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National Consultants to conduct spending reviews and develop the spending review methodology.

Vacancy Number: Pr21/02208

Location:	Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline:	20 Apr 2021, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Application Extended deadline:	27 Apr 2021, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Application Extended deadline:	04 May 2021, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Type of Contract:	Individual Contract
Starting date:	26 Apr 2021
Reference to the project:	Strengthening capacities and systems for effective Public Finance Management (PFM) in the Republic of Moldova
Expected Duration of Assignment:	April 2021 – December 2022, up to155 working days
Submission Instructions: Proposals should be submitted online, by pressing the "Apply Online" button, no later than 20.04.2021. Requests for clarification only must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail: marcel.olari@undp.org 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.
Supporting Documents: ToR_ National Consultant to implement spending reviews and develop methodology Procurement Notice - National Consultant to implement spending reviews and develop methodology OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP CONFIRMING INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR (IC) ASSIGNMENT UNDP General Conditions of Individual Contract

Mr. Marcel Olari.

Background

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 translate development effectiveness principles into practice, thus contributing to advancing the effectiveness of global development efforts to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals. 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.

The Republic of 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 in developing capacities, including in monitoring and evaluation for the PBB, as well as 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.

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.

Scope of work

The main objective of this assignment is to support the international experts to implement the spending reviews based on the methodologies piloted in 2018 – 2020, and further adjusting the methodology with the general goal of its institutionalization.

The National Consultant is responsible for collecting the information, policy documents, offering analysis of the relevant national legal and normative framework, liaising with government officials and other national stakeholders, establishing meetings and providing on-the-spot translation and interpretation, and contributing to reporting.

The responsibilities of the National Consultant will include but are not limited to the following activities through each phase of the Spending Reviews processes:

• Engage with government officials and other national stakeholders to collect relevant data, policy documentation and analysis in relation to Spending Review.
• Support International experts to undertake analysis of the financing context and outlook, of the relevant national legal and normative framework and of existing structures, ongoing reforms and opportunities to strengthen financing policies and institutional structures in relation to Spending Review.
• Support International experts to plan missions, consultations and dialogues as needed, including arranging logistics, providing on-the-spot translation and interpretation and reaching out to stakeholders.
• Support the International experts in adjusting the Spending Reviews methodology as a combination of the two methodological approaches applied in the spending reviews carried out in two Ministries in 2018 – 2020, and ensure its compliance with the national legal and normative framework
• Support the International experts in implementing the third and fourth round of Spending Review, identifying potential recommendations and preparing the draft of Spending Review reports.
• Support the International experts in drafting and finalizing Methodological Guidance for the spending review, with the purpose of its institutionalization.
• Support International experts in the organization, incl. arranging official interpretation and translation activities, and carrying out of the official outputs, such as workshops, training, methodology, reports and others.

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

Requirements for experience

QUALIFICATIONS

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 providing consultancy in the field of public financial management, fiscal planning, expenditure policy and budgeting;
• Previous experience of working with/for the Government entities and other relevant public institutions will be a strong advantage;
• Previous experience of working with international organizations, including UN Agencies, will be an advantage;
• Proven knowledge of spending reviews and spending reviews methodology is a strong asset;
• Proven knowledge of the Spending Review methodological approaches piloted in 2 Line Ministries in Moldova in 2018 – 2020 is a very strong advantage.

Language skills:

Proficiency in written and spoken English, Romanian and Russian are required for this assignment.

COMPETENCIES

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 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.

 The UNDP Moldova is committed to workforce diversity. Women, persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, as well as refugees and other non-citizens legally entitled to work in the Republic of Moldova, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Documents to be included

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/ information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• CV, including information about past experience in similar assignments and contact details for at least 3 referees;
• Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
• Offeror's Letter confirming Interest and Availability with financial proposal (in USD, specifying the total lump sum amount). Financial proposal template prepared in compliance with the template in Annex 2.

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.

In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including fees, taxes, travel costs, accommodation costs, communication, and number of anticipated working days).