UNDP Jobs - 16948- AID Coordination Expert

AID Coordination Expert

Location :

Nairobi, KENYA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

04-Jun-10 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

10 MONTHS

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

General Information

Title of Consultancy:AID Coordination Expert
Type of Contract:SSA – Special Service Agreement
Duration of the assignment:10 months
Duty station:Nairobi, with frequent travel to Somali
Expected places of travel:Somalia
Supervisor:Project Manager, SIDP
Anticipated presence at UNDP premises:Full Time Presence
Date of Issue:21st May 2010
Closing Date:4th June 2010

Background and Objectives of the assignment

UNDP’s assistance to Somalia in the Governance sector includes, among others, support in building capacity of Somali government institutions to carry out their functions according to best regional and international practices and standards. This support is being provided within the scope of Somali Institutional Development Project (SIDP) – a multiyear and multidimensional assistance project supported by several donors and covering the three geographic areas of Somalia – Somaliland, Puntland and South-Central. SIDP’s main objective in the domain of external aid coordination is to develop the capacities of the ministries responsible for planning to effectively coordinate and manage external aid. This capacity, inter alia, includes provision of aid information management systems (AIMS) to the TFG (for Somalia ) and Government of Somaliland (for Somaliland), as well as provide policy and strategic advice on institutional set up and coordination mechanisms to carry out the functions of the Government in this area. In this framework, technical assistance provided by UNDP will aim at further improving donor coordination and aid effectiveness in Somalia, making aid predictable, harmonized and aligned with national priorities, using the country’s own institutions and systems.
To this end, UNDP Somalia is recruiting an international consultant in aid coordination and effectiveness for 10 months, divided into 3 periods, to be administered by SIDP. Reporting to the SIDP project manager, the Consultant will work in close collaboration with Ministries of Planning of Somaliland, Puntland and the TFG, United Nations Resident Commission (UNRC) Office, UN agencies, the donor community, Somali support groups and other stakeholders. Logistical and organizational support will be provided by SIDP project. Specific areas of activities of the Consultant will include, but will not be limited to the following:

Lead the implementation and operationalization of AIMS for Somalia and advise on its improvement and further enhancement within the framework of ongoing development and technical support contracts.

Advise stakeholders on the use of AIMS to enhance aid coordination and improve aid effectiveness and efficiency.

Provide oversight and contribute to development of reports on donors’ sectoral and geographical involvement, gaps and overlaps, commitments and disbursements of funds, and other relevant information.

Support the reinforcement and expansion of agreed Government-Donor aid co-ordination mechanisms, including contribution to defining a clear mandate, objectives and Action Plan; providing the Ministries of Planning in SL, PL and the TFG with best practices in donor co-ordination centered around the AIMS in other countries; support to setting up respective institutional structures and mechanisms and defining their ToRs, membership and action plans.

Play a leading role in capacity development through training and knowledge transfer, oversight and mentoring of staff dealing with aid coordination.

Provide support and advice to the Puntland government and the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in developing their respective aid policy papers.

Liaise and maintain technical and business relationships with the contractor within the framework of ongoing development and technical support contracts.

Undertake missions to SL and PL for on-the-job coaching and oversight of activities related to use and administration of the AIMS.

Duties and Responsibilities

III. Scope of work

The assignment is divided into 3 phases as follows:

Phase I – 4 months: Launch and operationalization of AIMS (Somalia and Somaliland)

Organize the first capacity development workshop/training with the contractor

Deployment of basic functionality of AIMS, assessment of needs for further customization of basic modules, identification of needs for M&E modules and defining their final structure and data tables

Organizing the second capacity building workshop/training with the contractor

Deployment of full AIMS, training on M&E modules (outputs and outcomes tracking), MDG tracking, monitoring of key performance indicators and modifications thereof

Populating AIMS (Somalia and Somaliland)

Mapping and converting data from existing sources into AIMS format
Validate existing data with donors and implementing partners

Train SL, PL and the TFG in use of AIMS – data entry and reporting (charts, GIS, reports)

Administration of AIMS

Phase II – 3 months: Establish data exchange and sharing framework through AIMS (Somalia and Somaliland)

Development of Standard Operating Procedures for data exchange and sharing for

Somalia as a whole
Somaliland
Puntland

Collect fresh data (2010) from donors and implementing partners for 2010 aid effectiveness reports

Train donors and implementing partners on the use of AIMS for data recording and reporting
Conduct refresher training on the use of AIMS for SL, PL and the TFG
Train SL, PL and the TFG in administration of AIMS – user, account and data management tools
Phase III – 3 months: Support production of the Aid Effectiveness Report for 2010
Develop outlines of 2010 aid effectiveness report for SL, PL, and the TFG (Somalia) and have them endorsed by MOPICs
Produce/mentor and coach MOPICs of SL, PL and the TFG in producing aid effectiveness reports

Monitoring and Progress controls

The expert will report to the Project Manager, SIDP, and will submit periodic reports at the end of each phase.

Final product/deliverable

AIMS launched and operationalized (Somalia and Somaliland)
AIMS data exchange and sharing framework established
AID Effectiveness Report for 2010 produced

Review/approval time

Not exceeding 15 working days

Competencies

7-10 years of experience in development with emphasis on aid co-ordination/aid effectiveness issues.
Thorough knowledge of aid co-ordination and effectiveness issues and the relevant international agendas, and experience in providing policy advice on how to implement donor co-ordination and aid effectiveness principles in practice, especially in countries with large donor inflows.
Demonstrated experience in implementation of Aid information systems and working with Donor-Government aid co-ordination structures
Experience with working with various stakeholders, including the public sector, the donor community and the not-for-profit sector; experience with working in a multi-cultural context will be much desired
Strong coaching skills and experience.
Substantial experience with the Somali region will be a distinct advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Advanced university degree in economics, public administration, development studies, business administration, political science or other relevant field. Additional IT background is a strong asset.
Thorough knowledge of aid co-ordination and effectiveness issues and the relevant international agendas, and extensive experience in providing policy advice on how to implement donor co-ordination and aid effectiveness principles in practice, especially in countries in crisis and conflict.
Good knowledge of the political, economic and social context of Somalia would be considered an advantage.
Excellent written and oral communication, organizational and analytical skills.
Advanced computer skills in common office programs (Word, Excel, Power-Point, etc) and web-based database applications.