; institutionalize collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) practices; expand localization through targeted and deliberate capacity building; generate action-oriented data visualizations and communications; and provide Mission personnel with third-party monitoring in areas they cannot access.

USAID/DRC Mission recognizes that for long-term development to occur, public, private, and civil society organizations at national, provincial, and local levels must be strengthened throughout the country. Human and institutional capacity building, strengthening the social compact between citizens and the state, and sustainably improving social and economic indicators are central to this strategy. SoCha is expected to continuously promote sustainable results by building capacity among not only the mission staff, but also strengthening the capacity of local MEL organizations.

SoCha is looking for a qualified Organizational Capacity Strengthening Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA) to help achieve capacity strengthening for Local MEL organizations to apply, receive, and manage USAID awards, with key focus on the local partners’ financial management and internal controls systems, procurement systems, human resources systems, compliance, and organizational sustainability.

Expected deliverables:

By the end of the STTA service, the capacity of the selected local organization(s) will be strengthened in award management, long-term capacity in financial sustainability, and resource mobilization.

MSSP has conducted the Non-U.S. Organization Pre-Award Survey (NUPAS) for two local organizations.   During the NUPAS, some significant weaknesses were identified in financial management and internal controls systems, procurement systems, human resources systems, and organizational sustainability. The first Task Order that will be issued under this BPA will be to help the local organizations address the significant weaknesses identified during the NUPAS. The STTA will receive from MSSP the NUPAS reports, recommendations, and the local partners’ action plans.

To achieve the first phase, the STTA will:

Phase 1:

• Hold consultative (post-award) meetings with MSSP and selected local partner(s) for in-depth discussions around the capacity building areas and drawing up of a plan of action for capacity strengthening.
• Review the selected local partners’ pre-award surveys (NUPAS) report and recommendations.
• To guarantee adherence to and understanding of the TOR, the STTA will prepare and submit an Action Plan (3 pages max) to demonstrate mutual understanding of their Task, approach, and timeline for conducting the capacity strengthening. This will include:
  • Reviewing local partners’ policies and procedures manuals for financial management and internal controls systems, procurement systems, human resources systems, and organizational sustainability. Consequently, amending to address significant weaknesses to meet international standards, including but not limited to the weaknesses identified in the local partners’ NUPAS reports.
  • Reviewing and developing new tools/templates as needed for financial management and internal controls systems, procurement systems, human resources systems, and organizational sustainability.
  • Training of local partners’ key personnel. Trainings should capture the revised policies and procedures, new tools, USAID cost principles, and internal control best practices. Trainings should also cover certain aspects of budgeting, especially the local partners’ ability to calculate fully burdened daily rates. The STTA will submit the PowerPoint presentation to the MSSP’s POC as a deliverable.
• Providing progress, draft, and final reports related to each of the tasks assigned.

Phase 2:

• MSSP may request the STTA to conduct NUPAS for additional local partners that MSSP will identify. A Task Order with a specific scope will be issued for this purpose. After the NUPAS is completed, the STTA will apply the same steps carried out in Phase 1 to address the significant weaknesses, if any, that are identified during the NUPAS for the new local firm(s).
• In each phase, the STTA will be working closely with the MSSP POC for the assignment who will be SoCha’s technical and operational staff member directly involved with the local partner’s capacity building programs.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred in Law, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Economics, Accounting, International Development, or another relevant field of study.
• More than eight (8) years of experience with capacity building, organization development, and change management in fields such as risk management, finance, compliance, procurement, governance, HR, or other related fields.
• Experience and familiarity developing and utilizing capacity and performance assessment diagnostic tools (E.g.: NUPAS with demonstrated experience in providing assessments on capacity building or capacity strengthening initiatives).
• More than five (5) years of experience developing and delivering training courses.
• Prior experience working on USAID-funded programs with multiple stakeholders is highly preferred.
• Strong proficiency in written and spoken French and English. Deliverables and reports will be submitted in English.
• Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Excellent collaboration, management, and communication skills.
• Willingness to travel in-country, including conflict areas.
• The STTA service is open to both national and international consultants. However, priority shall be given to national consultants who meet the above competences and qualifications.

Location:

The consultant will work from one of the MSSP office locations in the DRC (Kinshasa or Goma) with the possibility to work remotely on specific tasks.

How to apply:

Interested Consultants should submit their application through the form below which should contain:

• Updated CV (3 pages max)
• A cover letter (1 page max) highlighting qualifications and competencies related to the subject matter. In your cover letter, please mention your minimum proposed daily LOE rate for this consultancy and be prepared to provide justifications if requested. LOE must be fully burdened fixed daily rate in U.S. Dollars. 
• Contact information for three references from employers or supervisors on previous consulting assignments for similar types of work within the past three (3) years.

MSSP is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.

Agreements:

Agreements under this STTA opportunity are subject to and will be governed by SoCha/MSSP’s standard terms and conditions. A copy of the full terms and conditions is available upon request.  Please note that the following terms and conditions will apply:

1. Make sure that your proposed minimum rates are fully burdened daily rates in US dollars and are inclusive of any applicable taxes, overhead and fees. (Material expenses such as travel and per diem will be negotiated at the time of issuing a purchase order.) One day equals 8 hours.
2. Any agreement resulting from this STTA opportunity will be in the form of an Umbrella Agreement/Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). For any BPA that is awarded, an ordering document (Purchase/Task Order) will be issued to the consultant – on an as needed basis – at the pricing level/fully burdened fixed daily rate in U.S. Dollars established in the BPA.
3. SoCha’s standard payment terms are 30 days after receipt and acceptance of any deliverables. When the total number of LOE days are decided and approved by SoCha/MSSP for a purchase order, payments will be split and tied to deliverables and milestones. Consultant’s invoices shall be paid out after receipt and approval of deliverables and milestones.
4. When the need arises for the services described in the BPA, the SoCha HR Unit will issue a purchase/task order to the BPA-holder. If, for the sake of managing competing demands, SoCha signs a BPA for this consultancy with multiple consultants, the purchase/task order will be issued to the BPA-holder that presents the best value, based on price, availability, and delivery time. Any BPA issued as a result of this STTA opportunity will have a minimum duration of at least 12 months.
5. MSSP shall split payment between milestones and payment of invoice shall be made after receipt and approval of deliverables. E.g.: for a 3-milestone purchase/task order, the 1^st invoice shall be for 10%, the 2^nd invoice 40% and the final invoice 50%.