Two International Consultants to conduct Spending Reviews and develop the Spending Review Methodology

The Public Finance for Development Project is based on a long and rich experience that the Slovak Republic as donor and UNDP have gained over the course of the past decade. Through this project, the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic and UNDP help put development effectiveness principles into practice, thus contributing to advancing the effectiveness of global development efforts to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, it became the key area of the Slovak development cooperation performed by knowledge-transfer and building the capacities of partner institutions. Based on these experiences, the Public Finance for Development (PFD) Programme has been established in 2009 with the aim to assist the partner countries in their efforts to reform and set up the public finance management. 

Moldova became a beneficiary country of the Programme in 2010. The interventions in Moldova aimed at supporting the Ministry of Finance and Line Ministries in implementing program-based budgeting (PBB) and developing capacities, including in monitoring and evaluation for the PBB, at improving the legal and methodological framework. In 2018-2020 the Programme supported piloting of the Spending Reviews based on the experience of the Slovak Ministry of Finance at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and at the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment of the Republic of Moldova. 

In the new phase of the project (2020-2022) the assistance is targeted at building analytical capacities for the Spending Reviews in another two-Line Ministries through adjusting, piloting and institutionalization of the Spending Review Methodology. The target ministries for carrying out the third and fourth spending reviews will be identified during the first mission of the selected experts in consultations with the Ministry of Finance of Moldova. The Spending Review Methodology for the third round in 2021 will combine the two methodological approaches applied in the spending reviews carried out in 2018 – 2020. The methodology applied in the third round will be codified in a Methodological Guidance and will be implemented in the fourth round of the spending review in 2022 with the purpose of its institutionalization.

The objective of the assignment is to contribute to developing analytical capacities of the Ministry of Finance and Line Ministries of the Republic of Moldova for carrying out the spending reviews based on the methodologies piloted in 2018 – 2020, and further adjusting the methodology with the general goal of its institutionalization.

The Senior Consultant (Team Leader) will have the overall responsibility for the achievement of the objective of the assignment, delivering the expected outputs, coordination of the work with other experts, and for proper reporting to the UNDP. The Senior Consultant (Expert) will support the Senior Consultant (Team Leader) in the achievement of the objective of the assignment and the delivery of the expected outputs by providing technical expertise at all stages of the assignment. A local consultant might be recruited to support the Senior Consultants in collecting the information, offering analysis of the relevant national legal and normative framework, establishing meetings and providing on-the-spot translation and interpretation, and contributing to reporting.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

Corporate competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• 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 favoritisms;
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment. 

Functional competencies:

• Strong leadership and team management skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, teamwork ability;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
• Good time management, meeting deadlines

Senior Consultant (Team Leader

Academic Qualifications/Education: 

• Master’s Degree or higher in economics, finance, public administration, management, development studies or related field.

Experience: 

• At least 7 years of experience in public finance management, fiscal planning, expenditure policy and budgeting aligned to EU practices and tools; 
• Previous experience in designing methodologies, managing and conducting spending reviews;
• Previous experience with the design and implementation of the public finance reform and post-reform initiatives at central and local levels; 
• Hands-on experience or a profound knowledge of the Spending Review methodological approaches piloted in 2 Line Ministries in Moldova in 2018 – 2020 is a strong asset.

Language skills: 

Strong writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English.

Senior Consultant (Expert)

Academic Qualifications/Education: 

• Master’s Degree or higher in economics, finance, public administration, management, development studies or related field.

Experience: 

• At least 5 years of experience in public financial management, fiscal planning, expenditure policy and budgeting aligned to EU practices and tools; 
• Previous experience in designing methodologies, managing and conducting spending reviews is required;
• Previous experience with development and implementation of the public finance reform and post-reform initiatives on central and local levels;
• Hands-on experience or a profound knowledge of the Spending Review methodological approaches piloted in 2 Line Ministries in Moldova in 2018 – 2020 is a strong asset

Language skills: 

• Strong writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English.

The UNDP Moldova is committed to workforce diversity.

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 – 60% (300 pts);

* Financial Criteria weight – 40% (200 pts).

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 210 points for the total technical scoring would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Winning candidate

The winning candidate will be the candidate, who has accumulated the highest aggregated score (technical scoring + financial scoring).

For supporting documents (Terms of Reference and Individual Consultant Procurement Notice) please visit https://sc.undp.md/jobs/2184/

Proposals should be submitted online, by pressing the “Apply Online” button, no later than 02 February 2021, 16:30 (GMT + 2, Moldova Local Time)

Requests for clarification only must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail:

[email protected]

UNDP will respond by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.