Term of Reference for Delivery of a Basic Accounting Course for Microfinance Staff

Term of Reference for Delivery of a Basic Accounting Course for Microfinance Staff

1. Background

The Southern Sudan Microfinance Development Facility (SSMDF) is a joint initiative of the Government of South Sudan with co-funding from the Multi Donor Trust Fund established to champion the emergence of a strong and sustainable microfinance sector in South Sudan. The SSMDF supports microfinance service providers’ efforts to assist the economically active poor and the low income households to access financial services.

The SSMDF provides flexible and carefully designed technical assistance and financing to qualified existing and new high potential microfinance institutions for institutional building,systems development and for on-lending. As part of the capacity building in the areas of human resources development, SSMDF has developed a wide range of courses. The courses cover a range of short-term modules to cater for the various categories of staff. The overall goal of these courses is to promote efficiency and effectiveness in microfinance operations.

One of the courses identified for the MFI staff is a foundational course in accountings. Targeting finance department staff of the MFIs, the course is intended to introduce participants to accounting and take them through a step-by-step process of making financial entries, recording changes in the financial position, and preparing financial statements.

SSMDF has already developed a participant manual for the course and SSMDF is in need of two experienced trainers to deliver the course not later than mid-November.

2. Overall objectives of the Assignment

The objective of the consultancy service is to strengthen the capacity of microfinance institutions to establish a good financial record-keeping system that forms the foundation for reliable financial analysis and reporting.

3. Scope of work

The main work of the trainers is to deliver the Basic Accounting course over the period of five days. As mentioned above, SSMDF has already developed the participants’ manual and below is the outline of the course.

1. Definition and Role of Accounting

2. General Background to Accounting

3. Basic Accounting Principles

4. Specifics in Microfinance Accounting

5. The Accounting Cycle

6. Recording of Transactions

7. Adjustments (Loan Loss Provision, Write Off)

8. The Preparation of Financial Statements

9. General Background to Internal Control System

10. The Budgetary Process


By the end of the course participants are expected to:

• Understand and apply the basics in accounting

• Record transactions and prepare financial statements

• Understand adjustments and their impact on financial statements

• Determine the features of a good internal control system, and

• Draw up a budget and appreciate the role of budgeting in the management of an MFI.

4. Expected deliverables

• Successful delivery of the course November 2011. Specific dates of the training to be
negotiated with the selected trainers.

• Final training report and

• All other training aid materials developed for the training such as power point slides etc

5. Conduct of work

The training is to be conducted in Juba. SSMDF will coordinate the logistics including booking
flight tickets and hotel accommodation for the trainers.

6. Timeline

The work is expected to take a maximum of 7 working days including writing of the final report, which should be completed by end of November 2011.

7. Requirement

Among other things, proposed trainers must fulfill the following requirements:

• A minimum of 5 years experience in conducting similar trainings including delivering an accounting course;

• Relevant academic background in areas such as accounting, finance, business studies
etc

• Good understanding of South Sudan Microfinance sector;

• Excellent communication skills;

8. Payment

The amount payable shall be gross and inclusive of all costs associated such as insurance and income tax. Assignment- related travel and accommodation costs will be borne by SSMDF.

9. How to apply

Interested consulting (training) firms or individual experienced trainers are invited to send a
proposal indicating when the trainers may be available, detailed CVs of proposed resource
persons, and a financial proposal with all the applicable charges. Complete can be addressed
to:

Mr. Charles Benson Data
Training Coordinator/ Ag. Team Leader
Southern Sudan Microfinance Development Facility
GOSS Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment
P.O.Box, 73, Juba
e-mail: Charles.data@gmail.com, with copy to siinchol@yahoo.com
Only proposals delivered by Wednesday October 26, 2011 will be considered.