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USAID Small & Medium Enterprise Activity project

 Restructuring of Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC)

Phase 1: Diagnostic Study 

Scope of Work Summary:

Small and Medium Enterprise Activity (SMEA) requires consultancy services to conduct a rapid needs analysis and propose viable recommendations for reform for the Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) to enhance its ability to promote small and medium enterprises in Sindh. There are concerns on the inadequacy of SSIC in terms of its organizational vision, role and its capacity to deliver on its mandate to support SMEs in Sindh. The Corporation is also facing significant capacity constraints, that affect its operations and efficiency. Thus, SMEA requires technical experts to undertake an institutional review of SSIC, assess its impact thus far on SME businesses and propose a roadmap for reforms based on secondary research, stakeholder consultations and international best practices. Hence, the proposed restructuring of SSIC will be two phases, as follows:

Phase 1: Diagnostic Study including a critical review of SSIC’s institutional structure and key SOPs, its impact on SMEs, a menu of institutional reforms as per international best practices and needs of the local SME economy of Sindh (to be covered under this scope)

Phase 2: Reforms Roadmap and Implementation Plan (subsequent scope after the completion of Phase 1; post an agreement and approval from the Government of Sindh on the reforms options presented)

This scope as detailed below ONLY covers Phase 1 of the restructuring activity.

The diagnostic study is required to better understand current role, performance, capacity and procedures of the organization to inform the needs analysis.  As part of the diagnostics, targeted and viable recommendations will be designed for SSIC reforms keeping in view the investment climate and international best practices.  

 

1.     Proposed team:

Short Term Technical Experts.  The proposed team composition for this assignment will include the following:

  • Team Leader – Institutional Reforms Specialist
  • Institutional Development/ Capacity Building Specialist
  • Economic Analyst/ Organizational Review Associate

 

2.     General Summary:

Chemonics International is implementing Pakistan Small and Medium Enterprise Activity (SMEA), which is a 5-year, $35 million project that is aimed at improvement of financial and operating performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan in selected high-performing industrial, manufacturing and services sectors. 

Creating an enabling business environment is one of the core work streams of this project. As such, the Project engaged with the Government of Sindh to identify key areas of collaboration. In our interactions with the Government of Sindh, it was highlighted that a great number of government development initiatives were likely to be jeopardized because of limited institutional capacities, skill-deficit and the inability to develop effective implementation strategies that currently mark the organizational capacity of the Government. Both the Chairman Planning and Development Department and the Secretary Industries made a particular reference to the organizational sprawl of outfits like the Sindh Small Industries Corporation, the mismanagement of the Industrial Infrastructure and the lack of efficient support to enterprises in the province. Consequently, the Planning & Development Board, made a request for technical assistance to provide support in restructuring the Sindh Small Industries Corporation.

Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) aims to promote small and cottage industries in Sindh, with a particular focus on handicrafts that reflect Sindh’s own culture and tradition.  Established under the Act XXVI of 1972, SSIC has created 16 industrial estates, three industrial parks and one industry site since its inception.  With its headquarter in Karachi, SSIC has three regional offices to allow for its presence in central and northern Sindh. However, half of these estates remain vacant, with absence of any investment.  Presently, three units are operated by the Corporation where small-scale industry is present for bangles, shoe manufacturing and ceramics, but without marked success. The spread of small scale industries across Sindh mainly include rice mills, specialized textile, agricultural implements, wood work, poultry farming, cold storage, bakeries, food industries etc. Quite evidently, SSIC’s focus sectors are not representative of Sindh’s overall SME sectors. With such a rich industrial mix, SSIC’s scope to promote SMEs needs to be re-defined in light of   the needs of the markets and relevance of sectors in the overall contribution to the provincial GDP. Alongside, the corporation also faces technical capacity constraints, affecting its operational efficiency and delivery.

 

3.     Objective of the Consultancy:

Objective:       

                       The purpose of this assignment is to undertake a rapid institutional review of SSIC’s role, structure, operations and functioning and provide an analysis where SSIC needs reform, restructuring, and capacity enhancement for business process re-engineering and improved inter-government coordination and delivery mechanisms. The assignment will provide a gap analysis of SSIC’s performance and its goals, highlighting areas where SSIC has achieved its objectives and the challenges it faces. Based on an evidence based impact assessment, analysis of international best practices and needs of the local SME economy, and stakeholder consultation, a critical institutional review will be conducted to develop viable recommendations for reform to enable SSIC to promote small and medium enterprises in the province.

The outputs of the consultancy to help achieve this objective are:

  • This consultancy covers technical assistance to SSIC by means of providing targeted needs analysis and viable recommendations for organization’s restructuring and reform, allowing it to become a catalyst for growth of small and medium sized enterprises in Sindh.
  • The Consultant Team will carry out desk-based research and a critical review of existing policies, rules of business, standard operation procedures (SOPs), relevant board minutes, and other institutional assessment documents and reports, SSIC's vision and mission statements, and existing and past operational plans and key project documents. An evidence based review of relevant policies and SOPs and their impact may be assessed to determine the number of SME businesses supported and investment and employment generated.
  • Further, the team will conduct individual interviews and meetings with key informants such as Secretary Small Industries, SSIC Senior Management, SSIC Functional Leads, Sector Associations, Chambers of Commerce, members of existing SMEs operating in SSIC and other relevant stakeholders to ascertain the organizational agenda, vision and sustainability of SSIC. Findings from these interviews will inform the needs analysis and future ambitions of the organization.  
  • The team will identify international best practices based on a review of similar institutions in the region that have been able to deliver on industrial development of SMEs.
  • A need analysis report will be designed based on the diagnostics above.
  • The needs analysis will highlight specific nature of businesses in Sindh, especially SMEs, based on their general profiling and ranking in terms of sectoral contribution. This will include a comparison of sectors SSIC is currently focusing on and how this focus needs to shift to better reflect the industrial mix in Sindh. Furthermore, the analysis will indicate what manner of support these SMEs require from an outfit such as SSIC for them to establish and grow, and what capacity enhancement is needed at SSIC to be able to provide such support.
  • Analyze SSIC’s ability to promote SMEs and interact with other players in field (as it seems it is currently structured only to assist traditional crafts operating at the micro level) based on the needs analysis, specific recommendations will be designed on organizational reform keeping in mind the investment climate and best practices.
  • The goals may be aligned with and inform SME policy and other relevant provincial and federal policies to support SMEs. SOPs reforms may be suggested to improve inter-departmental coordination at the federal and provincial level.

 

To achieve the given objective of the consultancy, the Consultants are required to perform the given below tasks successfully.

 

4.     Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

Under the given consultancy assignment, the Consultant Team will be responsible for performing each task / activity related to the assignment. All the activities performed by the team must be in line with their respective contracts. The consultant team will perform the activity by keeping in view the business protocols/scope and quality parameters defined in the contract. They will be responsible to produce and submit all deliverables with supporting documents mentioned in deliverables schedule.

 

Step 1: Needs Analysis

  • Diagnostics will be run in all functional areas of the organization which may include reviewing governance, strategy, planning, human resources, marketing and communication, financial management and accounting, technology, procurement, administration, and monitoring. Thus, the diagnostic study will provide a need analysis for the SSIC.
  • At the core of this analysis will be a critical assessment of SSIC’s current focus, mission, vision and objectives and whether its current structure and operations are helping to fulfill these targets based on empirical evidence in terms of investment and employment generated.
  • The diagnostic must also include and carve out a vision for the organization- detailing what sort of reforms are required, what should be the mandate of the organization- a complete direction of reforms must be projected as part of the study.

 

Step 2: Reforms Options

  • Following the diagnostic study, targeted and viable recommendations will be designed for SSIC reforms.  Starting off with a revised vision and mission for the SSIC, the reforms will take shape in the form of an Operational Plan with specific actions/ roadmap required for the organization’s strengthening in short, medium and long-term. The Operational Plan will also serve as an institutional capacity development plan for SSIC to enable its growth and help achieve its future targets in line with its revised vision.  Recommendations on SSIC’s working relationship with other provincial bodies and federal government entities such as SMEDA will also be included.
  • These reforms will be informed by international best practices and local SME economy.

 

5.     Specific Tasks of the Consultants:

Step 1: Diagnostic-Needs Analysis

  • Meet with SMEA COP, Component Lead(s) and other team members as well as Secretary Small Industries and other SSIC leadership to understand the specific requirements of the scope of work and the project as a whole.
  • Undertake a critical review based on desk research using available SSIC documentation and data related to key functions of the organization including governance, strategy, human resources, finance, business development, communications, service delivery, monitoring etc.  Analyze financial data of SSIC and the industrial estates that fall under its purview. Analyze data of businesses supported for investment generated and jobs created in order to quantify the impact of SSIC. An estimate will be drawn in order to understand the prevalent effectiveness of the organization and to project the possible type and magnitude of investment and potential jobs that can be created once the organization is revitalized and restructured.
  • Design brief diagnostic instruments to undertake assessment of identified functions; these tools will also serve as guidelines for key informant consultations.
  • Conduct stakeholder consultations including identified SSIC leadership, functional leads and relevant team members; other identified key stakeholder consultations to also take place including relevant associations, chambers and SMEs. These consultations will inform the functional review.
  • Conduct needs assessment of SSIC based on the functional review to identify areas where SSIC has been doing well, as well as the constraints and challenges which it faces.
  • Understand and analyze dominant/ SME centric sectors in Sindh to identify their specific needs for support especially sectors like light engineering, logistics, ICT etc.
  • Analyze current investment environment to inform recommendations for SSIC’s future operations.
  • Review and discuss other successful examples in the country/region for small industry promotion.
  • Draft and final Needs Analysis Reports to be developed.

Step 2: Reforms Options

  • Provide viable recommendations on SSIC reforms; provide operational options for growth and sustainability.
  • Draft and final Reform recommendations including a complete time sensitized roadmap to be developed.

6.     Job Qualifications

The Consultant Team will have knowledge of and/or proven expertise in conducting needs assessments and drafting reform/operational options for various government, donor-funded or not-for-profit institutions/ programmes; and will possess demonstrable experience of having worked on all the diverse operational areas that need to be reviewed and advised on for the purposes of this assignment.

 

Position

Qualifications/ Specifications

Team Leader / Institutional
Reforms Specialist

  • Master’s degree in Organizational Management, Economics, or Public Administration from a university of repute
  • At least 10 years of experience working in SME development issues
  • Deep knowledge and understanding of the national, provincial, local regulatory, legal and policy environment pertaining to the SMEs
  • Knowledge of industrial estates in Pakistan as well as best practices
  • Sound understanding of issues related to role of investment in the economy, particularly in context of developing country
  • Previous experience of working with USAID projects, in the area of economic growth, will be preferred
  • Experience of working with donor projects in the SME space will be an advantage
  • Excellent communication and report writing skills

 

Institutional Development / Capacity Building Specialist

  • Master’s degree in Organizational Management, Economics, or Business Administration or equivalent from a reputed international university
  • At least 10 years of experience in undertaking research on capacity building and institutional development in Pakistan
  • Good understanding of the current business environment, macro-economic framework and the corresponding institutional arrangements at the federal and provincial levels
  • Experience conducting capacity needs assessments for public and private institutions
  • Good understanding of the constraints faced by the institutions at the federal and provincial levels
  • Previous experience of working with USAID projects in the area of economic growth will be preferred
  • Experience of working with donor projects in the SME space will be an advantage
  • Excellent communication and report writing skills

 

Economic Analyst / Organizational Review Associate

  • Masters in Economics/ Development Studies/ Social Sciences
  • At least 8 years of relevant experience
  • Prior experience in organizational needs assessment
  • Prior experience in financial assessments
  • Experienced in conducting desk-based research and primary research
  • Experience in undertaking in-depth consultations with stakeholders at all levels
  • Competent in handling and analyzing data
  • Strong communication and writing skills

 

 

7.     Duty Station:

The consultants will be based in Karachi and will be working closely with the BEE team.

 

Workspace and Use of Personal Laptop and Software(s):

The consultants will be required to use their own personal laptops. In the situation that a consultant is required to use his IT resources, s/he must certify that all software used are genuine and licensed; to ensure that the project’s IT resources are protected from accidental destruction or deliberate attempts at sabotage by computer viruses and other hazards. If s/he is provided with a project laptop or any other project equipment, they must sign for issue and return of the related equipment. 

8.     Reporting:

The consultants will be required to report to the BEE Policy Analyst and the Senior Policy Advisor.

 

9.     Duration of the Assignment:

This job is planned to take place as per a start date of on or around August 15, 2018  (depending on the mobilization of consultants) and end date of on or around November 20, 2018 hereto. The last date for submission of deliverable/s is September 30, 2018.     

 

10.  Deliverables:

The following are the key deliverables and their associated deadlines. The timelines will be discussed and agreed with the technical team and the consultant team.

No.

Activity / Deliverable

Timeline

1

Work plan; Development of Diagnostic Instrument

Within 1 week

2

Functional Review of SSIC – secondary research; stakeholder Consultations; Other stakeholder interviews

Within 3 weeks

3

Draft Needs Analysis Report

Within 4 weeks

4

Draft Reform Options

Within 5 weeks

5

Final Analysis Reports and Reform Options

Within 6 weeks (subject to SMEA feedback and timing)

 

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