2 Individual Consultants – PFM Specialist (National or International) at UNICEF
Job Overview
2 Individual Consultants – PFM Specialist (National or International) at UNICEF
Job Description
Job no: 557769
Contract type: Consultant
Level: Consultancy
Location: United Republic of Tanzania
Categories: Social Policy
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
For every child, access
The UNICEF Social Policy programme works to strengthen national statistical, public financial management, and social protection systems and coverage, in addition to building national capacity in child-focused research and evaluation to promote evidence-based policy engagement.
In addition to limited data availability, low budget credibility and execution rates, and poor alignment between regional and sub-regional plans and budgets, regional public financial management systems remain vulnerable to a wide array of structural challenges linked to low analytical capacity. These challenges have significant implications for the effective delivery of national programmes affecting children, in terms of both the availability and accessibility of essential social services.
With a view to strengthen the budget monitoring and analysis chain along the institutional spectrum from LGAs to central ministries, regional authorities play a central role to track implementation of selected government initiatives, assess value for money, and ultimately monitor actual performance in the face of commitments as outlined in sector and LGA plans and budgets. Key means of verification include quarterly performance, as well as financial and physical performance reports. This information is released in semi-annual budget monitoring reports and policy briefs which are distributed to MOFP and other government officials, Members of Parliament, development partners and civil society organizations.
How can you make a difference?
Strengthened PFM systems rest on high quality engagement across multiple layers of government’s institutional architecture. Strong systems, in turn, result in the effective delivery of basic services affecting children and other vulnerable groups. By strengthening the technical skills of the officers responsible for budget planning, execution, monitoring and accountably, this effort aims to institutionalize data use and evidence generation at the heart of strategic policy implementation at both central and local government level.
Building on on-going efforts to strengthen national public financial management systems, the PFM specialist will work under the direct supervision of regional planning authorities and the UNICEF economist.
Summary of key tasks:
- Establish and coordinate regional budget monitoring and analysis activitiesSupport establishment of regional budget monitoring and analysis activities and develop institutional mechanisms, i.e. budget monitoring and analysis unit(s), for improved collaboration with councils and MDAs.
Build the capacity of the budget monitoring and analysis unit(s) to monitor the implementation of selected government initiatives, assess value for money, and ultimately assess actual performance in the face of commitments as outlined in sector and LGA plans and budgets. Key means of verification include quarterly performance, as well as financial and physical performance reports, amongst others. - Strengthen and develop systematic workflows and monitoring processes harnessed on flagship publications for policy advocacy and high-level engagement Establish clear processes / cycles (e.g. budget monitoring and analysis calendar) to undertake budget analysis with a view to monitor the implementation of national programmes at LGA level;
Oversee local capacity building efforts aimed at developing and institutionalizing data collection and aggregation for council and region-specific semi-annual performance assessments to enhance budget implementation and execution;
In close collaboration with MOFP and PORALG, lead regional budget analysis and research to identify and address sector specific budget implementation bottlenecks;
Facilitate meaningful policy engagement between regional authorities, councils, MOFP, PORALG and relevant MDAs and LGAs, on the basis of data and evidence generation. - Support regional efforts to institutionalize financial and outcome level data aggregation and utilization for budget monitoring and analysis Establish data collection processes and workflows in support of regional and sub-regional budget monitoring and analytical efforts;
Develop data governance protocols to guide data management and utilization in support of regional and subregional budget monitoring and analysis;
Develop and institutionalize flagship publications documenting budget implementation successes and failures, and guiding meaningful upstream and downstream policy engagement.
KEY TASKS, DELIVERABLES AND TIME FRAME
SN
Main Task
Time frame Payments (%)
1 Support the establishment the budget monitoring and analysis team in each region
15 – Jan-2022
16.6
2 Identify institutional relationships between the regions, the LGAs and the MDAs
relevant for budget monitoring and accountability processes
14-Feb-2022 16.6
3 Identify data sources relevant to budget monitoring and accountability activities. These
will include both financial and outcome level data.
15-March-2023 16.6
4 Create region-specific databases bringing together relevant financial and outcome level indicators to support budget monitoring and accountability efforts
14-April-2023 16.6
5 Create workflows and workplans to institutionalize budget monitoring and accountability to improve the strengthen and streamline the budget cycle
15-May-2023 16.6
6 Support the budget monitoring and accountability unit to produce three flagship publications (e.g. semiannual performance assessments, quarterly reports, budget
14-June-2023 16.6
6 months
PAYMENT SCHEDULE.
Payments will be made upon submission and acceptance of the specified deliverables in the table above under section TASKS, DELIVERABLE AND TIME FRAME. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.
ASSESSMENT / SELECTION PROCESS AND METHODS
Evaluations: The applicant should submit both technical and financial proposal which clearly stipulate how the work will be conducted. The Financial Proposal should include all costs of this assignment including fee, travel costs, accommodation as UNICEF will not pay any DSA.
Proposals will be both technically and financially evaluated. The technical part will carry a weight of 75%, in which the consultant will put clear his/her technical approach to ensure quality attainment of each deliverable and the consultancy in totality. The financial part will carry 25% showing the proposed budget breakdown of consultancy cost for each deliverable (fees, travels and accommodation) and eventual total consultancy cost.
Technical proposal will be evaluated on the following the criteria:
Years of expertise experience
Academic qualifications
Specialized expertise
Relevant Experience
REPORTING
This consultancy is reporting to Economist.
LOCATION, DURATION & LOGISTIC
The consultancy is based in Mbeya & Mtwara and will cover a period of 6 months from 15 January to 15 July 2022.
A consultant is expected to travel a maximum of 26 days per the assignment. Transport costs incurred during field travel will be reimbursed to the consultant.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional work experience at national and international level in policy analysis and advocacy.
Knowledge of public finance and PFM, excellent analytical, communication, advocacy and research skills, computer literacy (especially MS Office programme),
Proficiency in at least one of the UNICEF working languages: English, French or Spanish, as well as fluency in the working language of the office (English) required.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/.
“The UN system in Tanzania provided a work environment that reflects the value of gender equality, teamwork, diversity, integrity, a healthy balance of work and life and equal opportunity for all, including persons with disabilities”
Qualified persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply for UN vacancies and are protected from discrimination during all stages of employment.”
