Individual Consultancy-Public Finance Management Specialist - Accra, Ghana, 5 months(Open to Non-Ghanaians)

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, hope

Ghana has experienced rising public sector debt, attributed in part to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the existing issue of limited fiscal space. Meanwhile, the Government of Ghana had forecasted that GDP growth would hover between 5-6% between 2022-2025. The worsening of the balance of payment position of the government has led to Inflationary pressures and exchange rate depreciation which in turn has necessitated an increase in government borrowing. There is also a significant shortfall in government revenue. Ghana’s GDP growth has been revised downwards, in line with the global slowdown in economic growth and the security challenges in the Sahel region. Aside from recent COVID-linked increases, Ghana has faced a steady decline in Official Development Assistance (ODA). Equally challenges in efficiency, budget credibility and budget adequacy have been impacting the effective delivery of social services for children.

Therefore, poor and vulnerable households have been under an immense amount of strain because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and global impact of Ukraine crises. Children have experienced reduced access to essential goods and services, increased poverty, food insecurity, exposure to violence, abuse, and exploitation as well as a dip in physical and mental health. The high levels of inflation seen this year are rapidly putting increased pressure on poor and vulnerable households, potentially pushing more into absolute poverty. Prio to COVID crises, 28,2% of Ghanaian children were monetary poor, while 73,4% suffered from multidimensional poverty. The Government’s current spending plans are for a reduction in real terms social sector expenditure. Budget for social sectors is set to fall from 6.3% of GDP in 2022 to 5.2% of GDP in 2025. This is of concern at a time when social sector funding is most needed.

In this context, UNICEF is committed to support Government of Ghana (GoG) to ensure equitable and efficient service delivery with robust evidence, policy dialogue as well as supporting GoG’s PFM reforms, such as Programme Based Budget reform. UNICEF’s Public Finance For Children area of work aims to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated and efficiently used for child-related policies and programmes and that results-based budgeting and value for money approaches are adopted. It also aims to support GoG to find more fiscal space for social services as well as to ensure that resources are equitably and efficiently distributed and executed. UNICEF supports budget related participation, monitoring and oversight. PF4C team works in close collaboration with UNICEF section and their related line ministries and decentralized bodies as well as Ministry of Finance, National Development and Planning Commission, CSOs, academia and parliament.

Public Finance for Children is one of the cross-cutting areas in UNICEF Ghana. The overarching goal of the Public Finance for Children (PF4C) Framework is to contribute to the realization of children’s rights by supporting the best possible use of public budgets. The framework is aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 4 as well as the General Comment No. 19 on Public Budgeting for the Realization of Child Rights, as well as with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan.

How can you make a difference?

The Individual Contractor will be part of the Social Policy and Inclusion team, specifically PF4C team and works closely with the UNICEF Chief of Social Policy and Inclusion. S/he will lead section’s budget analyses work in close collaboration of with sections (Education, Child Protection, Health and Nutrition, WASH and Social Protection) to promote revenue generation, equitable resource allocation and efficient expenditure to improve children’s access to quality social services, particularly for vulnerable and poor children and families by generating evidence and advocating, aimed at supporting the Government of Ghana’s budgetary decisions.

Towards this end, the key areas of this consultant’s work in Public Finance Management for Children (PF4C) will be :

1) Lead timely development of summary social sector and sector budget briefs and infographics, based on equity and trend analysis of budget allocations, budget composition and source, actual expenditure to the social sectors particularly focusing on education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection and social protection;

2) Support sections in timely policy dialogue and strategic budget advocacy and related knowledge management actions, including guidance on policy briefs and advocacy material by developing Impact Action Plans.

3) Support new evidence-based PF4C initiatives including cost of inaction and budget credibility studies and costing exercises.

4) Develop updates on fiscal space and macroeconomic situation with special focus on revenue generation and debt.

5) Lead the PFM coordination with external stakeholders.

6) Support Chief and Senior Management in IFI and PFM engagement through development of policy briefs and technical advice.

7) Support the development of UNICEF Ghana’s PF4C strategy.

8) Support proposal writing.

Expected Deliverables

1. Monthly activity reports indicating tasks undertaken, progress and status of activities and any challenges encountered with lessons learned and recommendations and attaching relevant project documents produced. These are internal reports for UNICEF and are not for publication
2. Sectorial Budget Briefs produced by July 2023 and policy dialogue held together with sections.
3. Summary budget memo produced of 2023 State Budget
4. Cost of Inaction of Social Protection study supervised and produced
5. Budget Brief Impact action plans produced and internal planning session held
6. PF4C Strategy Produced
7. Trimestral Economic updates

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

• At least Master’s degree in Public Finance, Economics, Business Administration, and related fields;
• Must have demonstrated excellent research and analytical skills and the ability to analyze financial data as well as visual presentation skills by using infographics, charts and other tools to easily represent and communicate data to inform decision making;
• Minimum of 5 years working experience in any reputable organization;
• Must have an appreciable understanding of public financial management concepts and principles and applications as well as statistics;
• Be able to work independently as well as with a team in an international, multicultural and interdisciplinary environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization;
• Excellent communication and writing skills of the English language, including ability to present information at different levels and to different technical and non-technical audiences as well as drafting publishable documents.
• Internet proficiency as well as proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and advance STATA is required. Knowledge in data application software is a must.
• Accuracy, speed, and professionalism in document production and editing;
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; and office technology equipment;
• Sound security and gender awareness;

Details of the assignment is in the attached TOR. TOR PF4C Consultant and Individual Contractor.docx.pdf

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 afterwards 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 to ensure 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.