International Consultant to offer capacity building in PF4C for program staff in UNICEF COs

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, health, education, social protection

Building on available learning materials and approaches, we need an international consultant to develop and deliver an Orientation Course on PF4C for the program staff participating Country Offices (COs) to enhance understanding, knowledge and expertise on public financial management (PFM) issues as they relate to investments in children, including to:

• Strengthen the “budget literacy” of program staff (knowledge of basic PFM literature, a conceptual framework for PF4C, budget and PFM reform processes focusing on concrete examples and cases from the COs realities, etc.);
• Improve the ability to develop and apply appropriate PF4C tools, including budget briefs, Public Expenditure Reviews (PERs), Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETS), value for money analyses, fiscal space analyses, etc.;
• Improve their skills to engage in strategic policy dialogue on PF4C and effectively advocate for more transparent, effective and adequate investments in children; and
• Develop, with expert guidance, a draft PF4C strategy for their area of work, including a concrete one-year work plan.

Rather than being passive recipients of knowledge, the training is expected to encourage participants to brainstorm and identify key PFM bottlenecks and responses in order to move the PF4C agenda forward in their countries and the region.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the a small team composed of Social Policy Specialists of countries of Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro and ECARO SP section, the contractor’s key responsibilities are to:

1. Review existing literature on PFM reforms and PF4C practices in participating countries to understand the budget and public finance context and bottlenecks as well as major social and economic challenges faced by children.
2. Review UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2018-21, and regional and global learning the region program on PF4C and participate in preparatory meetings by Skype with UNICEF COs to discuss how training modules can be adapted to the sub-regional context.
3. Design the training program on PF4C.  The training will be delivered online and suggested to organize a 5 day program about 3 – 3, 5 hours per day.
4. Conduct the training course for UNICEF staff working in participating COs. The training should balance lectures, discussions, individual work, group activities, etc. and provide ample opportunity for case studies and practical exercises. UNICEF Regional Advisor will also support for the content discussions of some of the topics below.
5. Produce a workshop report (5 pages) that contains a concise analysis of the workshop evaluations as well recommendations on identifying additional opportunities for learning.

Key deliverables

1. Draft concept note, and agenda for the course (in line with modules proposed above, with full details on presentation topics, timings, instructors, case studies, etc.). Preferably the consultant to develop a baseline questionnaire to assess the training needs.

Duration: 5 days in total to be completed two weeks upon contract signature

2.  Develop training package based on predeveloped training materials (concept note, annotated agenda, modules in power point form, pre and post evaluations, proposed reading materials, hand-outs and exercises, etc.). The training package to include also facilitators practical manual, so as a practical note for participants with important information and tips on what is expected during the training.

Duration: 17 days in total to be completed six weeks upon contract signature

3.  Deliver the training online

Duration:  5 days  (the 5 days will be split into 3-4 weeks)

4. Workshop report, including recommendations 

Duration: 2 days  (to be delivered one week before contract end date)

For more information on the Background, Country Offices, objectives and scope of work/tasks see the TORs at  TORs – PF4C subregional training – for advertisement.docx

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

• Advanced university degree in economics or related area;
• Minimum 10 years of academic/research and training experience on PFM; experience with UNICEF on PF4C viewed as an asset;
• Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in analytical work on PFM and/or social budgeting; specific focus on social budgeting for children an asset;
• Previous experience in preparation and delivery of similar training program;
• Good knowledge of Western Balkan context an asset;
• Excellent presentation, interpersonal and collaboration skills;
• Excellent spoken and written English;
• Experience of working in developing countries

The applicant/s must submit to the UNICEF Albania office for review:

• Latest CV with references, lists and links to previous relevant work
• A short concept note specifying methodology (how the consultant/s plans to carry out the work), workplan with timeline. (max 3 pages);
• Financial proposal – Financial proposal indicating an all-inclusive daily fee in US$.

The contractor will report on the deliverables required to the Social Protection Specialist in UNICEF Albania. Social Protection Specialist will also consult with RO team involved on the exercise and focal points in the participating COs (Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia)

If you have any question related to the TOR for this assignment please contact Elvana Pernaska at [email protected]

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.