Consultancy Services: Development of a Manual

2. Consultancy Objective
ALPHA believes that rules, regulations, policies, procedures, guidelines, SOPs, and best practices help our organization to run systematically and efficiently. A written manual that describes in detail and step by step how things should be conducted ensures that every employee has the vision, knowledge, and tools to contribute to the growth of our organization.
The main objective of this consultancy is to develop a policies and procedures manual in accordance with international standards and industry best practices.
A manual of procedures empowers our employees by helping them to perform their roles and tasks to the best of their abilities and according to pre-defined standards and procedures.
ALPHA needs this procedures manual to ensure that all employees and volunteers, old and new, behave in a legal, ethical, and compliance-conscious manner. They
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will have to read the manual so they can align themselves with the standards, compliance, and risk management requirements of our organization.
This detailed manual will:
- be used as a reference/guide by the employees whenever an issue occurs
- be used as a reference they can safely resort to when undertaking a new task/process, or completing an old one, as a reminder of how they should conduct it.
- help standardize many aspects of each position in the organization, and document/archive the tasks conducted by each employee, ensuring a continuity of work when they leave, as well as a transfer and consolidation of knowledge.
The manual, object of this call should focus on procedures with policies. It should be written in English and should include but not limited to:
1- Vision, mission, and core values of ALPHA
2- Organizational chart
3- HR policies and procedures (for staff and volunteers):
o Human resources (planning, HR information system, etc.)
o Recruitment and staffing (recruitment process, contracts, induction, etc.)
o Compensation and benefits (salary range, pay administration, insurance, sick leave, vacation, etc.)
o Terms and conditions of employment (employment status, hours of work, flexible work arrangement, remote work, social media)
o Classification and position management
o Employee relations (grievance, discipline, etc.)
o Employee support and development (training, performance management, etc.)
o Occupational health and safety (physical and psychological well-being, violence in the workplace, vaccine, etc.)
o Termination (lay-offs, resignation, retirement, exit interviews, etc.)
o Human rights (non-harassment, gender, diversity, and inclusion, etc.)
o Code of conduct
4- Financial policies and procedures:
o Procurement
o Assets management
o Consumables management
o Cash management
o Bank accounts management
o Accounting
o Financial reporting
o Budget follow up
o List of permitted/prohibited expenditure, non-eligible expenditure1
o Time and payroll management
o Internal controls
o Anti-corruption and fraud, including anti-money laundering combating the financing of terrorism (LAB-FT)
5- Internal communication policies and procedures
1 Noting that the list is for information only and could be modified depending on donors’ regulations
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6- Projects policies and procedures:
• Project preparation (calls for proposal, potential partner assessment, project design, proposal writing)
• Project management (Contract management, monitoring and evaluation, reporting)
7- Documentation, filing, capitalization, and archiving policies and procedures
8- Risk management and safety plan policies and procedures
3. Bidding requirements:
• This consultancy can be conducted by an individual or a company.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in consultancy, including policies and procedures manual development.
• Solid experience with Lebanon’s non-governmental and civil society sector.
• Professional proficiency in Arabic and English.
Documents to submit:
The proposal of the bidding consultancy should contain the following:
• A clear, complete, and accurate technical proposal explaining how the consultancy will be carried out, including a description of the technical expertise to be used, and a detailed schedule.
• A preliminary methodology note which meets the objectives and demands and allows for a participatory process with ALPHA management.
The following diverse data collection methods are suggested, amongst others, to build a comprehensive picture of ALPHA from different perspectives and approaches.
✓ Desk review (secondary data): The consultant will review: ALPHA’s history, available policies and procedures (written and non-written), current mechanisms, annual reports, and any other documents deemed critically important for the consultancy.
✓ Interviews: interviews should be conducted with related staff when necessary.
• A financial proposal inclusive of all consultancy fees and other expenses to cover the assignment.
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae of the key persons to be involved in the consultancy and a clear description of their roles in the process.
• Consultants (companies and individuals) should submit their registration and official government documents.
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4. Selection criteria and process
The bidder will be evaluated based on several criteria mentioned in the table below:
Each proposal will be reviewed by ALPHA to determine if it meets the proposal requirements contained in this TOR.
Each proposal will be ranked according to the above selection criteria.
Two offers will be selected which will have obtained both (i) a minimum of 45 for the technical part and (ii) the highest score over one hundred.
Interviews of these two finalists will be conducted by ALPHA for a final selection.
5. Consultancy organization for selected consultant
5.1 Consultancy location
At ALPHA head office mainly, with potential visits to other ALPHA offices.
5.2 Framework meeting
A first meeting will be held with the selected consultant in ALPHA premises to discuss and consolidate the understanding and comprehension of the requested job.
5.3 Expected deliverables
The following deliverables will be expected for the total consultancy period of 10 weeks:
✓ A detailed methodology and developed tools, to be submitted 2 weeks after agreement signature
✓ 1st manual draft in English, to be submitted 6 weeks after approval of methodology
✓ Final manual in English language, to be submitted two weeks after draft feedback from ALPHA