Terms of reference (ToR) for the provision of organisational change management and Human Resource support for an African Capacity Building Foundation partner institution – The African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST) in Zimbabwe

1. 1.  Background

1.1 About ACBF

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) was established in 1991 to build sustainable human and institutional capacity in support of Africa’s development. As the African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development, ACBF supports capacity development in Africa through investment in capacity building, knowledge sharing and technical assistance to countries and regional and sub-regional organizations. ACBF’s approach to capacity development focuses on addressing capacity needs and gaps as well as stakeholder ownership of interventions, project and program sustainability and synergy of interventions with other development funding institutions.

1.2 About the project

ACBF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are partnering on a programme to support the institutional strengthening and organizational development of African science research institutions. The overall goal of this programme is to contribute to an effective African science ecosystem capable of setting and implementing its own science agenda through efficient, and sustainable science research institutions. To achieve this, ACBF is providing organisational capacity building support to selected science research institutions on the continent. This process begins with the undertaking of a Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) to determine pertinent capacity gaps and the development of a Customised Institutional Improvement Plan (CIIP) with capacity actions to close the gaps identified. This is then followed by the application of a hybrid of tools and approaches to implement the CIIP, ensuring that a systematically holistic approach is integrated in the capacity building process.

ACBF is supporting the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST), based in Harare, Zimbabwe, with a mandate to deliver on innovative translational research and Education. The institution participated in an ACBF Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) that identified several capacity gaps across different operational areas.

The institution is undergoing major institutional changes including, design and mainstreaming of key operational frameworks and systems and implementation of essential leadership and governance reforms, that are complemented with tailor made training and mentorship to enhance organizational skills set.

There is need for changes in ways of working for the staff team, which will require changes in some core skill sets and roles, as well as the overall structure of the Institute. More importantly, the organization requires fit-for-purpose competencies, alignment of talent to the new strategic orientation, organizational restructuring, organizational agility – all embedded both in team and individual roles.

Therefore, a comprehensive change management is needed to support a complete understanding and appreciation of new processes, systems, policies and framework. In this regard, ACBF is seeking for consultancy services   to provide organizational change management and Human Resources support to AIBST over a four-month period.

1. 2.      Objective

The main objective of this consultancy is to effectively lead the implementation of change at AiBST by fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and adaptability—ensuring smooth transitions in research methodologies, technologies, and organizational processes while minimizing resistance, maximizing adoption, and aligning transformations with the institute’s mission to advance scientific discovery and healthcare impact. Specific objectives defining the assignment are:

• Undertake a diagnosis of the institutional arrangements, organizational structures human resource management, readiness for change, drivers for change and constraints that could hinder delivery of results.
• Define a transitional restructuring process which will work effectively across AiBST’s departments with appropriate checks and balances to ensure transparency and fairness.
• Refine the proposed new organizational structure, including updated roles, job descriptions, and workflows.
• Establish a robust job grading framework to ensure fair, transparent, and equitable role evaluation and alignment with compensation structures.
• Develop AiBST’s human resources policy handbook and a forward-looking human capital strategy
• Building internal capacity for sustained implementation of change initiatives.

1. 3.      Scope of Work

Whilst this is not exhaustive, the consultant will broadly be expected to do the following;

• Undertake a diagnosis of the current institutional arrangements, organizational structures and Human Resources, readiness for change, drivers for change and constraints that could hinder delivery of results. This will include identification of potential risks and issues related to the change, along with mitigation strategies. The assessment will conclude with the identification of gaps and areas of improvement.
• Refine the proposed   new organization structure, to ensure that it supports the new strategic focus areas, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. This will include assessing current staffing levels, updating all job descriptions to reflect new roles and responsibilities as per the new organization structure and recommend adjustments as necessary. The new structure should be validated and approved by the AiBST Board of Directors.

• Establish a job grading framework to categorize all roles within the new structure based on factors such as complexity, skills required, decision-making responsibilities, and organizational impact. Recommend a salary structure aligned with the job grading system, ensuring internal equity and external competitiveness.

• Develop and monitor a detailed organizational change management plan with a clear “change message” and measurable objectives. The plan should be designed to encourage the participation, engagement and buy-in of relevant stakeholders to new organizational changes including but not limited to new culture (values), new structure, new job grading etc. This should include a communication plan that supports the proposed support organizational transformation, defining all communication priorities, channels, and events in line with the institution’s communication policy and procedures. Develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework with KPIs to track the effectiveness of the change management process.

• Update the existing HR policies and ensure that it supports the new organizational structure and culture, making certain that compliance with local labour laws and best practices is achieved and aligns with the institution’s goals, integrating inclusivity, diversity and gender mainstreaming.
• Development of a comprehensive human capital strategy that comprehensively provides strategies for leadership development, talent acquisition, and retention strategies, to mention just a few.
• Provide advisory services and implementation support to senior management during organizational change processes.
• All activities should have training programs embedded for purposes of team building, ownership, and skills building.
• Provide coaching and transfer of change management knowledge to the management Team as well as the HR team. Create tools and resources for ongoing knowledge transfer to support capacity building within AiBST.

1. 4.      Key Deliverables and Timelines

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 70 working days stretched over 4 months covering March to June 2025. The deadline for completion of this assignment is 30^th   June 2025

Table 1: Key deliverables & timelines

	Key deliverable	Completion Timelines
	Inception Report	3 days
	An Assessment report. This report provides the results of the diagnosis undertaken to establish the most appropriate change management plan for AiBST.	6 days
	An Organizational Change Management Plan and Update- A clear action plan should be provided detailing what needs to be done, how it will be executed, and timelines set for delivery. This should come with a communication plan for the Change Management Plan	15 days
	Monitoring and Evaluation framework with KPIs for the change management process	5 days
	A new fit for purpose organization structure for AiBST, with clear roles, responsibilities and job descriptions for all positions on the structure	2 days
	Job Grading Framework and Compensation Structure - Framework for evaluating roles and corresponding salary recommendations.	10 days
	Revised Human Resources Policy - integrating inclusivity, diversity and gender mainstreaming.	7       days
8	Succession Plan	2 days
7.	Human Capital Strategy – that includes leadership development, talent acquisition, and retention strategies.	8 days
9	Final Presentation	1 days

** Please use the above table as a guide to submit your financial proposal

6. Qualifications and experience requirements

• Advanced university degree in Organizational design, Strategic Human Resource Management, Industrial Psychology, Business administration, social sciences, or any other related disciplines.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in providing change management and/or HR management advisory services. Experience in the non-profit sector is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience with organizational change management in a consultancy setting, including real participatory methodologies evidenced by at least 3 (three) assignments carried out within the last 5 (five) years.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement job grading and salary alignment frameworks.
• Ability to actively engage key leaders (board committees, executive team, and leadership) throughout the process to ensure stakeholder buy-in.
• Experience in training and coaching with approaches that spark creativity and new thinking.
• Familiarity with local labour laws and global HR best practices.
• Fluency in English is required

7. How to apply

The proposal should include: 

• The firm should provide Consultant’s CVs in the mentioned key skills required to undertake this assignment and cover letter including three references with full contact details.
•  A technical proposal detailing the proposed approach and methodology for the assignment.
•  A financial proposal detailing the consultancy fee and other related costs encrypted with a password (The financial proposal should have budget breakdown as per the deliverables depicted in table 1 above).
• Three examples of similar assignments undertaken in the past 5 years.
• The name and contact information of three referees for contact regarding relevant experience of the consultancy firm. 

8. Other relevant information

• The assignment is for a duration of seventy (70) working days during the period commencing on the 1^st of March 2025 to the 30^th of June 2025
• Qualified consultant may be requested to deliver a presentation on the proposed methodology and workplan as part of the assessment process
• Proposal is open to consultants based in Zimbabwe to facilitate access to the beneficiary institution.
• All rights of copyright concerning the material produced by consultant for this assignment will remain the property of AiBST.

9. Reporting and Supervision

The consultant will liaise with ACBF for oversight and guidance. The key person(s) to whom the consultant will report to and who will provide the necessary support in the implementation of the activity will be specified in the contract. The consultant shall have reporting obligations to the person(s) on all work carried out as part of the Terms of Reference.

10. Evaluation Criteria

• Selection of the successful Consultant will be based on Least cost-based Selection Criteria. Evaluation of the proposals will be evaluated based at a minimum technical score of 75% and above.
• The financial proposal will be evaluated at 25%.
• The evaluation committee shall evaluate the technical Proposals based on their responsiveness to the Terms of Reference, applying the evaluation criteria, and point system specified below

Table 2: Evaluation Criteria:

	Criteria	Max Points (100)
1	Advanced university degree in Organizational design, Strategic Human Resource Management, Industrial Psychology, Business administration, social sciences, or other related disciplines	10
2	Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in providing change management and/or HR management advisory services. Experience in the non-profit sector is an advantage	20
3	Demonstrated experience with organizational change management in a consultancy setting, including real participatory methodologies evidenced by at least 3 (three) assignments carried out within the last 5 (five) years.	20
4	Demonstrated ability to develop and implement job grading and salary alignment frameworks	10
5	Demonstrated Experience in training and coaching with approaches that spark creativity and new thinking.	15
6	Fluency in English and report writing is a must.	10
7	Demonstrated familiarity with local labour laws and global HR best practices	15
	Total	100

11.   Language

All reports should be written in English, single spacing font size 12, Times New Roman and submitted as both word and pdf versions.

12. Submission Process

Consultancy firms that are interested in applying for the consultancy must submit the documents/information in section 7. The name and contact information of three referees for contact regarding relevant experience of the consultancy firm.

Consultancy firms are being requested to submit their technical & Financial  proposals with the subject clearly marked, RFP Process No.:REOI/ACBF/001/02/2025/SPIA/AiBST Consultancy Services to undertake the provision of organizational change management and Human Resource support for an ACBF partner institution – The African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST) in Zimbabwe” to email address: submission@acbf-pact.org on or before 17.00 hours (local Harare time), on Friday  14^th   March 2025.