Background |
|||||||||||||||||||
Debt levels were always a concern for Pacific Islands States. COVID-19 combined with the impact of multiple strong cyclones have raised the level of debt in the Pacific and increased questions on their sustainability. At the global level, tools and debates have been multiplying on the need and frameworks for more transparency and accountability of debt in light of the current pandemic. Some examples includes the World Bank Parliamentary Network meeting on Debt Management and IDI publication on audit of public debt management. In the Pacific, UNDP and the IMF’s Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Center have hosted a regional discussion between Ministries of Finance and Parliaments on Fiscal Policy and Budget Documentation to facilitate a dialogue on those issues.
The UNDP in the Pacific works with parliaments to address constraints to the effectiveness and capacities of national parliaments in Pacific Island Countries (PICs) in order to engage with key development issues, contribute to the development of participatory and transparent national planning processes, expand parliamentary outreach and citizen engagement to include traditionally excluded groups such as women and youth, and increase the political participation of women. Through two regional parliamentary development projects (Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiative Phase 2 funded by New Zealand; Strengthening Legislatures’ Capacity in the Pacific Island Countries funded by Japan) and one national project (Fiji Parliament Support Project Phase 2 funded by New Zealand, Japan and Australia), the UNDP Pacific Office provides assistance to the legislatures of 15 Pacific Islands countries and territories.
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).
The portfolio of projects described above would like to support a more in-depth role of oversight institutions in monitoring COVID-19 recovery and long-term impacts. The proposed approach is a review of the current frameworks and level of practices in debt oversight in the Pacific and identify gaps in the transparency and accountability of current practices. This consultancy will provide strategic insights and compile existing data to guide the development of potential activities in jurisdictions that will express interest. |
|||||||||||||||||||
Duties and Responsibilities |
|||||||||||||||||||
Scope of Work Under the general guidance and supervision of the Portfolio lead – parliamentary development specialist and reporting to the PFM Project Manager, the Consultant will be responsible for the following activities:
For all of the above, the scope of the research will be the 15 countries and territories in which the UNDP Parliamentary portfolio is active in the Pacific, however based on the initial desk-based research up to 5 countries will be selected for in-depth mapping through interviews and detailed analysis of budget documents.
This consultancy might be extended to include in-country missions might the context allow it later in the year.
Expected Outputs and Deliverables
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 30 days between March – November 2021. Duty Station This consultancy is home-based. Online presentations and exchanges will be taking place on the Pacific time-zone. |
|||||||||||||||||||
Competencies |
|||||||||||||||||||
Corporate competencies:
Functional Competencies:
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Required Skills and Experience |
|||||||||||||||||||
Education
Experience
Language requirements
Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:
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]
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:
Note: Successful individual will be required to provide proof of medical insurance coverage before commencement of contract for the duration of the assignment.
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
Women applicants are encouraged to apply |
|||||||||||||||||||
To help us with our recruitment effort, please indicate in your cover/motivation letter where (ngotenders.net) you saw this job posting.