Location: Home-based, no travel expected 
Type of contract: Consultancy 
Languages required: English 
Experience required: 5 years  
Consultancy start target date: December 2022 or January 2023 
Duration of Contract: Max 40 days over 3 – 4-month period 

Application deadline: 11/12/2022

About ACT Alliance  
ACT Alliance is one of the world’s largest coalition of churches and church-related organisations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work. It consists of 147 members working together in over 120 countries, with headquarters in 73 countries, whose aim is to create a positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards. 64% of our members are headquartered in the Global South, 30% in the Global North, and 6% are Global members. For more details about the general work of ACT, please refer to http://www.actalliance.org/.  

ACT Alliance’s structure is unique, with national, sub-regional and regional forums that bring local, national, regional, and international church-related organisations to work together under the same principles and standards, bringing different skills and expertise to support each other and leverage collective action in humanitarian, development, and advocacy engagement. Thanks to the presence of national ACT forums in over 50 countries, and of its global secretariat in strategic locations (Geneva, New York, Nairobi, Bangkok, Amman, Brussels, Toronto, and Bogota), ACT Alliance is able to bring local and regional concerns to the global arena.  

Terms of Reference 
The ACT Alliance Secretariat would like to engage a consultant to help it with a transition towards full digitalisation across programme and project management, member and donor management and governance. As ACT is a member-based alliance, the ACT Secretariat needs integrated digital systems and platforms that help it to harmonise its operations, increase efficiency and connect with and serve its members globally. The goal is to develop a networked information management system that will be able to support its mandate to coordinate and facilitate the Alliance’s work and engagement of its members. 

Scope 
The consultancy should include three main phases, after each of which the consultant will liaise with the Secretariat’s digitalisation working group. 

1. Systems needs assessment and gap analysis: whereby consultant reviews existing systems used within the Secretariat and by ACT member organisations, conducts interviews and/or surveys with key ACT stakeholders including ACT and member organisation staff.
     
2. Presentation of findings validation and feedback: Workshop for feedback on findings to refine the recommended requirements for new systems. Consultation with working group on possible solutions that fit the organisation’s specifications. 
    
3. Draft specifications: Develop specifications for the procurement of a developer to build the new ACT Alliance Management Information Systems and support the selection of system(s) providers which meet the base requirements.  
   

Deliverables
The consultant will provide: 

• Gap analysis and needs assessment of IT systems at ACT Alliance Secretariat following internal review and stakeholder consultations.    
• Gap analysis and needs assessment of IT systems and platforms that ACT Members engage with as Members, Forums, Communities of Practice, Reference Groups.   
• Workshop for consolidation of requirements.  
• Recommendations of relevant IT solutions integrating with or linking to existing systems where relevant/possible.  
• Recommendations on prioritisation of IT system elements together with timelines for development and launch with cost estimates.  
• List of recommended system(s) solutions and technical specifications with which to enable launch of a procurement process.  

Required Skills and Experience 

• University education and/or substantial professional experience in IT or IT related field. 
  
• Expertise in analysing user needs for integrated IT systems and platforms.   
• Knowledge of system security and issues pertinent to GDPR and other regulatory requirements.  
• Proven experience working in complex organizational structures and networks.  
• Proven knowledge of IT systems for international non-profit organizations and donor–funded environments. 
• Fluent in written and spoken English. 

Reporting  
The consultant will report to ACT’s Director of Operations and will liaise closely with a Digitalisation working group composed of key ACT Secretariat staff. 

Tender process 
Only registered consultants or companies shall be considered. Qualified and interested parties should send their tender application titled “Digital System Consultancy” to: recruitment@actalliance.org by 24.00 CET 11th December 2022. 

In your tender, please include: 

• Expression of Interest, outlining relevant experience, and suggested approach in implementing the Terms of Reference inclusive of delivery timeline up to a maximum of 40 days’ work.
• CV of the consultant(s) and where relevant information re the company.
• Justification of consultancy or company registration.
• Samples of/or links to previous consultancy work.
• List of 3 professional references.
• Financial offer: gross daily rate for the consultancy in USD, EURO or CHF – including administrative overheads, taxes and charges. 
  

Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.