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Rwanda Workforce Development Authority (WDA) Operations Manual Skills Development Project (SDP) Volume III

File: om-volume 3- 06th september.doc The Skills Development Fund 1 of 58

Rwanda

Workforce Development Authority

The Skills Development Project (SDP)

VOLUME III: THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FUND (SDF)

Operations Manual

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY – WDA

Empowering people with employable skills and entrepreneurship capacity

P. O. BOX 2707

Tel: (+250) 255113365

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.wda.gov.rw

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.wda.gov.rw/



QUICK GUIDE

Volume I: Background and Policy Framework, Institutional & Implementation Arrangements

Volume II: Component 1 Delivery of Quality and Relevant Vocational Training Component 2 TVET System Strengthening: Monitoring & Evaluation Reporting

Volume III: Component 3 Rapid Skills Delivery / Skills Development Facility (SDF)

Volume IV: Financial and Procurement Management; Administrative Regulations

FOREWORD The Operations Manual (further referred to as the Manual or OM) defines policies and operating principles and provides guidance for the implementation of the Skills Development Project. The manual was developed by a task force of the WDA comprising of outgoing Deputy Director General Corporate Affairs – Fatina Mukarubibi, HR director – Francis Twinamatsiko, Finance director – Modeste Muhire, Private Sector Partnership Expert – Denis Rugamba, Ag., Director TVET-Sam Barigye, SDP Procurement Specialist – Leocadie Mwenzikazi, SDP M & E Specialist – Rose Uwagirisa and Senior Expert Planning & Project Management – Prof., Mwangi Maringa. This task force facilitated wide consultation with a cross-section of stakeholders/ implementers within the WDA that included Aime Mpamo – Curriculum Development Head, Rose Mukantabana – Assessment & Certification head, Johnson Rutayisire – Training of Trainers head, Charles Sekanyambo – Ag., Director Schools Development and Gerald Karamutsa representing Schools Management Systems. The task force worked under the guidance of the outgoing WDA DG and now Minister of Infrastructure Hon., Albert Nsengiyumva and the incumbent DG, Jerome Gasana. The Manual has been developed in accordance with the World Bank’s policy and procedures. It benefitted from close guidance of the World Bank Task team leader Margo Hoftijzer, with the added advice of Clemens Romjin (an M & E consultant) and Guenter Schieske (Project and Financial consultant). The manual was approved by the WDA in August 2011 and by the Word Bank in September 2011. It is a dynamic document and will be updated from time to time in response to changes and developments of the project and the provisions for its implementation. It is structured to be used by the WDA / PMPU, by other Project stakeholders, and by internal and external auditors. This volume III of the manual specifically offers guidance on accessing, utilizing and accounting for SDF resources; the audience for volume III are also the recipients of grants. Date: Date:



Signed:_____________________________ Signed:_______________________________ WDA, Director General World Bank

This manual should be read in conjunction with the project Specific Financing Agreement and the various standard guidelines and procedures issued by the World Bank and the Government of Rwanda referred to hereinafter. Relevant Laws, regulations of state authorities, and Contracts supersede the Manual.

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

9YBE Nine Years of Basic Education AEAs Autonomous Education Agencies APEFE Association for the Promotion of Education and Training Abroad BTC Belgian Technical Cooperation CAS Country Assistance Strategy CBT Competency-Based Training CB-DD Competency-Based, Demand-Driven CB-DR Competency-Based, Demand-Responsive CDAP Country Development Action Plan CQBS Consultant Qualification Based Selection CQS Consultant Qualifications DA Designated Account DDG Deputy Director General DG Director General DP Development Partner EA Environmental Assessment EDPRS Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESMPs Environmental and Social Management Plans ESSP Education Sector Strategic Plan FBS Fixed Budget Selection FM Financial Management FY Fiscal Year GDP Gross Domestic Product GER Gross Enrollment Ratio GoR Government of Rwanda GIZ German Society for International Cooperation HCSDS Human Capital and Skills Development Strategy IAP Industrial Attachment Programme IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IC Individual Consultants



ICB International Competitive Bidding ICT Information and Communications Technology IDA International Development Association IFR Interim Financial Report IPRC Integrated Polytechnic Regional Center IPSAS International Public Sector Accounting Standards ISR Implementation Status Report JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency KOICA Korean International Cooperation Agency LCS Least-Cost Selection M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDAs Ministries, Departments, and Agencies MINECOFIN Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning MINEDUC Ministry of Education NCB National Competitive Bidding NQF National Qualification Framework NUFFIC Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education OAG Office of the Auditor General OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OP/BP Operational Policy // Bank Policy ORAF Operational Risk Assessment Framework PAD Project Appraisal Document PBET Post-Basic Education and Training PBU Partnership Building Unit PDO Project Development Objectives PMPU Project Management and Planning Unit PMU Project Management Unit PPIU Project Planning and Implementation Unit P-RAMS Procurement Risk Assessment & Management System PS Permanent Secretary QBS Quality Based Selection QCBS Quality and Cost Based Selection RDB Rwanda Development Board REMA Rwanda Environmental Management Agency RPPA Rwanda Public Procurement Authority SBD Standard Bidding Document SDF Skills Development Facility SDP Skills Development Project SIL Specific Investment Loan SMEs Small and Medium Enterprises SOE Statements of Expenditures SRFP Standard Request for Proposals SSS Single-Source Selection STEL Standard Training Equipment Lists STI Science, Technology and Innovation TA Technical Assistance TEVSA Technical and Vocational Schools Association



TNA Training Needs Analysis ToT Training of Trainers TSS Technical Secondary School TVET Technical-Vocational Education and Training TWS Training Workshop Specifications UNICEF United Nations Children’s Education Fund USAID United States for International Development VT Vocational Trainining VTC Vocational Training Center VVOB Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance WB World Bank WDA Workforce Development Authority

REVISIONS TO THE MANUAL This manual will be available at the WDA website in a read-only and printable version. All personnel are required to familiarise themselves with its contents. Test that is highlighted in blue colour will hyperlink to the corresponding document. Proposals for change and supplements are welcome, and should be addressed to the Director Project Management and Planning Unit (PMPU). Changes have to be approved by the Director General Workforce Development Authority (WDA).

Approved revisions

August 2011

DIVERSION FROM PAD:

Responsibility for IAP shifted from Director Quality Assurance and Accreditation (DQAA) to Director Partnership Building (DPB) under the Private Sector Partnership Docket.

SIGNATORIES: From the PAD’s SDP Manager, Director PMPU & Director of Finance to the OM’s DG, SDP Manager & Director of Finance



ADDRESSES Workforce Development Authority P. O. Box 2707 Kigali – Rwanda Tel: (+250) 255113365, +250-788-308-785 E-mail: [email protected] , [email protected], Contact Person: Jerome Gasana, the Director General WDA.

PMPU P. O. Box 2707 Kigali – Rwanda Tel: (+250) 255113365, +250-788-829-776 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Contact Person: Paul Mwangi Maringa, Senior Expert Planning and Project Management for Director PMPU.

SDP P. O. Box 2707 Kigali – Rwanda Tel: (+250) 255113365, +250-788-303-886 E-mail: [email protected] Contact Person: Wilson Muyenzi, Ag., SDP Manager.

SDF P. O. Box 2707 Kigali – Rwanda Tel: (+250) 255113365 E-mail: [email protected] Contact Person: XXXX, SDF Manager.

Word Bank P. O. Box …………………………….. Tel: ……………………………………..



mailto:[email protected],






E-mail: ……………………………….. Contact Person: Margo Hoftijzer, the Task Team Leader, World Bank




TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fore matter

QUICK GUIDE .......................................................................................................................... 2 FOREWORD .............................................................................................................................. 2 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ................................................................................... 3 REVISIONS TO THE MANUAL .............................................................................................. 5 ADDRESSES ............................................................................................................................. 6

Main Text

1. OVERVIEW OF THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FACILITY (SDF) .............................. 10 1.1. Objective .................................................................................................................... 10 1.2. Targeted beneficiaries ................................................................................................ 10

1.3. Operational Principles ................................................................................................ 10 1.4. Outcomes and Outputs ........................................................................................... 11

2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ............................................................................................... 11

2.1 Target Sectors ......................................................................................................... 11

2.2 Target Occupations ................................................................................................ 13 2.3 Target Programme Duration ...................................................................................... 13

2.4 Sub-Grant size ......................................................................................................... 13

2.5 Eligible applicants .................................................................................................. 13

2.6 Funding window and eligible expenditures ..................................................... 14

2.7 Technical Support for Proposal Preparation and Implementation............. 15

3. ORGANISATION AND ADMINISTRATION ............................................................... 15

3.1 Functions of the SDF administration: ................................................................ 15

3.2 Organisation and administration ....................................................................... 16

4. PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING PROPOSALS ...................................................... 19 4.1 Overview - The Sequence of Steps in Reviewing Applications. ............................... 19 4.2 Criteria for Sub-Grant Proposals ............................................................................... 26

5. FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES ..................................................... 27

5.1 Purpose .................................................................................................................... 27

5.2 Disbursements ........................................................................................................ 27

5.3 Disbursement Requests ........................................................................................ 27

5.4 Processing Disbursement Requests ................................................................... 27

5.5 Procurement by sub-grants beneficiaries ........................................................ 28 5.5.1 Procurement Principles. ...................................................................................... 28 5.5.2 Procurement arrangement. .................................................................................. 29 5.5.3 Procurement reviews by the SDF Secretariat . ................................................. 29 5.5.4 Procurement methods. ........................................................................................ 29 5.5.5 Template documents. ......................................................................................... 31



6. MONITORING AND EVALUATION ............................................................................ 31 6.2 M&E Levels, indicators, data sources, measurement instruments and allocation

responsibility for data collection .......................................................................................... 32

6.3 M&E operations procedures ...................................................................................... 35

ANNEX 1: ................................................................................................................................ 36 NATIONAL PRIORITY LIST OF TRAINING AREAS & OCCUPATIONS ....................... 36

ANNEX 2 ................................................................................................................................. 38 JOB DESCRIPTIONS - KEY SDF STAFF ............................................................................. 38

ANNEX 3 ................................................................................................................................. 47 SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID FOR TRAINING SUB-GRANTS ..................................... 47

ANNEX 4 ................................................................................................................................. 51

APPLICATION FOR SUB-GRANTS FROM THE SDF........................................................ 51

ANNEX 5 EVALUATION OF PROJECT PROPOSALS .................................................. 55



1. OVERVIEW OF THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FACILITY (SDF)

1.1. Objective

The objective of the SDF is to minimize skills gaps by rapidly increasing the supply of skills in high demand in the labour market. To achieve this objective, the SDF will aim to expand the number of individuals with the relevant skills in critical sectors and improve the quality of individual’s skill sets in key occupations and sectors. The SDF has the following subsidiary objectives:

(a) Stimulate competition and delivery of innovative programme offerings;

(b) Promote collaboration between enterprises and training centers and institutions;

(c) Increase skills acquisition among disadvantaged groups; and

(d) Improve the efficiency of training provision.

The SDF is designed as a pilot intervention to test whether the Sub-Grant facility mechanism can be an effective instrument to rapidly reduce skills gaps and promote employment. A thorough review of the pilot will be carried out towards the third year of implementation, prior to mid-term review, to inform possible implementation adjustments and options for medium to long-term sustainability.

1.2. Targeted beneficiaries

The main target groups include:

(a) Young adults (not enrolled and not gainfully employed) to receive job entry training

in critical skills. Target groups will include young adults who have completed either

primary or lower secondary education or graduates from vocational centers who

may need to upgrade their skills;

(b) Public and private technical and vocational training centers and institutions to

upgrade their technical and operational capacity to deliver relevant t and quality

training programmes; and

(c) Trade associations, Cooperatives, NGOs and enterprises to expand their capacity to

deliver industry relevant training programmes for current and prospective workers.

1.3. Operational Principles

The SDF incorporates the following operational principles:

(a) Demand-driven: Activities are oriented towards immediate employment, productivity

and income generation opportunities in the formal or informal sectors;



(b) Performance-based: Success is measured based on the relevance and quality of skills

generated and trainee’s absorption in the labour market;

(c) Bottom-up approach: Training providers generate proposals using their expertise and

knowledge of the local labour market needs. The SDF facility provides technical

support to guide or strengthen the quality of proposals;

(d) Competition for funds: Training providers must compete for funds. No pre-selection

of training providers will be allowed;

(e) Contract award depends on the quality of the proposal: All proposals are subject to

technical review as per the established and officially approved criteria. A technical

evaluation will review individual proposals and select the best for financing;

(f) Performance incentives: Contracts will include performance incentives; and

(g) Transparency: Eligibility, proposal criteria, procedures, competitors, proposal

evaluation results, award decisions and Sub-Grantee’s performance results will be

public information.

1.4. Outcomes and Outputs

The SDF plans to finance about 100 Sub-Grants during this project, benefitting approximately 10,000-12,000 trainees. The indicators that will be used for monitoring and evaluation of this component are described in section 6.2 of this volume.

2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 2.1 Target Sectors

Most sectors are eligible to participate provided there is a robust and well-documented justification on the labour market demand and employment opportunities for a substantive number of opportunities for entry or mid-level vocational or technical skills.

Sectors/Areas that are NOT eligible for financing include the following:

(a) Literacy training;

(b) General education;

(c) Higher education;

(d) Health occupations; and

(e) Public administration;

Cross sector skills such as ICT and English language communication are NOT eligible as stand-alone training programmes. They will only be considered when proficiency of these skills is part of a curricula and a requirement for successful performance in priority occupations.





2.2 Target Occupations

Priority will be given to proposals that focus on the occupations identified by the WDA. Other occupations could be considered based on compelling evidence from the labour market. The national priority list of training areas & occupations is attached in Annex 1 of this Operational Guidelines.

2.3 Target Programme Duration

The eligible programmes include the following:

(a) Short-term programmes, ranging from 1 to 3 months maximum.

(b) Training programmes that are directed at meeting urgent skills requirements in the

labour market, either improvements of existing programmes, expansion of

existing programmes or development and delivery of new programmes.

2.4 Sub-Grant size

The size of the Sub-Grant will depend on a number of considerations, including the number of trainees expected to participate in the programme, the degree of participation from specialized staff to prepare the technical content and delivery schedule for the proposed training, and the equipment and materials required to deliver the training.

Sub-Grants will range from a minimum of USD 10,000 to a maximum of SD100, 000.

2.5 Eligible applicants

There are two types of eligible applicants. The first type includes training providers who would be expected to use the funds to add or expand short-term training offerings. These include:

(a) Public education/training providers (to add or expand short-term training offerings)

(b) Government-aided education/training institutions

(c) Private education/training providers (for-profit)

(d) Private education/training providers (not-for-profit)

The second type includes other entities that would act as providers by adding or expanding short-term training offerings for a broad group of prospective trainees in their sector. These include:

(e) Associations and Cooperatives

(f) Non-Government Organisations, national and international (NGOs)

(g) Enterprises



ALL applicants must be registered as establishments with the appropriate government authority and have an established bank account in good standing.

Entities that are NOT eligible include

(a) Individuals

(b) Members of the Sub-Grants Committee (Where family members apply the particular

member will be excluded from the approval and review processes that are

specific to the particular grants application); members with interest in an

enterprise that applies will be treated similarly.

(c) Pilot institutions supported under Component 1 of the Project are only eligible to

participate in the SDF in the third round of call for proposals

(d) WDA staff or their immediate family members (parents, spouse and children)

2.6 Funding window and eligible expenditures

The SDF will channel its funding through a single funding window as there is no differentiation on eligibility requirements from applicants, eligibility of programme criteria (e.g., sector, occupations, duration, etc.) or eligibility of cost and expenditure items.

The eligible cost and expenditures are listed below:

Eligible

NOT Eligible

Se

rvic

es

Consulting services (national and international)

Master trainers to upgrade trainers to deliver programmes

Trainers to deliver training programme Insurance for trainees Local labour market studies Tracer studies

Salaries for existing training or teaching staff

Go

od

s

Training materials Workshop materials Workshop consumables Equipment

Infr

ast

ruct

ur

e

Minor refurbishing of immediate training facilities (Ceiling for minor rehabilitation is 10% of the Sub-Grant)

New construction or major rehabilitation



Eligible

NOT Eligible

Op

era

tio

na

l

Administrative overhead (5% of the Sub-Grant)

Vehicle rental and repair Rental of training premises Internal travel for training purposes (e.g.

enterprise visits)- staff and students Training abroad only in exceptional

circumstances (where costs are lower than organizing domestic training)

Salaries for existing staff New vehicles

2.7 Technical Support for Proposal Preparation and Implementation

Technical assistance will be provided to finalize proposals to ensure they are compliant with quality, relevance and eligibility criteria. Support will be available for winning proposals to accompany the implementation and successful completion of the training programme.

3. ORGANISATION AND ADMINISTRATION

3.1 Functions of the SDF administration:

The SDF has three critical functions divided as follows:

(a) Upstream – Proposal Generation

Marketing programmes to spark interest of potential bidders

Providing information to prospective bidders about the SDF

Arranging training and assistance to potential bidders in proposal preparation

(b) Midstream – Proposal evaluation and award

Receiving and screening applications

Forming review panels, including some outside expertise

Evaluating applications, including site visits

Recommending awards to the Sub-Grants Committee

Negotiating and signing contracts with winning bidders for sub-projects

(c) Downstream – Subproject implementation Providing support on technical and fiduciary issues

Monitoring progress, including field visits

Receiving, approving disbursement requests

Helping to solve implementation problems

Arranging for auditing of use of Sub-Grants

Arranging for verification and evaluation of results



Reporting to DG of WDA on performance and outcomes

3.2 Organisation and administration

The SDF would be located initially in the WDA. The Skills Development Facility would be a separate unit (secretariat) within the WDA. The results would be evaluated after 3 years (at mid-term review) to determine whether to

(a) Expand the scope of financing using other sources,

(b) Redefine priorities and

(c) Evolve as an autonomous agency.

Governance

The Director of the PMPU has oversight authority over the SDP under which the SDF falls. Evaluated Sub-Grant applications would be forwarded by the Director of the PMPU1 to a Sub-Grants Committee for approval, recommendations or rejection. The Sub-Grants Committee would be comprised of not more than seven persons, including three representatives of the private sector and three from the public sector (e.g. education, labour and the DG WDA).

The members of the Committee would be appointed by the Director General of the WDA based on consultation of relevant sector bodies to serve a term of two years. Care should be taken to ensure sufficient employer representation. The Chairperson and deputy would be drawn from the private sector to reinforce the labour market orientation of the SDF. Members of the Sub-Grants Committee would be ineligible to submit applications for reasons of conflict of interest.

Secretariat

A small secretariat would be established within WDA with a Director to carry out the functions of the SDF – including programmes and implementation. The financial functions, including payments; accounting and financial record-keeping, auditing and internal procurement will be handled by other units within the WDA’ Finance unit. (See diagram). A financial management specialist will be hired and dedicated only to the SDF.

Staffing

A total of 4 full-time staff would be hired on contract. One SDF manager, one Programme Officer, one implementation officer and one office support staff. In addition, a SDF Financial

1 The Director PMPU will forward the sub-grant applications and the actions as proposed by the SDF Secretariat

directly to the Sub-Grants Committee. The DG WDA will not approve or participate in discussions on the

proposals that the Director PMPU will submit to the Grants Committee. This is done so as to avoid the

perception of conflicts of interest: since the DG WDA is also a member of the Committee, s/he cannot also be

involved in the prior evaluation of proposals. Avoiding (perceived) conflict of interest more adequately can be

achieved either by excluding WDA from the Grants Committee, or separating the SDF Secretariat from the

WDA. It is this latter option that is expected to be reviewed by one of the assessments of the SDF that will be

carried out during project implementation.



Specialist dedicated solely to the implementation of SDF and funded by the Project will be based in the WDA’s Finance Unit. The number and type of staff would be reassessed every six months during the first two years of implementation in comparison to workloads, and would be adjusted as necessary.

Organisational Structure for the SDF

See Annex 2 for job descriptions of SDF staff.

Summary- SDF Secretariat Staff Functions

Functions/Steps Responsibility

I. ESTABLISHING SDF PROCEDURES

Preparation of materials, guidelines, manuals, marketing

and evaluation criteria and procedures SDF Secretariat

Validation of SDF programme materials, guidelines,

manuals, marketing and evaluation criteria and

SDP Manager, WDA Senior

Management



procedures

Sub-Grants Committee approval Sub-Grants Committee

II. GENERATING TRAINING PROPOSALS

Launching marketing and advertising requests for

proposals

SDF Manager & Programme

Officer

Recruiting and training consultants to provide TA SDF Manager & Programme

Officer

Receiving and screening applications SDF Manager & Programme

Officer

Convening technical review panels SDF Manager & Programme

Officer

III. EVALUATING AND SELECTING PROPOSALS

Evaluating proposals SDF Manager, Programme

Officer & Review Panel

Compiling results SDF Manager & Programme

Officer

Recommending awards SDF Programme Officer and

SDF Manager

Submission of recommendations and applications to

sub-grants committee

Director PMPU/SDP

Manager

Sub-Grants Committee approval Sub-Grants Committee

IV. IMPLEMENTATION

Negotiating contracts SDF Manager

Signing contracts WDA DG/Director

PMPU/SDP Manager

Initial training on technical and fiduciary procedures

Programme Officer,

Implementation Officer and

Financial Specialist

Receiving/Reviewing progress report and Sub-Grant

disbursement requests

Implementation and

Financial Specialist

Recommend of Sub-Grant disbursements Implementation Officer



Approving of Sub-Grant disbursements SDF Manager

Preparation and payment of Sub-Grant

disbursements Financial Specialist

V. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Monitoring progress and field visits Programme and

Implementation Officers

Performance and financial audits Private firm

Analyzing results and preparing progress reports Programme and

Implementation Officers

Reporting to SDF Sub-Grants Committee and WDA

Board on outcomes SDF Manager

4. PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING PROPOSALS

4.1 Overview - The Sequence of Steps in Reviewing Applications.

The SDF Manager and Programme Officer of the SDF are responsible for the generation of Sub-Grant proposals, their appraisal, and advice on financing decisions. The steps for this process span eight stages and are termed collectively, the "Sub-Grant cycle.”

1. Establish SDF Procedures 2. Generating training proposals 3. Initial screening of applications 4. Evaluation of training proposals 5. Financing decisions 6. Implementation of approved training proposals 7. Supervision of implementation 8. Final evaluation

The Evaluation Process for SDF Financing is outlined on the page that follows



Evaluation Process for SDF Financing

SDF Programme Officer Makes

Recommendation

Appraisal by

Panel of Experts

Initial Screening By SDF

Programme Officer

Sub-Grants Committee

Reviews

Proposal

SDF Trains

Potential Bidders

Applicant/

Bidder Submits

Proposal

Proposal/Recommendation

to Sub-Grants Comm. via DDG/SDF

Assistance

Needed?

Meets Basic

Criteria? Return to

Applicant with

Explanation

Meets

Appraisal Criteria

Supported? Negotiations

& Contract Signed

No

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Back to SDF Staff For processing

Start- Programme

Announcement



Stage 1: Establishing SDF Procedures Tasks: 1. WDA & TVET stakeholder Validation SDF Operational Manual and Fund Guidelines. These

will include guidelines on implementation, financial management, monitoring and evaluation (including templates and tools for M&E) and other such resources.

2. WDA Approval of the marketing strategy that is prepared by the appointed PR firm. Approval panel to comprise of the SDF and SDP Managers, the WDA Management and suitable external experts from appropriate government agencies.

3. WDA appointment of Grants committee members in consultation with TVET Provider bodies such as TEVSA and the Private Sector Federation, representing employers & industry.

4. WDA Validation of and approval of Grants committee procedures designed by the Programme officer in consultation with the SDF & SDP Managers, the PSF and TVET provider representative bodies such as TEVSA.

5. WDA Validation and approval annual implementation plans 6. WDA selection, appointment and training (in SDF bid evaluation procedures and

standards/criteria) of a pool of consultants to evaluate bids to be engaged as and when relevant bids need to be evaluated.

Stage 2: Generating training proposals The SDF will use various means to stimulate interest in submitting proposals. First, it will advertise the availability of funds for skills development in priority occupations through the media, especially radio, and by direct contact with possible training providers (through the WDA data base of approved providers), and their umbrella bodies such as the TEVSA. Second, it will conduct periodic workshops for interested applicants to train them on the formulation and design of proposals, covering both methods and content. Third, it will provide a group of expert consultants in proposal design that interested applicants can call on to assist them in preparing an application. These consultants would not be eligible to review applications for the SDF for reasons of conflict of interest. A call for proposals is expected to take place twice per year. Proposal review is expected to last no longer than two months. The implementation of winning proposals must last no longer than six months, counting from contract signature to delivery of final report. Tasks: 1. Preparation of resources and material for publicity, information and training activities,

which will include templates for application. A brochure summary of these and other resources on expected implementation, financial management and Monitoring & evaluation will be included in this package of resources.

2. Carry out marketing and advertising campaign 3. Issue official announcement complemented by the conduct information workshops in

strategic locations proximal to potential bidders nationally 4. Respond to requests for information & clarification by potential bidders through training

workshops which will also be strategically located spatially to reach potential bidders.



5. Offer assistance and training in proposal preparation to potential bidders if necessary.

Stage 3: Initial Screening of Proposals: Tasks: 1. SDF Secretariat to receive project proposals from the WDA through the Director of

PMPU and record receipt. 2. SDF Programme Officer to check proposals received for compliance with SDF format,

eligibility criteria and other conditions. 3. Review applications and return those not in compliance to the clients with clear

information about reasons for rejection, while retaining copy in the SDF for audit purposes. For example, proposals may be found unsuitable on different grounds:

Eligibility requirements are not met

The proposed activity is has clearly no relevance to the requirements specified in the programme guidelines;

The proposed activity is clearly not of sufficient quality;

The proposal is incomplete Stage 4: Evaluation of Pro posals (See also criteria for assessment). The SDF will appraise proposals using expert panels of consultants on which the Programme Officer also sits. Experts would be identified from a roster of approved appraisers who have been trained in the application of the SDF evaluation criteria. The panels would include at least two experts plus the SDF Programme Officer. The Programme Officer will ensure that appropriate criteria and procedures have been applied. The reviewers will be tasked to conduct a professional assessment of the proposals in terms of the agreed criteria, following the checklist of annex 5 and to report their findings to the Manager of SDF. Some non successful bids may be detected simply with a desk review; others will require a field visit. All successful bids though must undergo a field visit in order to verify actual human resource, infrastructure and equipment capacity as indicated in the application proposal. In field assessments, a team of experts will visit the training provider to evaluate the proposal. All Proposals that are evaluated by the expert panels will be summarized by the Programme Officer, approved by the SDF Manager and finally submitted by the Director of the PMPU or the SDP Manager to the Sub-Grants Committee for review (along a checklist of aspects to be considered in their deliberations; which checklist forms part of the validated procedures for the Sub-Grants Committee mentioned in bullet 4 of tasks for establishing SDF procedures) and appropriate decision making. They will be tagged, refuse, approve conditionally or approve unconditionally in accordance with their rating in the evaluation process. Tasks: Appoint independent expert reviewers from the roster of approved reviewers to appraise each project proposal. If needed, additional independent reviewer could be asked to present



comments in the event of disagreement among the first expert(s). The programme officer will ensure that the reviewers have no conflict of interest and issue to them clear guidelines about ethics, the content and format of the review, the criteria to be applied and the checklist for use. Stage 5: Decisions on approval or rejection Tasks: The SDF manager formulates recommendations about the Sub-Grant proposal based on the panel reviews, and forwards these recommendations to the director of the PMPU for submission to the Sub-Grants Committee. The Sub-Grants Committee considers the recommendations of the SDF manager and the outside experts. Approval criteria are:

Consistent application of the eligibility criteria, programme guidelines and approved procedures during pre-appraisal and appraisal stages

Demonstrated institutional capacity and leadership to implement and complete the project effectively

Evidence on ability to contribute the resources that are necessary to successfully carry out the training but which will not be covered by the sub-grant.2

The Sub-Grants Committee may ask for further work on the proposal, or reject it according to the approval guidelines. If approved, the proposals are returned to the Director General of the WDA or the director of PMPU (on the DG’s delegation) for signing a legal, performance-based contract. Any special terms and conditions for the assistance will be included in the contract. If not approved, a communication will be sent by the Director PMPU to the proposal originator stating the reasons why the project has not been approved. The information will be as clear and detailed as possible to encourage rejected bids to be improved and resubmitted. Overall the results of the bids will be published in an appropriate section of the WDA website, dedicated to SDF matters for wide circulation and also in order to promote transparency. Stage 6: Project Implementation It is the responsibility of the winning bidder to implement the project as proposed and approved, observing all terms and conditions that have been attached to the Sub-Grant. Tasks: 1. The SDF Manager will receive the approved Sub-Grant proposals from the Sub-

Grants Committee and will be responsible for signing a Sub-Grant document with the

2 For example, if an applicant requests funding to purchase equipment, it must be clear that the applicant has the

venue and teachers to provide training with the new equipment.



beneficiary and providing them with training (with the Programme Officer and Financial Manager) on the regulations regarding disbursement and procurement procedures.

2. The Programme Officer will also supply beneficiaries with guidelines on implementation, Financial Management as well as the Monitoring and Evaluation tools and procedures. S/he will carry out pre-meetings prior to the post-award orientation of successful bidders for effective SDF Grant contract administration and essential follow up review; and establish a good understanding by the beneficiaries of contract management procedures, personnel roles and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) approaches to effective contract management.

3. Once signed, the SDF Financial Specialist in charge receives the file with Sub-Grant information and is responsible for disbursements and the monitoring of procurement in accordance with the rules and regulations.

4. The Implementation Officer is responsible for checking that the implementation is proceeding smoothly and should assist if necessary to clear any difficulties.

Stage 7: Monitoring Once operational and disbursements have begun on the project, the support and supervision process requires the Implementation Officer, or designated consultant expert, to carry out the following tasks: 1. Collect information (covering training programmes, administrative and financial aspects)

in a regular reporting format and assess performance. 2. Visit projects according to a schedule of implementation approved by the

Manager and taking into consideration the size of the project to check on actual implementation. Alternatively, such visit can also be delegated to outside consultants and performed using standard terms of reference and formats.

3. Provide correction advice and support if there are problems and keep records of such activities.

As a pilot project, the SDF requires a well-designed evaluation framework to provide information about its effectiveness. Micro tracer studies will be routinely included in sub-projects to determine employment rates of graduates. (See section 6.2 of this volume of the manual for a detailed description of the monitoring indicators for this component of the project).

Stage 8: Final Evaluation The Sub-Grant recipient will be expected to produce a final report stating the results (against original expectations), outcomes and impact. This will include a micro tracer study on graduates. Where this proves difficult for the beneficiaries then they will need to deposit contact details of their trainees with the SDF Secretariat in order for the WDA or its consultants to take up the tracer survey. The SDF will review the report, and if necessary, conduct its own evaluation of the results. More specifically: based on a final report by the training provider, the Implementation Officer, with the support of the SDP M&E Specialist, undertakes a final evaluation report to (a) measure achievements against plans and targets; (b) quantify the impact by using adequate performance indicators; and (c) draw lessons from past projects to improve the



design and appraisal of future projects. The Implementation Officer can, in consultation with the SDP M&E Specialist, commission evaluation studies of specific groups of projects to collect data about project impact. The Implementation Officer will be responsible for providing information and indicators to the M&E Officer in the WDA.



4.2 Criteria for Sub-Grant Proposals

Eligibility criteria have been specified above. Appraisal criteria for evaluation of proposals – (See annex 5 for detailed guidelines)

a. Economic and social relevance – does it provide evidence that it would address priority labour market requirements and priority skill shortages? Does it target disadvantaged groups? Proposals that target disadvantaged groups will be given extra points in the evaluation process. [Note: fees charged by for-profit providers would be scrutinized to ensure that disadvantaged groups are not excluded.]

b. Feasibility – can it be done well? e.g. does the institution have the capacity and trained instructors to carry it out? Does the institution have the capacity to carry out fiduciary functions appropriately (financial management and procurement)

c. Internal efficiency- is it economical in the use of resources – e.g. proposed costs per trainee. (This includes sustainability.)



5. FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES

Users of this manual are required to review the World Bank Disbursement

Guidelines for Projects (Loan Department May 1, 2006).

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PROJECTS/Resources/DisGuideEng.pdf

5.1 Purpose

The purpose of this Section is to establish additional financial and procurement policies and procedures for the SDF provided Sub-Grants. This section should be read in conjunction with the Overall Skills Development Project’s guidelines and procedures on financial and procurement management as defined in Volume IV of the Operational Manual. Relevant Laws, regulations of state authorities, and Contracts are superseding the Manual. 5.2 Disbursements

Disbursements will be made on three installments, following a 30%, 40%, and 30% schedule. The first installment of 30% will be advanced upon contract signature. The second installment of 40% will be advanced upon the completion of a third of the envisaged activities to the satisfaction of the SDF secretariat. The request for second disbursement will be accompanied by an implementation status report and documentation of expenditures from the first installment. The final installment of 30% will be advanced upon the successful completion of activities, submission of final report and documentation of expenditures from the second installment. 5.3 Disbursement Requests

All disbursements must be requested, in writing, by the Sub-Grantee. The disbursement request should be generally in the format to be elaborated by the SDF Financial Management Specialist, which includes the following:

Name of the project

Sub-Grant number assigned by SDF

Date the request is prepared

Period during which the requested funds will be used,

Description of the purposes for which the funds will be used

Currency in which the disbursement is requested,

Amount requested

Bank account to which the disbursement should be sent (Grantees are expected to establish a separate bank account to receive SDF funds)

Signature, name, and title of the person making the request

5.4 Processing Disbursement Requests

The SDF Financial Management Specialist has primary responsibility for reviewing

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PROJECTS/Resources/DisGuideEng.pdf



disbursement requests received (advance and/or installments). In carrying out the review,

s/he will work with the Programme and Implementation Officers as necessary to ensure

that:

The sub-grant has been signed by both parties and has not expired;

The math is correct;

Funds requested are reasonable given the work plan and the financial reports

previously submitted by the grantee;

Cash balances shown, plus the funds requested are appropriate given the work to be

done over the next four months (coordinate with PO);

Bank information is correct and, if new bank information is provided, that the bank

account information is confirmed in writing by the bank;

The funds requested are available in the line-items requested;

All required monitoring visits have been conducted since the last disbursement

request, except when waived in writing by the Fund Manager;

Monitoring visits did not raise any unresolved issues regarding the grantee's ability

and willingness to effectively utilize and account for SDF sub-funds in carrying out the

grant project;

The disbursement transaction will be entered into SDF's accounting system and the Financial Management Specialist will also include all relevant information into a database. 5.5 Procurement by sub-grants beneficiaries

According to the PAD sub grants beneficiaries will be selected along the following groups of categories: Public training providers, government aided training providers, private training providers (both for profit and for not profit), associations and cooperatives, NGOs and Enterprise. These organisations are supposed to have a certain structure in place; therefore, they will need to observe a high level of accountability for the sub grants they will be managing. It is the general policy of the Skills development Facility (SDF) that any recipient of sub-grants is responsible for selecting vendors and making procurements for goods, small works and services. Sub-grantees will provide regular reports of all these activities to the SDP Procurement Specialist, which specialist will cooperate and advice on any procurement matter. Sub Grants will follow similar procurement principles as in Community Driven Development (CDD). Refer to Bank Selection and Employment of Consultants Guidelines, January 2011 paragraph 3.19 and those in national procedures.

5.5.1 Procurement Principles.

Although the high degree of variation among CDD approach precludes universally applicable rules and procedures, some general principles and working procedures apply, vis:



Bank policies and Guidelines apply to SDF sub-grants beneficiaries in the same way that they do for any other project; however, their application has to be scaled to the project and the capacity of the sub-grants beneficiaries.

The procurement objectives of the Bank Guidelines are efficiency and cost effectiveness, quality of goods and services, transparency, and competition among qualified suppliers. Procurement procedures developed for larger institutions do not always mesh well with the SDF sub-grants beneficiaries’ environment where the transactions may be too frequent and small to warrant the methods (and attendant costs) usually considered to be good practice for larger, less frequent transactions.

SDF sub-grants beneficiaries should take local culture, norms, and capacity into account. Procedures should be kept simple, with a high degree of transparency and accountability.

5.5.2 Procurement arrangement.

Every organisation that benefits from a sub-grant will have to describe how procurement of the sub grant will be handled. If they do not have a tender committee in charge of procurement, such an arrangement will have to be put in place. Sub-grant beneficiaries will be required to report to the SDF secretariat how funds have been spent. This will be done in a format that SDP Procurement specialist will develop.

5.5.3 Procurement reviews by the SDF Secretariat .

Prior review at the SDF Secretariat level will be applicable as follows:

Services i/ Recruitment of a firm, each contract equal or above 50,000 US$ ii/ Recruitment of individual consultant each contract equal & above 30,000 US$ iii/ Direct contracting of all amounts.

Procurement of works/Goods/non consultant services: i/ Each contract equal 100 000 US$

SDP Procurement specialist will conduct on an annual basis, a post procurement review of sub-grants.

5.5.4 Procurement methods.

Although international competitive bidding (ICB), national competitive bidding (NCB), and international shopping (IS) may be used by government and its agencies and their respective project management units, they may seldom be used by SDF sub-grants beneficiaries. Procurement methods which will be used under current SDF are: A. Goods and non consulting services. Given that the size of contracts will be relatively small compared to those carried out at the WDA level, simple methods will be applied under the sub-grant programme.



Sub grants will mostly include a large number of small value contracts services. Commonly used procurement procedures include shopping, local competitive bidding, direct contracting for small value goods and non consulting services, and the use of community labour and resources. (1) Shopping for goods (Up to $USD 25,000) Under this procedure, quotations are solicited from at least three qualified suppliers on basis of simplified documents. In order to enhance efficiency and remove the inherent risk of compromise, sub-grantees are advised to ensure that request for and submission of quotations should be in writing. Quotations should be opened at the same time and to the extent possible in the presence of bidders. (2) National Competitive bidding (NCB) document for works/goods/non-consulting

services ($USD 25,000-100,000) Sub-grants beneficiaries will often be interested in open competition in order to enhance economy, perception of fairness and equal opportunity to suppliers and contractors. Open tendering procedures should be limited to local advertising using such media as local newspaper or radio, posting notices at strategic places, circulating such notices or reading them out in community meetings or other public gatherings. Here, sub-grants beneficiaries will be required it is not mandatory to advertise in a newspaper of national circulation and bidding documents are simpler. Target suppliers and contractors are often those within national boundaries. The request for bids spells out the works or goods required the criteria for selection, and the deadline for submission of bids. Bids are opened in a public ceremony. The bids are evaluated by a tender committee appointed by the sub-grants beneficiaries. Bids are examined to determine whether they meet the minimum specifications mentioned in the bidding documents (experience, equipment, services offered, and delivery dates). Bids that meet the minimum requirements specified in the bid invitation are retained for further evaluation and the bidder who meets the minimum requirements and offers the lowest bid is selected. The award and amount of the contract should be announced to all bidders. (3) Direct contracting/ off the shelf purchases Direct contracting enables a supplier or a contractor to be chosen without applying the competitive method described above. This method is used when there is only one source available. Other justifications for direct contracting include the need to adopt a certain technology. To the extent possible, the contract price agreed upon should be within national market rates or established estimates as shown in a Unit cost database. Beneficiary institutions will be required to seek approval from WDA on a detailed justification for direct contracting and the basis for recommending a particular company. World Bank Guidelines on Community-Driven Projects will be followed. B. Consultant Guidelines. Bank’s consultants Guidelines apply to both individuals and firms. The three pillars of the selection process are competence, transparency of the process, and simplicity of the



process. Suitable and efficient selection processes should be designed keeping these principles in mind.

5.5.5 Template documents.

Given the size of contracts and the nature of market involved, sub-grants beneficiaries will use simplified templates. These will be developed by the SDP Procurement Specialist, and will be attached to this operations manual as an annex. These templates will include: i/ A simplified procurement plan, including items description, estimated cost, and

selection/procurement method, estimated opening date etc…. This document will be part of sub-grant to be approved. ii/ simple bidding documents including contracts, iii/ simple bid opening minutes, iv/ simple evaluation report v/ certificate of completion reports

6. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The basic features of the M&E system for component 3 will be delineated here below as follows:

- A definition is given of M&E as well as the framework that is suggested for the M&E effort;

- An introduction to the indicators will be given based on the specification of the SDF sub grant as introduced above. Furthermore, it will be indicated what data sources will be needed and how these indicators will be measured.

- Operations procedures are defined, such as the role of SDF and its implementing partners. It will also be indicated when data will be collected / measurements are to take place; These procedures are in line with those established for the M&E effort in component 2.

- A reporting format for informing policy makers of the results of the M&E effort.

- Lastly, a number of forms have been introduced with which measurements can take place, data can be collected. These will appear in the annex 1 of volume 2

6.1 Defining monitoring and evaluation The terms monitoring and evaluation are sometimes used interchangeably to describe an evaluation process and this often leads to confusion. In this project – in line with the accepted definition – the terms are defined as follows:

Monitoring is the routine, daily assessment of ongoing activities and progress. Monitoring looks at what is being done in other words. Evaluation is the episodic assessment of overall achievements. Evaluation examines what



has been achieved or what impact has been made.

Monitoring and evaluation is concerned with the following levels of a project as shown in the table below. Level Description

Inputs People, training, equipment and resources put into a project, in order to achieve outputs.

Outputs Outputs are the activities or services delivered: In our case The delivery of Quality and Relevant Vocational Training

Outcomes Targeted beneficiaries enrolled in education, completing education

Impacts

For VTC / TVET graduates, employment or self-employment six months after graduation. Employer satisfaction with graduates

6.2 M&E Levels, indicators, data sources, measurement instruments

and allocation responsibility for data collection

In table 1 below, for each of the 4 M&E levels, relevant indicators are defined. Indicators are a more precise, comprehensive and operational re-statements of the objectives. They describe the projects’ objectives in measurable terms. Indicators form the basis of the M&E system. As can be seen from the table indicators for inputs, outputs, outcomes and expected impacts have been defined in line with the stated objectives of the SDF project.



Monitoring and evaluation framework for SDF

Indicators (Indicators from the PAD Results Framework are written in bold)

Data sources Measurement instruments Responsible person for data generation

Impact level

Employed persons trained through SDF sub-grants who improved job performance # of trained beneficiaries employed # Individuals employed in same occupations as training received within 6 months after the training intervention who were not employed in this occupation when the training started. Improvement in the efficiency of training provision

Employer Employees Trainee

Impact Evaluation Employer survey questionnaire/interview schedules Impact Evaluation Tracer Surveys Impact Evaluation Tracer Surveys Documentary analysis of unit costs of training and increased productivity at work

WDA staff (PMPU, Partnership Building unit, Quality Assurance & Accreditation) SDF Manager, SDP M & E Specialist and sub-grant beneficiaries

Outcomes Level

# of partnerships established between training providers and enterprises

Cost effectiveness of the sub Grant facility Evidenced

sub-grant beneficiaries, programme officer, Implementation officer SDF Manager

Interviews /registration/guide/questionnaire Documentary analysis (proportion of approved applications; duration of approval for applications)

Partnership Building unit, SDF Manager, Sub-grant beneficiaries SDP M & E, SDF Manager, Sub-grant beneficiaries

Outputs Level

contracted bidders (“Sub-grant agreements for sub-projects signed”)

SDF Secretariat

Contracts Document analysis, visits

SDF Implementation Officer SDF Implementation Officer, M&E Specialist



Sub-projects satisfactorily completed # of trainees completing training financed through the SDF # persons enrolled in training financed through the SDF

Sub-grant beneficiaries, SDF Secretariat

Sub-grant beneficiaries, Sub-grant beneficiaries

Document analysis

Document analysis

SDF Implementation Officer

SDF Implementation Officer

Inputs Level

Personnel Training of potential bidders Marketing of SDF budget

Personnel Documents budget

Time and activity sheets Document analysis Budget review

WDA Procurement specialist Procurement & finance specialists



As can be seen indicators have been established at the various levels. At input level for instance training will be provided for potential bidders for the grant and the

SDF initiative will be marketed. At output level contracted bidders and training of trainees are

the relevant indicators. Important outcomes are the number of trainees completing training,

the increase in competition and delivery of innovative programme offerings, realizing

collaboration between enterprises and training centers and institutions etc. At impact level

the most important indicator is of course the question whether employer and employee are

satisfied with improved job performance if this increase is there at all.

The most relevant instruments to measure these indicators have been produced in relation to

component 2 of the project and can be found in Volume 2 of this operations manual.

6.3 M&E operations procedures

The operations procedures apply to the following: The process of implementing the M&E system for the SDF. The roles and responsibilities of the implementing partners. This entails roles and responsibilities of the WDA as entity towards the relevant stakeholders (i.e. successful bidders and vice versa; The responsibilities within the WDA organisation. The latter pertains to issues as data collection / measurement, data management and reporting. These operations procedures are described in section 3.4 of volume 2 that explains the

process of implementing the M & E system and the roles and responsibilities of actors within

and outside the WDA in the M & E process.

The M&E Specialist is responsible for the impact assessment and monitoring at output level (from data that emerges from QAA through observation of courses delivered). Implementing partners are the sub-grant beneficiaries with direct accountability to the SDF implementing Officer.



ANNEX 1:

NATIONAL PRIORITY LIST OF TRAINING AREAS & OCCUPATIONS In line with the identified economic sectors which the country is keen to specially promote, the government of Rwanda has identified the following 8 planned priority areas of training. – Hospitality and Tourism sector such as culinary art, F&B service, housekeeping service,

tour agency operation, tour guide training retail sales – ICT sector such as programmes, networking and cabling, web designing, database

management and IT security – Construction and building services sector such as electrical installation, plumbing, air

conditioning and refrigeration, masonry, painting, carpentry – Agricultural sector such as food processing, irrigation, commercial cultivation – Technical servicing sector such as Electronics Servicing, Automotive Technology (Light

and heavy Vehicle) – Clean and sustainable energy sector such as Bio-mass technology and Solar technology – Water resources sector such as recycling and treatment – Art and Craft such as basket weaving, handicraft and tailoring

S/No. Economic

Sector Training Programme Target Occupation

01 Hotel & Tourism

Culinary Arts Chef

Food & Beverage Service Waiter/waitress

Front Office Operations Receptionist

Housekeeping Operations Housekeeper

Retail Store Operations Sales Assistant

02 Agriculture & Food Processing

Food Processing Food Production Operator

Commercial Farming Farm Specialist

Irrigation Irrigation Specialist

Food Technology Food Technologist

03 ICT Network Infrastructure & Cabling Network Technician

Object Oriented Programming Programmer

Web Design & Development Web Designer

Data Base Management Database Administrator

IT Security I T Security Technician

04 Clean & Sustainable Energy

Bio-mass/ Bio-fuel Technology Bio-mass Technician

Hydro-electric Technology Hydro-electric Technician

Solar Technology Solar Energy Technician

05 Building Servicing

Plumbing Plumber

Carpentry Carpenter

Masonry Mason

Painting Painter

Electrical Technology Electrician

Aircon & Refrigeration Aircon Technician



S/No. Economic Sector

Training Programme Target Occupation

06 Technical Servicing

Electronics Servicing Electronics Technician

Automotive Servicing (Mechanical) Automotive Mechanics

Automotive Servicing (Motor Cycle)

Automotive Servicing (Electrical Wiring)

Automotive Servicing (Panel Beating & Spray Painting)

Automotive Servicing (Autotronics)

Mechanical Servicing Mechanical Technician

07 Manufacturing Machining

Conventional Machinist

CNC Machinist

Offset Printing Offset Printer

08 Art & Craft Basket Weaving Traditional Craft Specialist

Handy Craft

Tailoring Tailor



ANNEX 2

JOB DESCRIPTIONS - KEY SDF STAFF

MANAGER SDF.

The SDF Manager reports to the WDA Skills Development Project Manager, directs the secretariat of the SDF towards attainment of its objectives in an effective, efficient and ethical manner, leading to the development and implementation of training programmes responsive to market demands and relevant to economic growth. 2.1. Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Manager of the SDF secretariat performs the following main duties: 1. Identifies priorities, prepares strategies and plans for achieving SDF goals and

objectives and recommends them to the Sub-Grants Committee for approval; 2. Formulates action programmes to implement strategies and plans; 3. Supervises the marketing, preparation, appraisal and supervision of training projects,

in part through competitive bidding, in accordance with agreed criteria and procedures;

4. Supervises the execution of training projects and other activities financed by the SDF in accordance with agreed plans and standards;

5. Evaluates the outputs, outcomes and impact of SDF-financed activities; 6. Ensures that SDF funds are spent properly in accordance with approved plans and

ensure that expenditures are appropriate and appropriately recorded; 7. Supervising directly the work and performance of the SDF; 8. Evaluating the performance of staff of the SDF secretariat and motivating their work; 9. Providing regular reports on SDF plans, operations and implementation to the

Deputy Director General of WDA and the Sub-Grants Committee; 10. Providing service support to the Sub-Grants Committee.

2.2. Qualifications Required Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in business administration, management, economics or engineering. Attendance in specialized courses desirable on subjects of economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation, organisational development, general management and human resource development Background Experience:

At least five years of experience in managing a business or organisation;

Experience in training and familiarity with training and development issues would be of great advantage;

Experience in the start-up of new businesses or organisations is desirable;

Experience in project evaluation would be advantageous;

High level of proficiency in computer skills and use of social media;

Experience in fund-raising from public, private and international sources would be advantageous.



Personal Qualities Excellent English and working proficiency in French. Kinyarwanda, both oral and

writing will be an advantage; High degree of integrity and high ethical standards; Persistence and determination at work and personal life; Ability to work productively with people at all levels, diplomatic abilities

combined with forcefulness; High energy level; High level of tolerance to frustration and ability to overcome obstacles by both

perseverance and creative thinking; Systematic and orderly approach to work and tenacity in following through on

projects; Imagination and ability to think beyond the boundaries of past experience; Special skills: verbal and written presentation skills of high order.

Position 2- Programme Officer

The Programme Officer reports to the Manager of the SDF secretariat. The Programme Officer is responsible for planning, supervising and controlling implementation of training Sub-Grants and projects so they are carried out in a cost-effective manner, i.e. perform tasks and attain objectives effectively on schedule and within budget. Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Advertise and market to potential training providers the possibility for financing their projects by the SDF;

2. Screen and pre-qualify training providers to determine those eligible to receive funds from the SDF;

3. Assist potential applicants to prepare proposals for consideration by the SDF; 4. Recruit experts on a contract basis to form review panels, and orient them in the

functions of proposal evaluation; 5. Assist the expert panels to screen, review and appraise Sub-Grant proposals in

accordance with agreed criteria and procedures; 6. Summarize the recommendations of the expert panels, and recommend to the Sub-

Grants Committee proposals for financing; 7. Notify unsuccessful applicants for the reasons for their rejection; 8. Prepare contracts with successful applicants; 9. Assist, as necessary, monitoring and supervising the implementation of approved

projects; 10. Assist, as necessary, in evaluating the outputs, outcomes and impact of completed

projects; 11. Based on the findings from evaluation studies and other experiences recommend

measures to improve SDF operations; 12. Employ and supervise consultants to assist with any of the above tasks; 13. Produce periodic reports on upstream and mid-steam activities of the SDF including

annual work programmes, implementation plans and retrospective reviews; 14. Undertake other tasks as requested by the SDF Manager.





Qualification Requirements Education: Bachelor’s degree in training-related field, such as engineering or equivalent practical experiences. Attendance of courses and seminars on project management, evaluation techniques, and human resource development is desirable. Experience: The following experience is required:

3-5 years of work experience in the field of capacity development and training;

Experience in training within formal TVET institutions or enterprises;

Experience in project planning and control;

Experience in contract administration and supervising consultants. Personal Qualities:

Fluency in English, French and Kinyarwanda;

Analytical mind and systematic approach to tasks;

Complete integrity, objectivity and unyielding attitude towards outside influences;

Critical attitude towards expert advice;

Skill in project planning and control using computer software;

Presentation and argumentation skills;

Ability to communicate clearly orally and in writing; adept at making graphic presentations.

Position 3- Implementation Officer

POSITION SUMMARY:

To be in charge of the implementation of programmes and projects that are financed by the SDF and to ensure that the activities are carried out effectively, on time and within the agreed upon targets, programmes and budgets. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Manage the implementation of activities of the SDF, including the awarding of contracts to approved grant winners, monitoring of project implementation and taking necessary corrective action, evaluation of outputs, outcomes and impacts of the SDF financed projects;

2. Produce detailed schedules for all approved grants with budgets and resources allocation; supervise and monitor their implementation by the most effective means, including computer-detailed project planning and control;

3. Advise on the procurement procedures to be used by the SDF in the grant awarding process;

4. Supervise the implementation of grants awarded to users, and where necessary guide and train users in project management and control.

5. Report to the SDF Manager any significant deviations from implementation plans and budgets and work to help resolve implementation problems that may arise.

6. Review applications for disbursement in relation to performance conditions and milestones and advise the financing wing of the WDA on the honoring of requisite payments.



7. Help ensure that funds of the SDF are used in accordance with agreed upon procedures.

8. Ensure that grants financed by the SDF are implemented efficiently and on time. 9. Evaluate project implementation with a view to identifying and correcting mistakes

and making SDF operations more efficient and effective. 10. Prepare reports for the SDF Manager and the Grants Committee, such as the

implementation plans and progress updates. 11. Carry out other duties as requested by the SDF Manager

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES):

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s degree.

Specialised courses in human resource development, training programme design and evaluation techniques or related fields would be desirable and an added advantage.

EXPERIENCE:

At least three years experience in implementation of projects, programmes or other activities, ideally in the area of training provision.

Familiarity with design of training programmes.

Experience in the supervision, monitoring, evaluation and control of projects, programmes or other activities, ideally in the area of training provision.

PERSONAL QUALITIES AND SKILLS

Ability to investigate a specific project situation with the aim of performing a SWOT analysis, communicating findings and providing action-oriented and corrective recommendations for further implementation.

Ability to work productively with people at all levels, subordinates, consultants and superiors.

Clear oral and written communication skills in English and a working knowledge in French will be an added advantage.

High energy level with a results-oriented attitude and a quick learner.

Good analytical and problem solving skills.

Consistency and determination to follow through with activities.

Fairness, objectivity of judgment and critical attitude to expert advice.

Special skills: o Good organizational skills; o Good computer skills; o Good report writing skills; o Good seminar and workshop management skills;

REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

The SDF Implementation Officer will report to the SDF Manager.





Position 4 - Administrative Assistant The overall purpose of the position is to manage the office of the Manager SDF and to provide secretarial, clerical, administrative and general office support to the Project Manager. Job Title: Administrative Assistant to the Manager (SDF) Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Public Administration, Secretarial studies, Literature and other related fields or equivalent practical experiences. At least 3years of working experience in a similar post. Excellent communication in English and working knowledge of French. Computer literacy - sound and current knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, email and the Internet is a must. Main Responsibilities:

Provide a comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to the Manager of (SDF) including: drafting correspondence, minute taking, filing and records keeping and related tasks.

Manage office systems and filing procedures, plan, schedule and coordinate meetings, appointments and other activities.

Filing and follow up on all urgent signatures including delivery of requests for quotations and other correspondences.

Follow up on contract signatures with different authorities and ensure that they are signed on time.

Arrange essential mails in priority action order for the Manager (SDF).

Check deadlines of incoming requests and advise the Manager (SDF) accordingly.

Maintain calendar and ascertain which events require the Manager (SDF).

Ensure judicious handling of all the Office issues.

Screen visitors to control the Manager’s interruptions.

Receive calls from different people and WDA units wishing to talk to the Manager;

Organize and arrange the Manager’s appointments;

Receive visitors to the Manager

Prepare and proof reads responses to letters addressed to the Manager;

Summarize detailed information for the Manager’s attention;

Perform any other duties that may be assigned by the Manager from time to time

Position 5- Financial Management Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY:

To provide management of the SDF’s finances through budgeting, directing and controlling the resources in line with WDA and World Bank Financial policies and procedures, International accounting standards and ensuring compliance with the World Bank regulations.



KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Maintain and keep custody of all SDF financial records and submit timely financial accountability reports to the Manager (SDF).

Forecast and monitor the financial resources usage (sub-grants) in line with World Bank policies and guidelines.

a) Budgeting/Management/Commitments/Reporting:

Develop the annual SDF financial operating budget plans and monitor actual performance;

Prepare payment requests for approved SDF sub-grants;

Perform proper disbursement, accounting, and reporting of sub-grants;

Liaise with the SDP Finance Officer to ensure adequate funding is available in line with the projections of the SDP;

Provide on-demand analysis to SDF Manager on all expenditures and financial impacts;

Receive and analyze the monthly (or any frequency stated in the agreements) financial reports from sub grant beneficiaries/entities accounts;

Prepare and submit financial statements (including expenses, receivable and payables, funds requests, reconciliations) and other reporting requirements to the SDF Manager within the designated time period;

Assist in preparing reports that are compliance with the SDF and World Bank requirements

Liaise with sub grant beneficiaries/entities to ensure their compliance with the set financial guidelines and procedures

Prepare close-out documentation at end of funding cycles in compliance with WDA and World Bank regulations;

Facilitate training and capacity building sessions on topics such as project budget monitoring, accounting, internal controls and administrative systems for the sub-grant beneficiaries

b) Audit/Compliance:

Coordinate the preparation of the external audit exercise with the WDA Director of Finance

Address project audits, providing required information to auditors on SDF related transactions

Ensure timely follow up on audit findings on SDF sub-grants.

c) Policy/Procedure Development:

Ensuring the compliance with the SDF Financial and Accounting and operations Procedures Manual and recommend its updating on a regular basis;



KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

1. A University degree, preferably in Business Administration or Commerce with a major in Accounting or equivalent practical experiences.

2. Postgraduate qualification, MBA or full professional qualification in A.C.C.A, CPA or part qualification with intention to finish will be an added advantage.

3. Knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through a combination of formal schooling, self- education, and prior experience or on the job training

4. Proven Sub-Grants management experience (at management level) will be an added advantage.

5. Must have proven knowledge of International accounting standards and knowledge of the accounting principles applied by GOR will be an added advantage

6. A Significant experience (more than 3 years) in handling Donor funded projects and more specifically the World Bank or USAID funded projects

7. Competitive written and oral communication skills, team building skills, ability to work successfully in a multicultural environment; high level of integrity.

8. High level of proficiency in computer application particularly Excel and the use of accounting software

9. Good interpersonal skills and ability to function well in team work environment 10. Good organization and planning skills, ability to work quickly and accurately to

deadlines 11. Good judgment analytical and conceptual skills 12. Ability to demystify financial management through introduction of user friendly

approaches 13. Ability to develop and train finance and non finance staff to implement the finance

policy

REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

The SDF Financial Management Specialist will report to the SDF Manager.



ANNEX 3

SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID FOR TRAINING SUB-GRANTS

(to be provided in English, French & Kinyarwanda versions)

Mr. (to be completed)

Director Skills Development Fund

(complete address) Kigali, Rwanda

Tel./fax.(to be completed) Date TO: Dear

RE: Skills Development Facility Selection of Beneficiary (ies) (name of the Project) The Project #

1. You are hereby invited to submit a proposal to provide training services as a Beneficiary for a Skills Development Sub-Grant. This could form the basis for future negotiation and, ultimately a contract between your entity (hereinafter called (the Beneficiary) and the Skills Development Fund (SDF) (hereinafter called "the Client").

2. The project is a part of the larger programme promoted by the Government of Rwanda

and assisted by the World Bank in increasing the skills needed for improved productivity and competitiveness of the Rwandan enterprises and economy.

3. To enable you to submit a proposal, please find enclosed:

(1) Format for Contents of Training Applications (TOR); Attachment 1 (2) Supplementary Information (format) Attachment 2 (3) Draft Contract for information only Attachment 3

4. If you need to obtain additional information on the proposed services, write to Mr.( to

be completed), Manager, at the above address.

5. You are requested to submit a proposal, in accordance with the Format for Contents of Training Applications attached, in (specify language of submission). As outlined in this Format for Contents of Training Applications, and in accordance with instructions given in the Supplementary Information, your application will include both the technical and the budgetary/financial aspects of the proposal.



6. It is intended that such proposal will be reviewed subsequent to the deadline for their receipt, and, providing agreement can be reached, the SDF will directly negotiate and enter into a contract with a successful Beneficiary (ies) to perform work described in the TOR. Assuming that a contract can be successfully concluded by , 201[X], the successful Beneficiary would be expected to commence the assignment around , 201[X]

7. Please note the stipulation in the draft contract in which you undertake an obligation

inter alia that you will:

carry out and operate the Sub-Grant sub-project with due diligence and efficiency and in accordance with sound technical, economic, financial, training and managerial standards,

maintain separate adequate accounting and financial records related to the Sub-Grants and for expenditures there under,

procure the goods and services to be financed out of the proceeds in accordance with the procedures of the SDF.

allow the SDF, its staff or its agents, to inspect such goods, sites and programmes included in the Sub-Grant sub-project, and any relevant records and documents

[contribute not less than (to be determined) percent in kind or/and in cash of the estimated total costs of implementing the Sub-Grant sub-project] – to be decided.

8. Proposal - evaluation A standard procedure will be adopted in evaluating your proposal. Evaluation of submitted proposals will proceed in two stages:

1. Initial review 2. Proposal evaluation

1. Initial review During this stage the following criteria are used:

Format assessment. The Programme Officer will assess whether the proposal (a) is complete, (b) provides sufficient information, (c) is presented in the required format (and for competitions, whether it has been submitted by the stipulated time).

Programme eligibility: The Programme Officer will assess whether the proposal is within the areas eligible to be financed by the SDF, as per the eligibility criteria described in this manual.

2. Project Appraisal phase Those proposals which comply with the first stage criteria will be assessed further by a technical panel of independent expert reviewers and the Sub-Grants Committee. The main criteria are as follows:

Relevance



Relationship of the Project objectives to priority goals, including the priority of the skills to be trained, the priority of the target groups to be incorporated, and the performance conditions assured, such as employment of graduates. Effectiveness The project as proposed must be well designed and capable of producing high impact and high quality results, and must be supported by sufficient inputs (e.g. equipment, materials, training programmes, trained instructors) and resources to achieve those results, i.e. proposals must present sufficient plans and resources to achieve objectives

Efficiency The project should produce the specified results with the least possible resources expenditure. There should be assurance that the project proposers have planned for reasonable costs and considered needs for efficiency such as cost control, linkages to other institutions that can achieve savings, methods of extending impact, and other means that can assure the greatest possible returns.

Overall proposal Proposals must be effectively organized and clearly written so as to facilitate the review and award process. Proposers should follow SDF guidelines, and take other steps as deemed useful to assure that their proposal accurately represents their intentions, and directly responds to SDF needs. 10. The payments to the winning beneficiary will be made as follows: [to be amended as

necessary]

30% on signature of contract;

30% at end of first review period

40% on project completion and meeting performance criteria (e.g. minimum completion rates, minimum employment rates)

11. You are requested to hold your proposal valid for 60 days from the date of submission

during which time you will maintain, without change, the personnel proposed for the assignment and your proposed price. The SDF will make its best effort to complete its review and conclude contract discussions with the successful Beneficiary within this period.

12. Your completed proposal should be delivered to above address on or before the close of

business our time, 201[X] 13. Please note that the costs of preparing the proposal and of negotiating a contract not

reimbursable as a direct cost of the assignment. 14. The SDF is not bound to accept any proposals submitted. Proposal received after the

deadline cited may be rejected and returned unopened.

15. An invitation to submit proposals has been sent to the following organisations. (list and addresses of organisations)



17. We would appreciate your informing us by fax no later than , 201[X] of:

your receipt of this letter of invitation;

whether you will be submitting a proposal; and

When submitting the proposal, the date and mode of shipment. Yours, Sincerely, (Name to be completed) Manager, SDF Attachments: 1. Format for Contents of Training Applications; (TOR)

2. Supplementary Information 3. Draft Contract.



ANNEX 4

APPLICATION FOR SUB-GRANTS FROM THE SDF APPLICATION GUIDELINES

The Application for funding from the SFD should contain the following information, in the

order as described below:

1. Background

This section has to provide information on the legal status, objectives, experience,

qualifications and capacity of the applicant. It should also briefly describe the background of

the proposed project, and a clear statement of the problem(s) to be addressed (including

dimensions, causes, and consequences if left unsolved).

It should briefly describe the organization of the applicant, its history and track record,

structure and staffing. Special emphasis should be given to the qualification and

experience that relate to the scope of work to be undertaken under the Agreement, as

well as to the applicant’s capacity in relation to financial management and procurement.

The description of the past assignments related to the proposal should be specific, the

character and length of the assignment, as well as the general financial scope should be

clearly stated.

The applicant should present in this part all the data that would be needed for

assessment of the beneficiary's organization in relation to the criteria stated in the

Letter of Invitation to Bid.

2. Purpose of the Training

This section describes the reason(s) for undertaking the training, e.g. to improve employment

opportunities, raise worker productivity or increase trainee incomes.

3. Objectives

This section will explain the objectives that the applicant aims to achieve through the

proposed activities. It should be as concrete and quantitative as possible. Avoid relative terms

such as "improve", "strengthen," "expand". Instead, use absolute terms such as "complete",

"train to standard", "place 20 persons on the job for at least six months," "increase income by

"x" Rwandan Francs per month", etcetera.

4. Target Groups

Describe the categories of persons to be trained. Persons can be categorized by gender,

educational background, professions, employment status, geographical location, income

status, etc. Specify how disadvantaged people will be taken into consideration.



5. Approach and Work Plan

In this section the following areas have to be clearly described:

Project Management and Organization

Outline the way the work will be managed and organized, including the responsibilities

assigned to key actors, and the lines of reporting and communications. This section should

include the proposed composition of the team which the applicant is planning to provide to

achieve the proposed objective, and should describe the tasks which would be assigned to

each team member. Curriculum Vitae for proposed staff have to be included. The CV of the

proposed staff should be relatively brief but complete. The main emphasis in the CV should be

on those parts of staff experience which are most closely related to the task at hand.

The project implementation plan/schedule

This section will clearly describe the scope, sequence, and duration of activities that wll be

carried out to achieve the objective, and to whom the various tasks will be assigned. At least

three schedules (which might be combined in one chart) should be presented in the format

suggested:

The overall schedule for the execution of the assignment should be in the form of a bar chart.

By task: schedule of task allocation, with for each task a description of which team members

are assigned to carry out the task, and the number of person/days.

By team member: For each team member, this schedule will provide all the tasks assigned to

him/her within the given periods, including the time that will be spent on them.

6. Budget

Proposed costs divided into the following categories:

a) Goods (such as training equipment and material, supplies, office equipment, etc.),

b) Works (e.g. minor refurbishing of facilities or renovations),

c) Technical assistance / consulting services if any,

d) Direct operating costs:

1. Rental of offices: Actual rental if rented on the free market or the rent that the premises used

by the project would bring to the beneficiary if rented out on a free market.

2. Utilities: Charges for telephone, water, light, security, parking, etc. ( if not included in the rent)

3. Maintenance: Cost of maintenance of equipment and premises, including security, cleaning

etc. carried out by outside organization. (if a guard is a regular employee, than his salary would

be in item 5).

4. Traveling expenses: All traveling expenses incurred in the course of project implementation.

Traveling expenses by the consultants and study tours will be included in the Technical

Assistance.

5. Salaries and benefits: All costs of salaries (including additives and benefits) incurred by the

Beneficiary's staff in the course of project implementation.

6. Insurance costs: Costs of insurance of premises and equipment, third party insurance and all

the other insurance connected with the sub-project implementation.



7. Other costs: this may include reserves for unforeseen expenditures. The total amount of this

cost category may not exceed 5 percent of overall costs of the proposed activities.

7. Financing plan

Identify proposed sources of financing, including cost sharing (trainees and enterprises).

Sample Costing Format:

Item by Type Description

Q

ua

nti

ty

U

nit

Co

st

T

ota

l C

ost

Of Total Cost

Fro

m S

DF

Fro

m S

ub

- G

ran

tee

Fro

m

Tra

ine

es

Salaries – for programme

development

Per person

Staff Training Course by type and

length

a. local Person months

b. external Person months

Expert Services

a. local Person months

b. external Person months

Equipment Specify type and units

Civil works Minor rehabilitation or expansion

Delivery of Training

Programmes

Per course

Other Total

9. Outputs and Deliverables

This section should provide the concrete outputs and deliverables of the proposed activities.

Outputs and deliverables should be clearly linked to the proposed objectives of the

deliverables. Examples of outputs and deliverables can be the number of trainees to be

trained, in what occupations and to what standard, trainees finding employment or obtaining

higher wages, curricula developed, software developed or purchased, trainers trained,

etcetera. Outputs and deliverables must be realistic and measurable, and will be used to

monitor progress and evaluate performance of the sub-grant beneficiary. As the satisfactory



output is the main condition of acceptance of fulfillment of the contract, the criteria for what

constitutes satisfactory output should be given. In other words: it should be indicated what

the project needs to achieve in order to consider it ‘successful’.

10. Reporting and Evaluation Plan

This section should specify the number, types and content of (a) progress reports to be

submitted by the applicant, (b) the final report, including how the contractor will evaluate the

final outcomes of the project and report on results.


File: om-volume 3- 06th september.doc The Skills Development Fund 55 of

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ANNEX 5 EVALUATION OF PROJECT PROPOSALS3

This annex presents

A. Guidelines, and an

B. Evaluation Sheet Template

for evaluating proposed projects.

A. Guidelines

The guidelines aim to guide SDF staff in evaluating projects. The assessment should answer the following three main questions:

1. Relevance: Should it be done? Is the project related to national economic and social priorities?

2. Feasibility: Can it be done?

3. Efficiency: Can it be done at reasonable cost?

The answer to all 3 questions should be: Yes. The questions should be considered thoroughly during the evaluation process. If a proposed project is not relevant to priority economic and social objectives, it should be rejected, even if it is feasible and efficient. If it is not feasible, it should be rejected, even if the proposal appears to use resources efficiently.

Summary

The purpose of the evaluation is to determine whether the evaluators propose to approve financing of the project and, if so, under what conditions. Key questions that will be answered are:

Relevance, feasibility, and efficiency: To what extent addresses the proposed Sub-Grant project priority skills needs, and is the proposal a sound and implementable investment for scarce resources?

Risks: What are the key project risks and what has been, or should be, done to minimize these risks? After these actions have been taken, to what extent are the remaining risks within acceptable levels?

3 This annex will be reviewed and revised once the SDF Manager (and other SDF staff) is / are in place.



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Conditions: On what conditions should the Sub-Grant project be recommended for financing by the Sub-Grants Committee?

B. EVALUATION SHEET TEMPLATE4 (To be completed by the Expert Committee for each submitted proposal)

I. IDENTIFICATION DATA

Reference number:

Applicant:

Title of action:

Region(s) targeted:

Amount requested (and % of total costs) < RWF > ________ ( ___% )

Duration: ___ months

Date submitted:

Date of expected discussion by Sub-Grant Committee

Scoring guidelines

This evaluation grid is divided into sections and subsections. Each subsection must be given a score between 1 and 5 in accordance with the following guidelines:

Score Meaning

1 very poor

2 poor

3 adequate

4 good

4 This template will be reviewed and revised once the SDF Manager (and other SDF staff) is (are) in place.

Particularly, there will be a review of: relevance and completeness of evaluation questions, and scoring

methodology. Reference can be made to annex 6 of earlier draft versions of this manual (up to July 28,

2011), which contains more and more detailed evaluation questions that can potentially be added.



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5 very good

These scores are added to give the total score for the section concerned. The totals for each section are then listed in section 6 and added together to give the total score for the full application. Each section contains a box for comments. These comments should address the issues covered by that section, and should explain the scores. Comments must be made on each section. Extra space may be used for comments if required.

II. EVALUATION GRID

1. Organizational, Administrative and Financial Capacity Top Score

Given Score

1.1 Has the applicant sufficient competences of training, technological knowledge and financial management? Is there evidence of experience of similar assignments?

5

1.2 Has the applicant sufficient technical expertise? (Notably knowledge of the issues to be addressed.)

5

1.3 Does the applicant have sufficient capacity in terms of availability and workload of staff, equipment, etc.?

5

1.4 Has the applicant have stable and sufficient sources of finance? Is there a genuine need for the fund to be undertaken?

5

Total score: 20 To be considered during the evaluation of Organizational, Administrative and Financial Capacity: Overall qualifications:

How long has the applicant been in existence? What is the experience of the applicant with the proposed activities, both in terms of content and scope? How does the amount of requested financing compare to the applicants average expenditures in the past 3-5 years? Is there any information on past performance of the applicant? Functions and Structures:

To what extent are implementation functions clearly spelled out and responsibilities assigned? Has the applicant the ability to carry out the project as intended and produce quality results? Is there a clearly defined management structure for the project with adequate authority to make decisions?



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Staffing:

Have the necessary technical and managerial capacity and expertise been assigned in sufficient numbers to carry out the project effectively? Is there sufficient previous project management experience? Are necessary support services (e.g. clerical, accounting, computer) available, and are qualified experts available and willing to work for proposed rates of remuneration? Fiduciary capacity:

Does the applicant have and apply acceptable procurement experience? In case there are procurement weaknesses, what actions are needed to address these in a satisfactory manner Does the applicant have and apply acceptable financial management (FM) experience? Are there sufficient internal checks and balance to ensure accountability and avoid misuse of funds Does the applicant keep accounts and records in a satisfactory manner In case there are FM weaknesses, what actions are needed to address these in a satisfactory manner To what extent have the necessary processes for implementation been thought through, e.g. contracting, procurement, etc.? To what extent have necessary tasks and sequence been identified in implementation plans? To what extent are the detailed implementation plans and schedules realistic based on previous experiences?

Comments:



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If a total score lower than “adequate” (12 points) is obtained for section 1, the full

application will be eliminated by the Expert Committee.



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2. Relevance of the proposed objective and activities Top Score

Given Score

2.1 Is the application relevant to the SDF’s objectives? 5

2.2 Is the application relevant to the addressed needs or constraints? 5

2.3 Relevant to the results and impacts to the beneficiaries? 5

2.4 Does the application contain specific elements of added value? (such as environmental issues, promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities, needs of disabled people, rights of minorities and rights of indigenous peoples, or innovation and best practices, or any other)

5

2.5 How coherent is the overall design of the action? 5

2.6 Is the application feasible and consistent in relation to the objectives and expected results?

5

Total score: 30

Comments:



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3. Effectiveness and feasibility of the application Top Score

Given Score

3.1 Is the methodology coherent and efficient to successfully achieve the desired results?

5

3.2 Are the activities proposed appropriate, practical and consistent with the objectives of the training/technological innovation and expected results

5

3.3 Are the implementation plan (staffing and logistical arrangements) and budget clear and realistic?

5

3.4 Does the application contain objectively verifiable indicators to monitor the progress, results and impact

5

Total score: 20

To be considered during the evaluation of the effectiveness and feasibility:

Are objectives clear and measurable?

To what extent is the project design evident and well thought-through?

Does the design contain carefully articulated activities and sub-activities that are based on best practices in training, curriculum development and adult learning?

Is the project training strategy the best way, under the circumstances, to achieve the training goals?

In informal sector projects is post-training support (e.g. credit, business advice) provided to ensure use of skills?

Are the qualifications and credentials of project staff relevant to, and sufficient for, the proposed training activities? If not, can adequate training and mentoring provided to bring staff up to standard?

Comments:



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4. Sustainability of the action Top

Score Given Score

4.1 Is the action likely to have a tangible impact on its target groups? 5

4.2 Are the expected results and impacts sustainable and have potential multiplier effects or replication and extension of outcomes of the project?

5

4.3 Are the expected results of the proposed action sustainable:

- Financially (how will the activities be financed after the funding ends?)

- Institutionally (will structures allowing the activities to continue be in place at the end of the action? Will there be local “ownership” of the results of the action?)

- Environmentally (where applicable) (will the action have a negative/positive environmental impact?)

5

Total score: 15

Comments:



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5. Budget and cost-effectiveness of the action Top Score

Given Score

5.1 Are the activities appropriately reflected in the budget? 5

5.2 Is the contribution of SDF cost-effective (in terms of cost sharing with other donors and training provider/technology centres)?

5

5.3 Is the ratio between the estimated costs and the expected results satisfactory?

5

Total score:

15

Comments:



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6. Total score and recommendations Score

6.1 Organizational, Administrative and Financial Capacity / 20

6.2 Relevance of the action / 30

6.3 Effectiveness and feasibility of the action / 20

6.4 Sustainability of the action / 15

6.5 Budget and cost-effectiveness of the action / 15

TOTAL : / 100



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Recommendation:

Accept / Reject:

Conditions if accepted: