SOW – Grants and Procurement Specialist for MGS Implementation
USAID PEEP Project
Component 1: AWP Year 6 Activity 1.1: Assist Punjab Agriculture Department for implementing Punjab Agriculture Policy 2018
Hiring of Consultants for Implementation of Matching Grants
Scope of Work
1. Scope of Work Summary:
The scope of the short-term position mentioned above is to work with the Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) Government of Punjab (GoPb) for undertaking grants and procurement related activities for effectively implementing matching grant program in assistance with USAID PEEP. The objective of the effort is to support agriculture department for effective implementation of the Agriculture Policy.
PEEP has assisted the Government of Punjab to develop Punjab Agriculture Policy 2018 in year 5.
PEEP envisages supporting implementation of the policy in Annual Work Plan Year 6 which envisions that in-kind grants are availed by GoPb entities to accelerate reforms implementation and catalyze private sector investments in the agriculture sector. The proposed SOW presents concept and stipulations thereof for supporting PAD for the implementation of matching grant scheme (MGS) under the agriculture policy.
Matching grants are identified as an instrument that provides support to business entities to implement commercial activities and ultimately ensure markets to operate effectively. Under the MGS, the agribusinesses, especially small and medium in size will be provided financial support. The selected agribusinesses will receive Government’s in-kind grants of up to 50% of project’s cost in the form of machinery, equipment and software in addition to business development and advisory services.
2. Background:
USAID-Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP) has been designed to support advocacy for policy and regulatory reforms and early implementation of the same in agriculture sector (horticulture, livestock and dairy subsectors) of Punjab. Through this project, USAID- PEEP would work in partnership with the Punjab’s public & private sector, civil society organizations and academia to create an environment that is more conducive to the growth of target sub-sectors. The project aims to develop and implement a set of activities that will result in effective implementation of reforms and capacity building of its partners.
Punjab Agriculture Department is responsible for development of agriculture (including horticulture) sector through policy implementation, institutional support and service delivery in the province.
Through its Planning and Evaluation section, PAD is undertaking short, medium- and long-term planning in consideration of available information of crops, land and farmers, and annual growth targets of government. The section is also responsible for evaluation of various ongoing interventions.
Objectives of the Matching Grants Scheme:
The MGS aims to eliminate reasons for market failure, and expand opportunities in agribusinesses, which are strategically important for sector growth.
The scheme aims at removing constraints facing agribusinesses and aims at innovation and development of new technologies to enhance productivity of agriculture value-chains.
The MGS aims to mobilize private sector investment in high priority agriculture value chains
The matching grants will also entail provision of technical assistance to grantees in the form of Business Development Services (BDS). The unavailability of advisory and support
services to businesses has been a major constraint in Pakistan, hampering growth and resulting in high failure rate among SMEs. It is also a crucial element in success of grants
program. The grants where technical assistance in provided along with technology transfer have demonstrated better outcomes then those without provision of technical assistance.
MGS will however not support investment in well-established agribusiness sectors that have already matured over the years and represent low potential for growth and limited scope for application of and benefit from business development activities.
Punjab government has allocated special funds (Rs.7 billion in 2018-19) for the implementation of Agriculture Policy in addition to annual development program.
3. Objective and Purpose of the Consultancy:
The overall objective of this assignment is to serve as a technical resource for specific time under the direct supervision and guidance of Secretary Punjab Agriculture Department (or his designee) and Chief of Party of PEEP (or his designee) to undertake assignments related to MGS implementation and its continued sustainability. He / she will provide the necessary technical advice on issues related to grants and procurements as per government approved operations manual for the scheme.
The consultant will be placed by PEEP under the direct supervision and guidance of Secretary Punjab Agriculture Department (or his designee) and Chief of Party of PEEP (or his designee) as an independent consultant and not an employee of PEEP. PEEP shall pay the fee of the consultant, however neither the Consultant nor PEEP shall represent directly or indirectly that Consultant is an agent, employee, or legal representative of PEEP. Consultant shall not have the authority to incur any liabilities or obligations of any kind, financial or otherwise, in the name of or on behalf of PEEP. Consultant shall only be responsible for performing the services set forth in this Scope of Work and shall have no other responsibilities.
4. Principal Duties & Responsibilities Grants and Procurement Specialist:
The principal responsibilities and duties of the Grant and Procurement Specialist are;
Responsible for design, development and implementation of MGS as per Operations Manual approved by the government;
Provide technical guidance and interpretation of operations manual to the concerned (staff, grantees) to ensure that grants are implemented in compliance with operations manual and
government rules and regulations;
Ensure that a grants management system is in place and a database is maintained;
Handle the administrative, financial, and programmatic aspects of issuing grants and manage
the grants pipeline to ensure grant files are complete;
Perform tasks necessary to ensure successful implementation of the MGS;
Ensure timely, high quality completion of all relevant reporting requirements;
Ensure that day-to-day personal behavior and performance are fully compliant with the scheme’s operations manual;
Exercise professional interpersonal skills to effectively work with all related staff, clients and counterparts;
Ensure close collaboration and teamwork with concerned offices and directorates of the department;
Always maintain high ethical standards, avoiding any actual or perceived conflicts of interest; and maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and data that the consultant may come in possession of during the assignment; and shall not disclose it unless authorized by PEEP to disclose such information.
Abide by all local Pakistani laws, USAID regulations, and US Embassy/USAID project directives;
Develop a plan for continued sustainability of the MGS and obtain its approval from the Secretary Agriculture.
Perform any and all other tasks as may be assigned in a manner that contributes to achievement of government and PEEP project’s objectives from the scheme.
Specific Tasks. As directed by the team lead MGS or his designee, the individual shall perform the
following specific tasks:
Roll out solicitations, grant agreements and contracts to ensure that same fulfil legal requirements of the scheme and government;
Assist in the preparation of grant solicitation, grant agreements, and other grants-related documents and proactively ensure compliance;
Assist in the preparation of task orders for the successful grantees and contractors;
Assist to monitor financial management of grant funds, monitoring the projected expenditures of each grant against their actual incurrence;
Assist in verification of grantee expense reports and submit payment requests to finance department;
Conduct pre-award assessment survey and financial reviews;
Assist in negotiating budgets with potential grantees and provide support in preparing grants negotiation documents;
Support the full cycle of grants and subcontracts management activities beginning from pre-award assessments, monitoring/compliance visits and close-out procedures;
Coordinate with internal and external technical resources on grants related activities;
Build capacity of ADU staff in managing the MGS program.
In collaboration with the relevant teams, coordinate all logistical arrangements for the grant’s events, workshops, pre-application briefing / assistance sessions, pre-proposal conferences and other training activities to achieve conformity to assistance program objectives;
Assists in reporting all grant-related information to PEEP M&E team;
Maintain necessary trackers to manage the grants, including the procurement tracker for in-kind grants, and coordinate with the respective partner teams to ensure integration of grants inventory as per government rules;
Ensure proper reporting, filing and archiving of all relevant grant documents both via electronic files and hard copy files;
Proactively ensure compliance of Govt. of Punjab regulations pertaining to grants implementation and procurement under the government schemes;
Ensure timely, high quality completion of all relevant reporting requirements;
Exercise professional interpersonal skills to effectively work with concerned staff, clients, counterparts;
Abide by all public procurement laws;
Perform any and all other tasks as may be assigned in a manner that contributes to achievement of the matching grants program;
Liaise with the Secretary PAD or his designee on regular basis and updating him about the progress, as and when required;
Liaise with COP of PEEP or his designee on regular basis for apprising the status and progress of the deliverable of the assigned assignments.
5. Deliverables:
Monthly report submission to Secretary PAD and USAID PEEP, encompassing all the activities completed in that reporting period.
6. Job Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Procurement or another related field; Accounting certifications (such as chartered accountancy or equivalent) and/or master's degree preferred;
At least 8 years of experience in grants design and administration, management and oversight.
Experience of managing grants or awards funded by international donors is required Experience of managing USAID-funded grants under contracts (GUC) preferred;
Deep understanding of applicable policies and procedures about financial management, procurement and grants management requirements is required.
Strong background in project administration and financial and budget management in other donor-funded programs is required.
Proven experience working effectively with multiple stakeholders including government officials, donor organizations, and private businesses.
Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity;
Flexibility, creativity, and the ability to maintain a rapid and demanding pace of work;
Strong interpersonal, writing, and oral communication skills;
Detail oriented and ability to accurately document files;
Fluency in both written and oral English required.
7. Duty Station:
The duty station for this consultancy is Lahore.
8. Reporting:
The consultant will report to the Secretary PAD and COP USAID PEEP, encompassing all the activities completed in that reporting period. He/she will be supervised by the team lead MGS or his designee for the day-to-day work. All the deliverables will be approved by COP PEEP as well as the Agriculture Secretary or designee. The consultant’s performance will be evaluated regularly with a minimum monthly interval. Consultancy fees will be paid on monthly basis upon approval of timesheet as per PEEP standard operating procedure.
9. Duration of the Assignment:
Total LOE for this assignment is 175 days