Terms of Reference (Tor) for Individual Consultant

UNICEF Myanmar

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

Long-term consultancy to expand UNICEF Myanmar’s work on Social Budgeting and Public Finance for Children (PF4C)
Section in Charge: Social Policy and Child Rights Monitoring
Outcome reference: Outcome 107. By the end of 2015, boys and girls benefit from increased budget allocations under health, education, social welfare and protection addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.
Output reference: Output 2. By the end of 2015, national and sub-national policies and strategies are strengthened to address identified vulnerabilities of children.
1.  Background:
Country Context
The stunning process of reforms ongoing in Myanmar, aimed at achieving in a short time political liberalization, opening to the global economy, people-centred development and poverty reduction, provides for a wide range of opportunities to improve the life of Myanmar families and children, and progressively address inequities and increase opportunities for all.
The openness of the government in disclosing information related to the ongoing reforms, and allowing for a more open expression of opinions by the media, has radically improved the dialogue with development partners, and allowed for an open and constructive process in the promotion of reforms addressing the needs of families and children.
Fiscal Reform Strategy
The publication of the Budget Law for the first time in 2012 has allowed for an open dialogue on budget allocations, as well as opportunities for social investments, considering the abundance of revenues from natural resources, and from the expansion of economy, that the country can count on.
According to the latest IMF report, the government has begun to develop a far-reaching fiscal reform strategy to mobilize non-resource revenues and revamp public finance management (PFM). Together with reforms in tax administration and tax policies – allowing for sustainable support to development expenditure, beyond what is provided by revenues from natural resources – the Government has engaged with PFM reforms focusing on budget formulation, strengthening fiscal discipline and expenditure control, and fiscal accounting and reporting. A public expenditure review (PER) coordinated by the World Bank has been carried out to improve the efficiency of public spending and inform policies on fiscal decentralization, with attention being given among others to sectors relevant to the wellbeing of children (health and education). The Government has also committed to implementing the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, to support the transparent use of natural resources revenues.
Increased investments – although insufficient – in the social sectors
According to IMF data, the Myanmar Budget Law 2013-14 reflected the government’s policies to reduce poverty, increase priority spending, and to grant greater financial autonomy to state economic enterprises. Among other key expenditure measures, spending for education and health has increased respectively by 30 and 78 percent, compared to the previous year. Further increases in these two sectors are expected in the Budget Law 2014-15, currently under discussion.
Despite this remarkable effort, however, investment in the health and education sectors in Myanmar is among the lowest in the ASEAN region, with a total 1.1% of GDP invested in health (current and capital expenditure), and 1.7% of GDP invested for education. Of even greater concern is the situation of Social Welfare, where only 0.01% of GDP is allocated to cover services for the most vulnerable and marginalised groups of the population, among which are children and persons with disabilities, the elderly, children deprived of parental care, and women.
Continuous investments in the social sector are recommended unanimously by all development partners and IFIs, in order to ensure the minimum welfare and social stability required to allow for the envisaged economic growth.
Decentralization reform: opportunities for social planning
As part of the overall reform agenda, the main strategy to ensure people-centred development in Myanmar is to support a rapid and comprehensive decentralization of functions. Having started with the empowerment of States’ and Regions’ Governments in defining their local plans – although not yet supported by a full fiscal decentralization – the reform process seems at this stage to focus on the decentralization of responsibilities, where local authorities will reportedly have full responsibility for the allocation and managing of resources in many sectors that regulate the life of citizens, from urban planning to industrial development, and including social services.
The ongoing reform provides for an entry point to enhance children’s agenda at sub-national level, advocating for increased social investments focused on the provision of specific responses to the identified needs of families and children.
Changes in international aid patterns
The comprehensive shift in Government policy towards democratic and market-oriented reforms has had a radical impact on the interest and participation of bilateral and multilateral donors, who have substantially increased their presence in Myanmar during the last two years.
IFIs and donors have intensified their dialogue with the Government, and increased their technical assistance in support of the comprehensive reform process; in certain areas such as PFM, however, the influence of financial institutions is naturally directing the agenda towards fiscal and economic priorities which are not necessarily putting human rights and social welfare at the centre of the debate.
The radical change in the donors’ environment requires an increased effort on UNICEF’s side to position itself in the social policy and reform agenda, in order to maintain the influential position UNICEF has gained throughout years of dialogue with Government counterparts, and identifying new policy advocacy avenues to enhance the focus on children in the Government agenda.
UNICEF’s global focus on Public Finance and Local Governance
Public Finance for Children is one of the key focus areas contributing to UNICEF’s new strategic plan outcome on Social Inclusion.
How governments spend their own money on children makes a huge difference to children’s lives – almost always dwarfing the impact of development assistance. Ensuring that adequate public resources reach every child, particularly the most disadvantaged, is a sine qua non for achieving and sustaining results in every outcome area. UNICEF is increasingly successful at influencing this through our Public Finance for Children (PF4C) work – often a productive collaboration between sector and social policy staff and with increasing emphasis on local governance and accountability. PF4C work has been undertaken in all sectors, in the majority of UNICEF COs across regions. Social policy complements and strengthens sectoral work through specialized contributions (macro, PFM, other cross-cutting issues), as well as providing complementary technical expertise. Good practices are characterized by the 4Cs – Capacity development, Communication, Convening power, Children being the starting and end points.
UNICEF Myanmar CO work on social budgeting and PF4C:
Thanks to the new openness of the Government in discussing budgetary issues, advocacy on social investments for children in Myanmar has been initiated through the promotion of analyses on budget allocations in the social sector, and on opportunities for investment of natural resources income for the funding of social policies. The reports produced in 2013 (“Snapshot of Social Sector Public Budget Allocation and Spending in Myanmar” and “From Natural resources to Human Capital: Practical, feasible, immediate resourcing solutions for Myanmar’s Children”) have been instrumental in initiating a dialogue with the Ministry of Finance, the Parliament, and national think tanks (NGOs and research centres).
In a context where attention is mainly focused on infrastructure and economic development, it is increasingly incumbent upon UNICEF to identify advocacy and partnership avenues which ensure that due attention is given to sectors traditionally considered “non productive”, such as social services for families and children.
The positive dialogue already initiated with the Ministry of Finance, and with International Financial Institutions, will need to be enhanced through the continuous production of analytical evidence focusing on the implication of national economic and financial decisions for the lives of families and children, and the demonstration of the possibility to increase and sustain social investments in a country blessed with an abundance of resources.
Options for effective social investments will be explored in each sector, with particular attention given to the fiscal decentralization agenda, and to options for social protection schemes ensuring the reduction of inequities.
In order to be able to effectively develop this agenda, UNICEF is looking for an economist who will cooperate full time with the Social Policy and Child Rights Monitoring Unit, and provide technical expertise for the enhancement of the country office agenda on Social Budgeting and PF4C .
2.  Objectives of the consultancy:
The objective of the assignment is to enhance UNICEF Myanmar’s work on social budgeting and PF4C, through dedicated analytical work and the promotion of knowledge management, advocacy and partnership initiatives in the PFM and budgeting sector. This includes:
·  Identifying partners in civil society and the research sector who will engage in joint analytical efforts and produce evidence on social budgeting for children – creating the conditions for a permanent national “observatory” on PF4C;
·  Following-up on the developments of the national PFM agenda, identifying opportunities for UNICEF to cooperate with IFIs (in particular the WB, and the development partners involved in the PFM national working group), and defining (in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance) capacity building initiatives for social ministries aligned to the new requirements of the PFM agenda;
·  Monitoring the developments of the fiscal decentralization agenda, and promoting orientation and capacity development initiatives for Field Office colleagues and sub-national counterparts on social budgeting and PF4C; and
·  Producing cost analyses on policy options promoted by UNICEF in the social sectors (health, education, social protection and social welfare), based on programme needs.
3.  Geographic Area:
Yangon, with frequent travel to Nay Pyi Taw and occasional travel to field offices
4.  Duration:
15 March 2014 – 15 December 2014 (nine months)
5.  Supervisor:
Cristina Roccella, Chief of Social Policy and Child Rights Monitoring
6.  Type of Supervision/support required:
Guidance on the strategic directions of UNICEF’s social policy programme; facilitation of interaction with key stakeholders and counterparts; regular revision of deliverables produced, and performance discussions
7.  Description of assignment:
Tasks / End Product/deliverables / Duration/
Deadline
Establish direct cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, and ensure access to budgetary information (new budget law, other budgetary documents approved throughout the year) and analyses of the impact of budgetary decisions on children / Analytical documents produced on (i) allocations to social sectors in the new budget law; (ii) impact of budgetary decisions included in the budget law on children and families; (iii) advocacy and partnership options for UNICEF to increase the attention of decision makers on PF4C / March-May 2014
Define cooperation agreements with identified research units and/or CSOs and produce joint analytical documents advocating for increased social budgeting and focus on PF4C / At least two publications completed on identified topics enhancing the focus on social budgeting and PF4C; at least two knowledge management and advocacy initiatives organised for each publication / Throughout the contract period
Participate in all the meetings of the development partners’ working group on PFM, and in all the initiatives related to PFM and fiscal decentralization; identify opportunities for UNICEF to contribute to the PFM agenda, advocating for a focus on PF4C / Reports produced on attended meetings, with related recommendations on how to enhance UNICEF’s positioning in the PFM agenda / Throughout the contract period
Organise training initiatives for social sector ministries, UNICEF field offices and sub-national counterparts focused on enhancing their knowledge of and capacity in social budgeting, PF4C and fiscal decentralization – according to the national PFM agenda / At least two workshops conducted with identified counterparts on PFM for Myanmar, social budgeting and fiscal decentralization – based on the identified training needs / Between May and November 2014
Produce costing analyses on specific interventions/policy options promoted by UNICEF’s programme, based on the specific request of sections / Costing analyses produced based on the request of programme sections, with recommendations on further analyses/technical expertise required / Throughout the contract period
Brief the supervisor and senior management on the progress achieved, with recommendations on strategic options to further enhance UNICEF’s positioning in the PFM national dialogue – also in dialogue with the Regional Office PFM unit. / Eight monthly reports produced on the activities conducted, the outcomes achieved and follow up recommendations; final contract report produced with strategic recommendations on directions to be undertaken in 2015 to enhance the PFM agenda / Monthly; final report produced after termination of the contract
8.  Selection process
Interested candidates are required to complete the Expression of Interest Form circulated with the call for proposals, answering the technical questions included.
The consultant will be identified by UNICEF based on a competitive selection process, taking into account the candidate’s experience, the quality of the answers produced, and of the lump-sum requested.
If deemed opportune, UNICEF will require a telephone interview with shortlisted candidates.
9.  Qualification and specialized knowledge/experience required for the assignment:
-  Advanced Degree in Economics or related areas
-  2 years of relevant experience (junior level) in analytical work on public finance management and/or social budgeting; specific focus on social budgeting for children an asset
-  Previous experience in preparation of reports and concept papers
-  Familiarity with topics related to UNICEF’s social policy and budgeting programmes
-  Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills
-  Excellent spoken and writing skills in English
10.  Funding Source:
WBS 0600/A0/04/107/002/004 (SC109905)
11.  Other conditions:
The selected consultant will be allowed to work in UNICEF premises, but will have to utilize a personal laptop for his/her work.
Life and health insurance
UNICEF does not provide or arrange life or health insurance coverage for consultants and individual contractors, and consultants and individual contractors are not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to United Nations staff members. Consultants and individual contractors are fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the period of their services as they consider appropriate. The responsibility of UNICEF is limited solely to the payment of compensation for service-incurred death, injury or illness as per the provisions detailed below.
Insurance for service-incurred death, injury or illness
Consultants and individual contractors who are authorized to travel at UNICEF expense or who are required under their contract to perform services in a UNICEF or United Nations office shall be provided with insurance coverage, through a UNICEF-retained third party insurance provider, covering death, injury and illness attributable to the performance of official UNICEF duties. Compensation in the event of service-incurred death, injury or illness shall be equivalent to amounts stipulated in the agreement between UNICEF and the insurance provider.
Payment
The contract lump-sum approved will be divided into monthly payments, to be transferred to the consultant upon approval of the monthly report, and presentation of an invoice; the final payment will be made upon completion of the assignment, and presentation of the final report.
Confidentiality:
The documents produced during the period of this consultancy will be treated as strictly confidential, and the rights of distribution and/ or publication will reside solely with UNICEF.
The contract signed with the consultant will include the other general terms defined by UNICEF.
12.  Nature of Penalty Clause to be stipulated in the contract:
UNICEF Myanmar reserves the right not to pay the Contractor or withhold part of the payable amount if one or more requirements established for this assignment is not met or deadline set for the accomplishment of the tasks is missed.

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