Emplois au PNUD - 65805- National Municipal Expenditure Management Consulta

National Municipal Expenditure Management Consultant-4 positions

Lieu :

Sarajevo, BOSNIE-HERZEGOVINE

Type de contrat :

Individual Contract

Date de commencement :

Date limite de candidature :

04-May-16 (Minuit New York, États-Unis)

Niveau du poste :

National Consultant

Durée du contrat initial

May 2016 – September 2016 (maximum 35 working days per consultant)

Langues requises :

Anglais

Durée prévue de la mission :

Le PNUD s’engage à recruter un personnel divers en termes de genre, de nationalité et de culture. Nous encourageons de même les personnes issues des minorités ethniques, des communautés autochtones ou handicapées à postuler. Toutes les candidatures seront traitées dans la plus stricte confidentialité. Le PNUD ne tolère pas l’exploitation et / ou les atteintes sexuelles, ni aucune forme de harcèlement, y compris le harcèlement sexuel, et / ou toutes formes de discrimination. Tous/tes les candidats/tes selectectionnes /ées devront ainsi se soumettre à de rigoureuses vérifications relatives aux références fournies ainsi qu’à leurs antécédents.

Historique

a) Purpose
The purpose of the consultancy is to secure support for improving municipal expenditure management within selected local governments in BiH through the conduction of in-depth analysis of budgets, focusing on the expenditure side and providing a series of recommendations and optimisation measures aiming at improving expenditure management. In this regard, a National Municipal Expenditure Management Consultant (hereinafter the Consultant), supporting the Local Integrated Development (LID) Project implementation, will be engaged.

b) Objective
The primary focus of the consultancy will be on providing a detailed financial review of LID partner local governments by designing and conducting a review of municipal budget expenditures. Based on the findings of the financial review, a set of recommendations will be developed and presented to local governments. The review will be undertaken for the benefit of 21 local governments.

Background Information
The consultancy is planned within the Local Integrated Development (LID) Project (2016 – 2018). The project is primarily funded by the European Union and co-funded and implemented by UNDP BiH. As part of the UNDP BiH’s Rural and Regional Development Sector’s portfolio, the LID Project has an overall objective to raise the standards of living, and improve social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina through inclusive sustainable socio-economic development. LID interventions are streamlined along two main pillars: governance, and economic development and job creation. LID will work with 21 selected local governments, grouped together in 4 geographic clusters in the areas primarily affected by floods and areas with a large percentage of returnees/internally displaced persons. The main beneficiaries of the project are 21 local governments, 30 MSMEs and 300 rural households, 50 civil society organizations and grass-root citizens’ groups in target communities, 5,000 members of socially excluded and vulnerable groups, and 3 relevant higher government level institutions. The main national partner is the BiH Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees.

Devoirs et responsabilités

Among other activities, the LID project particularly aims at strengthening efficiency of local service delivery by improved municipal expenditure management. In that regard, a financial review of local governments participating in the LID project will be prepared. The objective of the analytical work under the LID Financial Review aims to contribute to improved understanding of local government budget management and identifying on-site technical assistance package for local governments. While organisational structure and administrative capacity of local governments are key for the overall effective service delivery, the financial management capacity is another important factor determining its efficiency side. This activity will seek to instigate sustainable reduction of local government operating budgets (by at least 3 % measured against the annual operating budget at the end of 2018), so as to free up financial resources for local development. It will provide a set of cost-optimisation measures (investment as well as administrative), and assist in the implementation of some them (related primarily to energy efficiency and / or water management).

Consultants will conduct thorough reviews of municipal budget expenditures, including, but not limited to: (1) operational costs (printing, IT services, procurement approach, etc.); (2) utilities’ expenditures (electricity, heating, water costs, etc., in municipal-owned buildings), (3) infrastructure/assets management improvement and reduction of related costs; (4) selected service-delivery related systems (street lightening, water supply, etc.). Each review will provide a set of concrete recommendations and cost-efficiency measures, to be considered by local governments. In the end, reviews will contribute to increasing transparency and accountability of local governments, improving revenue collection and expenditure performance, optimizing budget allocation procedures, and strengthen local governments’ role and position in intergovernmental fiscal considerations and empowering local development. Recommendations have to be prepared in line with the Reform Agenda and Economic Reforms Programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing additional support to faster approximation to the European Union and boosting local economic development.

The LID Financial Review target group include 21 selected local governments, grouped together in 4 geographic clusters:

Cluster 1: (Foca, Goražde, Konjic, Mostar and Vareš);
Cluster 2: (Doboj, Maglaj, Srebrenik, Tuzla, Žepce and Živinice);
Cluster 3: (Bijeljina, Modrica, Odžak, Orašje and Šamac);
Cluster 4: (Banja Luka, Celinac, Gradiška, Novi Grad and Prijedor).

Individual consultants will provide consultancy, covering each cluster separately. Potential consultants are obliged to select the cluster (more clusters optionally) in their applications, indicating accompanied costs for each cluster.
In the scope of this process, the Consultant will perform the following tasks:

Preparing methodology;
Performing in-depth budget analysis for selected cluster;
Producing and presenting a financial review.

1. Preparing methodology;
Review will be prepared on the basis of the methodology submitted by the Consultant and approved by the LID Project Team. In accordance with that, the Consultant will:

Draft and submit methodology to be applied in review preparation;
Present the methodology to the LID Project Team, provide justification, collect recommendations;
Finalize the methodology and start implementation.

2. Performing in-depth budget analysis for selected cluster
Analysis will be performed in regard to the existing municipal finance functions that include revenue and expenditure management, cash and debt management, local budgeting and accounting, municipal asset management and capital investment planning. To that purpose, the Consultant will:

Analyse the way municipalities raise, allocate, and manage their financial resources for last three years at least and present trends;
Analyse and present the composition of municipal revenues;
Create a work plan through desk review of budgets and other relevant documents, as well as documents and legal acts related to the disbursement of budgetary funds allocated for local development;
Develop a detailed questionnaire covering the structure of current budget expenditures and implement relevant survey among selected local governments;
Analyse and present the composition of municipal expenditures by function (general public services, housing, public order, environment, defense, economic affairs, recreation culture and religion, health, education, social protection and other);
Conduct thorough reviews of municipal budget expenditures (economic categories), including, but not limited to: (1) operational costs (printing, IT services, procurement approach, etc.); (2) utilities’ expenditures (electricity, heating, water costs, etc., in municipal-owned buildings), (3) infrastructure / assets management improvement and reduction of related costs; (4) selected service-delivery related systems (street lightening, water supply, etc.);
Conduct in-person interviews within the cluster covering selected local governments. Any specific follow-up consultations and clarifications can be done by telephone, e-mail, etc.
Explore the priority cost-reduction measures identified within partner local governments;
On the basis of the desk review, questionnaires, and interview recommend tailor-made, concrete and precise recommendations for each local governments geared towards cost-optimisation measures;
Collect local governments feedback and identify on-site technical assistance package;

3. Producing and presenting a financial review
On the basis of the findings obtained through Task 2, the Consultant will:

Develop a comprehensive review (in one of the BiH languages) containing detailed analysis, findings, recommendations and comments for each cluster and selected local governments. The review will also provide a set of concrete recommendations and cost-efficiency measures, to be considered by local governments;
Deliver a structured financial review for each municipality including, but not limited to:

- Municipal financial background
- Composition and structure of municipal revenues
- Detailed composition and structure of municipal expenditures (functional and economic classification)
- Cost-optimisation measures
- Identified technical assistance package
- Set of recommendations

Present the findings of the analysis to the Project Team along with the submission of a final document;
Present findings and recommendations to municipal governments and facilitate relevant discussion;
Deliver a relevant report.

UNDP LID Project team will closely oversee the service provision, work in close and continuous cooperation and coordination with the Consultant.

The service deliverables, including papers and all relevant materials, will be available for future use within the LID Project and by the relevant stakeholders, as well as by UNDP and other projects in the field of local governance.
The entire service will be delivered in in one of the BiH languages. The expected timeframe for the service is from May 2016 to September 2016.

The Consultant is responsible for the following deliverables:

Deliverables (outputs) Schedule

Task 1: Preparing methodology 2 days, (May 2016);
Task 2: Performing in-depth budget analysis for selected cluster 23 days, (May – July 2016);
Task 3: Producing and presenting a financial review 10 days, (August-September 2016)

Compétences

Core values

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Shares knowledge and experience.

Core competencies

Demonstrates professional competence to meet responsibilities and post requirements and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
Results-Orientation: Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals, generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations;
Communication: Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences;
Team work: Ability to interact, establish and maintain effective working relations with a culturally diverse team;
Client orientation: Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with national partners and stakeholders and pro-activeness in identifying of beneficiaries and partners’ needs, and matching them to appropriate solutions.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:

Advanced university degree in economics, public finances or public administration;
Master degree will be considered an asset;

Experience:

10 years of relevant experience in the field of financial policy planning, financial management, local development, strategic development or sustainability management;
Proven ability to undertake professional research using both quantitative and qualitative methods;
Proven analytical skills and ability to conceptualise and write concisely and clearly;
Proven skills and expertise in participatory and inclusive policy development, planning, project design;
Proven communication, facilitation and advocacy skills, and ability to work in an environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple actors including government representatives, donors and other stakeholders;
Fluency in official languages in BiH.
Excellent computer skills (MS Office applications) and ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource.

Award Criteria: Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the Cumulative analysis. The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (70%) and financial (30%) criteria specific to the solicitation.

Applicants are required to submit an application including:

Letter of interest;
Completed and signed UNDP Personal History Form (P11 application form);
Financial proposal indicating your consultancy fee as a lump sum (including travel expenses within selected cluster and all other applicable fees and costs related to the assignment).