The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH), through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement a project entitled "Support to Peacebuilding and Normalization" or Project SPAN. The Project aims to contribute towards sustaining the gains of the Government's peace process, and in ensuring peace and security in conflict-affected areas by (a) accelerating the implementation of the security and socio-economic aspects of the Normalization Annex of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) that was agreed upon by the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); and (b) strengthening the enabling environment for peace, recovery and development.

As part of the project implementation strategy, a total of 21 Civil Society Organizations (CSO) had been engaged in 2018 and early part of 2019 by UNDP through a Responsible Party Agreement (RPA) to assist or directly implement activities. The CSOs went through the selection process of OPAPP, who then endorsed these CSOs to UNDP to engage as Responsible Partners.

A change in OPAPP’s administration delayed the implementation of activities by the CSOs, especially as the incoming officers expressed the need to review Project SPAN’s Work and Financial Plan, including the assessment and evaluation of all CSOs from selection to implementation.

On February to March 2019, a monitoring activity to update the financial and physical progress was conducted by UNDP to assess the status, level and quality of implementation of activities by the CSOs; and accuracy of financial records and compliance with UNDP’s financial guidelines. The monitoring report showed that project expenditures of some CSOs were insufficiently supported with proper documentation and inadequately filed. Subsequently, OPAPP and UNDP conducted a joint Workshop to thresh out the SPAN workplan and strategize the ways forward. UNDP proposed to conduct an independent audit to inform both UNDP and OPAPP’s decision on how to proceed with the contracts and programs of the CSOs.

After several discussions, OPAPP and UNDP came to an agreement and on November 2019, the CSOs with remaining activities were micro-assessed by a third-party firm. And then, in July 2020 a remote spot check was also carried out by third-party firms on all the CSOs to validate expenditures and confirm effectiveness of internal controls. To date, notable observations include the incomplete submission of supporting documentation for their respective disbursements; late submission of FACE forms; non-compliance to HACT guidelines; weak policies in internal controls; and possible ineligible expenses.

As the project is scheduled to be terminated by end December 2020, the services of a Project Finance Associate will be required to provide technical assistance in the project closure activities, particularly in validating the financial transactions of the CSOs under the project.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project SPAN Finance Associate will work under the direct supervision of the SPAN Project Manager.

The Project Manager will monitor and track the Project Finance Associate’s performance and delivery of expected outputs in accordance with the indicated schedules.

Release of payments will only be triggered after issuance of certificates of acceptance for the outputs and deliverables of the Project Finance Associate.

Duty Station

The duty station of the consultant is Cotabato City, Philippines. The engagement will include travels within Mindanao and if need be, to Manila and will be shouldered under the SPAN Project.

Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance, which should remain valid under the contract duration.

Scope and Price Proposal and Schedule Payments.

The Project Finance Associate will receive a total amount in a lump sum amount commensurate to the scope of work. The amount indicated in the Offeror’s Letter will be released in tranches upon the satisfactory performance of agreed deliverables based on the schedule provided below:

Tranches

Milestones

Review and Approvals Required

20%

Upon submission and acceptance of Validation Report of CSOs’ Expenditures along with the documentation of proof of financial delivery for priority CSOs with financial findings

CHETAN KUMAR

UNDP Senior Advisor for Peacebuilding and Prevention of Violent Extremism

40%

Upon submission and acceptance of Validation Report of CSOs’ Expenditures along with the documentation of proof of financial delivery for CSOs without financial findings

40%

Upon submission and acceptance of the Consolidated Final Detailed Report on the Financial Utilization of SPAN CSOs

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Team Leader of the Peace Programme Team and under the direct supervision of the SPAN Project Manager, the Project Finance Associate will undertake the following tasks:

Examine financial records of CSOs under the SPAN project to verify if the utilization of financial resources were effective and transparent
Promote a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.
Study UNDP’s financial rules and regulations and check transactions for compliance
Act as the financial focal point for project SPAN in addressing the challenges as observed by the third-party firms during the conduct of the spot checks.

The IC is expected to deliver the outputs and specific deliverables on the target due dates indicated in the matrix below. The review and acceptance of these outputs shall be done by the indicated authorities.

Deliverables/ Outputs

Target Due Dates

Validation Report on the expenditures and collection of proof/evidence of financial delivery, particularly of the following CSOs who incurred Spot Check Observations as high risk:

BAPESDA
TACOS
TSS
Duyog Marawi
MAPAD

15 November 2020

Validation Report on the expenditures and collection of proof/evidence of financial delivery, particularly of the following CSOs who incurred Spot Check Observations as high risk:

IRDT
ADDU
BIRTHDEV
ECOWEB
Bayan Academy
TMI
BMFI
UNYPAD
ECOWEB
Kalimudan

CSOs with no adverse Spot Check observation, particularly the following:

KPMFI
TPBPM
MARADECA
MUCAARD
KAPAMAGOGOPA

15 December 2020

Consolidated Final Detailed Report on the Financial Utilization of SPAN CSOs

31 December 2020

Competencies

Corporate competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional and technical competencies

Ability to work in a diverse and multi-cultural environment;
Self-motivated and ability to work under pressure and to meet strict and competing deadlines;
Displays analytical judgment and demonstrated ability to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;

Required Skills and Experience

Offers will be evaluated based on the combined scoring method :

Technical qualifications = 70%
Financial Proposal =??? 30%

For the evaluation of the Technical Proposal, the selection of the successful consultant must be based on the following qualifications (with the appropriate obtainable points):?

Qualifications

Points Obtainable (100 pts)

Education

University degree in?Finance/Accounting, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics; Professional qualification (i.e., CPA) an advantage.

Experience

5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing financial management services and/or managing staff and operational systems;

Extensive experience with the administrative and operational challenges of working and coordinating with NGOs and civil society in the BARMM.

Demonstrates correct understanding of UNDP’s Financial Rules and Regulations;?familiarity with FACE Forms is an advantage

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Excel, MS Word, etc.) as well as experience in handling of web-based financial management systems;

Experience in working with UN agencies is an advantage

Language Requirements

Fluency in English and Filipino with good verbal and written skills. Knowledge of regional languages in Mindanao is an advantage.

Total

100

Applicants who will only receive 70 points from the assessment of the CV will be qualified for the assessment of the Financial Proposal.

?Recommended Presentation of Offer

Interested parties are required to submit the following:

a.????? Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;

b.????? Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experiences from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references; and,

c.?????? Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an Offeror is employed by a national or local government entity, he/she must submit a duly certified leave of absence to avoid double compensation and/or workload conflict.

d.????? Sample of written reports?

Interested applicants to note that personal Medical/health insurance (to be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense) is mandatory for the issuance of contracts. Upon award of the contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during the contract duration.

The following templates / Annexes and IC General Terms & Conditions can be downloaded from?http://gofile.me/6xdJm/bE9TCw8fU: