Consultancy - Public Finance for Children (PF4C) Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA), Kathmandu, Nepal, 20 Days (Remote-Based)

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Learning

South Asia region accounts not only for the largest share of the world’s children and adolescents but also carries a disproportionate share of many of the deprivations those children face. In addition to longstanding challenges such as under-immunization, undernutrition, lack of access to learning and skills, and harmful practices such as child marriage, the impact of COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis has been devastating. Obstacles to tackling those deprivations and improving child outcomes will be directly traced to the challenges lying with public financial management (PFM). Countries in the region are facing significant shortfalls in financing for social services including health, education, and social protection, and several countries are beginning to cut social sector budgets. Helping the region and the countries to safeguard critical social spending and minimize the negative impacts on children of the pandemic and economic crisis is even more pressing for UNICEF.

Even prior to COVID-19, as in many low- and middle-income countries governments, were investing insufficiently in sectors and programs that benefit children; and the pandemic and economic crisis have widened the funding gap. Today, low, and lower-middle-income countries are facing significant shortfalls in finance for social services including health, education, and social protection, and several countries are beginning to cut social sector budgets. Fiscal equity is far from optimal, and it is critical to universal access to social services. Safeguarding critical social spending and minimizing the negative impacts of the economic crisis is even more pressing in the aftermath of COVID-19. Evidence suggests that child-focused public spending is a smart investment for children, families, and countries, resulting in improvement in health outcomes, rise in income levels, and economic growth leading societies to become more cohesive.

UNICEF at all levels has committed itself to tackling these public finance management challenges to achieve sustainable financing for child-focused social services, including through analysis, evidence-based advocacy, technical support, and capacity-building to support governments to ensure that resources are used effectively, efficiently, and equitably. UNICEF works to address the challenges in public finance management to ensure that all children, especially the most vulnerable get a fair chance in life. Public Finance for Children (PF4C) aims to improve the use of domestic resources for services of importance to children.

How can you make a difference?

A. Key Assignments/Tasks:

1. Support the Country Offices (COs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) strategy by following the Regional Management Team (RMT) meeting/discussion.

- Background review of current International Monetary Fund (IMF) engagement within the countries of South Asia.

- Develop strategies and support CO to engage, including presentation and guidance.

2. Develop a Regional Roadmap to be discussed with COs'.

- Conduct follow-up engagements with the DROPs to set out a time-bound plan for a cross-sectional Public Finance for Children (PF4C) strategy, supplementing and complementing the Country Office.

B. Key Deliverables

Deliverables

Estimated number of working days

Due date/latest date for completion of deliverable

(if unsure about specific calendar dates, put the number of days after the contract starts and actual dates only in CIC)

Guidance document on engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the region and a few countries.

7 days

7 days after contract start

Develop a roadmap for a cross-sectional regional PF4C strategy.

13 days

25 days after contract start

Due dates may shift due to unforeseen circumstances and with the agreement of the supervisor/manager without the need for amendments as long as the overall fee remains the same.

The language of the deliverables will be English.

C. Key function/activities

Support the Social Policy Team with capacity-building exercises, formulate an action plan and strategy to develop a roadmap on PF4C, and support other workstreams as required by the Social Policy Regional Advisor.

Duty Travel: There is no anticipated travel.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

A) Master’s degree in economics, Social Sciences, or related.

B) Minimum 5 years of relevant experience.

C) Fluency in English is required. Another local language is considered an asset.

Please quote your all-inclusive daily rate (USD) and other cost estimates while applying. Application without daily rate, etc. will not be entertained.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions, or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterward in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible for ensuring that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.