Background

UNCDF is supporting an expanding portfolio of programmes in Asia that provide capital resources to local governance processes to enable them to meet the challenges of poverty reduction, the Millennium Development Goals, and Climate Change. These programmes promote local level public financial management and decentralized governance responses to these challenges. The programmes and the in country programme teams all require regular technical guidance and support from the UNCDF regional team.
 
Through this contract UNCDF will supplement the capacity of the regional office by engaging a specialist in one of the key technical areas: Local level financing and public financial management of goods and services. Support in this area is required for a number of programmes in the region and for regional and thematic activities related to these.
 
Design and implementation of the systems used for local public financial management by local governments in developing countries involves the application of a variety of tools and approaches. These may include, inter alia:
  • The design and implementation of a system of inter governmental block grants between financially and administratively autonomous government institutions at different levels of territorial hierarchy;
  • The design and implementation of a system inter governmental budget allocations between departments and institutions including those at different levels of territorial hierarchy;
  • The design and implementation of performance and programme budgeting systems for these transfers and grants.
  • The design and operation of multi-year expenditure frameworks for these transfers and grants.
  • The design and implementation of local revenue maximisation schemes and the linkage of revenue to grants and transfers;
  • The design and implementation of local audit procedures and other measures to reduce fiduciary risk for local level financing;
  • The linking of local level financing to other local level governance processes such as planning and procurement.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of the assignment:

The objective of this consultancy is to support the UNCDF regional portfolio of projects and provide assistance to beneficiary countries in the following areas:
  • Support the design and implementation of appropriate local level public financial management systems that enable both best practice and best value to be applied at local level in a sustainable fashion within the local capacity constraints;
  • Support UNCDF and governments in the development of alternative public financial management arrangements that follow best practice but that allow local level ownership of projects and contracts whilst procurement and contract management services may be carried out by a different level of government;
  • Support UNCDF with substantive technical input to its knowledge products and with input to its participation in discussions, conferences and meetings with development partners, private sector agencies and government on the issue of local level public financial management.
Scope of Work:

Working under the direct supervision of the UNCDF Regional Technical Advisor or Project Manager for LoCAL and in close collaboration with the government and UNCDF country team the consultant will be responsible for:
  • Assessing capacity and needs of key local and national stakeholders involved in the local public financial management process in relation to the requirements of each UNCDF programme;
  • Providing technical support to these programmes as required including carrying out of scoping missions to selected countries in the Asia-Pacific region focused on assessment of existing intergovernmental transfer mechanisms as well as corresponding design of systems, tools and approaches best suited for effective application of UNCDF programmes methodology;
  • Preparation of proposed projects implementation workplans and corresponding monitoring and evaluation systems
  • Developing and / or contributing to training materials, manuals and best practice guides on local level public financial management processes;
  • Presenting material on local level public financial management at technical meetings and seminars;
  • Developing of cross country studies, indicators and systems that can monitor and compare the best practices and best value results from central and local level public financial management systems;
  • Carrying out other relevant tasks as assigned by the Regional Technical Advisor.
The schedule of travel will be negotiated with the incumbent according to the requirements of each programme country.
 
A separate ToR with clear deliverables, budget and timelines will be prepared and agreed prior to each mission within the terms of this ToR.
 
Deliverables:
  • A descriptive and analytical back to the office report following each assignment that provides full details of the mission schedule, copies of substantive inputs produced and recommendations for follow up action;
  • Substantive reports and other inputs as requested by the UNCDF Regional Technical Advisor

Competencies

  • Strong analytical and writing skills and track record in producing relevant reports and other material;
  • High level of communication and interpersonal skills and experience in working effectively in a multi cultural environment;
  • Ability to work in a tropical climate where appropriate infrastructure and systems are not well established;
  • Sensitivity to diverse opinions and difficulties arising from differing social and cultural perceptions;
  • Ability to contribute towards conflict resolution in the workplace;
  • Knowledge of one or more of the UNCDF programme countries would be an asset;
  • Localisation in Asia, Pacific and Africa would be an advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Postgraduate degree in Public Financial Management, Public Accounts, Public Management Political / Social sciences or other related field.
Work Experience:
  • At least 10 years of professional experience working on issues related to public administration, decentralization and local governance reforms in developing countries with specific emphasis on local level public financial management;
  • Experience in local level capacity development in developing countries, ideally in the context of decentralization processes;
  • Experience of working with other development partners, especially in the area of public financial management.
Language Requirement:
  • Fluency in English is required.
Documents to be included when submitting the application form online:

Interested individual consultant must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate your qualifications:
  • Proposal (Reply online): Brief motivation letter (not more than two pages) indicating why the applicant thinks is an outstanding candidate for the job, with a brief description on how the scope of work will be dealt with;
  • Financial proposal (Reply Online): The financial proposal must indicate daily professional fee in USD;
  • Detailed Personal CV and/or UN P.11 Form ( Upload Online).
Evaluation Criteria:

Technical Criteria weight: 70%
  • (Experience related to services: 30%;
  • Written proposal/test and/or interview result: 50% and
  • Expertise & Availability: 20%.
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% technical points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Financial Criteria weight: 30%

The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.