Consultancy for Further Optimizing Financial Management and Compliance of Bread for the World’s Partner in Vietnam and Laos (BftW)

The Regional Office of Bread for the World in Hanoi is looking for a Consultancy:
Further optimizing Financial Management and Compliance of Bread for the World’s Partner in Vietnam and Laos
Duration: 10/2019 – 12/2022 with one mission on-site annually

Location: Vietnam and Laos
Duration: Up to 40 days per year, including up to 4 travel days per annum

Background
Bread for the World (BftW) is the globally active development and relief agency of the Protestant Churches in Germany. In more than 90 countries all across the globe Bread for the World supports local partner organizations in empowering people experiencing poverty and marginalization to improve their living conditions and advocate for their causes. Bread for the World’s development work is guided by the conviction that project interventions need to build on the respect of people’s dignity, acknowledging their potentials and self-determination. More than 40 Partner organizations at the moment in Vietnam and Laos are supported by the Regional Office (RO) based in Hanoi.

Financial management capacities of BfdW’s partners in Vietnam and Laos have decently improved in the past years. BfdW’s continuous support is one of the main reasons for this positive development.

Nevertheless, steady coaching and training on the job will enhance capacities and facilitate the financial cooperation between partner organizations and the BftW regional office in future.

Further improvements have to be made in the following areas:

Strengthen internal control systems and with a special focus on compliance with BftW standards
Financial justification, including vouchers and supporting documents according to national and international, in particular with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ requirements
Harmonizing the institutional bookkeeping system with the BftW project charts of account, including the recording and presentation of project co-funding
Preparation of accounts for auditing, especially for the final financial statement according to BftW (BMZ Schlussverwendungsnachweis, SVN and Projektabschlussnachweiss, PAN) rules
Cash flow management

The service shall include a deeper assessment of the actual capacities and deficits in financial management and individual coaching of partner organizations (that are visited by the consultant) to overcome identified challenges. Capacity building services shall be provided at the partners’ offices
and partly at the BftW regional office. The consultant needs travel inside Vietnam and Laos.

The working language for the contractor will be English.

Objective

Partner organisations of BfdW further increase their financial management capacities in compliance with national, international and BfdW’s requirements.

Indicators:

All partner organizations receiving support identify issues in their financial management systems and suggest how to improve on this in future
60% of partner organizations supported have overcome the identified restrictions and are enabled to keep accounts and financial reporting timely, up-to-date, accurate and reconciled

Description of Assignment

The consultant has to implement the following tasks:

Conduct annual on-site capacity building to up to 10 partner organisations of BfdW in Vietnam and Laos. In 2019 due to the short working period only up to 5 partners in Vietnam shall be visited. Partners to be visited will be suggested by the BftW regional office. Prepare working sessions in the Regional Office in Hanoi beside briefing and debriefing based on identified issues, possibly with partners.

It is upon the consultant to submit a comprehensive work and travel schedule with annual break-downs.

Annual visits from 2019 to 2022 are foreseen: The first visit shall be end of October / beginning of November 2019. Further annual visits to Vietnam and Laos will follow in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The contractor will organize own travel to/from Vietnam and Laos. Expenses and reimbursements have to be economical and are based on the German Travel Law (DRKG). This includes international/domestic flight bookings and transfers. Economy-flight costs will be reimbursed against receipts. Expenses for food will be catered for through a daily allowance. The contract will include a lump sum for visa, communication, local transportation etc. The BftW Regional Office will assist with booking of accommodation. Accommodation costs will be reimbursed against receipts.

Qualifications and competences

The following areas of expertise must be covered in carrying out the contract:

1. Professional expertise

Expertise in financial management, including various accounting software and bookkeeping systems.
In-depth knowledge of financial requirements of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development, EU and BftW funding and reporting standards.

2. Methodological expertise:

Expertise in facilitation, didactic skills, ability to work with groups, systemic view, analytical skills, capacitating to take action, participative techniques

3. Clear vision of one’s own role:

Self-reflection, self-confidence, willingness to unlearn and to innovate

4. Social Competence

Empathy, communication skills, relationship building, ability to focus on potentials and strengths, sensitivity to gender and diversity issues, incl. cultural diversity

How to apply

Please send your documents, including