Background
1. ABOUT UNCDF:
The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs). With its capital mandate and investments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. This last mile is where available resources for development are scarcest; where market failures are pronounced; and where benefits of the national growth tend to leave people excluded.
UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: savings-led financial inclusion that expand the opportunities for individuals; households and small businesses to participate local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how the localized investments – through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance – can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. UNCDF financing models are applied in thematic areas where addressing barriers to finance at the local level can have a transformational effect for poor and excluded people and communities.
By strengthening how the finance works for poor people, household, small enterprise and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to the SDG1 on eradication poverty with a focus on reaching out the last mile and addressing the exclusions and inequalities of access. At the same time, UNCDF deploys its capital finance mandate in line with SDG 17 on means of implementation, that unlock public and private finance for poor at local level. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have a transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs and currently to 28 of 169 targets.
2. PROJECT BACKGROUND
Introduction to GPAR and the District Development Fund (DDF)
Since the 1st piloting in 2006, the District Development Fund (DDF) has been expanded under the National Governance and Public Administration Reform (GPAR) Programme – through the two phases of the Support for Better Service Delivery (GPAR-SBSD) 2007-2012 and the Strengthening Capacity and Service Delivery of Local Administrations (GPAR-SCSD) 2012-2016 interventions.
Built on the achievements and lessons learnt from the previous implementation experiences, the DDF remains as a key component under the new phase of the Governance for Inclusive Development Programme (GPAR-GIDP) 2017-2021. The DDF implementation has been led by the Ministry of the Home Affairs (MoHA), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and other sectoral agencies. All necessary technical assistance is provided by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
During the inception period of the GPAR-GIDP, a comprehensive review and upgrade of the existing DDF mechanism is scheduled to be carried out. The DDF upgrade will ensure maximizing a strategic and sustainable impact of the DDF on good governance and government system building, being fully integrated into and supporting implementation of the evolving government policies and regulatory framework in the areas of decentralization, public expenditure and financial management, public investment programme and project management, and PPPs (refer to the list of regulations and policies at the end of the ToR.
It is also anticipated that the DDF can be evolved to become integral to the national treasury system to facilitate capital fiscal transfers from the national to sub national government levels.
Duties and Responsibilities
a) SCHEDULE AND TIMEFRAME
The total duration of the consultancy will be 25 days during January-February 2018 according to the following indicative plan (actual starting date dependent upon the availability of the international consultant and contract award). Composition: 4 days home-based = 2 days for preparation + 2 days for report writing; and 21 days for working with the international consultant during the in-country missions, including weekends, of which 5 days are field visit):
* Preparation work (2 days)
* Initial consultation and scoping of work (2 days)
* DDF Upgrade consultations and positioning paper (6 days)
* Consultations and drafting of upgraded DDF guidelines (12 days)
* Presentation of DDF upgrade guidelines (1 day)
* Finalized DDF guidelines (2 days) – by 16 February 2018
b).DELIVERABLES
The National Consultant is expected to provide required support and contribution to the International Consultant in delivering the required deliverables below including, but not limited to, reviewing relevant documents, data collection, meeting appointments, travel arrangements, interpretation/translation, note taking during meetings, and other tasked as required by the International Consultant.
To verify the performance of the national consultant, the following deliverables will be assessed:
1. Prepare and finalize the Mission Programme including arranging and making appointments for meetings with key target stakeholders;
2. Translation of the DDF Upgrade Positioning Paper from English to Lao. Support to the Int’l Consultant to develop the Mission Report and Translate the Mission Report from English to Lao;
3. Support to the Int’l Consultant to develop DDF upgraded documents and translate them from English to Lao;
Competencies
1. Functional Competencies:
- Shares knowledge and experience
- Plans and prioritizes work activities to meet organizational needs
- Builds and sustains relationships with key stakeholder groups and project team
- Demonstrates excellent and effective written and oral communication skills
- Demonstrate respect to knowledge, culture and religion in a multidisciplinary demand
- Applies the required depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise to meet job demands
- Uses information technology effectively as tools and resources
- Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in taking on this type of consultancy
2. Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
Required Skills and Experience
1. Education
* Master’s Degree or equivalent in public administration, public finance, international affairs and development, political and social science or related fields
2. Experiences
* At least 6years of relevant professional experience especially on local governance and local development finance, public administrative and fiscal decentralization, or related disciplines, with significant experience of working with local administrations in Lao PDR and/or in the region would be an advantage
* Technical knowledge in local government budget support, grants and fund management, performance based grant allocation and the design of discretionary grant facilities for sub-national governments, local development planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, public expenditure and financial management, infrastructure development, or related fields
* Sound knowledge of UNCDF, UNDP and World Bank supported projects
* Experience working in multi-culture and diverse environmental settings
* Previous consultancy work/experiences on District Development Fund (DDF) Lao PDR is desirable
* Good understanding of Lao government system and institutional arrangements and procedures at both central and local levels is an asset
3. Languages
* Full command of English and Lao language is required