Background
Public Finance Management is throughout the Pacific a topic of importance for international and local partners equally. Numerous stakeholders, institutions and international actors have been engaged in reinforcing the frameworks, tools and actors linked to PFM. Parliament and supreme audit institution function in public financial management across the Pacific Islands region have been identify as an area requiring strengthening. A specific focus of UNDP in this regard is the parliament’s role in budget scrutiny; effective external audit of government budget execution by the supreme audit institutions, inclusion of citizens and civil society in budget processes, thorough and transparent parliamentary oversight of the external audit, and follow-up with government on recommendations. This consultancy focuses on facilitating CSOs, citizens and Parliaments engagement on PFM cycles.
Strengthening of public Finance Management and Governance in the Pacific Project (hereafter PFM) aims to strengthen oversight over public financial management in the Pacific region, though improving the budgetary scrutiny, public financial oversight and accountability capacities of parliaments, supreme audit institutions and civil society within the region, aligning with international public financial oversight and accountability standards, and fostering citizen engagement and oversight. Strengthening of Public Finance Management project is funded by the European Union (EU) and Implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
UNDP is partnering with the regional umbrella CSO organisation PIANGO in the Pacific to map and disseminate information about budget cycles. The aim of this exercise is to facilitate CSO engagement in budget oversight and notably with Parliaments. In view of the current COVID-19 pandemics, the activities have been accelerated in order to provide civil society and citizen with sufficient background information to monitor emergency funds and crisis response mechanisms. A first step is to provide a point of comparison with normal budget cycles, this consultancy will ensure this basic information is made accessible and available.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work
Reporting to the UNDP PFM Project Manager, the Citizen Budget Guide Consultant will be responsible for the following activities:
Based on the information collected through the UNDP Effective Governance portfolio as well as through desk-based research and targeted interviews, map or support mapping by CSOs the budget cycle of 5 countries of the Pacific;
Work and ensure quality with Graphic Designer to produce 5 “Citizen Budget Guides” aimed primarily at civil society and Parliamentary audiences;
Support civil society efforts in the Pacific to adopt, modify and use citizen budget guides to design targeted oversight interventions and monitor the COVID-19 response.
Expected Outputs and Deliverables
Deliverables | No. of days | |
1 | Based on the information collected through the UNDP Effective Governance portfolio as well as through desk-based research and targeted interviews, map or support mapping by CSO of the budget cycle of 5 countries of the Pacific. Mapping should include generic timeframe, identify all key institutional and external actors and their specific responsibilities for each stage of budget cycle (planning, execution, reporting) and include a focus on consultations and advocacy opportunities for CSOs in existing frameworks. One budget cycle map (2-3 pages depending on format) should be produced for each of the selected 5 countries.
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2 | After validation of the budget cycle maps, the consultant will work with the project’s Graphic Designer to produce 5 “Citizen Budget Guides” aimed primarily at civil society and Parliamentary audiences. Consultant should identify key information to highlight and provide guidance and information to the designer and CSOs as needed to produce one publication per country (A3 or leaflet sized) capturing the process mapped through deliverable one in a manner both informative and accessible to local CSO actors. | 5 |
3 | Support civil society efforts in the Pacific to adopt, modify and use citizen budget guides to design targeted oversight interventions and monitor the COVID-19 response. Based on demand and feedback from CSO partners:
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Institutional Arrangement
The Consultant will report to the Project Manager, Public Finance Management Project, Effective Governance. Reporting is to be undertaken as per Deliverables and Activities outlined above.
The Consultant to provide their own IT (computer).
Duration of the Work
The consultant will be required to work for a period of up to 50 days between June 2020 to December 2020.
Duty StationThis consultancy is home-based. Online presentations and exchanges will be taking place on the Pacific time-zone.
Competencies
Corporate competencies:
Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling UN values and ethical standards;
Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
Display cultural, gender, nationality, religion and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Functional Competencies:
Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment;
Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team and to work under pressure;
Excellent relationship management;
Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation and reporting skills;
Required Skills and Experience
Education
Masters in Economics, Public Finance Management, Development or related field providing insights in budget cycles or community engagement.
Experience
At least 5 years of relevant professional experience related to public finance management and/or oversight ;
Experience working on citizen budget or activities related to oversight of public finances;
Proven in-depth technical knowledge of budget cycles, advantage will be given to candidates demonstrating an understanding of both US and Westminster model;
Experience of engaging non-expert audience on PFM or oversight issues with advantage given to experience working either in the Pacific or with communities with little technical understanding of PFM and/or Parliaments.
Language requirements
Fluency of English language is required;
Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments
Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Daily Fee. Consultant shall quote an all-inclusive Daily Fee for the contract period. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, etc.) that could be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment are already factored into the daily fee submitted in the proposal. If applicable, travel or daily allowance cost (if any work is to be done outside the IC’s duty station) should be identified separately. Payments shall be done on a monthly basis based on actual days worked, upon verification of completion of deliverables and approval by the IC’s supervisor of a Time Sheet indicating the days worked in the period.
In general, UNDP shall 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 event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.
Evaluation Method and Criteria
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology Cumulative analysis
The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.
Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points) [Please add/adjust the below criteria and points awarded to each as necessary]
Criteria 1 - Relevance of Education – Max 10 points
Criteria 2 - Relevance of work experience - Max 10 Points
Criteria 3 – Specific experience of citizen budgets and related oversight activities – Max 20 points
Criteria 4 - In-depth technical knowledge of budget cycles – Max 20 points
Criteria 5 - Experience of engaging non-expert audience on PFM or oversight issues – Max 10 points
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
Documentation required
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information (in one (1) single document as the application supports only one upload) to demonstrate their qualifications:
Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability for the duration of the assignment using the template provided in Annex II.
CV indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
Cover letter, including a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment
Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex II (in USD)
Incomplete, joint proposals and proposals sent to the wrong mailing address will not be accepted and only candidates for whom there is further interest will be contacted.
Individuals interested in this consultancy should apply and will be reviewed based on their own individual capacity. The successful individual may sign an Individual Contract with UNDP or request his/her employer to sign a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) on their behalf by indicating this in the Offerors letter to Confirming Interest and Availability using Annex II.
Annexes
Proposal Submission
- All applications must be clearly marked with the title of the consultancy (Citizen Budget Guides Consultant) with reference (PN/FJI/046/20) and submitted via UN Job shop by 28th May 2020.
- Note: UNDP Jobs only supports single document upload hence ensure that the proposal consolidated and submitted as one single document.
- For further information concerning this Terms of Reference, please contact UNDP Pacific Office by email: procurement.fj@undp.org.
Women applicants are encouraged to apply