Hiring a consulting firm for the development of training programs for local council staff

Project Fiduciary Management Unit –PFMU

13 Howe Street

Freetown

Sierra Leone

Tel: (+232-76-672-186)

Email: [email protected]

GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES)

Country: Sierra Leone

Name of Project: Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery Project

Grant No.: D8380-SL

Project ID: P172492

Issue date: 7th May 2026

Assignment Title: Hiring a consulting firm for the development of training programs for local council staff

Reference No: SL-MOF-545180-CS-CQS

• Background

1.1 About the AGBSD Project

The Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Finance received grant financing from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank for the implementation of an AGBSDP (P172492). The estimated cost of the project is US$40.0 Million and will be implemented within six (6) year’s period. Its Development Objective (PDO) is: “to improve resource management, transparency and accountability of government systems for enabling the delivery of local development projects and basic services”. The Project has three broader components, most of which have other sub-components.

Component 1: Systems and skills for local services delivery (central and local levels) and Social Accountability.

Component 2: Local Development Financing; and

Component 3: Project Management and Implementation Support.

• About the Assignment

The Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU), through a request made by the Local Government Service Commission, and with support from the World Bank, conducted an Institutional Capacity Needs Assessment for eight (8) out of the 22 Local Councils – Freetown City Councils (Western Urban), Ward C (Western Rural), Kenema City Council and Kenema district council, Bo City Council and Bo district council, Makeni City Council and Bombali district council.

The comprehensive Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) conducted across the eight (8) local councils in Sierra Leone has identified significant gaps hindering their effectiveness in service delivery, local economic development, and governance. The CNA highlighted critical weaknesses in key areas, including:

• Human Resource Capacity: limited expertise in project planning, implementation and Monitoring and Evaluation; Inadequate skills for effective project cycle management.

• Financial Management and Resource Mobilization capacity: Challenges in budgeting, procurement, internal audit, and revenue mobilization. Weak Internal controls, weak data analysis, financial planning and forecasting, inadequate revenue mobilization

• Technical and Service Delivery Capacity: Poor records management, data analysis

• Institutional and Governance Capacity: Transparency, accountability, and adherence to the Local Government Act 2022 and related policies.

• Leadership and Soft Skills: Limited capacities in strategic planning, communication, conflict resolution, and team management, particularly for council chairpersons, mayors, and senior staff.

To address these gaps, a targeted and practical capacity-building intervention is required.

• Expected task and Objective

To enhance the institutional and operational capacity of local councils in Sierra Leone to deliver services effectively, promote local economic development, and ensure accountable and transparent governance.

Specific Objectives:

The consultancy will be responsible for achieving the following specific objectives:

I. To analyze the findings of the Capacity Needs Assessment and other relevant documents to tailor the training content.

II. To develop detailed, practical, and context-specific training modules and materials for the identified priority areas.

III. To deliver high-impact, participatory training sessions for selected local council staff and elected officials.

IV. To develop simplified job aids, templates, and tools for immediate application by participants in their work.

V. To produce a comprehensive training report with recommendations for future capacity-building initiatives.

3.Scope of Work and Key Tasks:

The consulting firm will be expected to perform the following tasks:

Phase 1: Inception and Material Development (Desk-Based & In-Country)

• Review and analyze the existing Capacity Needs Assessment report, the Local Government Act 2022, financial regulations, and other relevant policy documents.

• Develop an Inception Report detailing the understanding of the assignment, methodology, detailed work plan, and outlines of the training modules for approval.

• Design comprehensive training modules, presentations, and participant handouts for the following core topics (to be finalized based on the CNA findings):

Module 1: Advanced Project Cycle Management (PCM), Reporting writing and M&E for Local Councils:

Focusing on Needs assessment, Project identification, proposal writing and M&E

Module 2: Public Financial Management (PFM):

Focusing on participatory budgeting, procurement procedures, internal controls, and local revenue enhancement strategies.

Module 3: Good Governance and Administrative Procedures:

Covering transparency, accountability, citizen engagement, Asset and record management, and council meeting procedures.

Module 4: Leadership and Management for Elected Officials and Departmental Heads. Strategic Planning, Communication, Conflict resolution and team management and Performance Management.

Develop pre-and post-training evaluation questionnaires to measure knowledge acquisition.

Phase 2: Training Delivery (In-Country)

• Conduct a series of training workshops (number and locations to be specified, e.g., regional hubs like Freetown, Bo, Makeni, Kenema) for a total of approximately [e.g., 120-150] participants from various councils.

• Employ participatory training methodologies, including case studies, group work, role-plays, and practical exercises based on real-life scenarios from Sierra Leone's local government context.

• Facilitate sessions effectively, ensuring engagement and knowledge transfer.

Phase 3: Reporting and Handover

• Administer pre- and post-training assessments and analyse the results.

• Submit a Draft Final Report for review, incorporating feedback.

• Submit a comprehensive Final Report that includes:

• Executive Summary

• Methodology

• Detailed description of training activities

• Analysis of pre- and post-training assessment results

• Key challenges and lessons learned

• Specific recommendations for sustaining capacity gains and future training needs.

• Hand over all final training materials (digital and hard copies) to the contracting authority.

4.Firm’s Qualifications and Experience Requirements

The consulting firm shall meet the following minimum qualifications and experience requirements:

• The firm must be a legally registered consulting entity authorized to provide training and advisory services in Sierra Leone and/or the West Africa region.

• The firm shall have a minimum of seven (7) years of demonstrated experience in public sector capacity building, governance reform, or institutional strengthening assignments.

• The firm must demonstrate successful completion of at least two (2) similar assignments involving:

• Development of training modules, materials, and practical tools/templates for public institutions in areas such as Public Financial Management, Project Cycle Management, governance, and leadership; and

• Delivery of structured capacity-building programmes for local councils or decentralized entities in Sierra Leone and/or the West Africa region.

• Demonstrated expertise in:

• Public Financial Management and Project Cycle Management, including participatory budgeting, procurement procedures, internal controls, local revenue mobilization, reporting, and Monitoring & Evaluation within public sector or local government contexts; and

• Local governance systems, transparency, accountability, administrative procedures, citizen engagement, and leadership development, including strategic planning, communication, conflict resolution, and organizational management for elected officials and senior council staff.

• Firm key personnel

• Availability of a Team Leader with an advanced degree in Public Administration, Development Studies, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field, and at least ten (10) years of relevant experience in public sector reform or institutional capacity development; and

• Demonstrated access to qualified subject matter experts in Public Financial Management, Project Cycle Management and M&E, governance, and leadership training, with fluency in Krio and/or other relevant local languages in Sierra Leone.

• Demonstrated strong facilitation skills and expertise in adult learning methodologies, participatory training delivery approaches, and high-quality analytical reporting, including the ability to produce comprehensive training reports and practical implementation tools.

• Reporting Lines:

The Consultancy will report directly to Chief of Programmes, with direct supervision by the Director – Public Sector Reform Unit, working in close collaboration with the Project Coordinator (AGBSP).

• Deliverables

The Consulting firm is expected to produce the following deliverables:

• Inception Report with detailed work plan and module outlines.

• Full Set of Training Materials (PowerPoint slides, facilitator guides, participant handouts, exercises) for all modules.

• Job Aids and Practical Templates (e.g., simplified project tracking sheet, meeting minute template, checklist for procurement).

• Completion of all scheduled training workshops.

• Final Comprehensive Training Report (as described above).

• Duration of the Assignment

The consultancy is scheduled for a period of 60 working days from the time of signing the contract. The period includes consultations with LDG stakeholders, desk review, field visits to a sample of round one LDG facilitie