National Consultant to provide TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR PUBLIC FINANCE FOR CHILDREN ACTIVITIES IN 2021

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, opportunities.

How can you make a difference?

Background

In Romania, the National Strategy on the promotion and protection of children’s rights (2014-2020) and the National Strategy on poverty reduction and social inclusion (2015-2020) included a number of measures and actions targeting particularly most vulnerable children and their families in order to reduce poverty and inequities and to promote social inclusion. Several initiatives were implemented in the last couple of years, but still today there is one in every 3 children who is at risk of poverty in Romania[1]. Even if AROP and AROPE indicators register a slightly decreasing trend in the last couple of years, still Romania lags in the EU raking. Moreover, in the current context influenced by COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected that even small progress achieved lately, will display its fragility and nowadays’ recession will push more people into poverty, and will further affect those already at risk.

Currently Romania is in the process of developing new National Strategies including on child rights, on poverty reduction and social inclusion and other sectoral strategies which will also input the elaboration of new Operational Programmes for EU structural funds 2021-2027 and Recovery and Resilience National Plan 2021-2026, matching the state budget for continuing various reforms and contributing to achievements of SDGs and EU targets for 2030. Starting with the EC Recommendation for Investing in Children (2013 and consecutive country reports[2]) and continuing with the Country Specific Recommendations (see latest in 2020[3]), the new EU call on ensuring a Child Guarantee for children[4], all policy recommendations targeting child poverty and social exclusion are embedded in the paradigm promoting increased investments for children. However, in the current crises situation, increased investments for children and their families need to rely rather in promoting innovative and cost-effective solutions, in use of all opportunities of EU funding, and prioritization of structural reform measures that can contribute to the breaking the cycle of disadvantage and that go beyond ensuring children’s material security and promote equal opportunities so that all children can realize their full potential.

Current context

Much evidence on cost-effective measures for social inclusion of most vulnerable was already produced and collected, including from evaluations of previous strategies, models implemented at local level aiming to offer country-wide solutions, current situation analyses on various topics, including the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children’s wellbeing, etc. Costing exercises performed for various models (including the latest on the Minimum Package of Services) as well as financial impact analyses executed for highlighting bottlenecks and facilitating factors within the current budgeting process at national and local level, are available and were already used for the models’ scale-up (including MPS). The latter includes recommendations for scenarios describing the budget allocation at central level from the VAT and income tax deducted amounts, allotted to local public institutions for balancing off local budgets related to specific social services provision (for the social assistance and educational components), the health insurance special fund (for the health care component) and the consolidated budget with the specific social and cultural related expenses (for all components). Additionally, to the State and local budget, several financing options were suggested to be employed to support the scaling up of the MPS such as EU[5] or World Bank funding, Norway Grants, EEA Grants and Swiss Grants, etc.

Considering the accumulated evidence and as well the current and future funding opportunities for securing the initial investment costs from other sources than the national budget, UNICEF Romania is committed to continue working and exploring investment options in the benefit of children’s wellbeing, ie. costing and financing of effective and efficient national scale solutions addressing child poverty and social exclusion.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of the current consultancy is to provide public finance technical assistance for UNICEF’s public finance for children work planned for 2021, which aims to reduce child poverty and social exclusion. The focus of the consultancy will be on:

1) the investment case for cash and care for children[6] ;

2) financial mechanism for the scale-up of MPS nationally;

3) update standard costs for selected social services; and

4) costing of the National Strategy of child rights.

Deliverables:

1. Investment case for cash and care for children (~20 days):

• financial and administrative data related to public funding made available;
• support for the PF4C expert performing the analysis provided;
• financial analysis component reviewed and feedback;

2. Financial mechanism for the scale-up of MPS nationally developed (40 days, as part of a working group) including:

• training module for budget development for local and county authorities designed;
• progressive implementation plan over 3 to 5 years, using possibly a mix of funding sources, both national and external (e.g. EU, World Bank funding, Norway Grants, EEA Grants and Swiss Grants, etc.) and various geographic progressive roll-out.

3. Update standard costs for selected social services (~10 days):

• to be decided based on discussions and prioritizations co-developed with the National Authorities/Ministries

4. National Strategy of child rights costing (~30 days):

• including plan for financial sources developed

All deliverables mentioned above will include:

1. 1. Excel file (as appropriate) separate worksheet for different funding sources, scenario, priorities, etc;
   2. Short narrative – 2-3 pages, including explanations for the design of proposed solutions, scenarios, possible pros and cons for each of them and recommendations for implementation considering current country context;
   3. Brief PowerPoint presentation (where appropriate) summarizing conclusion and recommendations to be used for sharing with relevant stakeholders.

[1] AROP 30.8% in 2019

[2] https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1248&langId=en&intPageId=3654

[3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1591720698631&uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0523

[4] https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1428&langId=en

[5] European Social Fund/Administrative Capacity Development Program (POCA); European Social Fund/Human Capital Operational Program (POCU; European Social Fund/Regional Operational Program (POR); European Social Fund/National Rural Development Program (PNDR) and others.

[6] Terms of reference and technical proposal are available at request.

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

• Advanced university degree in economics or university degree in social sciences, law, political science, public policy with advance knowledge and experience in costing, budgeting and public financing;
• Knowledge in Public Finance Management, covering budget preparation and budgetary processes, prioritization and costing and closer linkages between budget and policy, costing and standard costs for social services, etc.;
• Understanding of child rights, social protection, social policies and systems designs and reforms;
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking and proven experience in report writing;
• Fluent Romanian, Good speaking and writing skills in English;
• Previous collaboration with the UNICEF, the UN, including World Bank is considered an advantage
• Availability for work within the proposed time frame.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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 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.

Application procedure

In addition to the CV/resume, a financial offer must be included financial bid_public finance.docx, specifying the requested gross daily fee in Romanian Lei, and the estimated number of days to complete the assignment. Please take into consideration that the consultant will be responsible for paying all his/her due income taxes as per Romanian legislation****.

General conditions

Reporting: the consultant will be reporting to the Child Protection Specialist and will work closely with other UNICEF programme staff and with experts from the National Authority for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Children and Adoption, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, other line ministries.

Ownership: UNICEF will have sole ownership of all final deliverables; no parts of the deliverables will be reproduced without the permission of UNICEF.

Payment and calendar: This contract include no other benefits. Travel costs to project sites and attending project meetings (situations when consultant is authorized to have access to UNICEF transport) will be covered by UNICEF outside this contract. Considering the tasks and timeframe mentioned above, the fee will be paid monthly, after submission of report (including working days) and corresponding deliverables, upon approval by supervisor.

Note: consultant will sign health statement prior to taking the assignment and the designation form will be completed. The Consultant will be responsible for paying income taxes and any other due taxes as per applicable national legislation.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.