UNDP Jobs - 47723- National Technical Consultant for Development Fina

National Technical Consultant for Development Finance and Aid Assessments (DFAA)

Location :

Vientiane, LAO PDR

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

28-Jul-2014

Application Deadline :

18-Jul-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Four months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Four 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

With the changing global development finance landscape, Lao PDR sees its graduation from LDC status by 2020 as an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of its public policies and economic performance that will enhance its capacity to effectively mobilise, manage, and deliver a wider range of development finance. In the period of 2005-2010, domestic tax as a percentage of total government expenditure averaged around 59.4 per cent per year while ODA in the form of grants was 14.1 per cent. Beyond ODA, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been considered as a major source of development finance in the current National Socio-Economic Development Plan (7th NSEDP 2011-15).

More recently, the Government of Lao PDR recognizes the need to already be operating in a post-graduation mode prior to 2020 to indicate its readiness. Addressing the development financing gaps needed to achieve the MDGs by 2015 and to implement development priorities in the 7th NSEDP including the vulnerabilities to meet LDC graduation threshold related to the graduation criteria are necessary. The Government under the leadership of Ministry of Planning and Investment is in the process of formulating the 8th NSEDP (2016-2020) with LDC graduation objective a center. As such, the Government will commission a Development Finance and Aid Assessment (DFAA) - a comprehensive assessment of current and future flows of development finance in particular ODA trend including climate finance.

In doing so, the DFAA will explore the kinds of institutional arrangement that will be required in Lao PDR across public and private institutions with a wider development finance landscape and a more globally integrated Lao PDR economy. A core aspect of this part of the assessment is the scope, nature, and capacity that will be required in the future in terms of the planning and budgeting strategy, framework and processes and how they are better linked with public investment program, and development cooperation forum (such as the Round Table Meetings). Exploring ways that allow Lao PDR to draw data synergies from various sources of development finance using existing systems and tools such as those in Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), and line ministries for tracking, monitoring, and reporting on future flows needs are critical.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main objective of this assignment is to work closely with DIC who is the leading institute for the DFAA exercise.

Scope of work:

The primary responsibilities of the selected consultant include:

Pre-launch preparation to include support to the international team leader;
Support inception mission of DFAA Team led by international team leader;
Implement assessment work plan as agreed and including the work on South-South Cooperation mapping study;
Provide consolidated fortnightly updates to the international team leader and DFAA Team members;
Prepare for launch workshop including support to selecting stakeholders; drafting invitations, preparing a draft agenda;
Contribute to preparation of draft DFAA report and facilitate inputs from national members of the DFAA Team as agreed with international team leader;
Support 2nd international team leader mission to Vientiane including preparation for and presentation of draft DFAA report to National Stakeholders at the validation workshop;
Support international team leader to finalise DFAA for publication in Lao PDR, including a government foreword as necessary.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Provides helpful feedback and advice;
Strong analytical skills;
Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals;
Generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations;
Conceptualizes and analyzes problems to identify key issues, underlying problems, and how they relate;
Demonstrates substantive and technical knowledge to meet responsibilities and post requirements with excellence.

Cooperated Competencies:

Demonstrates leadership, team building and coordinating skills;
Demonstrates commitment to human development principles and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
Shares knowledge and experience;
Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualification:

Recognized degree (preferably Master or PhD level) in social and economic development policy, public policy, public finance, social science and relevant degree.

Experience:

At least 10 years of relevant experience in the socio-economic development plan, aid coordination, development effectiveness, ODA analysis, public finance and south-south cooperation;
Experience with ODA, Public Finance, RTP, NSEDP, MDGs is an asset;
Working experience with international organizations, especially the UN is considered to be an asset.

Languages:

Excellent command of written and spoken English;
Knowledge of Lao language (spoken and/or written) an advantage.

Requirements for submission of proposals:

All interested and qualified candidates should apply on-line using the following links:

UNDP Lao PDR Country Office website at http://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/operations/jobs/ or
UNDP Jobs at http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm;
In order to make submission please read the attached relevant documents which are also available on our web-site at http://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/operations/jobs/;
TOR (Annex I);
Individual Contract & General Terms and Conditions (Annex II);
Offeror’s Letter to UNDP (Annex III);
Reimbursable Loan Agreement (for a consultant assigned by a firm) & General Conditions (Annex IV).

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
Technical Proposal as per Annex III “Offeror’s Letter to UNDP”

Explaining why you are the most suitable for the work;
Providing a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work including the work schedule for the delivery of outputs/deliverable;
CV including past experience in similar project and contact reference of at least 3 references for whom you have rendered preferably the similar service.

Cumulative analysis:

The award of the contract will be made to a consultant who 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:
* Technical Criteria weight; [0.7]
* Financial Criteria weight; [0.3]

Only a consultant obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical rating would be considered for the financial evaluation.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1- Terms of Reference (TOR). TOR and General Terms and Conditions for Individual Consultants can be also downloaded at http://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/operations/jobs/.

Note:

Any request for clarification must be sent in writing to the following e-mail: phouthamath.sayyabounsou@undp.org .

UNDP Lao PDR will respond in writing by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.

The copies of the response will be also placed on our web-site at:

http://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/operations/jobs/ and linked to the current Procurement Notice.

All interested candidates are encouraged to visit the above web-site for updates.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be notified.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more detailed information about UNDP Lao PDR please visit our website at http://www.undplao.org.