Back Installation of a Payroll software for CORDIAD South Sudan

I. Introduction

Cordaid is a Dutch international non-governmental organization with over 100 years of experience and expertise in emergency aid and structural poverty eradication. Cordaid believes in a world without poverty and exclusion. We strive for a just and sustainable society where every person counts. We stand for knowledge and talent sharing between North and South, between farmers and businesses, between activists and policymakers. Where poverty, conflict and exclusion tear up societies, we connect people and communities. We also stand for professionalism, expertise and solidarity across borders, to make a difference where it is most needed. Together with more than 600 partner organizations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America we structurally improve the living conditions of the poorest and most excluded populations - the bottom billion.

Cordaid has been active in South Sudan for more than 20 years, with a strong focus on civil society strengthening, emergency preparedness and response, Disaster Risk Reduction, Health and Nutrition, and food security. Cordaid is active in seven States in South Sudan. Presently, Cordaid is expanding its programme in different parts of the country and the human resources staff compliment has made a significant increase which now require the organisation to source and install an effective human resources payroll software.

Therefore, Cordaid seeks services of a reputable software company to develop a customized payroll software, and install and maintain it, including training the HR staff on using it and to trouble shoot.

II. Background and rationale

Between December 2016 and October 2020 the staff strength compliment has increase by 75%. Cordaid is currently using the excel sheet to calculate the staff payroll and due to the increase staff numbers this is prone to errors as data-salary, statutory deduction, other deductions, staff personal information- is mostly entered manually.

Institutional Arrangement

The Human Resources Manager initiates the computation and calculations of the payroll. The payroll is reviewed by the Finance Controller and authorized for payment by the Country Director. The Finance Officer – Salaries, prepares the transfers of the salaries to the individual staff accounts and forwards the cash transactions to the respective state offices.

Cordaid South Sudan strives to ensure prompt payment of staff salaries and turn-around time of staff salary queries. Variance Reports provide proper execution of identifying errors and management of salaries differences. As part of the strategic plan this payroll should give confidence to staff on the organization processes and procedures in the delivery of its obligation to pay staff as per the contractual agreement. The Human Resources department in collaboration with the Finance Department will monitor the quality of the payroll software system and conduct monthly reconciliation to ensure all salaries are paid and budget costing is per the budget codes.

III. Objectives

General Objective

The objective of the assignment is for the Service Provider is to provide a dependable, user friendly and reliable payroll software that provides instant monthly salary transactions, payslips and generation of reports which are accurate and meet the standard policies and required capacity of the CORDAID South Sudan. **

Specific objectives

1. Develop/Install an appropriate payroll software compatible with Cordaid accounting software (AX)
2. Provide training to the Human Resources Department Staff to use and trouble shoot.
3. Provide after sales support the HR Department including inputting staff data/information from 2011 to date.
4. Train staff to troubleshoot on the system

IV. Methodology This assignment can be conducted on-site and /or off-site Juba Office. The service provider will get support from the Cordaid IT Consultant and the Human Resources Consultant and shall work within the policies of Cordaid.

Timeline:

Timelines

Activity

Responsible

Start: February 2021 Develop/Installation of the software. Systems Consultant, Cordaid IT Administration

February 2021 Input data and information from 2018 to 2021 February. Systems Consultant HR/Payroll Officer

February 2021 to May 2021 Parallel running of the payroll with the old system. Systems consultant, HR/Payroll Officer

March 2020 Training of the Human Resources and Finance Department staff. Systems consultant HR and Administration Manager

June 2020 Launch the full payroll system. Human Resources and Administration Manager Cordaid South Sudan hopes implement the system in full by 30th June 2021.

V. Payroll Administration and Support

The Company should be in a position to provide 24/7 technical support to the HR Department. Modes of communication can be by phone, skype and email. On-site support is required for software maintenance and up-grades which require the developer’s technical hands-on attention. Upgrades of the software should be within the parameters of the developers as agreed with Cordaid and should conform to the regulations of the country.

VI. Deliverables

The service provider is expected to deliver a payroll system as per the list below: .

A. Automate payroll process

1. Provide a payroll software that compute and accommodate rapidly increasing staff numbers and incorporate a for casuals and temporary staff.
2. The system separate/categories staff according to budget codes, budget code % allocation, the FX number, CSS Ax Transaction number and/costing centre.
3. The details indicated in number 1 above should be indicated in the pay slips for each staff.
4. Track earnings and deduction information on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis for each employee.
5. Automatically apply earnings and deductions to salaried staff who work a standard number of hours/days. Prorate salaries when required.
6. Provide monthly, quarterly, annually and year-to-date summaries of payroll earnings, benefits (allowances, gratuity and NSSF), deduction (salary advances and other deductions) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) per pay period, staff list (open and closed contract) and by Juba level and separately by different state level.
7. Compute settlement benefits at staff end of contract and/or resignation. i.e. NSIF and gratuity.
8. Automatically accrue and track vacation, sick time by keeping attendance records and tracking absenteeism. Produce staff leave statements when required.
9. Compute the benefits administration and print a benefits register for each pay period and the annual summary sheet of the provisioned amounts (Gratuity and NSIF).
10. User friendly and flexible to take care of statutory compliance dynamics. Taxation and Social Insurance Fund directives.
11. Generate instant pay slip and staff monthly/annual staff salary and benefits statements.
12. Generate payroll reports such as Payroll register, Remittance list, Variances reports, PIT Returns.

Generate MIS reports

1. Provide an HMIS module which maintain Employee details and document filing.
2. Provide report which allow the generation of reports related to Human Resources analysis and reports including staff leave records and individual statement of leave.
3. Allow usage on line and store records of performance evaluation and learning management.
4. Allow usage on line and store human resources template documents ( excel and word)
5. Provide a module for staff self-service with the leave request and timesheet updating and approval. The leave and timesheet must be linked to the payroll changes on monthly basis.

Software components and characteristics

1. The software should allow bulk changes. The changes should be automated and change the generic parameters instantly. This includes the exchange rate, the personal income tax ranges, any global salary changes, change in the instructions for NSIF and Gratuity provisions.
2. Should provide user and authorization levels for payroll transactions and processes. The software should be accessible to the required users at any given time with changes being abled for the superuser and approval by the authorizer.
3. Should sit on the server and provide an offline access and/or provide an online access.
4. For online services to include Employee self-service such as.

a. Staff access to own portal by use of password. b. Staff access to pay slip print. c. Ability of staff to update records but not delete. d. Leave management and request for approval and time sheet management.

1. Should facilitate the automatic distribution of the pay slips to the respective staff through email.
2. Should be adaptable to integrate and be linked with the AX Dynamics Accounting software and the banking system used by accounts department.
3. Te system to allow for HRMIS and Payroll simulations, re-runs, reversal and back-up calculations and pro-rata calculations.
4. Should provide back-up facilities and reports which can be imported to excel, PDF and word applications.
5. Should have the ability to be rolled over to the next month and provides no further entry options for the closed months .
6. Should have control mechanisms such as access controls.
7. Avoids users from using a purge tool.

For Audit Purpose

1. Provide an audit report.
2. Provide error report and adjustment listing
3. Provide a 12-month consolidated report
4. Provide user levels and staff user authorized list.

VII. The Contract The service agreements will be signed between Cordaid and the Company.

VIII. Company profile The service provider selected for the software installation will have to meet the following criteria:

1. The company should be an established legal entity.
2. The Organisation should demonstrate an understanding of the South Sudan context and country regulations. Especially the taxation regulations and labour act.
3. The Organisation should have extensive experience in providing the payroll software and should provide at least 3 organisation references contact details.
4. The Organisation should have demonstrated experiences in training and capacity building.
5. The Organisation must prove its ability to provide the requisite skilled staff to provide the required support.
6. Should have systems that are compliant with South Sudan and/or have worked on payroll systems in Central Africa.
7. Must have proven experience in developing HMIS and HRIS modules.

IX. Key Personnel The Organisation must be able to provide a skilled and experienced team.

The Team must include at least the following key individuals:

1. A Team Leader with qualification in computer science, or any other software development, with experience in designing application system and designing of scalable HRMS and Payroll system and with at least 5 years of experience.

Interested organisations should add any other profiles in the technical proposal deemed necessary to effectively carry out the tasks and meet the objectives outlined in this TOR.