REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR AN IT CONSULTANT (BUSINESS ANALYST)

African Development Bank

Strategy and Operational Policies Department (SNSP)

Rue Joseph Anoma,

01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01

Cote d’Ivoire

Brief Description of the Assignment: The Strategy and Operational Policies Department (SNSP) of the African Development Bank invites Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in the following assignment : IT Consultant (BUSINESS ANALYST).

The services to be provided under this assignment include (i) revision of the SAP Project Classification System (PCS)to enable the Bank link project financing to the High 5’s, sub High 5’s and SDGs; (ii) undertake virtual and physical training sessions to provide guidance to operations staff on the revisions being made in the PCS; (iii) development of a training manual which will be produced and added to the SAP system, (iv) prepare training material which would feed into the Operations Academy Portal; (iv) maintain collaboration between bank departments to ensure the SAP PCS revision is in coherence with the broader bank IT improvements, e.g. WAKANDA; and (iv) establishment of a help desk function. The consultant will work closely with staff in SNSP and other Bank departments, in particular the Corporate Information Technology Services Department (CHIS) with whom SNSP is working closely to deliver a high-quality product and user-friendly end results.

The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a short list and the selection procedure shall be in conformity with the Bank’s Procurement Policy for Recruitment of Corporate Consultants. Please, note that interest expressed by a Consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include him/her in the shortlist.

The Consultant’s assignment may be modified for other related tasks so long as they are consistent with his/her qualification and experience.

Departments issuing the request : SNSP

Place of assignment : Given the Covid-19 pandemic, the consultant will telecommute until normal business resumes, thereafter, will be based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Duration of the assignment : Twelve (12) calendar months

Tentative Date of commencement : December 14, 2020

Deadline for applications :  November 30, 2020 at 17:00 GMT See below

Detailed Terms of reference for the assignment : Interested consultants are invited to submit a CV and Cover Letter to [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Applications to be submitted by email only to : Any questions and requests for clarifications may be sent to: [email protected] and [email protected]

Terms of Reference- Individual IT Consultant (Business Analyst)

  1. BACKGROUND :

Established in 1964, the African Development Bank (AfDB) is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. With 80 Member countries, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries), the Bank’s development agenda is to deliver financial and technical support to transformative projects in Africa that will support the Bank’s twin objectives of inclusive and sustainable economic growth. In order to sharpen the objectives of the Bank Group’s Strategy 2013-2022, and ensure greater developmental impact, five major operational areas (i.e High 5s) have been identified. The High 5s include “Light Up and Power Africa”, “Feed Africa”, “Industrialize Africa”, “Integrate Africa”, and “Improving the quality of life for the people of Africa”.

1.1. The Strategy and Operational Policies Department (SNSP) :

The Strategy and Operational Policies Department (SNSP) sits within the Senior Vice-Presidency complex of the Bank and is responsible for developing the corporate vision and the strategic perspectives for the Bank through formulating, revising and providing advice on operational policies and procedures. SNSP works across the institution, helping to ensure strategic and policy focus in decision-making, and improving alignment of resources with strategic priorities. SNSP is also mandated to contribute to the development of new ideas and concepts for corporate initiatives and also to advise the Bank on innovation and institutional efficiency-related matters. As part of its corporate assignments, SNSP provides regular inputs to the Bank review processes through the Senior Management Coordination Committee (SMCC) and the Bank’s Operations Committee (OpsCom). Finally, the department is in charge of maintain and updating the Bank Group classification of its Regional Member Countries based on their eligibility to its concessional and non-concessional windows, taking full account of the countries’ creditworthiness and risk situation.

1.2 Project Classification System by High 5’s – SAP System Revision :

As part of its 2020-2021 Work Program, SNSP has committed to the completion of a number of deliverables including but not limited to: (i) revision of the SAP Project Classification System to enable the Bank link project financing to the High 5’s, sub High 5’s and to allow for automated reporting The revision will also include tagging of project financing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), (ii) undertake virtual and physical training sessions to provide guidance to operations staff on the revisions being made in the PCS, (iii) development of a training manual which will be produced and added to the SAP system, (iv) prepare training material which would feed into the Operations Academy Portal, (iv) maintain collaboration between bank departments to ensure the SAP PCSs revision is in coherence with the broader bank IT improvements, e.g. WAKANDA, and (iv) establishment of a help desk function.

To this effect, SNSP is seeking the services of a long-term consultant to support the activities of the team to undertake the work above. He/ she will be expected to work closely with staff in SNSP and other Bank departments, in particular the Corporate Information Technology Services Department (CHIS) with whom SNSP is working closely to deliver a high-quality product and user-friendly end results.

  1. Scope of the Assignment :

Under the overall supervision of the Director of SNSP, and day to day guidance of the PCS revision.

Task Manager and team, the main responsibilities of the IT Consultant are to :

  • Provide technical and analytical inputs to revise the SAP PCS system to include the High 5’s and SDG’s sub -categories ;
  • Include an automated reporting function in the revised SAP PCS system for on the spot, quarterly and annual reporting ;
  • Design a training manual for operations staff/ task managers on the revised PCS and its new functionalities. The training manual will be included in the SAP system and other bank portals for ease of reference ;
  • Contribute to the design of training information to be included in the Operations Academy, o Contribute to and participate in the training (virtual and physical) of task managers/ operations staff on the revised SAP PCS ;
  • Contribute to the development of a Change Management Plan in collaboration with all stakeholders (e.g. task managers) to create desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement to the changes and adoption of the new solutions ;
  • Develop and maintain collaboration with other Bank departments to ensure that the revised SAP PCS is aligned to other IT upgrade initiatives to enable synergies and sustainability of the revision ;
  • Oversee the development of a Help Desk Function for the revised PCS ;
  • Support and work with other consultants that might be recruited as part of the team to undertake complimentary functions ;
  • Provide support to SNSP department and closely work with CHIS on the design and development of other IT platforms/websites, that might be needed to support other work programs such as the digitization of the Operations Manual ;
  • Provide inputs into reports to update management on the progress of the PCS revision activity and any other reports that relate to this workstream, and ;
  • Represent SNSP department as requested at selected meetings and on important missions.

The Consultant will also support SNSP in planning, organizing and coordinating the activities of the Department, as requested.

  1. Deliverables : 
  1. Revised SAP PCS to include the High 5’s and SDGs completed, tested and rolled out ;
  2. Training Manual developed and included in SAP and other Bank platforms ;
  3. Training material developed for Operations Academy ;
  4. Bank staff/ task managers in all complexes trained on the revised system, and
  5. Help desk function developed ;
  6. SNSP/CHIS supported with IT needs for delivery of work program, and
  1. Qualifications and experience :

SNSP is looking for a proactive candidate who is committed and driven to deliver high-quality outputs. The key selection criteria for the position include the following :

  • The consultant should have a Master’s degree in Computer sciences (or software Engineering/ Business Analysis) with a significant experience working on IT platforms, business analysis and project management skills ;
  • The consultant should have at least 10 years working experience in Business Analysis with a significant functional implementation experience in different IT Platforms such as SAP, Oracle, SharePoint, Net, IBM,etc ;
  • Professional certifications in project management, in Business Analysis/Architecture certifications is desirable, plus good background in software development life cycle (SDLC), tools and software project planning, quality assurance process; change management, training and deployment procedures and mechanisms for delivering new project systems ;
  • Professional expertise in conceptualizing, gathering complex business requirements, planning and architecting IT solutions that will help guide for designing and developing complex IT systems. This will require analytical, technical and leadership skills for the creation and evolution of the Bank’s different platforms. In that respect, the consultant should be capable of analyzing the key policy and business requirements and articulate the necessary changes required to ensure delivery of a high-quality outcome ;
  • Experience in working with other multilateral development banks or development institutions in project reporting systems, is required ;
  • Specific experience and knowledge of African development issues generally, SDGs in particular and reporting systems (national, regional, global) would be a good asset ;
  • Demonstrated strong analytical skills, dynamism, results-orientation and problem-solving capability ;
  • Experience in writing concept notes, developing training material and modules and training technical and non-technical staff ;
  • Excellent client relationship management skills and capacity to deliver high-quality work within tight deadlines ;
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with a good working knowledge of French language and the capacity to communicate and present easily the essential information in concise and clear manner ;
  • The consultant should have a working experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS project, Visio, etc.) and good knowledge of operational management systems ;
  • Proven ability to collaborate within multi-cultural teams and across departments, applying a practical, diplomatic and efficient approach to problem solving.
  1. Duration and Location of the Assignment :

The consultant is expected to start on 14th December 2020 with a contract duration of 12 calendar months. The consultant shall report to the task manager and the Director, SNSP. Day-to-day management of the consultancy shall be assured by the task manager. The consultancy will be based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and will require full-time presence in the Bank’s offices. During this period of COVID-19 when the Bank is operating a working from home mode, the consultant will also work from their home base. Field missions might occasionally be required.

  1. Remuneration :

Remuneration will be commensurate with experience, in line with the Bank’s compensation guidelines. The consultancy fees will be paid on a monthly lump sum base. No additional benefits or per diem will be paid. For candidates who need to travel to take up this assignment, a round trip economy class air-tickets with the shortest route will be provided. The candidate will be responsible for obtaining personal health insurance at his or her own cost.

  1. Reporting Language : 

The consultant will work in English and submit reports in English, but should have the ability to read, write and communicate in French as well.

  1. Application and Evaluation Process : 

The position is open to nationals of the Member Countries of the AfDB. Interested applicants are requested to send an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Cover Letter specifically mentioning in the subject line “IT Consultant (BUSINESS ANALYST)”, detailing their qualifications and experiences to the email addresses provided by 30th November 2020 at 17:00 GMT.

The prospective consultants’ expression of interest will be evaluated based on the following criteria and weights :

(1) General qualifications and adequacy for the assignment to be undertaken 30
(2) Similar experience in the area of expertise of the assignment 40
(3) Experience with the Bank and/or multilateral development organizations 20
(4) Language Proficiency 5
(5) Knowledge of Africa (environment of the assignment) 5

Only consultants who will score more than 70% will be short-listed. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to participate in a skills assessment exercise.