Background

Namibia, as one of the Member States, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, hence is committed to implement and report on the progress and achievements of the SDGs. To this extent, it has made effort to domesticate the SDGs in its national development frameworks through which the country will implement, monitor, and report on the progress of the SDGs. In addition, the country through the Namibia Statistics Agency has produced and launched the 2021 SDGs and Fifth NDP Indicator Framework. This high-level commitment of the Government of Namibia suggests the need to equally align the annual budgets and the medium-term expenditure frameworks, to the priorities defined in the National Development Plans and Harambee Prosperity Plans, thereby supporting the implementation and achievement of the SDGs.

As part of effort to ensure that the development financing landscape is responsive and aligned to the SDGs, aligned with the Development Finance Assessment recommendations, it is important to conduct an SDG Audit of the National Budget. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The assignment involves conducting a review of the National Budgets for FY 2018/2019, FY 2019/2020, FY 2020/2021, FY 2021/2022 and FY 2022/2023, focusing on expenditures related to all the 17 SDGs (or those relevant to Namibia) and determining how the budget allocations have been aligned to support implementation and realization of the SDGs by 2030. In this regard, the specific objectives to be achieved are the following:

• Review the National Budgets for FY 2018/2019, FY 2019/2020, FY 2020/2021, FY 2021/2022, and FY 2022/2023 and identify consistency in alignment to the SDGs, identify expenditure lines, and quantify spending related to each SDG, where applicable.
• Assess the degree and extent to which these National Budgets are anchored and aligned with the SDGs.
• Analyze the institutional mechanism and capacity that exist for SDGs budgeting, monitoring, reporting, and accountability and provide recommendations to enhance such capacity. 
• Identify and assess the existing institutional mechanisms for tracking the implementation of budgets and determine the extent to which one or more mechanisms are fit for purpose to monitor and report on SDGs. 
• Analyze how the National Budgets and expenditure data are disaggregated at national and subnational levels to improve tracking of spending related to all the 17 SDGs and efforts to improve gender equality, poverty eradication, job and wealth creation, environmental sustainability, and transparency and accountability to ensure that the guiding principle of the SDGs, leaving no one behind, is being effectively adhered to.  In other words, analyze how responsive the National Budget is to the population dynamics in the country, and whether a people-centered budgeting is applicable across the SDGs.
• Effort should be made to build upon existing analyses, including from the Budget Analysis under the SDG Fund Joint Programme, and engaging all relevant stakeholders, including UN Agencies, civil society, private sector, IFIs, and sector Offices, Ministries, and Agencies, etc.
• Provide implementable policy recommendations based on the above analyses for future budget planning, alignment, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and accountability on the implementation, reporting, and realization of the SDGs, as well as a summary version of the report with an implementation action plan to support the implementation of those recommendations.

Competencies

• Strong capacity to locate, identify, interpret and analyse a broad range of policy, statistical and budget data. 
• Extensive skills, knowledge and capacity from understanding the public finance management landscape to social sector budget analysis to measure size, composition, and equity of spending.
• Working knowledge of the mechanisms of local and national budgeting systems.
• Possesses strong technical skills in quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information from varied sources.
• Extensive knowledge and experience on development issues with a particular focus on Africa and developing economies.
• Excellent oral and writing skills with strong academic and policy experience. There must be evidence of similar work done in the past regarding SDG audit of the National Budget.
• Capacity to interact with senior officials of government, donors, and other development partners and actors including CSOs, the private sector, academia, etc.
• Ability and disposition to travel extensively within country, if required.
• Outstanding analytical and negotiations skills. Ability to present coherent and convincing positions both in writing and orally.
• Strong ability to take initiative to move complex processes forward to achieve articulated results, and to work at varying levels and on different initiatives simultaneously (personal organization and ability to multi-task). The consultant must also possess the ability to work under pressure and accommodate change. 
• Demonstrable networking capability, interpersonal skills, and a strong ability to promote teamwork. 

Required Skills and Experience

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• A Master’s degree in the field of social science including public finance management, development studies, applied economics, finance, and development economics. PhD in any of the above areas is an added advantage.

EXPERIENCES: 

• 7-10 years of work experience in the areas of interest (public finance management, economics, development economics, finance, and national budgets, as well as development planning, etc.). 
• Substantial experience in public finance, policy analysis, and with field surveys in Africa. 
• Strong quantitative and qualitative skills and a demonstrated capacity to perform outstanding original research including statistical analysis and data management.
• Proved ability to work with government officials at the policy and technical levels to produce practical and actionable solutions and recommendations.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the SDGs, SDG budgeting, and 2030 Agenda.
• Strong working knowledge of the United Nations (UN). 

LANGUAGES: 

• Excellent written and oral English communications skills. 
• Excellent presentation and written skills. 

ICT SKILLS: 

• Full proficiency in terms of software and e-networking.