IDENTIFICATION AND FORMULATION OF EU INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SECTOR REFORMA AND PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT UNDER THE 11th EDF IN BOTSWANA

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE IDENTIFICATION AND FORMULATION OF EU INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SECTOR REFORMA AND PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT UNDER THE 11^th EDF IN BOTSWANA

Location: Botswana
Deadline: 24^th of August 2014 (earlier submission are preferred)
Positions required: 2 expert Category I (126 W/D);
Nationality: All nationalities

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Global objective
The global objective is to support the Government of Botswana / National Authorising Officer (NAO) and EU Delegation to Botswana and SADC in the identification and formulation of support actions in Public Sector Reform (PSR), including PSR coordination and Public Finance Management (PFM) to be financed under the 11th EDF (2016– 2020).
Specific objective
The specific objective of this project is:
·         To identify options and formulate potential actions for PSR/PFM to be financed under the 11th EDF in alignment with the Government of Botswana needs and priorities, as outlined in the 'Vision 2016', the 'National Development Plan 10', the emerging Public Sector Reform Coordination Programme (PSRCP), the Public Finance Management Reform Programme (PFMRP), complementary to support provided by other development partners and building on lessons learned under the 10^th EDF. The actions also have to be aligned with and feed into the evolving NDP 11.
·         To assist the EU Delegation to Botswana and SADC in the development of the corresponding documents for the approval of specific actions in PSR/PFM at the identification and formulation stage.

·         To work in close collaboration with the ongoing technical assistance to the PSRCO and the Public Finance Management Reform Programme Coordination Unit (PFM RP CU) at the MFDP.
·         To collaborate and align with the team of experts working in parallel on a similar assignment (identification and formulation) with regards to Human Resources Development with a view to ensure complementarity between the two program components.
REQUESTED SERVICES
The assignment will include two Category I Experts and is divided into three distinctive phases :
Phase I: Identification (3 home based and 30 in-country working days):
This phase shall explore and identify various options on how the EU can best support Public Sector Reform as well as Public Finance Management needs and opportunities. It shall build on the available background material and analyses, findings and recommendations of the on-going Technical Assistance to the PSRCO as well as to the PFM RP CU. On the basis of the analytical work (desktop and in-country consultations) carried out, the consultants shall identify several possible axes of intervention in PSR and PFM under the 11^th EDF.
This phase shall include identification and justification of the most suitable sub-sectors and entry points on policy dialogue with PSR/PFM stakeholders as well as the most pertinent financing modalities and management tools. Several options should be explored in the Identification Fiche.
In detail this phase should comprise, but is not limited to, the following indicative actions:
·         Review available analyses, policies, regulatory and strategic planning documents, evaluations, progress reports and studies relating to PSR/PFM.
·         Analyse technical and financial constraints and opportunities of the sector, with special attention to capacity development aspects.
·         Identify and define options for EU interventions in PSR and PFM taking into account complementarity with other donor activities and support; ensure coherence with the national policies and the EU Agenda for Change as well as with other on-going regional/global initiatives and frameworks.
·         Consultations, analysis and strategic planning with key stakeholders in PSR/PFM through stakeholder meetings and whenever appropriate focus group discussions. This must include articulation with the PFM RP CU about the ongoing and foreseen activities for PFM Reform and related needs for future support.
·         Prepare a Draft Identification Fiche, including suggested objectively verifiable indicators (OVIs), as well as the required annexes in close collaboration with the EU Delegation and the NAO.
·         Propose interventions and prepare an indicative budget taking into account the needs expressed by the Government.
·         Analyse the pros and cons of different implementation modalities in this context, ie project or budget support.
·         Propose implementation and management arrangements, i.e. implementing partners and funding channels for each component, taking into account existing structures and capacities.
·         Analyse and make proposals as to which extent cross-cutting issues such as gender, environment/climate change and creating an enabling environment for the diversification of the economy could be integrated into the programme.
·         Identify potential risks as regards the implementation of the proposed interventions and suggest possible mitigating measures.
·         Propose actions to ensure linkages with other selected sectors of concentration for EU support, particularly with Human Resources Development.
·         Prepare and deliver consultative meetings with key sector stakeholders to discuss and validate key findings and present proposals for EU support.
·         The results of the identification phase shall be presented by the experts to the EU Delegation, NAO, PSRCO and PFM RR CU and other relevant national stakeholders in a consultative meeting before the finalisation of the draft Identification Fiche in order to present and consolidate the findings.
Phase II: Formulation (in-country, 25 working days):
Following the submission of the Identification Fiche to Headquarters, the Directorate's Quality Support Group (QSG) will provide comments and recommendations on the Identification Fiche which must be incorporated by the expert and taken into account for the development of the Action Fiche.
The general objective of Phase II is to take the previous work further and prepare an Action Fiche including the required annexes to be submitted to the Delegation.
Phase III: Review and Finalisation (home based, 5 working days):
Following the submission of the Action Fiche to Headquarters, the QSG will provide comments and recommendations on the Action Fiche. The consultant shall re-examine the points which the QSG has recommended for review, incorporate them and, if necessary, present a revised version of the document to the Delegation.
EXPERTS
Category I Expert in PSR, Team Leader (63 working days)
Minimum requirements:
•     Master's Degree in Public Administration or Political Science or another field relevant to the assignment. In the absence of this, the equivalent professional experience of at least eight (8) years is required in addition to the experience required below;
•     At least 12 years' experience in the sector related to the Lot Governance and Home Affairs.
Specific professional experience:
·         Proven professional experience in various strands of Public Sector Reform:
- sector/ministry restructuring and modernization; and/or
- management of parastatals; and/or
- public administration reforms (decentralization, right-sizing etc).
·         Proven professional experience in public sector strategic planning and budgeting;
·         Proven professional experience in coordination of public sector reforms;
·         Proven experience in the identification and formulation of projects/programs for donor institutions;
·         Proven experience in the development of Identification and Action Fiches and TAPs;
·         Proven experience with EU procedures (in particular EDF procedures) and knowledge of EU aid modalities;
·         Proven experience in formulating of budget support programs and related indicators;
·         Good knowledge of different aid modalities (project and budget support) and their strengths and weaknesses in different program contexts;
·         Experience from doing PSR work in middle income countries is an asset.
Soft skills:
·         Experience in organising stakeholder meetings.
·         Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
Language skills:
·         Excellent command of English.
·         Excellent report writing skills
Category I Expert in PFM (63 working days)
Minimum requirements:
•     A Master's Degree in Public Finance or equivalent. In the absence of this, the equivalent professional experience of at least eight (8) years is required in addition to the experience required below;
•     At least 12 years' experience in the various disciplines of Public Finance Management, PFM reform.
Specific professional experience:
·         Proven professional experience in various strands of Public Finance Management reforms:

-          planning, implementing and/or coordinating PFM reform programmes);
·         Proven experience in the identification and formulation of projects/programs for donor institutions;
·         Proven experience in the development of Identification and Action Fiches and TAPs;
·         Proven experience with EU procedures (in particular EDF procedures) and knowledge of EU aid modalities;
·         Proven experience in public sector strategic planning and budgeting;
·         Proven experience in formulating of budget support programs and related indicators;
·         Good knowledge of different aid modalities and their strengths and weaknesses in different program contexts;
·         Experience from doing PFM work in middle income countries is an asset;
·         Experience of working with a Ministry of Finance and/or Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa is an asset.
Soft skills:
·         Experience in organising stakeholder meetings.
·         Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
Language skills:
·         Excellent command of English.
·         Excellent report writing skills.
Working language(s): English
LOCATION AND DURATION
Location: The location of assignment will be Gaborone, Botswana. However, at least one district in addition to Gaborone should be visited with a maximum of 2 mission days during Phase I by the Team leader. Should decentralization be identified as a possible area of intervention, additional missions to districts may be required during Phase II. Phase III will be home based.
Starting date of the assignment: mid-October 2014
Foreseen finishing date:  April 2015

To apply

Applications and updated CV should be submitted to  s.giorgioarsprogetti.com