Terms of References

Consulting Firm/Consultant for deployment and training of Accounting Software for Civil Society Organizations (CSO)

Introduction and background  

An INGO began working in collaboration with public and private institutions of Pakistan responding with humanitarian assistance. The contracting authority supports earthquake-affected communities and from 2007 has expanded its operations with long-term development and humanitarian aid. Partnering with civil society actors is primary approach to fulfilling its mandate to strengthen civil society where it has its presence. In Pakistan, partnership with local and national actors are crucial to strengthen civil society actors. The contracting authority aims to contribute to a just and prosperous Pakistan where all citizens enjoy equal rights and opportunities. Together with Pakistani civil society organizations, national partners, academic institutions, and the Government departments, contracting authority works to implement long-term development and humanitarian programmes in:  

• Cultural Cohesion, Understanding & Diversity  
• Gender Equality, Protection & Respect  
• Climate Resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CR-WASH)

1.1. Power to the Youth Project  

The INGO in Pakistan is implementing a European Union (EU) funded “Power to the Youth’ project through local implementing partners to empower youth socially and economically, along with CSOs, serve as change agents in five districts to meet developmental and governance challenges arising due to the spread of COVID-19. The project is a youth centric initiative to address key socio-economic challenges affecting low income and vulnerable groups (particularly young women, people with disabilities, transgenders, and religious minorities), which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall objective of the project is to empower youth, socially and economically to be change agents in their communities and to establish livelihoods to strengthen and promote youth’s voice, visibility, and leadership in the targeted districts Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad.  

In the five selected districts, there are several structural and socio-economic barriers to low-income vulnerable youth (women, PWD (Persons with Disability), minorities), particularly related to social and economic well-being. Prevailing cultural norms also marginalise youth where youth are not part of any decision-making structures. In recent times, the shrinking space for the Civil Society in Pakistan has reduced their capacity to work with the youth and their empowerment. Through this project, under the strategic objective (SO1), the focus is to foster grassroots change and on inculcating an enabling environment for the youth that promotes their active participation at community and district levels. In SO2, this social empowerment is then linked to economic empowerment of the low-income vulnerable youth, who otherwise find it difficult to access growth and economic opportunities. Under the SO3, several CSOs (including community and youth groups) will receive customised capacity building to meet the governance and developmental challenges arising due to COVID-19.

1.3. Role Envisioned for CSOs in PTY:

The CSOs will be key partners of the PTY Action interventions. They will participate and support advocacy initiatives, youth activism, and community coordination of the Action. Under advocacy components CSO will work with implementing partners to advance right of low-income youths and GBV survivors and other dispossessed segments of the society. They will act as bridge between project youth and their communities to help them organize at community level. They’ll support youth in their linkages to work with line departments and service delivery entities to for improved governance experience for the local communities – especially for dispossessed segments of the society.

The representatives of the CSOs will participate in community coordination meetings in the Action areas to support and overcome any gender, religious or social barriers that they face in their communities due to COVID-19 and otherwise for socio-economic empowerment initiatives.

With the implementing partners, CSOs will join low-income youth in their media briefings and press releases highlighting the role of youth in local development and governance. With the support of district public sector focal persons, CSOs will play their role in coordination and consultations to respond effectively to the needs of youth and GBV survivors. CSOs will help in lobbying with state institutions to develop policies and actions plans at provincial level through participation in youth provincial level consultations and meetings. CSO will facilitate the IP during the monitoring process and performance tracking of the interventions

1.4. Civil Society ORGANIZATION Support Component

This consultancy is solicited under the ongoing project “Power to the Youth” through its financial support to third parties’ component to build and enhance the existing capacities of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). The main purpose of the partnership with CSOs is to provide accounting software based on the findings of the need assessments undertaken in each district with each of the targeted CSOs. The role of CSOs in the project will work in closer collaboration with the partners to promote the visibility of low-income youth in addressing the socio-economic challenges in the wake of COVID-19. The main objective of this project is to target CSOs by: 

• Strengthening civil society organizations to play active role in improved & inclusive governance and social accountability through diverse engagement with government, civil society actors and other stakeholders. 
• Supporting youth activism to strengthen and promote youth as agents of change especially amid COVID-19 situation and challenges.  
• Ensuring CSOs support to Power to the Youth advocacy and outreach components during life of the project and beyond.   

 2.       Objective of the Assignment

Services from a qualified IT company are required to deploy accounting software (QuickBooks) to 23 civil society organizations. The consultant will develop a user handbook and train CSO staff on the usefulness of the service provided. The consultant will also be responsible for the maintenance of the software during the life of Action, which is from September 2022 to December 2024. The aim is to improve financial management capacity by installing accounting software for CSOs. The 23 civil society organizations (CSOs) located in Sanghar and Mirpurkhas, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad will benefit from this service.

3.       Task

3.1. Software selection/installation/training

The consultant will acquire and install QuickBooks for twenty-three civil society organizations. The consultant shall train CSO staff in the use of the software. Training will be delivered in 5 locations (Sanghar and Mirpurkhas, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad). The consultant will be responsible for preparing the training material and user guide, conducting the training test and verifying its proper functioning, and training CSO personnel in the use of QuickBooks.

3.2. Provide QuickBooks software Maintenance Services

The consultant will maintain QuickBooks and upgrade as required, including providing troubleshooting. This service will be required on a continuous and immediate basis when defects are detected. The consultant will ensure a reliable information security system including secure procedures for data entry, data storage and backup, and establishing data entry/change audit trails.

3.3. Licensed Software:

The consultant will be responsible for providing software with a yearly licensed fee paid till December 31, 2024.  

3.4. Support and Maintenance

Technical support for maintenance and troubleshooting should be available on 5 working days x 8 hours a week. The consultant should provide access to its ticketing system for registering issues, which should not have any financial impact on the Contracting Authority

Expected Deliverables:

The consulting firm is expected to provide the following services:

Finalization of each CSO's software list in the light of need assessment findings undertaken by contracting authority and sharing with CSOs prior to the installation of service as per the list provided below:

• Undertake training on software usage to be provided to each CSO staff. Develop and provide a user guide to each of the CSO.
• In addition to software development/maintenance and training services, the consultant is expected to issue report in English documenting the work undertaken and major issues/problems that may have arisen and actions taken during the service contract.
• Submission of a final service delivery report with all necessary documentation including original invoices and good receiving notes (GRN) to contracting authority after the completion of the service.

 4.       Roles and Responsibilities

Contracting Authority

• Provide all required documents including CSOs list or specifications to the consulting firm.
• Approval on the list of software to be provided to the CSO.
• Coordination with implementing partner (CSSP) and consulting team to provide guidance as and when required.
• Facilitation in arranging halls/venues for training of the staff in consultation with IP.
• Processing consultant’s invoice and paying fee as per agreement.

Consulting Firms’ Role:

• Ensure timely and quality of service to each of the CSO in the targeted areas.
• The consultant will be responsible for providing hands-on training on usage of the software to CSO staff.
• Although the actual data entry is not responsibility of the consulting firm, it shall make the user conversant and confident to work on the software as part of training.
• Administrative arrangements for 50 persons in 05 districts along with venue, one meal and two refreshments for all participants will be responsibility of consulting firm.
• Seeks guidance as and if required from the designated focal person of the contracting authority for the assignment.
• A firm/consultant will comply with applicable policies, protocols, and standards of the EU and contracting authority.
• Produce all deliverables as per the agreed timeline.

 5.       Qualification Criteria

The following minimum requirements will be considered for the assignment:

• Interested consultant (firm) should be legally incorporated in Pakistan.
• The consultant should be registered as an Information Technology firm.
•  Three (3) years working experience in accounting software and relational databases.
• Fluency in Urdu and English is required as all reports need to be issued on both languages.
• Last audit report must be provided.

 6.       Type of Contract and Payment:

Place of assignment 

• District Sanghar and Mirpurkhas in Sindh, Lahore, Rawalpindi in Punjab, and Islamabad Capital Territory.

Contract Duration 

The estimated duration of the assignment is for 45 days effective from the date of award of the consultancy. Based on satisfactory performance, the contract will be renewed for maintenance services.

 Terms & Conditions:   

The consultancy firm will be offered a fixed-price contract to include all the services and deliverables listed above. 

7.       Submission of Proposal and Contract Details

The bidder should provide the following information:

• Profile/CVs of key person(s) including software installation experts.
• A summary of the approach to providing the services and indicating major factors/issues to be considered and how they will be addressed.

• At least one relevant project of a previous assignment of similar nature carried out.
• Quality certification like ISO etc.

Financial Proposal:

A Financial proposal indicating a total rate (Inclusive of all taxes) for the services mentioned, including maintenances services with clearly mentioning the targeted areas as given above (reference # 4).

Interested firms/Consultants are requested to submit proposal by September 30, 2022, no later than 5 P.M. to the email address:  [email protected]. Must give the reference of TORs in subject line. (Only shortlisted firms/consultants will be contacted).