Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) Training Consultant at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Each year, we and our partners reach millions of children in communities around the world. Join our dedicated and diverse staff in their work to improve the well-being of children everywhere.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) Training Consultanct

Ref No: 190001HW
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employee Status: Contingent
 
Background

• Save the Children is implemented a 12-month project funded by GIZ to address economic barriers faced by vulnerable conflict parents in Borno in accessing basic education for their children. The project is supporting 400 returnees, Internally Displaced People (IDP) and host families in Konduga Local Government Area (LGA) to generate income and meet the cost of education for their children. 
• Through this project, at least 800 children (47% male and 53% female) primary school aged children (6-14 years) will enroll and consistently attend school. The project will also support the selected households to start up viable Income Generating Activities (IGAs), to enable them to continue educating their children beyond the life span of the project. The support package includes both training and equipment to start microenterprises.
• The strategy for the 2nd phase of the project is built on the available evidence and key learning from the first phase that constraints regarding schooling arise from both a negative perception of secular education, weak systems both at school/ community and local government level and from poverty, especially for girls. Owing to the fact that teachers’ competency was found to be low, with some not even meeting the minimum professional qualification and this hindering effective teaching and learning as learnt from the first phase of the project, in  phase two major emphasis will be put on strengthening the capacity of teachers to effectively facilitate the teaching and learning process; enhance the effectiveness of both the School Based Management Committees (SBMC) and the Quality Assurance Department at the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) and State Universal Basic Education in playing their role to monitor and support school performance including motivation of teachers and ensuring their regular attendance to children’s learning needs.
• The project will work with SUBEB and master trainers from the college of education to support continuous teacher professional development through school based coaching and mentoring during joint monitoring and support supervision. Building on the lessons from the first phase of the project which include low and late turn- up for learners and sometimes teachers due to the need to engage in some domestic activities at home and fatigue by the teachers, the second phase will integrate the afternoon shift children into the morning shift and strengthen close follow up and support by teachers to children with irregular school attendance while at the same time the monitoring team will be emphasizing the conditionality of benefiting from the livelihood boost interventions.

Objective
The overall objective of the training is to build the capacity of Save the Children staff and beneficiaries to implement community based social safety net interventions using the village savings and loans association (VSLA) approach. The training will cover topics such as:

• Establishment: Overview and feature of VSLA, Procedure for establishment
• Membership: General and specific conditions, Active and Inactive membership;
• Leadership and Governance: Overview of leadership and governance structure, Village supervisors, Management committee, Central working committee; Joint Forum of management committees; Forfeiture of membership
• Management and Operations: task and conditions; social fund, share purchase rule (saving fund); lending rule (loan fund); loan repayment (loan fund); loan repayment rule
• Tools and templates for implementing, monitoring and evaluating VSLAs
• Equipment required by VSLA groups and their uses
• VSLA approach monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning
• Group dynamics, savings and credits and marketing

Methodology
The Consultant will be engaged by the project to conduct the training. The methodology which will be competence based will involve the use of stories, simulation, games, facilitation, reflection, role play, drawings and play methods suitable for adult illiterate learners. The following will also be put into consideration:

• The recommended class set size for each training should be between 30 - 50 people. Therefore, the training will be conducted in cohorts.
• Time table will combine all modules into 2 days of 6 hours per day including breaks.
• The Consultant will be engaged for 3 days per set including staff training making it 20 days; and 8 days for drawing of charts, preparation of training resources and inception and final report writing.  This makes it a total of 28 days.
• Although the FSL staff will be on ground to support the lead facilitator (trainer), an assistant trainer can be engaged to support the lead trainer.
• The assistant trainer will be engaged for 20 days only, just the duration of the training. He/she will be paid an agreed facilitation fee.

Deliverables

• The Consultant will develop training schedule/ agenda and training materials
• At the end of the training, training report should be shared
• Conduct training for 436 registered households
• Conduct training for 10 staff of Save the Children
• Provide necessary templates
• Other deliverables as mentioned in contract

In this course of the consultancy, Save the Children shall cover for the following as part of the training:

• Consultancy Fee: The consultancy fee shall be paid as per the contract
• Transportation Cost: Transportation fee to and from Maiduguri shall be provided to the consultant upon submission of an invoice and receipt.
• Accommodation: The consultant shall be provided with accommodation or accommodation re-imbursement (subject to submission of hotel receipt/invoice). The reimbursement for accommodation shall be in line with SCI rate.
• Car Hire: This shall be provided by SCI only for the number of days of field work.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least a master's degree, in a relevant discipline
• Extensive theoretical and practical experience of VSLA methodology in humanitarian and development contexts
• Experience with food security and livelihood capacity building.
• Experience working with Save the Children
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills
• Demonstrated understanding of community based social safety net interventions for households with low levels of education
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles

Application Closing Date
14th June, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Application Required
All expressions of interest should include:

• Cover letter: A short (maximum one page) letter addressing the consultancy criteria
• Technical Proposal (maximum 4 pages) highlighting: brief explanation about previous experience in conducting VLSA training; understanding of the TOR, time table for the training, training materials and work plan with the task to be accomplished.
• Detailed CV (maximum 4 pages)
• A financial proposal (in NGN) providing cost estimates for services rendered including daily consultancy fees.
• Evidence of relevant previous VSLA training reports (to be kept confidential)