UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an individual consultant to develop training modules and conduct a Training of trainers in local development planning, budgeting, resource mobili

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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.

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UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights.

Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society, the 2022 to 2026 UNICEF Zimbabwe country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.

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How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Zimbabwe is seeking to hire an innovative and enthusiastic international individual consultant to develop training modules and conduct a Training of trainers in local development planning, budgeting, resource mobilisation and equity-based service delivery and monitoring.

BACKGROUND

The 2013 Constitution provides for the establishment of local government institutions, devolution and a resource sharing framework between the central and local government. In addition, the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1 and the Devolution and Decentralisation Policy guides the devolution of power to enable an efficient and effective response to the challenges of the delivering of public services at subnational levels. Since 2019, the devolution of powers and responsibilities and rollout of Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfers (IGFT) has increased the fiscal responsibilities of sub-national governments.

The Urban Councils Act [Chapter 29:15] and the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13], define the administrative arrangements for subnational planning and budgeting. LAs are charged with the responsibility of preparing and implementing plans. Before the expiry of the financial year, councils are required to come up with a budget for the succeeding year. Local development planning, budgeting and service delivery monitoring are vital stages in the delivery of services including solid waste management, public lighting, water provision and sanitation, housing, and local roads, and delivering basic health and education services.

However, LAs face a number of challenges in planning, budgeting, equity based service delivery and monitoring. The 2017 Public Expenditure Review also highlighted financial, institutional and human capacity constraints. Furthermore, NDS1 also notes capacity gaps in the following areas:

1. Policy making and spatial development planning;
2. Establishing viable revenue streams and effective revenue collection mechanisms;
3. Streamlining local investment with national development plans; and
4. Preparation of revenue estimates for submission to fiscal authorities as well as generating appropriate financial statements, in approved formats, to enable audits of Local Entities to be audited in accordance with the Constitution, among others.

Weak public service delivery at the local levels impact women and children’s access to important social services including, water and sanitation, health, protectionand basic education services. A review of social development indicators across the country shows significant disparities in access to basic social services. Systems strengthening and improving subnational institutional capacities in planning, budgeting, equity based service delivery and monitoring will be vital for improving social service delivery and the realisation of overall goals and objectives of devolution and the National Development Strategy.

Pursuant to the above, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works (MoLGPW), as the arm of the executive mandated to provide policy oversight to Local Authorities has identified the need to provide targeted capacity-building training for sub-national governments in the areas of local development planning, budgeting, equity based service delivery and monitoring. UNICEF as part of the United Nations (UN) System in Zimbabwe is committed to supporting the Government of Zimbabwe to achieve the goals of the NDS1 through the Zimbabwe United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (ZUNSDCF) and the UNICEF Zimbabwe Country Programme (2022 – 2026). UNICEF as well as the UN recognizes devolution and decentralization as the “how-to” strategy to facilitate the achievement of the Cooperation Framework outcomes and an opportunity to extend reach and effectiveness of service delivery to citizens and marginalized communities at subnational level.

To this end, UNICEF seeks the services of a consultancy firm/individual consultant (s) to support the MoLGPW with the development of modules on subnational planning, budgeting, resource mobilisation and equity based service delivery monitoring and conduct a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop. This will include conducting a needs assessment, reviewing and assessing linkages between existing plans and budgets, revenue forecasting, and service delivery monitoring systems for selected LAs as guided by the MoLGPW. The contractor will work closely with the MoLGPW, LAs and their respective associations. To ensure sustainability, capacity building interventions will be delivered in collaboration with the Public Service Academy (PSA). The PSA, an Agency within the Public Service Commission (PSC), has an overarching mandate of providing professional training and capacity development for all public service employees, including those of subnational governments.

ASSIGNMENTS:

The consultant will accomplish the following tasks as outlined below:

1. Carry out a desk analysis and review of administrative arrangements for subnational planning and budgeting, local development planning, budgeting, resource mobilisation and equity-based service delivery and monitoring.
2. Undertake a situation analysis and capacity needs assessment for selected LAs in planning, budgeting, resource mobilisation and equity-based service deliery and monitoring.
3. Undertake consultations with selected LAs, Government including the Public Service Academy (PSA) trainers, Local Government Associations and other relevant stakeholders.
4. Develop and submit first drafts of the training modules on subnational planning and budgeting, resource mobilisation and equity based service delivery monitoring systems.
5. Facilitate validation workshop for reviewing the content of the draft modules.
6. Submit final training modules (soft copies should be in both editable and PDF formats).
7. Develop training guidelines with clear content and tools for all the respective training modules.
8. Conduct Training of Trainers and produce TOT workshop report.
9. Conduct a debrief/ presentation to the Representative and relevant ZCO sections

Major tasks and deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone:****Deliverables/Outputs:****Timeline****Kick-Off Meeting. UNICEF will schedule a contract kick-off meeting with contractor to discuss expectations for the assignment and clarify remaining technical and/or logistical questions. The contractor’s first task will be to review and clarify understanding of the TORs based on its experience and industry good practice.Agreed Scope of Work (SoW) and Terms of Reference (TORs).Within 1 week of contract awardInception report together with an outline of the plan and tools for consultations with stakeholders. Contractor will provide an Inception Report detailing its overall methodology and approach, data collection instruments, key activities and deliverable, tentative work schedule not exceeding 3 months.Inception report10 days. (10% of professional fees)Rapid Capacity Assessment. Conduct a rapid assessment of key training needs with a focus on planning, budgeting, equity-based service delivery and monitoring, Contractor is expected to maintain regular communication with UNICEF and MoLGPW, including early notification of potential delays and mitigation strategies.Rapid Capacity Assessment Report14 days. (10% of professional fees)Delivery of draft Training Modules in 4 key areas of planning, budgeting, resource mobilisation, equity bases service delivery and monitoring and training guidelines and rollout plan.

Contractor is expected to maintain regular communication with UNICEF and MoLGPW, including early notification of potential delays and mitigation strategies.Draft Training Modules in 4 key areas of planning, budgeting, resource mobilisation and equity-based service delivery and monitoring and training rollout plan45 days (30% of professional fees)Debrief and validation workshop.Debrief PowerPoint Presentation and Validation Workshop Report1 day. (10% of professional fees)Delivery of final Customized Training Modules in 4 key areas of planning, budgeting, equity-based service delivery and monitoring and final Local Authorities training guidelines and rollout planFinal Customized Training Modules in 4 key areas of planning, budgeting, resource mobilisation equity-based service delivery and monitoring and Local Authorities capacity building rollout plan10 days (20% of professional fees)Training of Trainers ConductedTraining of Trainers workshop report10 days. (20% of professional fees)To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

Master’s Degree in Economics, Public Policy, or other closely related fields. A Doctoral degree will be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of professional work and demonstratable experience, of which at least 10 years developing national plans, equity-based service delivery policies and strategies.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in conducting need assessments and developing training modules/curriculum, training materials especially in public sector institutions.
• Expertise and professional experience in designing educational or professional training materials in the relevant thematic areas identified for module development.
• Strong knowledge and expertise in sub-national development planning, budgeting and equity based service deliver, monitoring and evaluation.
• Technical knowledge and skills on child rights and related capacity building.
• Familiarity with the budget planning, execution and monitoring in Zimbabwe.

• Experience with using a gender and equity approach in planning.

  If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating both the international and an approximate travel days for field (local) travel.

Technical proposal: CV, Cover letter and proposal (up to 5 pages). Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the international and/or local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.

Financial proposal: To be submitted separately, the Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.

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 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:

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.

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).