Request for Proposal for a Skills and Competency Assessment Habitat for Humanity – Africa

A. Context

i.About Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI)

Habitat for Humanity International, founded in 1976, is a global Christian-based non-profit organization which grew out of an intentionally multi-racial community in rural Georgia. Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat brings together people of all faiths and people of no faith to build homes, communities, and hope. Working alongside each other, we help families and individuals build and improve places to call home and achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Habitat for Humanity seeks individuals who have a willingness to affirm these principles and values.

Our vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We are therefore constantly looking for new solutions that would make adequate housing accessible and affordable for all.

In Africa, we are present in Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Cote d’Ivoire. Nevertheless, our mandate is to pursue impact across Sub-Saharan Africa. We work to empower low-income people to build a better life for themselves and their children.

Because housing problems vary depending on where people live, we work in close cooperation with local communities and together we seek adequate housing solutions. We help people in need to build, repair, and renovate homes. We also support the development of affordable housing products and services. We help to make buildings more energy efficient, provide water and sanitation solutions and mitigate effects of disasters. We also seek to influence the way housing and related shelter issues are assessed, prioritized, and funded by local, national, and international governments and inter-government forums.

ii .Background

In May 2022, HFHI Africa Area office launched the Africa strategy framework. The new Africa strategy framework is a unique opportunity to extend ambition, use new ways of working and elevate capabilities with an overarching vision to: Put God’s love into action to address housing needs “in Africa, with Africa and through Africa”

• In Africa- to address inequality and promote dignity.
• With Africa – put African Agency at the center
• Through Africa – as a quality focused partner that provides leadership.

The strategy aims to use models of engagement such as a convener, think tank, implementor, Investment hub and technical advisor to ensure quality programming, stimulate and sustain partnerships and operational excellence through strong support functions with a focus on 4 program areas: Affordability, Basic services, Tenure Security and Habitability to address systemic housing issues.

Habitat for Humanity Area Office, Branch and National offices respectively as part of the global network have undertaken transformation initiatives to enhance program effectiveness and impact to deliver on the Global initiatives 25 (GI 25) aspirations to triple impact, scale, and funding to address the housing challenges in Africa. To achieve this, most of the BOs and NOs are also in the process of reviewing or developing their strategic plans and frameworks aligned to the Africa Strategy. Key to this is alignment of its people as a critical resource to the strategies including implementation of a comprehensive performance management system, robust learning and development, effective employee engagement, organizational culture, and mindset shift to building capabilities to learn, unlearn and relearn. This will deliver on the key transformation agenda that focus on the way we desire to work – a people centered approach and system oriented.

In a bid to bolster these efforts, the HFHI Africa Area Office seeks to engage a consultant (s) to deliver on the Africa Capacity Building Project – phase 1 aimed at assessing skills and competencies across the Area office, Branch Offices and National offices in all its operations in Africa. Investing in talent from a technical expertise, strategy and planning requires a robust attraction, retention, and assessment strategy to increase country level technical expertise, increased bandwidth, build leadership, autonomy to build strong teams and organizations.

We believe that the skills and competency assessment assignment will significantly improve program quality/ delivery and operational efficiencies while creating a consistent experience across the Africa operations and program delivery channels (such a partnerships, volunteerism, market-based approaches etc.). This will help answer the questions below (but not exhaustive) from an organizational, system and talent perspective.

1. Which capabilities will be retained and at what level for implementation?
2. What governance arrangements will best support the strategy?
3. What are the implications for Habitat’s systems (Technology, tools, approaches)?
4. What investments need to be made to achieve on the strategic objectives?
5. What are the key areas requiring new/ improved skills and competencies?
6. How can expertise be retained, invested in, and grown?

Against this background, the consultancy assignment will: broadly identify the skills and competency gaps; identify current skills and competencies as a baseline to building the desired future state; establish leadership and management skills and competencies and gradually building resources to address systemic capacity constraints to improve HFHI competitiveness, professionalism, and impact – transforming the business and improving the housing sector across Africa.

B. Purpose of the consultancy

The main purpose of the consultancy is to identify skills and competency gaps through an assessment of staff at Area Office (AO), Branch Offices and National Offices (NO) and how they align to the Africa Strategy framework and the ongoing strategic planning and execution processes across Africa operations. Based on the assessment outcome, HFHI hopes to bridge the skills and competency gap through appropriate approaches, build a structure that is fit for purpose, identifying high potential and core positions at both AO, BOs, and NOs to deliver on the strategies.

C. Objectives

1. To identify skills and competency gap at leadership, senior management (SMT), middle – level management, and support functions needed for effective strategy execution at all levels.
2. To find out the number and nature of capacity development initiatives required at Area office, Branch and National office level to effectively deliver on the strategy.
3. To establish the current and desired skills in leadership and management to deliver on the strategy, HFHI initiatives and country operational plans.
4. Assess levels of the programmatic expertise available within the Area office, Branch and National offices.
5. To assess the extent to which cross cutting themes of DEI, Safeguarding, Risk and Compliance etc. technical specific competencies have been mainstreamed into the programmatic frameworks and wider organization plans and initiatives.
6. Establish the capacity constraints that hinder the effective/quality program delivery across HFH operations in the region.
7. Assess the bandwidth across the region assessing the team’s capabilities: numbers, synergies energy, and mental capacity to support the strategy execution integrating with the future of work approaches such as remote working, hybrid working etc.
8. Assess the HFH board capacity as strategic governance partner to the National Office structure.

D.Scope:

The skills and competency assessment will cover about 200 staff employed across HFHI Operations in Africa namely:

• Africa Area office based in Nairobi
• 2 Branch Offices in Ethiopia and Cote d’Ivoire and
• 7 National Offices (NOs) in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania

E. Specific Terms of Reference:

1. Carry out a diagnostic skills and competency assessment to identify key gaps and analyse the organizational context and strategy in relation to the objectives of the skills audit.
2. Identify current skills requirements per job from the job description and the Strategy objectives.
3. Review the existing Servant Leadership Competency Framework and assess its alignment to the current leadership capabilities.
4. Define the core competencies, positive behavioral indicators, and proficiency as per organizational and strategic objectives
5. Review of the current structures and HFHI capacity at AO and national level (NOs & BOs) identify strengths and areas of development from a skills and competency alignment and elimination of unnecessary overlaps.
6. Conduct the online assessment using recommended tools and where possible support teams to develop tools to use in future (Office level)
7. Hold group and individual debrief sessions with teams to provide a walkthrough of the assessment results and facilitate the individual development plans at AO/ Country level.
8. Establish gaps and areas needed for a stronger and supportive governance structure, checks and balances.
9. Develop a summary report of findings and proposed recommendations to HFHI leadership, including ways to complement the existing capabilities (hire, training, leverage expertise within the network etc) as an entry level to phase two of the Africa capacity building projects.

F. Key Expected Deliverables:

1. Inception Report.
2. Competency Framework and Competency Dictionary for HFHI.
3. Development Plans and Action points for AO, BO, NOs
4. Skills and Competency Gap Assessment Report.
5. Final Report with Recommendations.

G. Evaluation Of Technical

To form part of technical evaluation the Consultant shall submit Proposal models as specified in terms of terms of reference. The Consultants will be invited to present the models during technical evaluation.

A minimum qualifying mark of 70 points will be recommended to proceed to financial opening.

Total points scored in this evaluation will be summed to constitute a technical score.

Technical evaluation criteria

Points

(i) Specific experience and profile of the firm relevant to the assignment. Specific experience of the Consultant in undertaking such assignment (Over 10 years), relevant professional qualification and certifications (as per the listed qualifications)

30

(ii) Organization and staffing. Qualifications and competence of Key Professional staff for the assignment.

30

(iii) Technical approach, methodology, work plan and timelines

30

(iv) Power point presentation of the same to evaluation committee

10

Total Points 100

100

H. Consultant’s Responsibility

The consultant shall be expected to

1. 1. Conduct themselves in accordance with HFHI policies and principles.
   2. Provide technical expertise during the assignment.
   3. Provide materials for producing the reports for the assignment.

I. HFHI responsibility

In addition to providing clarity to the assignment.

1. HFHI will provide various documents such as the strategic plans and frameworks, Job descriptions, Organizational charts etc.
2. Support in logistical coordination during the assignment including linking consultants to key department and contacts at AO/BO/ NO

K. Reporting lines

The Consultant will work in direct collaboration with the HR Director and HR team liaising with the Program Operations Director and Area Leadership team (ALT) from time to time ensure the assignment execution meets the expected quality and milestones.

L. Payment Modalities

Payment to the consultant will be made in four instalments upon satisfactory completion of the following deliverables:

• 1st instalment: 10% upon production and presentation of inception report
• 2nd instalment: 20% upon submission of draft report for AO office assessment
• 3rd Instalment: 30% upon submission of the draft report for BO and NO assessments
• 4th instalment: 40% upon submission of the final report with all deliverables

M. Logistical Arrangements

Logistical arrangement for BO/NO visits shall be arranged and coordinated by HFH Africa Area office. The Consultant(s) is expected to provide his/her own equipment and working space and is responsible for all other logistical arrangements.

N. Qualifications

The suitable consultants are expected to meet the following minimum requirements

• At least Master’s Degree in Public Policy, Business Administration, Organization Development, Economics, Project Planning and management and others relevant disciplines.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of consultancy experience including research and policy analysis on INGO sector development, Organization capacity building and development, Strategic planning, and Execution etc.
• Highly developed analytical skills with ability to produce high quality analytical reports
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of international, regional, and national private and INGO sector development issues, policies, good practices, and benchmarks.
• Highly developed skills in mobilization and institutional development

Submission:

Clarifications may be requested 5 days before the close of submissions. Questions and clarifications can be sent to the [email protected]

Habitat for Humanity International

Africa Area Office

CVS Plaza, 3rd Floor North Wing, Lenana Road, Nairobi, Kenya.

How to apply

Proposals must be submitted no later than August 28th, 2022 to [email protected]