Consultancy - Public Finance and Local Governance Consultant – Research and Evidence Specialist - SIP, PD - NYHQ, Requisition# 508019

Purpose of this consultancy is to provide research and evidence generation support to inform the development of PF4C programme guidance and the Strategic Framework for DLG. To ensure the relevance and quality of the evidence generated from desk-based reviews and case studies is grounded in UNICEF field experiences and programming realities, the consultant will be expected to participate in and contribute to the consultation processes for developing the different products. In addition, the consultant will be required to liaise regularly with focal points in the Programme Division at UNICEF New York on sector-specific PFLG issues as well as with select UNICEF country offices to document experiences. Due to the tight production timelines of both initiatives and the need for frequent, timely feedback to ensure high quality deliverables, the consultant is expected to work full time and on-site.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Background & Rationale 

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Public investments oriented toward and reaching girls and boys are essential to the fulfillment of their rights, as recognized in the Article IV of the Convention for the Rights of the Child (CRC), which obligates governments to undertake measures to the maximum extent of their available resources to fulfill children’s rights. 

The role of national public finance policy and management is increasingly central for achieving results for children. For UNICEF, to leverage national resources means not only supporting the development of child-friendly policies and institutions, but also tackling budget and public financial management (PFM)-related bottlenecks and barriers to ensure that financial inputs are translated into intended outputs and impact for children. UNICEF’s engagement on budgets and public finance issues is particularly important for addressing social exclusion. Even when overall policies are improving and budgets are increasing, inequitable and inefficient budgetary allocations, as well as issues with subnational budget planning and management, play a key role in the systematic exclusion of disadvantaged children. 

To guide UNICEF’s engagements on budgets and public financial processes over the next decade, the Public Finance and Local Governance (PFLG) unit at UNICEF New York is currently finalizing a Strategic Framework for Public Finance for Children (PF4C). At the same time, this work is being complemented by the development of a Strategic Framework for Decentralization and Local Governance (DLG), which emphasizes UNICEF’s efforts to influence the design of fiscal transfers and strengthen the capacity of subnational governments, service providers and communities around better budget planning, execution and monitoring. Building on recent consultations held during the Global Social Inclusion Network Meeting in October 2017, there was consensus on the urgency to finalize these strategic products as well as develop global technical guidance. 

Purpose

Purpose of this consultancy is to provide research and evidence generation support to inform the development of PF4C programme guidance and the Strategic Framework for DLG. To ensure the relevance and quality of the evidence generated from desk-based reviews and case studies is grounded in UNICEF field experiences and programming realities, the consultant will be expected to participate in and contribute to the consultation processes for developing the different products. In addition, the consultant will be required to liaise regularly with focal points in the Programme Division at UNICEF New York on sector-specific PFLG issues as well as with select UNICEF country offices to document experiences. Due to the tight production timelines of both initiatives and the need for frequent, timely feedback to ensure high quality deliverables, the consultant is expected to work full time and on-site. 

Expected results: (measurable results) 

Under the general guidance of the Chief of the PFLG Unit in the Programme Division of UNICEF New York, and working closely with the PF4C and DLG policy specialists, the consultant will be responsible for the following: 

• Literature reviews of evidence on effective strategies, approaches and practices, as well as lessons learned, as inputs to the development of the PF4C programme guidance:
  • Based on secondary research and through extensive desk review, the consultant will summarize and synthesize relevant findings from available literature and UNICEF’s recent field experiences, in order to generate the evidence base for identifying effective strategies, approaches and practices, as well as lessons learned for key PF4C interventions. The scope of the review may include internal publications, external publications including, but not limited to, those by the World Bank, International Budget Partnership (IBP), ODI Centre for Aid and Public Expenditure (CAPE) and other UN agencies, as well as the body of UNICEF’s experiences. The outputs will be delivered in terms of analytical inputs, drafting sections and developing case studies for the overall programme guidance and technical notes.
• Literature reviews of evidence on effective strategies, approaches and practices, as well as lessons learned, as inputs to the development of the Strategic Framework for DLG and DLG programme guidance:
  • The consultant will draw out relevant supporting evidence and produce drafting and analytical inputs to the DLG Framework, including research and knowledge management support and identifying and developing case studies to be used as supporting materials.
  • Based on secondary research and through extensive desk review, the consultant will summarize and synthesize relevant findings from available literature and UNICEF’s recent field experiences, in order to generate the evidence base for identifying effective strategies, approaches and practices, as well as lessons learned for key DLG interventions 

Duty Station

New York HQ 

Timeframe 

Start date:         November 20, 2017                     

End date: November 2, 2018         

Key competences, technical background, and experience required Deadline

 EDUCATION  

Advanced university degree in Economics, Public Finance, Public Policy and/or Administration, Urban Planning or relevant discipline. PhD an asset.

WORK EXPERIENCE 

• Minimum of 5 years of professional work experience in the area of decentralization, local governance or urban planning. Experience with local government public financial management and community-level budget monitoring and analysis strongly preferred. Familiarity with UNICEF programming is a plus.
• Strong research and drafting skills, especially to analyze qualitative information.
• Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and drive for results.

LANGUAGES and SOFTWARE  

• Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required. Knowledge of an additional UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is considered an asset.

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.   

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.