Uganda: Consultancy to assess COF Uganda supported micro-finance institutions in Southern Uganda

Background:

The Cotton On Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Cotton On Group. Cotton On Group is a retail clothing company that was established in 1991 by Nigel Austin and has a retail footprint of over 1,000 stores globally.

The Cotton On Foundation is part of the Cotton On Group’s identity; it is a central part of who we are and was officially established in 2007. We believe in helping others and contributing to our community. We roll up our sleeves and set our sights on creating positive and measurable change in the lives of young people in need.

The Cotton On Foundation raises funds for projects in partnership with our customers. Our customers, employees and supporters ARE the Foundation. The Foundation currently has projects in Rakai and Lwengo districts with plans to expand into other areas in Southern Uganda.

OUR PURPOSE:

We invest and take action to inspire lasting positive change with limitless possibilities.

OUR VISION

To empower youth, mobilise communities and build futures.

For more information about Cotton On Foundation, please visit, www.cottononfoundation.org

Cotton On Foundation has been working in Mannya and Busibo and surrounding villages in Rakai and Lwengo districts for more than five years. As part of its community development projects, Cotton On Foundation supported the establishment and operations of Mannya Parish SACCO (MAPSACCO) and Busibo Women’s Development Microfinance Association. The support provided included but not limited to office space & equipment, initial loan capital and payment of staff salaries among others.

Rational for the capacity assessment of the SACCOs in Mannya and Busibo

In Uganda, savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) act as financial intermediaries, channeling savings into loans and providing saving opportunities for the poor, especially in the rural areas. We have seen this in our supported SACCOs in Southern Uganda where the communities are benefitting from accessible and affordable financial services that are helping them to educate their children, establish small businesses, and improve on their housing and agricultural practice among other economic activities.

However, in order to guide our future partnership with the SACCOs in Mannya and Busibo, we would like to conduct an assessment that will identify areas for further improvement in order to make the services of the SACCOs more efficient and sustainable. The assessment will cover, among other things, key issues like;

ü history of Cotton On Foundation Uganda’s partnership with the SACCOs,

ü Microfinance business model (viability for Ugandan financial and social needs),

ü compliance with regulatory frameworks for rural finance & microfinance institutions,

ü loan portfolio management,

ü savings management,

ü governance & management (Constitution, AGM, BOD, Staffs, etc) and

ü general finance management (banking, audits, petty cash management, record keeping, etc),

ü assets & inventory management and other key partners working with the SACCOs.

ü Surveying existing clients (client profiles, SACCO products on high demand & why, client feedback on areas for improvement, etc)

ü Risk management

ü Data collection software and analysis for decision making

ü Expansion and growth potential

ü Competition

ü Market penetration

The findings and recommendations from the assessment will guide Cotton On Foundation Uganda and indeed the SACCOs themselves to implement actions that will enhance their capacity to operate financial services that are more efficient and sustainable.

Key tasks of the consultancy

· Develop a comprehensive tool for the assessment of Mannya and Busibo SACCOs in Rakai and Lwengo districts respectively.

· Conduct an inception meeting with Cotton On Foundation Uganda management to ensure similar understanding of the assignment.

· Assess the SACCOs in Mannya and Busibo.

· Draft a report of the assessment with clear findings and recommendations for action.

· Disseminate the findings of the assessment to Cotton On Foundation Uganda management and the management of the SACCOs.

· Produce a final report.

Expected outputs from the Consultancy

· A concise report of findings and recommendations that is presented in a way which is easily interpreted with actionable items time-lined to form a basic road map for Mannya and Busibo SACCOs.

Consultant Specifications:

· Consultants with Postgraduate training in Community Development, Development Studies and Financial Management;

· Experience in designing and managing SACCOs or rural microfinance institutions in Uganda is a MUST.

· Willingness to travel to field locations in Rakai and Lwengo to conduct the assessment.

· Availability to complete the task within 15 working days (or a maximum of one calendar month) from the date of offer.

Interested Consultants should submit a Cover letter, CVs of involved consultants (not more than 2 persons), detailed work schedule (15 working days or less) and financial proposal (in UGX) to Uganda@cottononfoundation.org not later than November 17 2014, 2:00Pm.

Due to the urgency of the assignment, the selected institution must be ready to start work within 2 weeks. Due to the context specific nature of the assignment, Firms or Practitioners based in Uganda will be given first priority.