TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
Trainer – Capacity Building on Program Delivery, Activity Management, Reporting Efficiency, and Program–Finance Collaboration
1. Background
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) implements multi-country, donor-funded programs across its network of centers. Timely, high-quality narrative and financial reporting are crucial for maintaining donor confidence, ensuring prompt disbursement of funds, and safeguarding AIMS’s institutional reputation.
Recent internal reviews have identified recurring challenges across centers, including:
- Delays in narrative and financial reporting
- Weak coordination between Program Managers and Finance Managers
- Inadequate activity tracking and conflicting priorities
- Inefficient personal and team workflow management
- Inconsistent implementation and monitoring of student and scholar transition support
To address these challenges, AIMS will convene Program Managers, Finance Managers, Transition Leads, and selected leadership for a Mid-Year Program Review Meeting. One full day of the meeting will be dedicated to a practical, hands-on capacity-building workshop, facilitated by an external trainer.
2. Objective of the Assignment
The overall objective is to strengthen center-level operational capacity to deliver programs effectively and report on them in a timely, coordinated, and high-quality manner.
Specific Objectives
The training will aim to:
- Enhance the timeliness and quality of narrative and financial reporting through improved planning, tracking, and internal workflows.
- Equip Program Managers with straightforward, practical tools for activity management, prioritization, and time optimization.
- Strengthen collaboration between Program and Finance teams for activity planning, budget monitoring, and reporting preparation.
- Clarify roles and practical workflows for implementing and monitoring transition support activities.
- Assist each center team in developing a concrete 6-month operational action plan with clear responsibilities and internal review mechanisms.
3. Scope of Work & Deliverables
| Phase | Deliverables | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Training Preparation & Design (LoE of 2-3 days) | Training Design Note & Agenda - A detailed design note outlining: Training methodology and adult learning approach, learning objectives for each session, a timed, practical agenda aligned with AIMS’s reporting calendar |
|
| Training Delivery (LoE of 1 day) | Facilitation of One Full-Day Training |
|
| Practical Training Toolkit |
|
|
| Post-Training Reporting (LoE of 1-2 days) | Final Training Report (5–7 pages) |
|
| Digital Training Toolkit |
|
4. Indicative Session Structure
| Module | Focus | Expected outputs |
|---|---|---|
| From Overwhelm to Order – Activity & Reporting Management (Approx. 3 hours) |
|
Draft center-level activity and reporting tracker. |
| Time Optimization & Beating Procrastination (Approx. 2–2.5 hours) |
|
Individual time-blocked reporting and work schedule. |
| The Program–Finance Handshake (Approx. 2 hours) |
|
Joint Program–Finance workflow and reporting checklist. |
| Transition Implementation & Action Planning (Approx. 1–1.5 hours) |
|
Joint transitions support workflow |
5. Selection of the Consultant
The consultant will be selected through a competitive process based on technical competence, relevant experience, and value for money, in accordance with AIMS procurement procedures.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals (up to five pages) will be evaluated using the following weighted criteria:
| Criteria | Weight |
| Understanding of the assignment and clarity of the proposed methodology | 30% |
| Demonstrated experience in delivering training or capacity-building interventions that enhance productivity, workflow efficiency, activity management, and time optimization, particularly in not-for-profit or donor-funded organizations | 40% |
| Quality, practicality, and usability of proposed training tools, templates, and facilitation approach | 20% |
| Financial proposal (cost-effectiveness and value for money) | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Additional Considerations
Preference may be given to consultants who demonstrate:
- Experience working with NGOs, foundations, higher education institutions, or development organizations
- A strong hands-on, practical training approach focused on behavioral change and tool adoption
- Evidence that past trainings resulted in improved deadline adherence, workflow discipline, or timely reporting
Shortlisting & Interviews
- Shortlisted consultants may be invited for clarification interviews.
- AIMS may request references or sample materials from similar productivity or workflow-focused training programs.
Final Selection
The consultant with the highest combined technical and financial score will be recommended for contracting, subject to internal approval.
Timelines
The selection and engagement of the consultant will follow the indicative timeline below:
| Activity | Date |
| Submission of technical and financial proposals | 28 December 2025 |
| Clarification interviews (shortlisted consultants) | 07 January 2026 |
| Notification of selected consultant | 09 January 2026 |
| Delivery of the one-day training workshop | 16 January 2026 |
Applicants are requested to send their proposals to applications@aimsric.org by 28 December 2025
AIMS reserves the right to adjust the above dates as necessary and will notify all applicants accordingly.