UNDP Jobs - 73544- International Consultant for the Eritrea Macro Ass

International Consultant for the Eritrea Macro Assessment

Location :

Asmara, ERITREA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

04-Sep-2017

Application Deadline :

15-Aug-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

40 Working days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

40 working days spread over 5 months with at least two missions to Eritrea

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

The UNDP Eritrea Country Office is seeking a qualified international consultant to conduct a macro assessment of Eritrea’s Public Financial Management (PFM) environment. The outcome of this exercise will which will guide the implementation of the SPCF 2017-2021 in regards to appropriate cash transfer modalities, procedures and assurance activities for UN Agencies in the new programming cycle. The PFM in the harmonized approach to cash transfers (HACT) framework is broadly defined to include a range of considerations for operating within the country; it is not limited solely to the financial environment but also includes national procurement capacity, exchange rate volatility, presence of informal/black markets, etc. This assessment is called a macro assessment.

The two primary outputs of the macro assessment are:

An outline of the risks related to use of the PFM for cash transfers within the country by governmental IPs, as well as other country-specific knowledge for non-governmental IPs, such as environmental conditions, exchange rate volatility, presence of black markets, etc.; and
A determination of whether the government’s supreme audit institution (SAI) has the capacity to undertake scheduled and special audits of government IPs.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant performing the macro assessment collects available PFM assessments to aid in detailing the risks related to the use of PFM systems for cash transfers within Eritrea. This includes considerations regarding the use of the SAI and broader country conditions, such as environmental conditions, legal regulations, judicial environments, exchange rate volatility and the presence of informal/ black markets, etc.

Typical sources of PFM assessments are:

World Bank

Country financial accountability assessments. These vary in format and presentation.
Public expenditure reviews. These analyse a country’s fiscal position, expenditure policies and public expenditure management systems.
Country procurement assessment reviews. These review public procurement institutions and practices.
Institutional and governance reviews. These review the quality of accountability, policymaking and service delivery institutions.
Capacity assessments of heavily indebted poor country PFM. Performed jointly with IMF, this assessment covers some of the same issues as a country financial accountability assessment.

Assessments by other institutions

Fiscal transparency reviews (IMF). These use the code of good practices on fiscal transparency adopted by IMF in 1998.
Diagnostic study of accounting and auditing (Asian Development Bank).
Ex-ante audits of PFM systems (European Commission).
Assessments by CIDA, DFID, EU, ADB and other agencies.

The Resident Coordinator’s Office willl provide the following documentation before the start of the consultancy: Summary of primary programme initiatives and IPs in the country; Details of macro assessments previously performed in Eritrea (if any); and Any other documentation that may help the consultant better understand the country context from a United Nations perspective.

The consultant should review the information received before performing the assessment.

The preliminary results of the macro assessment are discussed with the agencies implementing the HACT framework, both to provide a summary of the results and to incorporate agency-specific experience and knowledge of the country into the final assessment.

Before the start of the work, the consultant will submit his/her work plan and will make a proposal for Indicator 19 (Annex 2) with detailed risk considerations to UN agencies for approval within one week after contract signing.

The final deliverable by the consultant would be a macro-assessment report that summarizes the findings on the risks related to the use of PFM systems for cash transfers within Eritrea indicated in Annex 1 - Macro Assessment Checklist. The report shall be enclosed with a completed Annex 2 - Risk Consideration Checklist.

The Resident Coordinator’s Office will be responsible for providing administrative support to the consultant and also the overall coordination support to the whole process of Marco Assessment. UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF will be responsible for providing technical support to the consultant. UNDP will be responsible for procurement of the service and processing payments to the consultant on behalf of UNFPA and UNICEF as per Payment Term of the ToR and the Cost Share Agreement to be signed by the three Agencies.

Competencies

Sound knowledge and understanding of forest restoration and sustainable land management;
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, in order to communicate complex, technical information to both technical and policy and general audiences, including strong policy advice skills.
Strong technical writing skills; and
Excellent coordination and leadership skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Advanced degree (i.e.; Masters or equivalent) in Economics, Management, or other relevant fields;

Experience

Minimum 10 years of demonstrable experience in public finance, accounting, and/or operations;
Proven ability to verify, critically analyze data and information and to present finished work with a high degree of accuracy and technical quality in a relatively short time;
Work experience in Eritrea or the Horn of Africa and/or African countries preferred;
The consultant should be experienced in performing assessments similar to a macro assessment and assessing risks related to PFM systems. He/she should also have financial management experience and knowledge of the United Nations system and the development sector.

Language

Full command of and fluency in English, with a high degree of proficiency in writing in this language is a requirement.

Application procedure:

CVs should include details on previous and ongoing assignments indicating responsibilities assumed, and qualifications and experience in undertaking similar assessments.