Ubuntu Goats Local Community Liaison Agreement
Agreement for the support of an Ubuntu Community
1. Purpose of the role
Ubuntu Goats appoints the local community liaison to help create reliable, respectful and practical communication between the five participating women, their wider community, Ubuntu Goats or its appointed representative, and relevant local sellers, animal-health workers and other persons.
The liaison supports the project but does not manage the women or own their goats, money or shared property. The liaison may be a woman or a man.
2. Duration
This agreement begins on and continues for six months, ending on . It does not renew automatically.
Reliable and respectful performance gives the liaison first consideration for renewal, continued work with this community, possible work with future Ubuntu Communities in the area and reasonable increases in compensation when responsibilities grow. This does not guarantee renewal or additional work.
3. General principles
The liaison will act honestly and respectfully, provide accurate information, treat the five women fairly, avoid favouritism, respect ownership and privacy, disclose conflicts of interest, protect project resources against misuse, promptly report serious problems and never use threats, humiliation or deception.
Ubuntu Goats will explain the duties, provide reasonably necessary information, pay earned compensation on time, reimburse approved expenses, listen fairly to concerns and not hold the liaison responsible for events outside their reasonable control.
4. Start-up duties
- Meet or communicate with the community and explain the Ubuntu Goats principle.
- Help confirm the identity and contact details of the five women.
- Help ensure that the agreement is explained in a language each woman understands and help identify a translator when necessary.
- Help verify the women’s understanding, availability of shelter, water and feed, willingness to cooperate and community recognition of the women’s ownership.
- Obtain local prices for goats, transport, individual and shared equipment, shelter materials and initial animal-health care.
- Help arrange inspection, purchase and delivery of the five goats.
- Help record goat prices, receiving women, transport and start-up costs, allowances and purchases.
- Provide the agreed start-up information, photographs and records.
The liaison does not guarantee the health, fertility or survival of any goat.
5. Continuing monthly duties
At least once each month, the liaison will maintain reasonable contact and communicate a brief update about goat health, pregnancies and births, male and female kids, illnesses and losses, male-kid sales, Community-fund amounts, purchases of female goats, the shelter and significant disputes or practical problems.
Updates may be sent through WhatsApp, email or another agreed method. They need not be complicated but must be truthful, understandable and sufficiently complete. If nothing important changed, the liaison may say so.
6. Important events requiring prompt notice
The liaison will promptly report suspected misuse of allowances, missing money, unexplained goat sales, deliberate neglect, theft, serious conflict, pressure to surrender goats or money, false records, serious disease affecting several goats or another threat to the project.
The liaison will distinguish what was personally observed, what was reported by another person and what remains uncertain.
7. Records and supporting information
The liaison will help maintain simple records of births, losses, male-kid sales, amounts received, fund balances, purchases and new participants. The liaison may help check records but will not normally keep the Community money.
Where reasonable, records should be supported by a photograph, receipt, confirmation of two participating women or another locally appropriate form of evidence. When formal receipts are unavailable, another reasonable explanation or record may be used.
8. Limits of authority
Without specific written authorization, the liaison may not sign for Ubuntu Goats, claim to be its employee or legal representative, borrow or collect donations in its name, promise funding or replacement goats, use Ubuntu Goats money, change the project model, remove a woman, choose the next recipient, control the Community fund or use project resources personally.
The liaison may communicate, assist, observe, record and recommend. Decisions belonging to the five women remain with them.
9. Independence and conflicts of interest
The liaison must disclose personal, family or financial relationships with a participating woman, goat seller, transporter, builder, supplier, fund keeper or proposed future recipient.
The liaison may not secretly receive commissions, price differences, gifts, Community-fund money, allowances, milk, goats or demanded benefits. A small customary gift freely offered after a service may be accepted only if it cannot reasonably influence independence and is disclosed to Ubuntu Goats.
10. Respect, privacy and photographs
The liaison may not force anyone to be photographed, independently publish project material without permission, disclose unrelated private information, use images for personal fundraising or present the women in a humiliating or misleading way. Material may be collected for Ubuntu Goats only with free consent.
11. Start-up fee
Ubuntu Goats will pay a total start-up fee of GMD 5,000:
- GMD 2,000 after signing, accepting the assignment and confirming initial community contact;
- GMD 3,000 after the women are identified, their agreement is explained and signed, the goats are delivered, allowances recorded, agreed information provided and important discrepancies disclosed.
Ubuntu Goats may not unreasonably withhold payment when the agreed work is substantially complete. If an external event prevents completion, the parties will discuss fair payment for work actually performed.
12. Monthly service fee
Ubuntu Goats will pay GMD 2,000 per completed month after reasonable contact has been maintained, the monthly update received, important events disclosed and reasonable questions answered.
Payment may not be withheld merely because no goats were born or sold or because the community did not grow. It rewards work, honesty and availability, not results outside the liaison’s control.
13. Communication allowance
Ubuntu Goats additionally provides GMD 250 per month towards ordinary calls, messages and mobile data. It is payable at the beginning of each service month and does not cover major travel or exceptional expenses.
14. Reimbursement of approved expenses
Ubuntu Goats will reimburse reasonable, preferably pre-approved project expenses such as travel, market or animal-health visits, approved purchase transport, printing, translation and exceptional communication costs.
Where possible, the liaison will request approval beforehand, estimate the amount, provide a receipt or explanation and return any unused advance. Emergency expenditure should be reported promptly. Reimbursement is not guaranteed if prior approval was reasonably possible but not requested.
15. Three-month quality bonus
Ubuntu Goats will pay GMD 1,500 after three months if updates were timely or delays explained; important problems were not concealed; records are reasonably complete; money and purchases can be accounted for; no substantiated serious complaint remains unresolved; and questions were answered reasonably.
The bonus does not depend on pregnancies, births, numbers of kids, sales, income or the speed of growth.
16. Six-month quality and completion bonus
Ubuntu Goats will pay an additional GMD 3,000 after six months if the six updates were provided; records are reasonably current; serious problems disclosed; resources accounted for; the liaison acted respectfully and independently; feedback shows reasonable accessibility without control; and any requested handover is complete.
No single person can unfairly prevent the bonus. Before refusing or reducing it, Ubuntu Goats will explain the concern, allow a response and consider whether the matter was within the liaison’s control.
17. Maximum fixed compensation
| Compensation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Start-up fee | GMD 5,000 |
| Six monthly fees | GMD 12,000 |
| Six communication allowances | GMD 1,500 |
| Three-month quality bonus | GMD 1,500 |
| Six-month quality and completion bonus | GMD 3,000 |
| Maximum fixed compensation | GMD 23,000 |
Approved expenses are reimbursed separately.
18. Payment records
| Payment | Amount | Date | Method/signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| First start-up payment | GMD 2,000 | ||
| Start-up completion | GMD 3,000 | ||
| Month 1 | GMD 2,000 | ||
| Month 2 | GMD 2,000 | ||
| Month 3 | GMD 2,000 | ||
| Three-month bonus | GMD 1,500 | ||
| Month 4 | GMD 2,000 | ||
| Month 5 | GMD 2,000 | ||
| Month 6 | GMD 2,000 | ||
| Six-month bonus | GMD 3,000 |
19. Performance concerns
Ubuntu Goats will normally explain a performance concern, identify the required improvement, allow reasonable correction time and provide relevant clarification. Immediate suspension or termination may occur for suspected theft, fraud, deliberate falsification, serious intimidation, misuse of funds, serious mistreatment or immediate risk.
A concern does not prove wrongdoing. The liaison will have a reasonable opportunity to explain.
20. Ending the agreement
Either party may end the agreement with fourteen days’ notice, unless serious misconduct or risk justifies immediate termination.
On ending, the liaison will provide outstanding reports, records, project resources held, relevant contacts and a brief handover. The liaison remains entitled to payment for properly completed work, approved expenses and bonuses already earned. An unfinished-period bonus may be paid proportionally when the agreement ended for reasons not caused by misconduct.
21. Nature of the relationship
This is a limited community-service agreement. The liaison is not authorized to act as Ubuntu Goats’ legal representative except under specific written authorization. This wording does not override mandatory rights or obligations under applicable law.
The liaison may do other work provided it does not create an undisclosed conflict or prevent proper performance.
22. Problems and disagreements
The parties will first seek direct and respectful resolution and may use a mutually trusted independent person. Before withholding earned compensation, Ubuntu Goats will explain its reasons and allow a response. Before stopping work over payment, the liaison will notify Ubuntu Goats and allow reasonable time to respond, unless continuing creates serious risk.
23. Changes
Changes must be recorded in writing and accepted by both parties. A clear WhatsApp or email exchange may serve as written confirmation.
24. Language and understanding
☐ English ☐ Mandinka ☐ Wolof ☐ Pulaar/Fulani ☐ Soninke ☐ Jola ☐ Other: ____________________
The liaison confirms that the agreement was explained in a language they understand, questions were permitted, the duties, limits, payments and bonuses are understood, and the assignment is accepted freely.