1.   Background

The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) is a coalition formed in 2004 to bring together CSOs at national and district levels to influence Government decisions on resource mobilization, allocation, and utilization for equitable and sustainable development. CSBAG’s Vision is “a Uganda with a people centered budget that dignifies Humanity”. The Mission is “to work towards ensuring that resource mobilization, allocation and utilization is inclusive for a transformed Uganda. 

CSBAG has a 5-year strategic plan with three strategic goals namely 1) To influence Government decisions on resource mobilization and utilization for equitable and sustainable development. 2) To advocate for increased transparency and accountability in national priorities setting, financing and public spending at all levels. And 3) To build and strengthen the capacity of CSBAG to carry out its mandate. To deliver on these strategic goals, CSBAG’s has focused on four areas: i) Economic Policy Management and Transformation, ii) Financing for Development, iii) Participatory Budget Monitoring and Accountability and iv) Institutional development.

2.  About the Assignment

To perform Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting efficiently and effectively, CSBAG has a Management Information System (MIS) which needs to be reviewed and automated to improve the quality of planning, monitoring and evaluation at program and organization level. The process will also include reviewing and where required, upgrading of data collection tools and systems developed. The assignment is aimed at enabling CSBAG to efficiently and effectively perform Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting.  It is in this regard that CSBAG with support from USAID /Uganda Civil Society Strengthening Activity CSBAG seeks technical services to undertake this assignment.  

3.  Overall objective of the assignment  

The primary objective of the consultancy is to update and automate the CSBAG M&E system. The specific requirement of the automated system is to review, develop and upgrade the existing M&E system as well as automate to an institutional web-based monitoring and evaluation software that will accept qualitative and quantitative information including text, photos, videos  and voices from staff, our rural actors, and partners, process it, store it, and communicate it to users in real time. This  would facilitate tracking and reporting progress of the CSBAG 5-year Strategic plan annual milestones, as articulated in the consolidated M&E Framework. This shall also allow CSBAG to monitor and track progress to inform learning, reflection and decision making at both operational and strategic levels. 

3.1 . The specific objectives of this assignment include:

1. Review and update the CSBAG Program M&E Plan – this will involve supporting the organization’s  review and update its Log frame, M&E matrix, and data collection tools among others.
2. Automate the CSBAG M&E System to ease access and real-time updating. This should be networked, up gradable. Consultant shall develop a User’s systems manual for the automated system
3. Orient the CSBAG staff on the updated tools, and operationalization of the automated M&E system
4. Develop a policy and M&E protocols: Develop brief policy or protocol to ensure discipline, confidentiality in collection, sharing quality control and use of M&E data and information

4.0.  Key Deliverable and timeline

This assessment will be undertaken for a period of 20 working date but not later than 15^th August 2022. The key deliverable of this assignment shall include.

1. An inception report outlining the approach and methodology that will be used to deliver on the assignment.
2. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan reviewed and updated
3. Database An Automated M&E system installed and functional and its User’s Manual
4. 1 Staff orientation on the operationalization of the updated and automated MEL system 

 5.0.  Reporting

Administratively, the consultant will be reporting directly to the Executive Director on this assignment and will have a technical reporting and  working relationship with the CSBAG M&E Officer who shall approve the deliverables.

6.0.   Required Skills and Qualification   

1. The Team/consultant/consultancy firm should have a minimum of a master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Economics, Computer Science, software engineering, IT or Statistics and any relevant qualification. 
   1. Experience in M&E frameworks and systems development
   1. At least five (5 years of relevant work experience in development planning and monitoring and evaluation. The consultant should have prior experience in designing, developing, and supporting implementation of computerized and web-enabled MIS systems
   1. Considerable experience in the design and operationalization of similar automated systems is an added advantage.

7.0  Submission of applications for the task

CSBAG is inviting proposals as specified in this Terms of Reference. Interested consultants/firms are requested to submit technical and financial proposals:

1. Only financial proposals quoted in UGX are permitted
2. The technical proposal should contain:
3. Description of the understanding of the tasks, including comments on the TORs.
4. A brief critique or advice on, what the TOR ought to have included or considered, from your understanding of the task
5. A description of the methodology to be followed, to achieve the desired objectives.
6. Work plan and time scheduling of information gathering and other activities; and
7. CVs of the consultants/firms

8. 0 Application Process.

Interested candidates should electronically submit their application letter, updated CVs, technical and financial proposals, and references for similar work conducted previously. This should be sent to email: hr@csbag.org addressed to the Executive Director, Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), by 5:00pm on 30^th Jun 2022. Subject: Application to Review and automate CSBAG M&E System