The Development of COUNSENUTH Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) System tender at Catholic Relief Services

A. Introduction and Background

The Centre for Counselling, Nutrition and Health Care (COUNSENUTH) is a national-level non-governmental organization founded in 1998 geared towards improving the quality of life of vulnerable groups through cost-effective, innovative evidence-based actions that are locally appropriate, with advocacy for better health and nutrition, backed up with a gender equitable angle of empowerment, enhanced by accountability and active citizens engagement. COUNSENUTH’s Mission is to improve the quality of life of vulnerable groups especially children, women, and adolescents through cost-effective, innovative evidence-based actions that are locally appropriate, with multi-sectoral advocacy and action for better health, gender equality, and human rights, good governance and accountability, through active engagement of citizens, policymakers, and Government authorities at all levels. The Centre works to complement government efforts in improving maternal, Infant, young child, and adolescent nutrition (MIYCAN), public awareness raising towards eradicating diet-related non-communicable diseases, promoting the improvement of early childhood and development, and improving local government multisector coordination capacity as well as empowering the local communities, especially women, to become agents of changes required in their areas through training and capacity building.

B. Justification for MEAL System

As a local NGO, COUNSENUTH is one of the first points of call for knowledge and approaches for implementing community-level interventions that work best with a lasting impact. Most of its approaches have gained credibility, including the government’s adoption. However, its operations around monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning are project-based, making it difficult to trace the Centre’s previous work that is worth replicating. Despite that, all MEAL-related work is not centered on one where they all can be referred to. On the other hand, as the organization grows and desires to have much stronger systems to manage complex projects/programs and accountabilities, the need arises to have a web-based MEAL system and dashboard that will enable the Centre on the following aspects:

1. Knowledge Management/Data storage (previous and current). If possible, set aside a section/segment that will serve as a repository of COUNSENUTH important documents from inception to project close-out.
2. An expandable system that can accommodate the current strategic plan (2025-2030) and the current programs/projects and increase the number of programme/projects as needed (options and provision for capturing new indicators and baseline datasets).
   • Data visualization, reporting and generation of knowledge products and decision-support tools for use within COUNSENUTH’s programme/projects and enhance the evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of COUNSENUTH’s programme/projects.
3. Accountability aspect, that is, provide a dashboard that will shows a pathway to team self-tracking including uploading reports, filling in indicators for accomplished activities while updating the system wide (Strategic Plan) indicators.

It is from this background where COUNSENUTH, through the Lishe ya Mwanao Project seeks support from CRS to develop a comprehensive MEAL system to enable the management to have a reference point of the organizations data/knowledge products, capture expandable options and provisions to capturing previous current indicators, and new indicators.

C. Purpose and Objectives of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a web-based information management system and dashboard to improve the existing monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning practices of the organization. The developed system will facilitate results planning, tracking and reporting, and learning and sharing for performance improvement and programmatic document management from program designing to close-out. The system will be used to monitor and evaluate the COUNSENUTH strategic Plan (2025-2030). The objectives of this consultancy are:

• To design and develop a web based and interactive COUNSENUTH MEAL System and dashboard to enhance data management (project set up, results planning, activities, output and outcome tracking, performance analysis, visualization and reporting) and facilitate performance assessment against the expected strategic results for COUNSENUTH.
• To develop a repository system that allows archive and retrieve of program key documents related to project designing, start up, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and close-out.

D. Scope of the Assignment

The consultant/Firm will work along with COUNSENUTH and CRS points of contact under this assignment to undertake the following:

1. Hold a meeting with the COUNSENUTH Team to gain insight on how the current MEAL operations are carried out to gather requirements for the system to be developed.
2. Review relevant documents, including COUNSENUTH’s new Strategic Plan and systems to gain an insight of the gap and the desired system.
   • Develop System requirements Specifications documents (SRS).
3. Develop system design document indicating features of the system.
4. System and Dashboard development.
5. Facilitate user acceptance testing.
   • System review to accommodate UAT feedback.
   • System user and technical manuals development.
6. System and technical users training.
7. System hosting and launch including handover report.
8. Conduct system maintenance.

E. Expected Deliverables

1. A simple but detailed inception report, outlining the methodology and timelines.
2. System requirements Specifications Documents (SRS).
   • System design document.
3. Web-based MEAL system and Dashboard.
4. System manual.
5. User and technical manuals.
   • Handover report.

F. Qualifications and Experience

Experience:
Demonstrable expertise and experience of not less than 5 years in software development with evidence based previous work in developing functional web-based Monitoring and Evaluation Systems, including databases systems development.

Team Qualifications:
The team in the firm should have a minimum of 3 team members:

• At least bachelor’s degree in data science, IT or computer science.
• A minimum of 3 years’ prior experience in designing, developing and supporting implementation of computerized and web-based MIS.
• Proven experience in design and operationalization of web-based MEAL systems.
• Ability to train non-IT teams.

G. Assignment Duration

The assignment will take a maximum of three months from inception report acceptance.

H. Expression of Interest

Interested companies are requested to submit their applications, comprising a concise technical and financial proposal, along with the following:

i. Technical Proposal (Maximum 10 pages):

1. Understanding the assignment.
2. Company profile and experience in related work including sample projects.
3. Detailed approach and methodology related to scope of work and deliverables.
4. Profile and CVs of Team members and detailed implementation plan.
5. Sustainability plan.

ii. Financial Proposal:
Include all proposed costs in the local currency (i.e., development and deployment, operational costs and maintenance/subscription/annual fee (if applies, and taxes), presented in a well-stipulated manner.

iii. Requirements:

1. Technical and financial proposals in the format described above (refer section H no 1 and II).
2. Proven experience in design and operationalization of web-based MEAL systems.
3. Registration certificate/license.
4. Tax Identification Number (TIN) and/or VAT number (if applicable).
5. Confirmation of Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) receipt.

How to Apply

The proposal is to be sent to the e-mail below:
Country Manager
Catholic Relief Services – Tanzania Program
E-mail: tz_quotations@crs.org
Note: Please indicate the “Development of COUNSENUTH’s Web-Based Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning System’’.
Bid written in English addressed to the attention of the CRS / Tanzania Program Country Manager must be submitted to the above e-mail address on or before 31 March 2025 at 5:00 PM.