Request for Proposals – Technical Curriculum Developer (STAGES)
PartnersGlobal seeks a consultant (or firm) to develop a technical financial and operational curriculum for a project funded by the Department of State—Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) defines the consultant's work and outlines the application process.
1. BACKGROUND:
1.1. Project Summary
The project “Specialized Training and Assessment for Grantees to Enable Success (STAGES)” is an initiative that aims to empower non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in difficult environments. It is designed to help these organizations operate effectively, prudently, and safely by increasing their financial, administrative, and program management capacities. STAGES will achieve this goal by delivering training for individual NGO representatives in financial management, administrative, and program management and assessing NGOs' organizational financial and operational capacities. STAGES will support nascent United States Government (USG) grantees or grantees that have not yet received federal assistance.
1.2. Organizational Background
For 35 years, PartnersGlobal has been forging more resilient communities by working with our network of local sister organizations (the Partners Network) and with other CSOs worldwide to support local leaders and create partnerships that transform conflict, strengthen democratic institutions, and achieve sustainable development.
The most common belief in all of our collective work is that ‘process matters’ and that impartial, skilled facilitators, mediators, coaches, and trainers have an important role in bringing about peaceful change. PartnersGlobal’s international network, which brings over 240 local experts in the field of democracy and peacebuilding, emphasizes a multi-stakeholder approach to help effect positive change and good process in all activities.
2. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
2.1. Proposal/Letter of Interest
Interested applicants should submit a proposal of no more than Six (6) pages (not including the budget) in PDF or MS Word format that meets the following guidelines: a) Cover page (not included in page count) with relevant contact information of the applicant; b) All pages are numbered and formatted in letter paper size.
All proposals should detail: 1) how the offeror will meet the requirements of the scope of work; 2) professional qualifications including experience developing technical financial and operational documents; and 3) familiarity and knowledge of USG policies and procedures applicable for federal funds as the 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 600.
2.2. Budget
As this is a USG-funded project, all federal procurement regulations will apply. The budget should include standard costs associated with the consultancy. The budget should be submitted in MS Excel format with a budget summary tab and a detailed line-item breakdown. An accompanying budget narrative may be written in Excel or PDF/Word format that details the total number of working days.
PartnersGlobal will reimburse travel costs, including, but not limited to, airfare, local transport, visas, and inoculations, as well as per diems (at the appropriate USG rates) and lodging up to the appropriate USG rate (if applicable). Please include these travel-related expenses in the proposed budget.
2.3. Required Attachments
3. SCOPE OF WORK:
The objective of the consultancy is to develop the material and methodology for training sessions. The consultant will develop content structure, sequencing, instructional methods, strategies, and learning resources for training focused in detail on 2 CFR Part 200 (From Subpart A-F) and 2 CFR Part 600 compliance. As a part of the material to be developed, the consultant will also elaborate instructional materials, including presentations, handouts, activities, exercises, case studies, assessments, and resources, to support the learning objectives and engage participants.
The primary audience for this training includes USG first-time grantees or those without extensive experience executing federal assistance.
Partners is seeking to develop a robust, conflict-sensitive, inclusive, and modularized training program on financial, administrative, and program management based on the policies mentioned above. The illustrative subject topics are:
Module A: Introduction to Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200
Module B: Nonprofit Financial Management – 2CFR 200.300
Module C: Budgeting and Financial Planning
Module D: Cost Principles - 2 CFR 200 Subpart E
Module E: Internal Controls and Risk Management – 2 CFR 200. 303
Module F: Procurement Standards and Procedures 2 CFR 200 Subpart D
Module G: Financial Reporting and Analysis 2CFR200.327
Module H: Subrecipient Monitoring and Management
Module I: Introduction to Nonprofit HR (Human Resources) Management
These modules are illustrative, so they can be strengthened with other suggested topics. If you need further information, please contact the Partner Point of Contact.
3.1. Deliverables
3.2. Logistical Support
PartnersGlobal will provide preparatory and logistical assistance to the selected Consultant/Organization, including:
PartnersGlobal will not cover any costs other than those provided by the applicant in the budget. Please refer to section 2.2.
3.3. Role and Competencies
The Consultant will coordinate regularly to define and agree on key deliverables with the PartnersGlobal staff. The Consultant is expected to have the following competencies:
Education
Minimum bachelor's degree in international development, finance, social sciences, law, or related fields. Master's degree preferred.
Work Experience
Knowledge, Skills, and Languages
4. PROCUREMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:
4.1. Selection Process
All submissions will be evaluated by the PartnersGlobal selection panel based on the following criteria:
Applications should clearly articulate how the team will jointly plan and undertake the proposal. The plan should demonstrate the consultant or team's technical understanding and logistical capacity.
Applications should demonstrate at least 10 years of experience developing technical financial and programmatic documents and experience conducting evaluations focused on the USG policies and procedures. Applicants should also provide evidence that they have conducted training or developed capacity development documents about managing USG funds.
PartnersGlobal strongly encourages applicants to demonstrate cost-effectiveness in their application. If the applicant is a firm, applications should include budgets with reasonable overhead and administration costs and provide clear explanations and justifications for these costs to the work involved. If the applicant is an individual consultant, the daily rate of said individual needs to be supported by the level of experience and history of the daily rate for other comparable assignments. All budget items should be clearly explained and justified to demonstrate their necessity, appropriateness, and link to the program objectives.
4.2. Negotiations
Upon completion of the selection process, PartnersGlobal may negotiate with the Consultant/Organization deemed most competitive to establish a final scope of services and an appropriate budget for such services. PartnersGlobal reserves the right to move straight to award and budget negotiations based on evaluation.
5. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:
Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on Globaljobs.org