Georgia HICD - Personnel Management (International Consultant)
Georgia Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) Activity
I. Purpose
The Georgia Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) Activity is implemented by Kaizen, a Tetra Tech Company (Kaizen) and its local subcontractors. The objective of the HICD Activity is to achieve lasting results in the human and institutional capacity development of key strategic partner institutions in Georgia that play an important role in fulfilling the country’s development objectives. It will also create a Center of Excellence (CoE) that supports Georgian organizations pursuing HICD initiatives independent of direct donor assistance.
The HICD Activity will increase the organizational integrity, operational effectiveness, and long-term viability of key partner organizations which, in turn, anchor the country’s reform efforts across all development sectors.
The HICD Activity requires the services of an International Consultant to assist the HICD Activity indefinite quantity subcontract (IQS) holders, all of which are Georgian organizations, in developing internal controls and internal operational policies.
II. Background
USAID’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) calls for implementers to invest in country-owned models of inclusive development and build sustainable capacity in the countries where USAID works. Through this strategy, USAID places a renewed emphasis on local capacity building, so that US assistance strengthens the actors and institutions responsible for transforming their countries from within. The HICD Activity is committed to USAID’s goal of strengthening local capacity and incorporates this vision into the project. Specifically, the HICD Activity works toward the goal of integrating HICD approaches into the operations and institutional culture of selected local institutions and organizations. The HICD Activity aims to further transfer knowledge of HICD methodology to key actors in Georgia. The Kaizen Accelerator approach supports subcontractors to cooperate by sharing experiences installing donor-compliant systems in the Georgian context, while also competing to win awards. These tools, such as USAID compliant manuals on different topics of interest (e.g. data quality assurance, marking and branding, financial compliance, internal controls) help in addressing the core needs of subcontractor organizations.
Objectives
This activity aims to strengthen operational effectiveness of financial management within IQS holder organizations and thereby help them achieve increased efficiency.
The International Consultant will work on the following topics:
Topic #1: Adequacy of Staffing/Job Descriptions
- Develop and conduct Knowledge Sharing Session (s) for six organizations. The knowledge sharing Session will overview the following subtopics (relevant templates to be provided):
- Full HR manual for USAID
- Job descriptions and checking procedures (quality management system) - should include guidelines
- HR manual for internal staffing.
- Guide each organization towards drafting and adapting the relevant systems during Knowledge Sharing Session(s).
- Provide follow up feedback session to two organizations on their adjusted/developed systems.
- Provide individual guidance to six companies on all subtopics mentioned above within the overall organization and specific projects (based on size and type).
- Develop templates, tools, and materials for the HICD Activity Center of Excellence (CoE) online repository (including but not limited to):
- HR manual template
- Job description template.
Topic #2: Recruitment
- Develop and conduct Knowledge Sharing Session(s) for six organizations. The knowledge sharing Sessions will overview the following subtopics (relevant templates to be provided):
- Recruitment strategy for USAID (including limits, timelines, committee procedures)
- Salary and reference verification approach
- Templates for USAID (above)
- Recruitment strategy for the organization.
- Guide each organization towards drafting and adapting the systems during the Knowledge Sharing Session(s).
- Provide follow up feedback sessions to two organizations on adjusted/developed systems.
- Develop Group Work session for six companies in the topics mentioned above within the overall organizations and specific projects (based on size and type). The trainer will provide feedback during the group sessions as well as individually as necessary.
- Develop templates, tools, and materials for the HICD Activity Center of Excellence (CoE) online repository (including but not limited to):
- Recruitment manual (template)
- Salary and reference verification template
- Interview scoring template
- Committee selection template
- Recruitment memo template.
Topic #3: Personnel Policies
- Develop and conduct knowledge sharing Session(s) for six organizations. The knowledge sharing Sessions will overview the following subtopics (relevant templates to be provided):
- Personnel policies for USAID (donor requirements)
- Personnel policies for organization.
- Guide each organization towards drafting and adapting the systems during the Knowledge Sharing Session(s).
- Provide follow up feedback session to three organizations on adjusted/developed systems.
- Develop Group Work session for 3 organizations in all the sections mentioned above within the overall organization and specific projects (based on size and type). The trainer will provide feedback during the group sessions as well as individually as necessary.
- Develop templates, tools, and materials for the HICD Activity Center of Excellence (CoE) online repository (including but not limited to):
- Personnel policy manual (template).
Topic #4: Staff Time Management and Payroll
- Develop and conduct Knowledge Sharing Session(s) for six organizations. The knowledge sharing Sessions will overview the following subtopics (relevant templates to be provided):
- Internal review/approval structure for USAID
- payroll management structure for USAID
- Develop Timesheets for USAID
- Salary/wage payment Timeline/system/approach
- Work schedule policy for USAID
- Guide each organization towards drafting and adapting the systems during the Knowledge Sharing Session(s).
- Develop Group Work session (6 organizations, grouped into two) on the topics mentioned above within the overall organizations and specific projects (based on size and type). The trainer will provide feedback during the group sessions as well as individually as necessary.
- Develop templates, tools, and materials for the HICD Activity Center of Excellence (CoE) online repository (including but not limited to):
- Timesheet template
- Payroll tracker template.
Topic #5: Staff and Consultant History
- Develop and conduct knowledge sharing Session(s) for six organizations. The knowledge sharing Sessions will overview the following subtopics (relevant templates to be provided):
- Develop staff and consultant history keeping manual (tracker and templates, including best practices)
- Develop staff exit interview procedures.
- Guide each organization towards drafting and adapting the systems during the Knowledge Sharing Session(s).
- Provide follow up feedback session to six organizations on adjusted/developed systems.
- Develop templates, tools, and materials for the HICD Activity Center of Excellence (CoE) online repository (including but not limited to):
- Staff and consultant history tracker template
- Staff exit interview template.
Topic #6: Staff Salaries and Benefits
- Develop and conduct knowledge sharing Session(s) for six organizations. The knowledge sharing Sessions will overview the following subtopics (relevant templates to be provided):
- Donor requirements on staff salaries and benefits
- Salary verification approach and payment classification system
- DBA insurance.
- Guide each organization towards drafting and adapting the systems during the Knowledge Sharing Session(s).
- Develop Group Work session (6 organizations, grouped into two) on the topics mentioned above within the overall organizations and specific projects (based on size and type). The trainer will provide feedback during the group sessions as well as individually as necessary.
- Develop templates, tools, and materials for the HICD Activity Center of Excellence (CoE) online repository (including but not limited to):
- Staff salary and payment classification template.
Tentative start date is March – September 2023. Exact dates are TBD and will be finalized together with the selected International Consultant.
The consultant will create a 2–3-page final report on performed activities and future recommendations as a final deliverable.
The deliverables should be compliant with the Georgian and US government law and delivered in English language.
The consultant will also be required to submit weekly updates on Wednesdays to the HICD team, summarizing the main activities completed during the reporting period, challenges encountered, actions taken to resolve challenges, and any pertinent recommendations.
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Approach
The International Consultant hired for this program will coordinate closely with the HICD Activity Program Manager to incorporate the agreed upon M&E approach into the Sessions and guidance process. For this purpose, the consultant and HICD Activity will hold online meetings at pre-determined intervals to develop a tailored M&E approach in defining whether IQS holders are on track to achieve the desired results through developing targeted systems on a semi-annual basis.
To gauge the progress, the HICD Activity will develop an activity monitoring spreadsheet based on the Organizational Capacity Assessment (hereinafter ‘OCA’) survey (developed for IQS holder assessments) and monitor progress every six months from the start of the project. The complete assessment will take place after two years of the first intervention sessions for IQS holders (the last quarter of 2023) and will evaluate IQS holders’ OCA score improvement compared to a baseline score.
IQS holder overall effectiveness is bolstered, ensuring proper procedures are in place for internal controls and Human Resource management to be compliant with donor requirements under prime and subcontractor awards. At the same time, organizations can compete with other organizations for direct and/or indirect donor fund awards due to their compliant and strong internal operating systems.
Profile of Service Provider
Kaizen will implement the program through an International Consultant. The expert should have the following minimum experience:
- At least a master’s degree in a related field with 8 years of work experience.
- At least 5 years of work experience on donor/USAID funded projects under prime contracts.
- Experience in the following regions is preferred: United States, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe.
- At least 5 years work experience on HR management and or developing HR management systems for organizations.
- At least 1 years of work experience on HR systems for USAID funded projects during last 8 years;
- Fluency in English is required.
- Experience in operational department is highly preferred.
Timing and Level of Effort
This scope of work is for a maximum of 47.375 business days of labor over a 3.5-month period (including 4 days for the short videos). The anticipated start date of the intervention is March 2023.
Location
The program will be carried out remotely, using digital platforms with relevant audio and video conferencing capabilities.
Language of Services
The language of the intervention will be English. Reporting to the HICD Activity will be carried out in English. The final report will be submitted in English.
For candidates applying for positions based in Kaizen's office in Washington, DC, we utilize career.place to mitigate bias in the recruitment process. Upon submitting an application, candidates will receive an email from career.place, prompting them to go through the anonymous screening. In order to be considered for a role, candidates must respond to career.place and proceed with the application. We do not currently use career.place for project positions outside of the United States.
At Kaizen, A Tetra Tech Company, we find strength in our diversity. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive working environment in which everyone has an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. We know that we can only do development differently if we are open to and inclusive of new and unique perspectives. We encourage candidates of all abilities, ages, gender identities and expressions, national origins, races and ethnicities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations to apply. Further, we urge parents and non-parents, married and unmarried, those from different or non-traditional educational backgrounds, and persons of all other diverse identities or experiences to apply. Kaizen is an equal opportunity employer.