Terms of Reference – Compensation Survey for Country Program Office

Location: Kingston, Jamaica

Reports to: Program Manager

Status: Consultancy

Language requirements: English

I.        BACKGROUND

Cuso International is an international cooperation and development organization that works to create economic and social opportunities for marginalized groups. Together with our partners, we are focused to advance gender equality and social inclusion, improve economic resilience, and deliver progress on climate action.

Cuso International has been operating in Jamaica and one of the most critical issues for us is our ability to attract and retain talented people at all levels of the organization. The continuous rise in cost of living, inflation and as well as exit interviews of departing staff indicates that the current pay level of Cuso International warrants a comprehensive review. Therefore, Cuso International will hire a qualified consultant with the intention of establishing a competitive pay package.

II.        OBJECTIVES OF SALARY AND BENEFITS REVIEW

The objective of this work is to revise the existing salary structure and benefits for Cuso International Jamaica that is competitive to attract and retain a competent workforce and make recommendations to the Senior Leadership Team in Headquarters.

Below are the specific objectives of the work:

• To conduct a salary survey and benefit survey to indicate the market position of Cuso International vis-à-vis comparable INGOs
• To prepare a revised salary scale based on the market data and provide options
• To prepare implementation guidelines for different pay level options that will address existing pay inequalities

III.        SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

1. Review of relevant internal/HR documents of Cuso International, including Salary Scale, benefits policy, pay policy, job grading structure and structure.
2. Undertake market survey among selected comparators which will be identified based on related factors with Cuso International i.e. staff size, annual budget, portfolio size, footprint/geographic location, operational and programmatic structure, etc.
3. Gather data from comparator INGOs that are identified as comparators during the salary and benefits revision process and opinions based on the specific challenges at different operational locations.
4. Review and summarize market inflation and cost of living data published by the government / other reliable sources such as World Bank
5. Analyze the relevant market data and provide market value findings/results for each benchmark position.
6. Compare and contrast the findings with the current pay levels of Cuso International for benchmark positions.
7. Based on market analysis and existing Cuso International’s salary scale, identify areas/grades that require revision and those that are in line with the market.
8. Present findings for Cuso International, obtain feedback and construct revised salary and benefit structure.
9. Present draft report with recommendations to Cuso International management for review, consultation and feedback including consent/decisions.
10. Incorporate feedback in the revised salary scale and produce final report.
11. Submit source documents used and final report in hard-copy and electronic formats.
12. Maintain confidentiality of information accessed from Cuso International and the comparable organizations throughout the survey.
13. Use the information gathered for the intended purpose only.

IV.        EXPECTED OUTPUT

The expected key outputs of this consultancy service are the following:

1. Summary and analysis of salary and benefits survey from comparable market in comparison with Cuso International with clear identification of areas that require revision/change and others that are in line with the market.
2. Analysis of proposed salary and benefits structure (with details of grading, scales/steps, etc.) with two or three scenarios by incorporating implementation guidelines.
3. Final comprehensive report including market survey findings, analysis, recommended salary structure and implementation guidelines.
4. Submit all reports in two formats: electronic and hard-copy; and two copies: one copy to the Human resource department and one copy to the Sr. leadership team. The report must be in English.

V.        TIME FRAME

The duration of the consultancy period is estimated to be a maximum of six (6) months from the date of signing the agreement, inclusive of data collection, analysis, and compilation of recommendations and submission of final report.

VI.        FOCAL POINT PERSON FOR THE CONSULTANCY

The focal point person for this consultancy shall be the Program Manager.

VII.        CONFIDENTIALITY

The document produced will be confidential and may not be shared with other organizations without the prior official approval of Cuso International.

All documents developed under this consultancy shall be the property of Cuso International.

VIII.        METHODOLOGY

• The consultant shall present its method of undertaking the above consultancy works in its technical proposal.

• The consultant shall also indicate its methodology to be applied to review the existing salary and the survey mechanisms to be applied to construct the new salary scale. It is also required to propose possible benchmarked organizations and selected representative jobs of similar organizations to support the study.

• The methodology shall be participatory and consultative, involving relevant team of Cuso International.

• The consultant shall develop a detailed work plan and should indicate the methods of developing the components of the consultancy work in advance of undertaking any tasks.

• Draft documents shall be first presented and discussed by relevant team of Cuso International and the draft report must contain the bases, underlying assumptions and rationale for the newly revised document. All draft documents must be approved by Cuso International before final versions are prepared.

IX.        EVALUATION CRITERIA

a.    Composition of Technical and Financial Proposal

The technical and financial proposals of the consultant shall be submitted in separate envelope and shall include the following items:

• Background information on what the consultant’s intended activities as per the ToR, and/or critically analyzing the components of the ToR itself.
• Company Profile, CV of the principal(s) and/or co-workers with supportive documents on relevant work experience(s). Skill and experience of staff that will be employed by the consultant to undertake the activity will also be part of the assessment criteria.
• The financial proposal needs to cover detailed cost breakdown for developing the consultancy deliverables. The consultant must clearly quote cost breakdown for the professional fee for items stipulated under the activity section of the study.

b.    Evaluation criteria

• #1 - Technical Proposal Scoring Criteria: Consultant’s experience specific to assignment - 30 points
• #2 - Technical Proposal Scoring Criteria: Approach and methodology for the assignment - 30 points
• #3 - Technical Proposal Scoring Criteria: Work plan - 10 points
• #4 - Technical Proposal Scoring Criteria: Organization and staffing - 10 points
• #5 - Technical Proposal Scoring Criteria: Relevance and qualification of team leader - 10 points
• #6 - Technical Proposal Scoring Criteria: Other staff’s qualification - 10 points
• Total: 100%

Note that the technical criteria shall form 70% of the total, while financial offer shall form the remaining 30%.

X.        REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Post Graduate degree in Human resource management or relevant fields.

• Proven previous experience in designing human resources matrices and in conducting salary and benefit surveys for international non-governmental organizations.

• Practical experience and in-depth knowledge and proven skills in salary and benefits reviews in Jamaica or the Caribbean.

• Proven past experience in the designing, developing and revising salary structure for INGO.

• Experience in using Birches group market survey data is recommended.

• Excellent communication and analytical skills.

• Commendable report writing skills.

• Proficiency in English, both in speaking and writing.

• Certificate of excellence for successfully conducting salary and benefit survey for comparable INGOs.

1. XI. REQUESTS OF CLERIFICATION

Service Providers requiring any clarifications on the content of this ToR may notify Cuso International in writing at the following addresses: hr.lac@cusointernational.org

1. SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

Your application must be forwarded to hr.lac@cusointernational.org  with the position “TOR – Compensation Review, Jamaica” clearly marked as the subject title. Expressions of interest should be sent in English.

Please include in your application:

1. Copy of professional resume or company profile in English, maximum 4 pages; and
2. Proposed technical proposal and budget (budget should include all necessary expenses related to the consultancy).

Applications should be received no later than December 1, 2023, 11:59pm Eastern Time.