Background

We Effect is a development organisation founded in 1958 by the cooperative movement in Sweden. We work in more than 20 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa and collaborate mainly with member-based organisations consisting of women and men who live in poverty. Our Head Office is in Stockholm. We work in the thematic fields of sustainable rural development and adequate housing. Our values are Respect, Transparency, and Together.

We Effect Southern Africa (ROSA) consists of four countries with programmes in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi. We Effect currently employs around 70 members of staff in the region. However, this number will reduce to 46 by mid-2019 as a big programme is coming to an end in the Malawi office. All We Effect ROSA staff are covered by the We Effect Global HR Policy and global Conditions of Employment, however there is no global salary structure in place for staff. In addition, the global Conditions have not been reviewed in relation to the local employment laws for a while.

In this context, We Effect ROSA would like to engage the services of a reputable and technically qualified consultant with extensive expertise in labour market analyses, management and organizational development to:

• Undertake an independent salary and benefits survey; and 

• Suggest a comprehensive salary policy for its employees in line with the prevailing market rates, existing We Effect HR policies and guidelines with local labour / employment laws. 

The process for establishing We Effect’s salary policy must be simple and transparent and in line with the global salary policy to be developed Q3 2019 by HR at Head Office. It is imperative that the salary structure is perceived by employees as fair, competitive in the market, accurately based, motivating and easy to understand.

The Assignment

We Effect is inviting consultants to submit proposals to conduct the survey and support We Effect ROSA in developing and establishing a competitive salary structure. The key objectives of the assignment are to:

• Ensure that We Effect ROSA staff remuneration aligns with overall organisation and people strategy, goals and philosophy; 

• Ensure internal equity and ensuring external competitiveness of the We Effect ROSA staff remuneration.

The established We Effect ROSA salary structure must be consistent with the corresponding local labour/employment laws, local labour markets, relevant costs of living in each country and prevailing levels of pay for similar services, similar contract conditions and comparable work in each country including regional positions. 

It is therefore necessary to gather information on local conditions of employment in a structured manner to support the establishment of salary structure for We Effect ROSA staff.

Scope of the assignment

The selected consultants shall compile and suggest to We Effect, 

a) Review and update current job description to create a standard job structure across the region for core functions while leaving room for modifications within each country in order to meet commitments and obligations in the implementation of different grant contracts. 

b) A list of employers which may be considered as comparators and provide an explanation of why those market comparisons were chosen. The list shall be subjected to final approval by We Effect;

c) Carry out a survey to compare We Effect ROSA remuneration levels with identified comparators;

d) Develop a comprehensive salary policy that harmonises existing We Effect HR guidelines and is in line with the We Effect Global HR Policy. The starting point should be existing HR related guidelines, regulations and templates. The salary policy should be designed to be comprehensive, inclusive of the value of typical allowances and benefits that are found in the local labour market and in accordance with the local labour laws. It should include a simple and clear We Effect ROSA salary structure and a strategic framework with which future remuneration decisions can be made in response to changing local employment/labor laws, inflation levels, organisation structure and roles and market rate pressures

e) Conduct an internal equity review and analysis to identify positions that have a greater need to be competitively paid. Develop cost estimate with recommendations for resolving any inconsistencies between internal equity and external competitiveness;

f) Support effective communication and change management throughout the process including objective setting; 

Deliverables and outputs 

a) Standard job descriptions for core functions across the region.

b) Details and summary of data collected from the comparators showing the evaluation of their remuneration package as well as the minimum and maximum remuneration values of all job matches obtained from the comparators in a format that enables like-for-like comparison with We Effect remuneration; 

c) A report on final survey findings with comparison and analysis of the survey results, and recommendations related to remuneration packages. The report should specifically include:

• summary information on the comparator employers (size, number of employees, length of time present in the location, etc.) against which current salaries can be reviewed, and a salary survey methodology that can be used for future surveys; 

• a basis for developing an equitable salary structure across We Effect ROSA offices based on a logical method of measuring relative job scope and size; and

• proposals for adjusting current remuneration levels and a corresponding implementation plan.

d) Update of the Conditions of Employment with specific conditions tailored for each country in the region.

g) A comprehensive salary policy consisting of but not limited to processes for salary setting at the hiring stage, performance management, annual salary reviews etc. including related guidelines, regulations and templates.  The salary policy should be designed to be 

• comprehensive, inclusive of the value of typical allowances and benefits that are found in the local labour market and in accordance with the local labour laws.

• include a simple and clear We Effect ROSA salary structure and a strategic framework with which future remuneration decisions can be made.

The proposed salary policy should be in line with the We Effect global salary policy to be developed Q3 2019 by HR at Head Office.

e) Proposed time sheet template to understand how time is spent (e.g. support to partner organisations and staff on organisational development and advocacy, compliance monitoring, internal administration, resource mobilisation etc.), if advisable to improve staff management and performance.

f) A recommendation of performance management software not necessarily linked to the payroll.

g) A change management plan to allow We Effect ROSA to implement the recommendations for job grade changes.

Qualification and Requirements 

Consultants that wish to submit a proposal shall meet the following minimum criteria:

a) Proven track record in salary and benefit analysis, preferably for international non-governmental organisations; 

b) Experience in developing and establishing a salary policy, preferably for international development non-governmental organisations; 

c) Ability to render consulting services in the most professional, effective and efficient manner by providing references; 

d) Knowledge of the local labour markets and the ability to identify and reach out to appropriate comparator employers 

The proposed consultant(s) shall meet the following minimum criteria: 

a) Bachelor’s degree in fields related to Human Resource Management, Statistics or similar; 

b) Experience in Human Resource Management; 

c) Familiarity with Zambian, Zimbabwean, Malawian and Mozambican employment/labor laws and labor market issues will be an added advantage;

d) Spoken and written professional fluency in Portuguese and English; 

e) Excellent and proven writing skills in English (all required reports shall be written in English); 

f) Proven communication and presentation skills in English.

The selection of successful consultancy company and candidates will be based on the qualification requirements, gender balance of the consultancy team, and interviews of company representatives and candidates.

Timeframe and payment

The assignment is expected to be completed within three (3) months from the date of signing of the contract by both parties, subject to adjustments as required and mutually agreed upon. The consultant, therefore, is required to prepare and submit work- and time plan that allows the achievement of all deliverables within the timeframe. The payment shall be based on approved deliverables and outputs, invoice, time sheets including narrative report of work carried out.

Reporting

The consultant’s work shall be supervised by We Effect ROSA’s Regional Financial Controller. A task team consisting of We Effect team members will be set up to assist in the review of outputs as and when deemed necessary.

Proposal Submission 

Consultants that wish to submit a proposal shall submit a technical proposal and a financial proposal.

The technical proposal shall include: 

• Justification of why s/he is the most suitable consultant for the work, and a brief methodology on how the work will be conducted;

• Work and time plan including the scheduling of main activities and time inputs required per consultant/s.

• CV of the proposed consultant(s) highlighting the minimum qualification requirements above, and at least three (3) references.

The financial proposal shall be in USD and include:

Fee rate excluding VAT and time inputs required as presented in the work- and time plan. The total price shall be in a broken down by specific deliverables and outputs;

• Reimbursable expenses, that is all envisaged travel costs, accommodation, and DSA, etc.). 

The proposal shall also be accompanied by:

• Company profile (clearly stating full contact details, physical address and telephone lines); 

• Declaration of relationships - describe if your organisation/employees have any business or personal relationships connected to We Effect; and

• A statement of availability of key consultant/s during the timeframe of the assignment period. 

• Certificate of incorporation or registration;

• Tax registration; and 

• Tax clearance certificates. 

Proposal should be submitted by 30 September 2019.