Terms of Reference (TOR): Training on Basic Cash Management, Financial Management, Supply Chain and Logistics, and Security Awareness

Target Audience: Orbis Field Assistants, Drivers, and Field Coordinators

Prepared by: Finance Department

1. Background

Orbis Ethiopia has identified the need to strengthen financial literacy, operational cash handling, supply chain and logistics management, and security awareness among field-level staff. This initiative aligns with ongoing efforts to improve compliance, reduce financial risk, and enhance operational efficiency in remote project sites.

2. Objectives

• Equip field staff with practical knowledge of cash handling, documentation, and reconciliation.
• Improve understanding of Orbis financial policies, donor compliance, and local legal requirements.
• Build capacity in budget tracking, expense reporting, and advance liquidation.
• Foster accountability and transparency in financial transactions at the field level.
• Enhance knowledge of supply chain and logistics procedures relevant to field operations.
• Raise awareness on security protocols related to cash handling and financial documentation.

3. Scope of Training

• Cash Management & Reconciliation – Petty cash handling, documentation, security, and reconciliation procedures.
• Internal Controls & Financial Management – Principles, practical applications, and strengthening financial accountability.
• Donor Compliance & Regulatory Requirements – Understanding donor rules, Orbis policies, and local legal requirements.
• Advance & Expense Management – Proper advance liquidation, expense documentation, and compliance with financial procedures.
• Budget Monitoring & Financial Reporting – Tracking expenditures against budgets, voucher preparation, and financial reporting requirements.
• Financial Systems & Computer Skills – Use of MIP, Excel for budgeting and analysis, payment registration, and document submission processes.
• Procurement Management – Procurement planning, requisitions, RFQs, bid evaluation, vendor selection, and contract management.
• Inventory, Asset & Warehouse Management – Asset tracking, inventory control, goods receipt procedures, storage, and distribution practices.
• Supply Chain, Fleet & Logistics Management – Transportation planning, fleet operations, fuel management, and logistics coordination.
• Supplier Performance, Technical Evaluation & Risk Management – Vendor prequalification, supplier evaluation, technical acceptance testing, ethical sourcing, conflict-of-interest prevention, and safeguarding financial resources and sensitive documents.

4. Methodology

The training aims to strengthen the financial management capacity of field staff and ensure they are equipped with standardized knowledge to manage cash advances and other financial responsibilities. The sessions will be delivered by Orbis senior staff and external consultants with extensive experience in NGO financial management, donor regulations, and advanced Excel training.

• Interactive Workshops: Role-play, case studies, and group exercises.
• Practical Demonstrations: Hands-on sessions with financial forms and systems.
• Job-Aid Distribution: Simplified guides and checklists for field use.
• Follow-Up Support: Post-training mentoring and periodic refreshers.

5. Duration and Schedule

Duration: 2 days

Dates: August 10-11, 2026

Location: Hawassa

6. Detailed Training Schedule

• Detail schedule will be prepared by Orbis Finance and Consultant

 

7. Consultant Requirement Criteria

The selected consultant, consulting team, or firm should demonstrate strong technical capacity, relevant INGO experience, and practical training facilitation skills. The following minimum criteria should be considered during selection and evaluation:

No.	Requirement Area	Minimum Requirement / Evaluation Criteria
1	International NGO experience	Demonstrated experience providing training, audit, financial management, internal control, procurement, logistics, or compliance support to international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), including experience in Ethiopia and exposure to INGO operations in other countries or international contexts.
2	Licensed audit or consultancy firm	The service provider should be a legally registered and licensed audit firm, consulting firm, or professional training provider with valid business/professional registration, tax compliance documentation, and authorization to provide the required services.
3	Certified Microsoft Excel trainers	The consultant/team should include certified Microsoft Excel trainers, or professionals with verifiable advanced Excel training credentials and practical experience delivering Excel training to non-finance and field-level staff.
4	Financial management and cash control expertise	Proven experience in basic cash management, petty cash procedures, advance management and liquidation, expense documentation, budget monitoring, internal controls, coding, and audit-ready financial documentation.
5	Donor compliance and NGO rules	Strong understanding of donor-funded project compliance, allowable and unallowable costs, documentation standards, cost coding, procurement thresholds, and financial reporting expectations commonly applied in INGOs.
6	Procurement, logistics, fleet, and inventory knowledge	Practical experience in supply chain and logistics management, procurement documentation, quotation/bid evaluation, GRN/acceptance procedures, asset and inventory control, fleet/logbook management, and fuel usage monitoring.
7	Ethiopian legal and statutory knowledge	Good understanding of the Ethiopian NGO operating environment, statutory requirements, tax/VAT withholding considerations, local procurement documentation practices, and government/donor compliance expectations.
8	Training facilitation experience	Proven ability to deliver participatory training for field assistants, drivers, field coordinators, finance and non-finance staff using adult-learning methods, role play, practical case studies, group exercises, and simple field-focused examples.
9	Security awareness capacity	Ability to provide practical guidance on safeguarding cash, vouchers, sensitive financial documents, equipment, data, and other assets during field-level operations.
10	Qualified team composition	Submission of CVs/profiles of proposed trainers showing relevant professional qualifications, certifications, similar assignments, language capacity, and clear allocation of roles among trainers.
11	Past performance and references	Evidence of similar assignments completed for INGOs, donors, NGOs, audit clients, or development organizations, supported by references, completion certificates, or sample training materials where available.
12	Independence, ethics, and confidentiality	Commitment to professional ethics, independence, confidentiality, conflict-of-interest disclosure, safeguarding of organizational information, and compliance with Orbis policies and donor expectations.
13	Training deliverables	Ability to submit a training plan, PowerPoint/handout materials, pre- and post-training assessment tools, attendance sheet, practical exercises, final training report, summary of participant understanding, and recommended follow-up actions.

 

Required proposal submission documents should include technical proposal, financial proposal, legal/license documents, tax registration/compliance evidence, trainer CVs and certificates, sample training approach/material outline, similar assignment evidence, and at least two professional references.

Additional Consultant Requirement

Assessment and Certification Requirement

The consultant/firm shall be responsible for preparation modules, designing, administering, and grading both pre-training and post-training assessments to measure participant knowledge and learning outcomes.

The consultant shall:

1. Develop a Pre-Training Assessment Test to establish participants’ baseline knowledge in:
2. Basic Cash Management
3. Financial Management and Internal Controls
4. Donor Compliance Requirements
5. Procurement and Logistics
6. Security Awareness
7. Basic Excel and Computer Skills
8. Develop a Post-Training Examination covering all topics delivered during the training.
9. Ensure that the post-training examination includes:
10. Multiple-choice questions
11. Practical case studies
12. Scenario-based questions
13. Basic Excel practical exercises
14. Prepare and submit:
15. Assessment tools and answer keys
16. Individual participant score sheets
17. Pre- and post-training comparison analysis
18. Overall training evaluation report
19. Establish a minimum passing mark of 50% (or another threshold agreed by Orbis Ethiopia) for certification purposes.
20. Issue Certificates of Successful Completion only to participants who:
21. Attend at least 90% of the training sessions, and
22. Achieve the minimum passing score in the post-training examination.
23. Provide a Certificate of Participation for attendees who complete the training but do not achieve the minimum passing score.
24. Include in the final report:
25. Number of participants trained
26. Pre-test average score
27. Post-test average score
28. Improvement achieved (%) by participants
29. List of participants who successfully passed the assessment
30. Recommendations for follow-up coaching and refresher training

Additional Deliverable

Add the following under Consultant Deliverables:

• Training Materials and Handouts
• Pre-Training Assessment Tool
• Post-Training Examination and Answer Key
• Attendance Records
• Participant Evaluation Forms
• Individual Assessment Results
• Certificates of Completion/Participation
• Final Training Report including learning outcome analysis and recommendations

8. Trainers

The training will be led by the Finance Department under the supervision of Finance and Operations Directors. The Orbis Operations Department will deliver sessions on logistics, procurement and security. External consultants will be engaged to deliver specialized sessions on INGOs practice cash management, internal control knowledge, donors’ requirements, rules and regulations, general implication cash control meant and implications to audit findings, basic skills and Excel training and computer usage for financial documentation.

9. Expected Outcomes

• Improved financial compliance and reduced audit risks.
• Enhanced confidence and competence among field staff in handling financial tasks.
• Standardized financial practices across field offices.
• Improved logistics and supply chain efficiency in field operations.
• Increased security awareness and reduced risk of financial loss or data breach.

10. Training Effectiveness and Assessment Approach

• A pre-training questionnaire will be completed before the first session to assess participants’ baseline understanding of cash handling, documentation, compliance, procurement/logistics, security awareness, and basic digital tools.
• A post-training questionnaire will be completed at the end of the training to confirm knowledge gained and identify participants who may require additional coaching or follow-up support.
• Practical exercises, scenario discussions, and trainer observation will be used to assess whether participants can apply the learning in field-level situations.
• Assessment results will be summarized by the Finance Department and used to strengthen future refresher sessions, job-aids, and field-level mentoring.

11. Assessment Scoring and Follow-Up Guidance

Score Range	Interpretation	Recommended Follow-Up
80% and above	Good understanding	Participants can apply the procedures with routine supervision.
60%–79%	Moderate understanding	Provide targeted coaching on weak areas and monitor application during field visits.
Below 60%	Needs improvement	Arrange focused mentoring, simplified job-aids, and refresher guidance before assigning complex financial tasks.