Background

UNDP Iraq Mission Statement

UNDP is part of the UN Country Team in Iraq, which is comprised of 16 resident and 4 non-resident agencies. The UN Country Team is part of the integrated mission with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which was established in 2003. UNDP works alongside the UN Country Team to strengthen its coordinated effectiveness with the overall aim of achieving the MDGs and the post-2015 agenda. UNDP enables the work of the Country Team by undertaking a number of joint programmes to improve networking and information exchange capacities and reach a broader range of stakeholders and areas of Iraq. 

Organizational Context

Like many other developing countries, Iraq’s federal budget is prepared and executed based on traditional/Line item budget system which is intended to ensure legislative control over the expenditure of public money. The shortcoming of this approach that it does not necessarily indicate the relationship between the expenditure and results, and this prohibits the formulation and execution of economically meaningful budgetary policy. Besides, it prevents proper political choice among objectives and rational allocation of resources and limits the public understanding of government activity. This budgeting approach is a short-term process that makes rational planning more difficult. It stresses inputs rather than outputs and controls only the inputs, which in turn, results in inhibiting the ability of the managers to manage resources flexibly to achieve program objectives. Since 2010, there has been several attempts made by the Iraqi government to modernize its fiscal management plan and execution through undertaking financial management reforms including the budgeting process/cycle. Very recently, a high-ranking intergovernmental committee has been established to oversee budgeting process from line item-based budgeting to programme-based budgeting which means transforming the government sector budgeting systems from control of inputs to a focus on outputs and outcomes, in the interest of improving operational efficiency and promoting result-oriented accountability.

It’s widely acknowledged by the government and think tank community that line item/traditional budgeting system and the associated public administration system (bureaucratic management), traditional performance measurement system, traditional auditing systems, cash-based government accounting system are no longer able to provide the required information for an efficient and effective performance budgeting system. Therefore, the decision has been made to shift and adopt the Performance budget starting from 2020 and scale up gradually for a fully-fledged programme based budget. It’s expected to introduce program budgeting as part of a comprehensive reform effort, which includes medium-term expenditure framework along with top-down budgeting and aims to improve the overall efficiency of public expenditure management.

In order to ensure proper analysis of the current budget structure and develop a road map for the budget re-structuring, the Iraqi government has approached UNDP to provide technical support and expertise to make the transition phase as smooth and flawless as possible benefiting from the globally noted lessons learned. In response, UNDP initiated support plan to support the government to assess, develop a road map, and implement the budget restructuring initiative. This support is provided by UNDP through its Funding Facility for Economic Reform Project that was initiated in early 2017 to support the Iraqi federal government in its efforts to undertake economic reforms. FFER-Federal is positioned to be the financing instrument that will be used to channel high-caliber international or national expertise and support into top priority reform initiatives.

The main objectives of the work of the Program Budgeting Specialist is to undertake scoping mission to assess the current Budget structure, preparation process, and legal framework and eventually develop a road map for the institutional and technical requirement to shift from traditional budget system to programe/performance budget system.  The specialist will work with as an embedded international expert at the PMO, and report the Project Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work:

Under the overall guidance of FFER project manager, the International Consultant is expected to facilitate and accomplish the following tasks:   

• Analyze the current federal budget structure and budgeting process including the institutional and individual capacity and the legal framework to gage the readiness of the different actors to undertake budget structural reforms and shift from Traditional/line budget system to Programe/Performance budget system

• Develop a road map and strategic plan with all institutional and technical requirement to undertake the desired reforms.

• Develop a capacity building plan for the key ministries and the spending units and identify the technical support needed for sustainable reform.

• Conduct in-depth assessment of the budgeting process at the spending units (Ministries/Provinces) level and the aggregation of the federal budget.
• Propose a strategy for overall improved effectiveness and efficiency of budgeting processes within MOF to ensure public expenditures are allocated properly to achieve program results, according to strategic priorities and fiscal objectives.
• Conduct initial gap analysis to plan strategic reforms, identifying opportunities for improved efficiencies, looking at both short-, medium-, and long-term goals.
• Develop a strategic plan to address gaps in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), including capacity building plan for training, and mentor government staff on the process to ensure it is widely and properly used.
• Lead the development of a roll-out plan for program and performance-based budgeting, focusing on a training program and monitoring and evaluation system to inform resource allocation decisions.
• Support the establishment of a better coordination mechanism between MOF and MOP to unify the overall budgeting process and ensure the budget envelope meets the needs for high-priority projects.
• Develop a capacity building plan to ensure sustainability of reforms, including a verification methodology to monitor capacity building and measure compliance with new budgeting procedures.
• Conduct series of sensitization session for MOF advisors and the line ministry finance staff to ensure full understanding of the performance-based budgeting.

• Develop a ToR for the technical expertise needed to support the implementation of the reform strategic plan and capacity building plan.

Impact of Results:

The overall efficiency of public expenditure management is improved through the adoption of program budgeting as part of a comprehensive reform effort, which includes medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) along with top-down budgeting and integration of medium-term policy priorities and the annual budget for improved resource allocation, recognition of cost implications, and linkage between spending and performance and accountability can be improved.

Payment schedule:

Payment will be made in three installments as follows:

The experts’ report and deliverables will be certified by the project manager. The experts will be paid based on the actual work performed per day at the end of each month upon the certification of deliverables and submission of certification of payment.

Expected Outputs, Deliverables and Timelines:

Under the direct supervision of FFER Project Manager, the consultant will undertake the following deliverables:

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

Institutional Arrangements:

The Consultant shall work closely with UNDP project partners and report directly to the FFER Project Manager Manager/ UNDP Iraq.

Duration of the Work:

40 Working Days for three months.

Duty Station:

Baghdad

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates commitment to the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the mission, vision and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly and with impartiality.

Functional Competencies:

• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Self-reliant and able to work as a part of a multi-cultural team in a stressful.

Professionalism:

• Shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments; observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication:

• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Planning and Organizing:

• Identifies priority activities and assignments; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.

Client Orientation:

• Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Meets time line for delivery of product or services to client.

Teamwork:

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; Builds consensus for task purpose and direction with team members; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.

Technological awareness:

• Keeps abreast of available technology; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Minimum requirement is a B.A. in economics, finance, accounting or related field. A relevant master’s degree is preferred.

Special skills requirements

Languages: Fluency in English. Knowledge of Arabic is a distinct asset.

Skills and Experience:

• At least 8 years of experience assisting government in program budgeting, resource allocation, monitoring and evaluation, and budget training programs.

• Previous experience in budget system restructuring is required.

• Knowledge of and previous work with Iraqi Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Planning would be a plus.

• Experience in providing international technical assistance with UNDP or other donor organizations is preferred.

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards

• Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

• Treats all people fairly without favoritism

• Demonstrates good knowledge of the Iraq Economic issues, challenges and opportunities.

• Shares knowledge and experience and contributes to overall reform programmes in Iraq

• Develops deep knowledge in Practice Areas

• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills

• Networks in Government, NGOs and private sector

Evaluation Method and Criteria:

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

• Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of his professional fee, local communication cost and insurance (inclusive of medical health insurance and evacuation). The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 40 working days.

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 a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria: weight 70%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

Technical Criteria – Maximum 70 points

Technical Proposal (30 marks)

• Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – Explain the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach.

• Work Plan (10 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan.

  Qualification and Experience (40 marks) [evaluation of CV]:

• General Qualification (20 marks);

• Experience relevant to the assignment (20 marks);

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Financial Criteria 30% Lowest Offer / Offer*100

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested international individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

• Duly accomplished Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);

• 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.

  Technical proposal:

• Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;

• A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment

Financial proposal, as per template provided in UNDP jobsite (Annex II) https://www.iq.undp.org/content/iraq/en/home/operations/jobs.html 

Incomplete proposals may not be considered