United Nations Recruitment For Decentralization Consultant

United Nations Recruitment For Decentralization Consultant
Location : Nairobi, KENYA
Application Deadline : 04-Apr-11
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : International Consultant
Languages Required : English
Duration of Initial Contract : 150 days
Background
The UN JPLG is a 5 year joint programme of ILO, UNCDF, UNDP, UN-HABITAT and UNICEF. The partners in the Joint Programme are the district councils and associated central government structure. The Programme is aligned to the programming frameworks of the Somaliland Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) 2008-12 and the United Nations Somali Assistance Strategy (UNSAS) 2011 -2015 . The outcome of the RDP is to achieve decentralized service delivery in all of Somalia. The outcome of the UNTP is that local governance contributes to peace and equitable priority service delivery in selected locations. The UN JPLG is also in line with the UNDP CPD.

It is envisaged to achieve as wide coverage in Somalia as resources and conditions allow with a comprehensive approach to assist local governments to be credible, professional service providers, increasing public investment in basic services, and strengthening civic awareness and participation in local decision-making and development.

The strategy pursued will comprise:
* Policy and legal frameworks for decentralization, local government, service provision and land management; * Institutionalizing local government systems, vertical and horizontal inter-government linkages and civic education initiatives; * Investment in public services and goods through testing a Local Development Fund model, direct service provision and promotion of public-private partnerships; * Processes and systems for housing, land and property disputes and resolution.

UNDP’s interventions as part of the JPLG can be summarized as follows:
* Support the strengthening and capacity development of central and local governance structures and including elected councilors and staff; * Provide support to the Ministry of Interior to elaborate policies and legal framework for effective decentralization and adequate local governments process and procedures for an effective and efficient delivery of social services at the district level; * Provide support to the functioning of district, including building the awareness of the district of their mandates, duties and responsibilities, and building their operational, administrative, planning and budgeting procedures; * Support the delivery of services at local level financed from a local development fund, managed by the district councils and implemented through a participatory planning and budgeting process.

Objectives:
In this context, the Joint Programme for Local Governance and Decentralised Service Delivery (JPLG) is seeking the services of an experienced international consultant to elaborate the following outputs:

1. Decentralization strategic framework and implementation plan
The Decentralisation strategic framework serves as the overall framework of reference for current and future interventions towards decentralization in both Puntland and Somaliland. It ensures coherence of government interventions in the area of decentralization and it is an important vehicle for collaboration between the government and its national and international development partners. The decentralization strategic framework delineates the major achievements of decentralization since the process was launched, as well as the current challenges and outstanding issues. The strategic framework provides the strategic areas in which the government will subsequently concentrate efforts for successful implementation of decentralization as well as it indicates the specific management arrangements that have to be developed for implementation of decentralization. Finally, the implementation plan will provide the programming framework which more specifically articulates for each decentralization strategic area the set of outputs, priority programs and activities for the decentralization process over the next 5 years. Ministry of Interior Strategic Plan

2. Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan will set the Ministry’s vision, mission, goals, priorities, action plans and anticipated results for the next five years, based on a clear assessment of the Ministry’s existing resources and capacities. The strategic plan is both a document and a process. As a document, it sets out the ministry’s vision, mission objectives and priorities for the next five years (2011-2015). It provides a road map for the Ministry, development partners, private sector and civil society and indicates where the Ministry wants to go, what it needs to do to get there, how it is going to do it, how much it is going to cost and how it will be financed. Finally, the strategic plan provides a framework to assess the performance of the Ministry of Interior.

3. Procedures Manual for the Ministry
The manual sets up processes and procedures for Ministry’s staff. The manual explains the standardized processes and procedures to be followed. It allows proper division of labour among MOI departments and appropriate internal controls. Finally, the manual serves as a training guide for new staff and a refresher to the current staff.

4. Local level public expenditure tools/manuals developed in the framework of the JPLG revised
JPLG developed manuals and training tools on Public Expenditure Management (PEM) at the district level. PEM refers to: district strategic planning, investment programming, budgeting, procurement and implementation, assets management, accounting and financial reporting and monitoring and evaluation. The outcome evaluation undertaken in the framework of the JPLG outlined that the district planning and budgeting processes are not institutionalized. Moreover, internal analysis identified that the district priorities are not linked to national and sectoral ones, that there is no spatial planning and other minor PEM issues that require correction.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Results Expected:
The tasks of the consultant are as follows:
Under the overall guidance of UNDP/JPLG and in close collaboration with the Puntland and Somaliland national counterparts the consultant is expected to provide the following outputs:
* Decentralization strategic framework and implementation plan in both Puntland and Somaliland; * Inception report which describes the consultant’s response to the TOR and details the methodology and work plan of the consultancy. The inception report is to be no more than 5 pages and is due by the end of the first week of the consultancy; * Draft report for comments * Facilitate a workshop to participants; * Finalize the draft report.

Strategic plan for the Ministry of Interior in both Puntland and Somaliland:
* Develop a concept paper for discussion; * Organize and facilitate a two days workshop with MOI staff; * Liaise with the MOI and the stakeholders; * Gather the information resulting from the workshop to draft the Strategic Plan; * Organize and facilitate a roundtable with MOI and stakeholders; * Gather the information resulting from the roundtable to draft a second version of the Strategic Plan; * Finalize the Strategic Plan (incorporate the internal and external comments on the second draft)

Procedures Manual for the Ministry:
* Inception report which describes the consultant’s response to the TOR and details the methodology and work plan of the consultancy. The inception report is to be no more than 5 pages and is due by the end of the first week of the consultancy; * Draft manual for comments; * Finalize manual.

District level public expenditure tools/manuals developed in the framework of the JPLG revised:
* Improved District PEM manuals/tools

Deliverables and Timing:
Overall, the organization of the work on the different outputs can be resumed as follows:
* Decentralisation strategic framework and implementation plan in both Puntland and Somaliland elaborated: July-September 2011: 60 days; * Strategic plan for the Ministry of Interior in both Puntland and Somaliland elaborated : May-June 2011: 35 days; * Procedures Manual for the Ministry of Interior in both Puntland and Somaliland elaborated: April-May 2011: 30 days; * District level tools/manuals developed in the framework of the JPLG revised PEM revised: April-December 2011: 25 days

Impacts of Results:The consultancy will ensure an increase in the quality support MOI provides to districts and under JPLG and thus contribute to an improved functioning of service provision at the district level

Competencies
* Experience in the assessment of government machineries and processes; * Experience in international development partner support to Least Developed Countries in Africa. * Experience in post-conflict environments are distinct advantage; * Demonstrated expertise and knowledge of issues of governance in Somalia desirable; * Innovative, solution oriented, and a positive attitude required; * Previous experience within UNDP desirable.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:
* Master’s Degree in public administration, public policy, social science or relevant field.

Experience:
* Minimum of 15 years experience in in the field of decentralization, public expenditure management and intergovernmental relations.

Language:
* Fluency in English, with excellent writing skills.

TO APPLY
Use the link below;
https://jobs.undp.org/cj_apply.cfm?job_id=22596

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.