SCT ICT Officer

Republic of Zambia

MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES (MCDSS)

SOCIAL CASH TRANSFER PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

CONSULTING SERVICES – Individual Consultant Selection (Open; National)

COUNTRY: ZAMBIA

NAME OF PROJECT: GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND LIVELIHOODS FOR HUMAN CAPITAL PROJECT-GEWEL2

CREDIT NO: P181391

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: SELECTION OF INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS

REFERENCE NO: MCDSS/SCT/C/2025

The Government of Republic of Zambia, with support from the World Bank and the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescent (GFF), is implementing the Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods for Human Capital Project (GEWEL 2) with the main objective of promoting human capital development and productivity among poor and vulnerable girls and women, while strengthening adaptive social protection delivery systems. The project is being implemented across three Government Ministries, namely the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS), Ministry of Education (MOE), and Ministry of Health (MOH), as well as the Gender Division in the Office of the President. The project has four components, (i) the Foundational Social Cash Transfer and Nutrition (SCT) implemented by the Department of Social Welfare at MCDSS and MoH; (ii) Keeping Girls in School and Beyond (KGS) implemented by MOE; (iii) Supporting Women’s Livelihoods for Climate-Smart Productive Inclusion (SWL) implemented by the Department of Community Development at MCDSS; and (iv) the Institutional Strengthening and Systems Building for Cash ‘Plus’ Delivery (ISSB) implemented by the Department of Planning and Information at MCDSS and Gender Division.

Specifically, the Social Cash Transfer Project Implementation Unit (PIU) under the MCDSS will be responsible for implementation of Component 1 of the project which is, the Nutrition- Sensitive Foundational Social Cash Transfer. This component will ensure the continuity of the foundational SCT program for a cash ‘plus’ approach, with complementary activities for improved nutrition outcomes. It will invest in the SCT as the national social assistance program to continue strengthening household food security and resilience to climate and other shocks. It will provide nutrition cash top-ups to select eligible SCT households as part of complementary activities that are layered as a cash ‘plus’ approach for improved nutrition among poor households in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, building on ongoing efforts. Together with MOH, the implementation of this component will follow an integrated approach focusing on both nutrition-sensitive’ and nutrition-specific’ activities for improved purchasing power, as well as demand creation and service provision.

4.0 SCT ICT OFFICER (1)

Objective of the position

The SCT ICT Officer will support the SCT ICT Specialist in ensuring the effective operation, maintenance, and enhancement of the Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information System (ZISPIS), as well as providing technical ICT support to ensure the program achieves its objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in the administration and maintenance of the ZISPIS, ensuring high system availability and performance
• Assist in performing regular system backups and updates as directed by the SCT ICT Specialist
  Support the SCT ICT Specialist in troubleshooting and resolving system issues promptly to minimize disruptions of the ZISPIS
• Provide technical support to users experiencing issues with data entry tools/systems within ZISPIS.
• Assist the SCT ICT Specialist in generating standard operational reports from ZISPIS as required for system monitoring and basic operational oversight.
• Support the SCT ICT Specialist in implementing technical security measures (e.g., managing user accounts based on approved access levels, applying security patches, monitoring system logs, monitoring user audits) as per established policies.
• Provide technical assistance and helpdesk support to SCT program staff and stakeholders for hardware, software, network issues, and navigating the ZISPIS interface.
• Conduct basic user training on system access and general usage.
• Assist in resolving hardware, software, and network issues affecting the SCT program
• Support the setup and configuration of ICT equipment
• Collaborate with the SCT ICT Specialist to identify and implement system improvements and upgrades
• Support to the SCT ICT Specialist in conducting user acceptance testing (UAT) for new features or updates to the ZISPIS
• Provide input for the design of new ICT tools or features to enhance program efficiency
• Document system processes, changes, and troubleshooting steps.
• Prepare regular progress reports on ICT-related activities and issues for submission to the SCT ICT Specialist

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or any related field • Master’s degree in ICT or related program added advantage
• Minimum three (3) years of experience, with system administration of Linux (e.g. Ubuntu, RedHat) and Windows servers, including scripting languages such as Bash and PowerShell
• Experience with relational and document database management systems mandatory
• Specific experiences with MariaDB/MongoDB an added advantage
• Familiarity of firewall configuration, VPN management, and networking will be advantageous
• Familiarity with the Social Cash Transfer Programme or the ZISPIS is an added advantage Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in programming languages, frameworks or tools used in MIS systems (e.g., Java, HTML5, JavaScript, CSS3, MySQL Client, MySQL, Python, Golang, Git) will be advantageous
• Ability to train non-technical users in ICT tools
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills

Duration and Location

• The assignment is for an initial period of two years, with a possibility of extension based on performance and project needs
• The ICT Officer will be based in Lusaka, Zambia, but may require occasional travel to districts and regions to provide technical support to District Officers

Reporting

The SCT ICT Officer will report directly to the SCT ICT Specialist and work closely with the SCT Data Management Officer.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours (ie. 09:00 to 1700 hours).

The Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Community Development and Social Services
Private Bag W252
Community House
Lusaka.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form (hard copy) by 17:00 hours on 23rd May, 2025.