Consultant: Capacity Assessment for Gender Responsive Budgeting/Aid Effectiveness

[Maxence Melo]

Background

The overall objective of this program is to enhance accountability for gender equality and women's empowerment of donor and partner countries in the aid effectiveness agenda. Specific objectives are to:

• Deepen understanding of EU decision makers and national partners of effective use of gender responsive budgeting (GRB) tools and strategies in the context of General Budget Support (GBS) and sector-wide approaches and programmes (SWAps)
• Improve country capacity to institutionalize the application of GRB in the context of the aid effectiveness agenda

Stakeholders:

• Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs – the overall coordinator
• The National Bureau of Statistics
• Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children and its DAs
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives and its Das
• Ministry of LAbour, Youth Development and Sports and its Das
• PMO-RALG
• Temeke Municipal Council
• Morogoro District Council
• The Poverty Reduction Budget Support Group and selected members (PRBS)
• The Joint Assistance Strategy (JAST)
• The Public Finance Management Reform Secretariat
• The PER review team
• The Parliamentary Socio-Economic Committee and the other pertinent governance structures
• The Development Partners Group – Gender
• The MKUKUTA Secretariat
• Selected institutions in and out of Tanzania

Composition of the team with who the person hired will work:
The consultant will work directly with the UNIFEM GRB Coordinator and UNIFEM GRB Consultant and will liaise closely with the GRB Core Team which is comprised of officials of three pilot ministries- Labour, Agriculture and Regional Administration and Local Governments. S/he will be reporting to the UNIFEM Country Programme Manager in Tanzania.

Specific issues that should be taken into account by the person hired:

The consultant should take into account that capacity development is the core of the programme deliverables. The consultant will be required to work closely with the relevant government institutions. This assignment is the initial step of a longer term initiative, which will later be followed up with the elaboration of a capacity development strategy and related training programmes.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct a capacity assessment (in relation to GRB) of the institutions included as pilots in the GRB programme
• In particular focus on the capacity needs at the organizational level for appropriating GRB, such as the relevant budget, planning and tracking departments and interdepartmental gender committees and budget committees etc.
• Include in the assessment, analysis and recommendations of application of GRB in the context of the aid effectiveness agenda, such as the General Budget Support (GBS) and sector-wide approaches and programmes (SWAps), and the donor specific/government/ and joint mechanisms and groups set up to support this. (for example JAST, DPGs, Parliamentary Committees, interministerial budgeting teams, PAF, PER etc)
• Identify key competencies also at individual level within the institutions required to support the integration of GRB in the budgeting system, including a review of the accountability mechanisms in place, such as the appraisals and audits to track resource allocation

1. Specific:

• Develop an inception plan for the capacity assessment exercise and submit for approval at an inception meeting of key stakeholders, which details the scope, coverage, approach, methodology, profile of respondents, expected results, and other pertinent information, of the GRB Capacity Assessment and appropriation
• Identify/design appropriate tools and instruments for use in the Capacity Assessment and train facilitators and moderators on their application. Design questionnaires and checklists for use to interview and take stock of organizational structures in place, and other senior officials to be identified. These will provide variations in the sources of data collected so as to make the process participatory and therefore add value to the capacity assessment and eventual interventions to be developed
• Collect data from the relevant institutions and their officials on their capacities for appropriating GRB (also in the context of the aid effectiveness), - different types resources/inputs, processes, skills, knowledge and attitudes.

Include relevant mechanisms, institutions/groups, such as The Poverty Reduction Budget Support Group and selected members (PRBS); the Joint Assistance Strategy (JAST); the Public Finance Management Reform Secretariat; the PER review team; the Parliamentary Socio-Economic Committee and the other pertinent governance structures; the Development Partners Group – Gender; ..this will enable the consultant to use the data to measure core skills and competencies of available human resources, especially in relation to gender budgeting. The data will also shed light on existing procedures and on interrelationships to other organs supervised by either the Ministries or the Councils

• Conduct a capacity gap analysis which involves a study of institutions, processes, key individuals etc. (e.g. the tools and instrument used towards budgeting such as accounting manuals, MTEF forms, existing policies and procedures and other instruments currently in use) and make a preliminary list of capacity needs pertaining to each of the above cited institutions
• Collaborate with the IT expert to be provided by the MOFEA to undertake a IT capacity needs assessment for institutional and individual capacity development including for e-learning and accreditation
• Plan for (in the inception plan), later conduct dissemination and dialogue sessions to present finings and chart out the way forward as appropriate and in consultation with the stakeholders, develop specific and detailed recommendations to inform the elaboration of the capacity development plan for GRB. Whenever possible, also recommend GRB capacity development service providers

2. Deliverables (Compulsory for consultancies under SSA/ICs and TAs):

• A detailed inception plan for the GRB Capacity Assessment
• A draft report with an overview of the process, and key findings of the analysis and assessment with clear and detailed recommendations presented in such a way that they will facilitate the elaboration of a comprehensive capacity development strategy. The report shall also include the specific IT capacity needs assessment for institutional and individual capacity development including for e-learning and accreditation. ( A report template will be provided)
• Presentation of findings and recommendations during dissemination and dialogue sessions with key stakeholders
• A final report which includes feedback from the dissemination and consultation sessions and comments from the UNIFEM team

Competencies

Technical competencies:

• Documented experience in work related to institutional capacity assessments, human and institutional capacity development
• Experience in managing institutional capacity employment, deployment and development
• Previous experience of working with the public sector
• Knowledge and understanding of national budgeting systems and processes
• Understanding of gender equality and women's empowerment issues
• Previous work experience in gender responsive budgeting an asset
• Understanding of aid effectiveness principles and mechanisms an asset

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced University degree or equivalent in Social sciences, Administration, Personnel Management or equivalent.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years work experience in professional capacity in field relevant to the assignment.

Languages:

• Fluent in English.
• Knowledge of Swahili will be an asset.

Other:

• Computer-literate.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UNIFEM Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unifem.org/attachments/about/employment/UNIFEM_personal_history_form_P11.doc . Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UNIFEM P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Applications Closing Date: Thursday, 23 December 2010 ​