TERMS OF REFERENCE :

TRANSFORMATION OF THE BANK’S HUMAN RESOURCE AND CORPATE SERVICES COMPLEX (CHVP)

1. INTRODUCTION :

The Human Resources and Corporate Services complex (CHVP), drives the delivery of efficient, people-centered and client-oriented services which ensures overall institutional effectiveness in the internal workings of the African Development Bank. The complex leads efforts to digitize and transform the Bank into a knowledge-driven workforce, promote human resource policies that enhance talent, drive a performance-driven culture, and ensure the competitiveness of the Bank as the employer of choice in development. The complex ensures that all human Resource practices, as well as all Corporate Services support greater corporate performance. The complex is responsible for providing leadership in the formulation and implementation of the Bank’s strategies on people, IT, general services, institutional procurement, language services, business continuity, health, and safety strategies.

2. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT :

Following changes in the leadership of the Complex, the Vice President Corporate Services retained the services of a consultancy firm to evaluate the state of affairs in the complex and define an action plan for effecting necessary transformation. The remit of the firm was to consult with appropriate stakeholders and scan the environment in order to report on perceived transformation challenges. The scoping exercise would also assess and report on available capacity and capabilities for effecting necessary transformation in People, Processes, and Systems.

The completed scoping review outlined key challenges and opportunities. It also presented highlights on current state and desired outcomes. The review further suggested interventions for achieving desired goals. Subsequently, the Vice President presented a roadmap of initiatives and a work plan to Senior Management. The roadmap was also reviewed by the Board Committee on Administration and Human Resources (CAHR). The roadmap included key recommendations for addressing highlighted challenges. It also presented an outline of action steps. The plan extends through the entire period of 2019 – 2022.

CHVP now seeks the services of an external firm specializing in organization and people transformation, work technology and digital solutions, as well as in process review and reengineering. This firm will bring independent knowledge as well as the understanding of challenges facing the Bank, and, it should be competent in working with both Managers and Staff to apply effective solutions.

Given the complexity as well as the inter-relatedness of planned interventions, the external firm must be able to devote necessary expertise to advising Managers and where necessary, mentor staff on practical transformational activities. Such advice and mentoring will require direct work on specialized work components. The consultants must also be able and willing to train Bank staff to carry out such specialized work after the consulting firm departs.

The specialist external support required will be consulting advisers who must be able to diagnose and present in-depth analyses as well as become part of the implementation teams to ensure delivery. They will be required to work directly in the trenches to implement designed interventions. They must also be willing to directly interact with implementation teams and nurture internal team members to be effective professionals and proficient managers.

3. CHVP COMPLEX PRIORITIES :

The complex deliverables and milestones are categorized in the three themes of Going Back to Basics, Stabilizing, and Transforming to a Smart Bank. In the short term, the following are the complex-wide key deliverables expected over the next 12 months :

• Design and manage Road Map of Action Plan ;

• Complete CHVP Organizational Fine Tuning ;

• Organize CHVP for effective Delivery ;

• Internalize learnings from Staff Survey results ;

• Scale up investment in translation and interpretation management software and systems ;

• Budget/Resource Realignment and Management ;

• Introduce performance monitoring system and practice ;

• Revamp People Search outreach, recruitment, and selection ;

• Revamp onboarding practice ;

• Enhance and launch the Young Professionals Program ;

• Realign Executive Performance management processes and practices ;

• Implement updated staff rules ;

• Lead and manage corporate Right Sizing review ;

• Realign Performance Management Program & Practice ;

• Deliver new People Strategy ;

• Total Compensation Framework review ;

• Review HR capacity and enhance delivery ;

• Real estate Development Strategy ;

• Design and manage the Implementation of Talent Boards ;

• Development of HQ Footprint ;

• Improve Travel Management ;

• Enhanced HR Shared Services ;

• Revamp Medical Plan (especially third-party administration) ;

• Introduce the Smart Virtual Assistant in IT and HR client services.

4. SCOPE OF WORK :

Each of the deliverables listed above generally consists of the following phases :

1. Conceptualization, design, and program planning ;

2. Outreach and reviews with relevant parties ;

3. Phased, systematic, and coordinated implementation.

The consultants will be involved in the first phase for most of the goals/themes listed. The consultants will also lead and support phase 2 in at least 75% of the goals/themes identified. Finally, the consultants will be expected to provide intellectual/practical leadership and mentoring to implementing staff in at least 50% of the complex goals listed in the roadmap.

Thus, the scope of work requires intense involvement, full attention, as well as dedication on the part of the external advisers. This involvement goes beyond the standards expected in regular corporate consultancies (especially in terms of working relationships and time). In practical terms, this unique arrangement requires 24/7 retainership relations and contact, as well as significant dedicated presence on site (Abidjan or country offices).

In addition, the consulting firm will :

• Provide technical support to the management team to resource, implement, and monitor key interventions highlighted in the roadmap ;

• Provide professional and technical advice to the VP and managers on demand ;

• Work with the management teams and advisers to establish an inhouse framework for developing a joint language for managing teams ;

• The consultants will also organize experiential facilitation to internalize and implement this new framework especially among CHVP management teams.

5. KEY DELIVERABLES :

1. Key policies and frameworks : Direct input and accountability for key deliverables such as Talent Boards, management of delivery, redesign of executive and staff performance management, CHVP organizational fine-tuning, IT corporate governance, IT “smart” client services, Revamping the new selection infrastructure and process which will streamline recourse to external head-hunting consultancies, etc ;

2. Implement and monitor the Balanced Score card : Work with CHVP Management to internalize the use of a balanced score card. The balanced scorecard is used to attain business objectives, metrics, initiatives, and goals through analyzing processes, stakeholders and finances (budgets). To this end, the CHVP is putting in place a simple approach and system, which will support the management team in managing and monitoring deliverables. This will include the establishment of a balanced score card approach as well as dashboards to monitor progress. In using the balanced score card, work planning will involve focusing on priority levels for delivery, interdependencies with other departments, timelines for completion and the associated resources or lack thereof ;

3. Talent Boards and professional job families : Engage Senior Management in the process of developing a framework for the establishment of talent boards the in the Bank. A talent board is a forum (of experts or analysts) that reviews / defines the skills and key requirements for classifying and ranking professionals according to their areas of specialization or functions within the Organization. For instance, the Bank could opt to establish a sector board for economists – define who is an economist (based on academic and professional qualifications), what are the criteria to be a Junior economist, Senior, Principal, Lead or Manager. The consultants will assist the Bank in the following undertakings :

• Internalize and own the process with a corporate-wide information and communication plan ;

• Create job families and competencies profiles aligned with the Bank’s vision ;

• Design a career path to sustain the establishment of talent boards, i.e., succession planning; in-situ promotion; training and development ;

• Improve knowledge flow and staff mobility across areas of expertise within the same family of jobs, for more integrated, multi sectoral solutions.

4. New People Strategy : Work in tandem with two external Senior Advisers to develop the new people strategy. The Bank developed its People Strategy for the period 2013-2017. The framework of its approved delivery and business development model called for a new strategy that is aligned with the Bank’s commitment to meet set goals, and to enhance capacity deliver ; 

5. Other interventions : Organize and facilitate to improve joint ownership and accountability for the transformation process. In effect, the consultants will organize and facilitate work sessions and retreats as appropriate, using cutting edge team building tools ; 

6. Smart Virtual Assistant : Provide leadership and technical expertise in the design and implementation smart client services, including the deployment of virtual assistants and machine learning tools for HR and IT client services.

6. REPORTING :

The Consultants will work as members of the Bank-s VP CHVP’s Front Office and will report to the Vice President.

7. LOCATION FOR THE CONSULTANCY :

The consultancy will be primarily at the African Development Bank’s Headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. As deemed relevant and necessary, the consultants may be required to undertake missions/visits to the regional hubs and/or country offices.

8. DURATION OF THE CONSULTANCY SERVICE :

The duration of the contract will be six (6) months in the first instance.

9. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CONSULTING FIRM :

The Consulting firm will engage well-qualified and competent professional staff to carry out this assignment. To this end, the consulting firm will make a firm commitment to make available a team of experts for the assignment whose curricula vitae will be examined and approved by the Bank.

It is expected that the team proposed by the Firm will have the following qualifications :

• Minimum of twelve years of relevant work experience (at senior corporate level) in design and implementation, notably within an international financial and development organization ;

• Experience working in strategic management, project management, international development, change management and research/analysis ;

• Excellent understanding of change management concepts, business delivery and reorganization ;

• Highly developed analytical, problem-solving and research skills, with the ability to work with large amounts of data, and various levels clients ;

• Proven ability to integrate human resources systems, and processes in large institutions ;

• Prior experience on the African continent for similar assignments and experience advising executives in development will constitute an advantage ;

• Ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan, project, manage, and execute complex ideas, as well as to impart knowledge and make high level presentations ;

• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and across teams in order to establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization ;

• Demonstrated strength/fluency in oral and written communications, including ability to draft corporate documents, and to articulate ideas verbally in a clear and compelling way to audiences of varied levels ;

• Ability to produce high-quality work within strict timelines and under pressure.