Republic of Moldova

National Consultant for Medium-Term Budgetary Framework (MTBF) Capacity Building

Vacancy Number: Pr15/00831

Location:	Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline:	22 Feb 2015, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Type of Contract:	Individual Contract
Starting date:	01 Mar 2015
Reference to the project:	Strengthening capacities to undertake Environmental Fiscal Reform to meet national and global environmental priorities
Expected Duration of Assignment:	40 working days
Submission Instructions: Proposals should be submitted online by pressing the "Apply Now" button no later than 22 February 2015. Requests for clarification only must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail: mihail.roscovan@undp.org. UNDP will respond by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.
Supporting Documents: Terms of Reference Individual Consultant Procurement Notice Personal History Form (P11) UNDP General Conditions of Individual Contract

Background

The GEF funded “Environmental Fiscal Reform Project” (EFRP) was launched in 2011 and sets out to build capacities for implementing environmental fiscal reforms (EFR) that will produce increased national and global environmental benefits through the adoption of selected subsidies, fees, fines, taxes and other appropriate fiscal instruments.

This project sets out to build capacities for implementing environmental fiscal reforms (EFR) that will produce increased national and global environmental benefits through the adoption of selected charges, subsidies, fees, fines, taxes and other appropriate instruments. It will initiate and pilot EFR instruments targeted to meeting Rio Convention objectives and ensure their integration within national plans and policies, especially in national taxation and decentralization process in Moldova. The reforms will focus on creating conditions, financial incentives and disincentives, and decreased opportunity costs to undertake actions that deliver environmental outcomes. The expected outcome is that EFR will be adopted as an important element of Moldova’s development policy, whereby improved economic, financial and fiscal instruments and their use would strengthen regulatory and other approaches to environmentally sound and sustainable development, with a particular emphasis of meeting obligations under the three Rio Conventions (Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Desertification). The project will also contribute to and complement a broader national decentralization reform process, including policy planning at the national level, redesigning of competencies and responsibilities of local and sub-national governments and reforming local government revenue systems.

One of the objectives of the project is the improved management and performance of the National Ecological Fund (NEF), including project cycle management, which is the main financing source in the environment sector. With the support of the project, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) initiated a comprehensive reform of the NEF, in view of ensuring the sustainability and functionality of the Fund as an effective tool for financing the implementation of environmental policies and strategic priorities in Moldova. The new draft Regulation and Operational Manual for the NEFF brings best international practices for public environmental expenditure and project cycle management.

The project strategy is focusing in parallel on strengthened capacities of the Ministry of Environment and on other environmental authorities for environmental programming and medium-term expenditure planning. Since 2006 in Moldova the planning process through medium-term budgetary framework (MTBF) is implemented. The MoE is integrated into this process though developing of the two policy documents - the Strategy of expenditures strategies for the environmental sector and strategy for expenditure for water management.  However, until now, the MoE has not particularly benefited from this reform and has not succeeded in obtaining adequate financing for environmental programmes. While it should be recognized that the budget process and resource allocation decisions are in large part of political nature, with or without an MTBF, the relatively low capacity of the MoE to prepare, cost and implement economically-sound multi-year spending programmes, may well have been one of the reasons for a low budget support for the environment. The building capacities of MoE in elaborating their budgets and MTBF submissions could result into more adequate and predictable allocations to the environment sector.

Scope of work

GEF EFRP seeks National Consultant in (hereinafter Consultant) in order to assist the working group of Ministry of Environment in elaboration of the Strategy of expenditures for environmental protection sector and Strategy of expenditures for water management under the Medium Term of Budgeting Framework for 2016-2018.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

Requirements for experience

Academic Qualification:

• University degree in environmental management, public finance, economics, or a closely related field.

Experience

•  At least 3 years of progressively experience in programming, financial planning and budgeting, including in environmental sector
• Good knowledge in the legal, policy and institutional framework of the environment sector of Moldova
• Be familiar with the legal, policy and institutional framework of the environment sector of Moldova
• Experience in working and collaborating with governments
• Experience in working with international donor organizations
• Good oral communication skills and ability in working of team group

Language requirements

• Fluency in written and spoken Romanian and working English is required in this assignment.

Documents to be included

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Proposal explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
2. Financial proposal;
3. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references or the dully filled Personal History Form (P11).

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.

In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including all related costs e.g. fees, taxes, travel, phone calls etc.) and the number of anticipated working days. The consultant shall bare costs for all supplies needed for data collection and data processing including possession of his own personal computer. 

Travel

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

 

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