Tender for Consultancy Service: 

Revision of DIGNITY’s project manual with focus on financial and administrative procedures 

1. Background 

In 2022, DIGNITY adopted a DIGNITY Partnership Policy to serve as a core guiding document for DIGNITY’s international programmes and its cooperation with existing and new partners. The priority for 2023 is to ensure the implementation of this Policy at a programmatic and an administrative level. 

DIGNITY’s internal process to implement the partnership policy has two tracks: a) revision of programmatic tools, procedures and methodologies and b) revision and optimization of DIGNITY’s administrative tools, workflows, and procedures.  Through this tender, DIGNITY is looking for a consultant to advice on and deliver on track b. Close coordination with track a is essential. 

In later years, DIGNITY had growth in size, complexity, and in types of partners and donors. Organisational adjustments have been implemented to create leaner processes, yet the administrative processes have not been fully adapted. Moreover, DIGNITY’s project manual is outdated and does not adequately reflect DIGNITY’s current setup and organisation, including the way that projects are managed through DIGNITY’s Country Offices and Representations. A core ambition for the process is therefore to consolidate and streamline DIGNITY’s financial and administrative procedures.  

The process is led by a Project Lead, overseen by a Steering Group, and supported by a Task Force consisting of relevant staff who the Consultant can draw upon in the achievement of the results described below.  

2. Objective 

The objective of the consultancy is to assist DIGNITY in producing a lean, user-friendly project manual with focus on financial and administrative procedures. The new project manual must reflect a risk-based approach to management of partnerships. 

3. Scope of work, including activities 

The consultant will perform a dual role: Firstly, the consultant will be a facilitator of a process where relevant DIGNITY staff are involved in analysing gaps and shortcomings in existing procedures, tools, and workflows. Secondly, the consultant will produce content for DIGNITY’s new project manual under supervision from project lead, based on inputs from staff and approval from management.  

More specifically, the consultant is expected to: 

1. Produce an analysis of existing administrative and financial procedures and tools in collaboration with DIGNITY’s staff and management. This includes, but may not be limited to, review of documents; consultations with relevant staff (workshops and interviews) and practice observation. The purpose is to identify workflows, tools and procedures that are inefficient, unclear, or insufficiently in line with a risk-based approach to partnership management and the principles of DIGNITY’s partnership policy. And to identify opportunities for optimization. 

2. Produce content for the new project manual with focus on administrative and financial procedures and tools. This include but may not be limited to: a) developing a risk management framework for DIGNITY’s management of partnerships; b) producing descriptions of roles & responsibilities, workflows, and templates for each chapter of DIGNITY’s SharePoint-based project manual (the structure for the manual is pre-established). Many process descriptions and tools exist but require review and revision by the consultant in consultation with DIGNITY staff; c) running tests of new process descriptions and tools with staff to ensure user-friendliness and applicability across the international programme organisation; d) adapt and produce final content, including presentation to DIGNITY’s management for approvals. 

4. Expected results 

• A risk management tool for partnership administration 

• A user-tested and finalized SharePoint-based Project Manual (administrative and financial procedures only) describing roles and responsibilities, step-by-step guides (visuals and brief text) and links to relevant administrative and financial tools and templates. The volume of the Project Manual will comprise approximately 30 short chapters. Each chapter will consist of minimum amounts of text, visuals (work flow visuals), and links to templates.  

5. Timing 

The consultancy contract will cover a period from May/June to October 2023.  

6. Deliverables and timeline 

7. Qualifications and Experience 

Essential 

• +10 years of experience in finance and administration – preferably from the NGO sector; 

• Proven experience in developing, innovating and optimizing administrative processes; 

• Excellent facilitation skills and demonstrated abilities to collect and process information across organisational departments; 

• Understanding of user experience design and SharePoint; 

• Excellent English language skills (written and oral) 

Desirable 

• Project management experience; 

• Experience working with NGOs and similar organisations/institutions; 

8. Submission of applications 

Interested candidates are kindly requested to send the following documents to Tine Jacobsen tvja@dignity.dk with reference “Consultancy Project Manual”: 

• Outline of proposed work (2 pages max) incl. suggested methodology,  

• Financial proposal 

• CV / Resume of key consultant 

The deadline for submissions is 19.05.2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.