[Digital Democracy initiative] Terms of Reference (TOR): Regional Support Mechanism Implementing Partner's Capacity Assessment (South Asia)

Overview of the Partner’s Assessment:

The Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) team at CIVICUS seeks to undertake a comprehensive on-site evaluation of the selected Regional Support Mechanism Partner for South Asia. The assessment will encompass both programmatic, operations and financial aspects, with a focus on examining the partner's financial systems and grant management capabilities. The evaluation aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the partner's capacity to effectively manage and implement the regional support mechanism grant award. The findings from this assessment will inform decision-making processes and help identify areas for potential support or improvement.

Location: The United States (US) and Pakistan. We prefer an expert based in the US and can conduct virtual assessment of the partner in Pakistan.

Duration: 11 Fee Days. (4 days onsite visit to the partner’s office in the US and virtual assessment of the partner in Pakistan, 7 days for desk review and report).

Start Date: Immediate Start.

Proficiency in both written and spoken English is a mandatory requirement for this. Proficiency in both written and spoken Urdu is an added advantage.

Objectives, Methodology and Reporting Framework

The primary objective of this pre-grant assessment is to evaluate the structure of Accountability Lab Global and Accountability Lab Pakistan and assess whether the identified regional partner has the necessary systems, capacity, and resources to meet the required operational, financial, and programmatic standards for the successful implementation of the regional support mechanism prototypes. The assessment should be designed to identify strengths and areas of improvement on both financial and programmatic/impact levels. The assessment is three-fold:

1. To assess the programmatic and operational capacity of Accountability Lab Pakistan in implementing the support mechanisms under the project and achieving its intended objectives.
2. To assess the financial management and compliance systems of Accountability Lab Global in relation to CIVICUS’s standards and requirements.
3. An assessment of sub granting processes, policies and frameworks, documented process for selecting and assessing grantees, process for following up with grantees - financial and programmatic and the current practice of Accountability Lab Global and Accountability Lab Pakistan.

The reporting framework will entail the following:

• The layout of the report provides an introduction to the partner organization, an executive summary including observations, findings Introduction etc.
• Background of the assessment i.e. the objectives based on the TOR
• Methodology used – Tools, desk review, interviews and samples etc.
• Executive summary – A brief background about the organization/s
• Assessment based on the methodology and the outcome showing observations/findings, weaknesses and recommendations.
• Conclusion

The scope of assessment will entail the following areas:

• Management and organisation - An assessment of the organizational governance structure, legal and statutory compliance, policies and procedures and organizational goals and broad objectives in alignment with DDI.
• Financial and procurement management – The consultant will access the accounting and procurement policies, procedures, and current practice of the partner organization
• Risk Management: The consultant should identify the partner organizational key risks, the extent to which these risks are being addressed and whether the risk mitigation measures are adequate and gaps that exist.
• Human Resources and Payroll: An assessment of staff absorptive capacity and experience to implement the planned outputs and achieve the expected outcomes.
• Monitoring and evaluation: An assessment of the monitoring and evaluation framework of the organization, resources (human and financial) for implementing and reporting on the M&E plan.
• Sub granting: An assessment of sub granting processes, policies and frameworks, documented process for selecting and assessing grantees, process for following up with grantees - financial and programmatic and the current practice. Conduct interviews (in-person, online or hybrid) with a selected number of sub-grantees, review their internal financial setup, meet with their auditor(s), etc.
• Audit analysis and compliance: Assess the comparative analysis of the past two years audit, findings in the management letter and whether these have all been addressed would help us understand the controls, processes and any gaps we should be aware of
• Forwarding of funds: Given the magnitude of the grant and the regional context, the consultant must assess the Financial/Forex regulations for transferring funds within the region, the associated risks and mitigation framework.
• Programming: An assessment of programming and implementation experience, organizational specific policy experience related to inclusive democracy and civic engagement, organizational outreach capacity, including non-capital, rural and grassroots environments, organizational demonstrated ability to organize and engage local civil society actors, especially DDI target groups in the South Asia region etc.
• The capacity assessment will use a mixed method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The assessment will employ a participatory approach to engage all relevant stakeholders.

The methodology and reporting for this assignment will include the following:

1. Interviews with management and key personnel at different organizational levels.
2. Review of relevant legislative frameworks, organisational policies, and regulations.
3. An examination of evidence on a sample basis to support the objective categories. Specifically, review current capability based on relevant supporting documentation, tools, reports, audits in relation to the scope of the assignment.

The ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications and skills:

• A degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or a related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in institutional assessment & evaluations of large non-profits.
• Familiarity with the political and digital landscape of the South Asia region.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas and findings in a clear and compelling manner.
• Fluency and excellent writing skills in English. Fluency and excellent writing skills in Urdu is an added advantage.

Deliverables:

1. A workplan, detailed methodology and timelines to be submitted 1 week. The workplan, methodology, timelines and capacity assessment tool should be approved by CIVICUS before the commencement of the field/site visits.
2. Following the consultant’s visit, a draft report that will be shared with the CIVICUS DDI team. After quality assurance by CIVICUS, a final draft will be shared with the partner organisation for commenting and potential adjustments.
3. Final approved report - A report outlining the findings, including strengths, weaknesses and recommendations on the objective areas outlined above will be shared with the CIVICUS DDI team.
4. A summary of all meetings and interactions conducted.
5. A risk matrix detailing various identified risks and possible mitigation measures.

Qualification and Experience:

• Demonstrated experience of conducting capacity assessments for nonprofit organisations and measuring performance progress.
• Proven experience in the areas of organisational development, financial and Human resource management.
• Combination of English and Urdu proficiency both in writing and speaking.