Background
UNDP Bangladesh, having its focus to build an empowered and resilient nation, has implemented a three years programme Poverty Environment Climate Mainstreaming (PECM) during 2010-2013 with General Economics Division of Planning Commission in Bangladesh. The project had initiated a process to develop a National Climate Fiscal Framework (CFF) and identified key entry points to mainstream climate change into the national finance process (budget, fiscal, classification, audit, and annual development programme and aid effectiveness). As a follow-up of the PECM project, the “Inclusive Budget and Finance for Climate Resilience in Bangladesh” is three years’ technical project being implemented by the Finance Division in partnership with ERD, IRD, CAG Office and Planning Commission (Programming Division) to mainstreaming climate change into key financial decisions in Bangladesh.
The overarching objectives of this project are to rationalize the Public Financial Management (PFM) of existing and future climate finance and introduce a climate policy based focus to planning, budgeting and performance management of climate finance by implementing the GoB Climate Fiscal Framework. The project intends to foster a sustainable basis for identifying, maximizing and managing sources and application of funds for financing climate resilient actions. The project further intends to develop climate related capacity and expertise within Finance Division, Internal Resource Division and Auditor’s General office, and other major stakeholders that will enable Bangladesh to pursue maximized benefits of national and international climate finance.
It will also aim to enhance the recognition of climate policy and national strategy in the key PFM processes including Budget, Medium Term Budget Framework (MTBF) and attendant Performance Management Systems, Ministry Budget Frameworks (MBF) and the Medium Term Macroeconomic Framework (MTMF).
The project will build on the Climate Fiscal Framework that was developed and endorsed in June 2014 and will align with existing and future PFM reform programmes led by Finance Division. The project has five components:
- Climate Fiscal Framework Implementation and Management
- Strategic Climate Change Sensitive Planning and Budgeting Management
- Climate Public Finance Governance Strengthened
- Strengthening Finance Division Coordination and Climate Public Finance Managing Roles
- More effective Planning and budgeting for climate change finance at the local level
The focus of this new proposed project intervention, entitled “Inclusive Climate Budgeting and Financing” will be on the implementation of this national Climate Fiscal Framework, which will provide an incentive framework for climate adaptation and mitigation (including removing perverse subsidies that promote maladaptation and climate emissions).
In doing so, it will also strengthen the public financial management system for climate finance, particularly with regards to accountability and transparency, as well as with regard to the flow of finances to line ministries, and to the local level including tracking to ensure funds benefit the poor and vulnerable. This will include activities to integrate climate into the medium-term budget framework, support climate budget coding (as for gender), bringing existing climate funds on budget, pilot virtual climate funds and programme based approaches and budget support for climate finance.
The Ministry can be supported to exchange experience with the regional Ministries of Finance that have a climate change unit and take part in climate negotiations including representation on the Green Climate Fund (by contrast Bangladesh sends Ministry of Environment representatives and an academic to the GCF).
In order to respond to these overarching goals the proposed project will focus on:
- Pricing, taxation and subsidy policies reviewed for coherence with BCCSAP objectives
- All climate related sources of funds and potential sources of funds identified and recognised as transparently as possible in MTBF and National Budget
- Refinement of the Long-Term Climate Fiscal Framework to include taxation, incentive-based fiscal instruments, sources and deployment of funds, and its financial management strategy.
- Climate dimension recognised explicitly in Ministry Budget Frameworks and Medium Term Strategic Business Plan of main spending administrative institutions
- Long term costs of climate sensitive works identified (and prioritized by sector) for inclusion on an annualized basis in ADP and MTBF
- Climate policy-based linkage established between ADP and Finance Division Classifications established for climate change
- Options for programme based approaches and budget support for climate finance introduced
- Accountability of climate finance strengthened at Parliamentary level
- Support to Auditor General to conduct Climate Finance Performance Audit
- National Climate fiscal framework committee designed, established and supported to promote inter-ministerial coordination led by Finance Division
- Exchange programme with climate change units of selected Ministries of Finance
- Climate sensitive plans and budgets at the local level
- Local level governments enabled to apply for climate resilience grants.
Objective: Updating Climate Fiscal Framework
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work
- Guide the national consultants to be recruited for the purpose of accomplishing the following tasks:
- Reviewing the relevance of existing CFF in the context of ongoing PFM s with focus on climate financing and national budget setting process
- Assessing the effects of fiscal instruments in the CFF like climate investment, taxation and subsidies
- Exploring the possibility of pro-poor climate response in the event of hypothecated approach to internal resources
- Building a scenario of the full range of available sources of fund in Bangladesh including domestic and international sources
- Assessing the scope for inclusion of private sector involvement in climate actions
- Working out a full range of climate finance management options with pros and cons in the country context
- Organize workshop(s) to gather inputs from relevant stakeholders and incorporate them in the revised CFF.
Expected Outputs and Deliverables:
Deliverables/ Outputs: CFF reviewed and updated- 14 working days after the signing of the contract and target date would be within 22 August 2017.
Institutional Arrangement
The contracted consultant will report to the IBFCR Project Manager, who will also carry out a performance evaluation at the end of the assignment.
The work will also be guided and reviewed by the Climate Change Specialist of UNDP Bangladesh.
Duration of the Work
The duration of the assignment will be maximum 14 working days in over a period of 4 weeks
Duty Station
The working location (duty station) is Dhaka, with travel to the relevant ministries, divisions and agencies as required by the assignment (for training, orientation and consultation workshops, etc.)
The consultant should, time to time, be present in the office (the PMU and the Finance Division), as and when required, to share the work plan, methodology, outcomes of the workshops, and the draft and final reports with PMU/FD. The consultant must have his/her own laptop to work for the assignment.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
Functional Competencies:
Knowledge Management and Learning
- Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
- Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
Development and Operational Effectiveness
- Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting
- Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage contributions and investments, manage transactions, conduct financial analysis, reporting and cost-recovery
- Good knowledge of accounting
- Ability to successfully lead the Finance Team
- Excellent IT skills, knowledge of Atlas
- Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioural/ attitudinal change
Management and Leadership
- Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
- Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s Degree in Economics, Finance/Accounting, Climate Change, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field.
Experience:
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in public financial management, particularly in budget management, and fully conversant with fiscal management and reporting formalities;
- Experience in Climate Finance related work or assignment in South Asia, especially in Bangladesh, would be treated as an added advantage;
- Experience in policy review, public expenditure review and developing fiscal management frameworks in developing countries;
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based information management systems.
Language:
Fluency of English language is required.
Lump sum contracts:
The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. To assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).
Travel:
All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.
One mission in Dhaka
Methodology
The consultant will liaise with OCAG and relevant ministry/division/agency counterparts and stakeholders. S/He will work in unison with the national consultant and draw out detailed approach and work plan required to successfully accomplish the task. The Consultant should also receive prior approval of the work plan and approaches from the IBFCR-PMU. The list of participants in the workshop(s) as indicated in the scope of work (Section D) must be cleared by the PMU. All costs of logistics and services regarding the organization of the workshops will be the responsibility of the project. The project will also reimburse any cost for field visits as per the UNDP official rates upon submission of reports on those visits.
Brief workshop reports should be shared with the PMU immediately after the workshops. Finally, the consultant should work closely or in a team with other consultants and experts recruited for the project.
Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:
Remuneration of the successful contractor will be fixed and bids should be submitted on this basis. No adjustment will be given for the period and determined by the specified outputs as per this TOR. The price should take into account all professional fees, travel costs, DSA, subsistence and ancillary expenses.
Total contract value will be paid after the submission of the reviewed CFF and the PMU is satisfied with the output - 14 working days
Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer
Financial Proposal will be prepared on lump sum basis and would include:
The financial proposal shall specify the total lump sum amount and must be all inclusive (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, medical allowances, communications costs etc.). The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components.
Evaluation of the Candidates:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.
Cumulative analysis:
The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant up on Cumulative Analysis/ evaluation 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.
Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% mark in technical evaluation will be considered eligible for financial evaluation.
Technical Evaluation Criteria (Total 70 marks):
- Relevant academic achievements and professional trainings -20 Marks
- Experience in the national budgetary process and MTBF- 25 Marks
- Experience in similar nature of work like Climate Fiscal Framework(CFF), Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review(CPEIR)- 25 Marks
Financial Evaluation (Total 30 marks):
All technical qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals received points according to the following formula:
p = y (µ/z)
where:
p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal
µ = price of the lowest priced proposal
z = price of the proposal being evaluated
Annexes to the TOR
Existing literature or documents that will help Offerors gain a better understanding of the project situation and the work required should be provided as annex/es to the TOR, especially if such literature or documents are not confidential.
Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Proposers who shall not submit below mentioned documents will not be considered for further evaluation.
- Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references; P11 can be downloaded from the link below: http://www.bd.undp.org/content/bangladesh/en/home/operations/jobs/
- Brief description of why the individual considers him/her self as the most suitable for the assignment and Work plan, as to how they will approach and completed the assignment. Provide link for the relevant publications (at least 3)
- Financial Proposal: Financial Proposal has to be submitted through a standard interest and availability template which can be downloaded from the link below:
Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.