Location : Georgetown, GUYANA
Application Deadline : 15-Oct-10
Type of Contract : SSA
Post Level : International Consultant
Languages Required : English
Starting Date :(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 25-Oct-2010
Duration of Initial Contract : 12 (twelve) months
Foreign assistance plays an important role in implementing Guyana’s vision for national development, as expressed in the National Competitiveness Strategy, the Low Carbon Development Strategy and other strategy documents. However, in recent years, foreign development assistance is dwindling and the Government of Guyana is concerned about the quantity and quality of aid provided to the country.
Guyana is one of thirteen countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have signed the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. More recently, the Government of Guyana has started to move the local aid effectiveness agenda forward. In this context, a UNDP-funded Aid Effectiveness Support Project implemented by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) aims to strengthen aid and debt management capacities and systems within MoF and to take active measures to implement the Paris Declaration in Guyana. Against this background, it was decided to recruit international expertise to support the Government of Guyana in its endeavor to improve aid effectiveness.
Objectives
The goals of this assignment are:
* To increase development effectiveness through improving the quality, quantity and management of foreign assistance provided to Guyana;
* To increase the effective and transparent allocation, management and use of foreign assistance through strengthening national aid management capacities, systems and mechanisms.
The purposes of this assignment are:
* To establish a government-owned aid information management system to track all foreign aid flows to Guyana;
* To enhance aid mobilization and management capacities of the Ministry of Finance;
* To develop and implement a national aid effectiveness agenda that is based on the five principles of the Paris Declaration: ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results and mutual accountability.
(A firm that can supply the expertise is desirable or a team of consultants; it would be useful for firms/individuals seeking to supply the required services to state where they have worked on providing similar services and in what capacity). A quotation of proposed fees (and details of cost), accompanied by timelines and availability for services required should be submitted.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the Head of the Project Cycle Management Division, and Head of Bilateral Unit, the Aid Effectiveness Adviser will:
* Support the Government of Guyana in establishing an aid information management system that allows recording, tracking and analyzing of all foreign assistance provided to the country;
* Support the skills development and training of the responsible government officials regarding analysis of aid flows to Guyana and preparation of analytical reports to inform collective dialogue and decision-making;
* Assist in the portfolio review process, ensuring that government officials are equipped to conduct an in-depth assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of projects and programmes within a donor’s portfolio, including through impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis;
* Work to expand the knowledge and understanding of government officials on the (global) aid process(es), and individual donors’ peculiarities and requirements;
* Support the Government of Guyana in developing an innovative aid mobilization strategy;
* Facilitate the implementation of a functional analysis of the national aid coordination architecture, including an institutional review of the Ministry of Finance with regard to aid and debt management functions on the basis of existing analyses;
* Assist in the formulation of operational guidelines to strengthen the institutional linkages between aid and debt management;
* Facilitate a capacity needs assessment with regard to aid and debt management functions and support formulation and implementation of a corresponding capacity development plan;
* Support the Government of Guyana in implementing the Paris Declaration Monitoring Survey;
* Assist the Government of Guyana in formulating a national aid and debt policy;
* Facilitate the formulation and monitoring of a joint Government-Development Partner Aid Effectiveness Action Plan;
* Advice the Government on how Guyana can actively participate in and benefit from regional and global conferences and other events on aid effectiveness; including preparation for the High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Seoul in 2011;
* Other advisory and analytical tasks or any other duties reflecting the overall purpose of supporting the Ministry of Finance in strengthening its aid coordination and management capacities and systems and in improving aid effectiveness.
Competencies
* Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to liaise effectively with government officials and representatives of embassies and development agencies;
* Excellent verbal and written English language skills;
* Excellent communication, negotiation, analytical and organizational skills;
* Demonstrated capacity to plan, prioritize and deliver tasks on time to meet goals in a highly pressured and political sensitive environment;
* Proven skills to work in a team, including specific experience of mentoring colleagues, and ability to communicate in a multi-cultural environment;
* Demonstrated capacity to respond flexible and positively to change through active involvement and generation of innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations;
Required Skills and Experience
* Advanced degree in economics, public administration, development studies or political science;
* At least seven years experience in the field of aid coordination, resource mobilization, development cooperation, finance or public administration at national or international level;
* Prior experience with UNDP/UN agencies or other international organization, and relevant work experience in developing countries, preferably in the region, will be an asset.
* Advanced computer skills in common office programmes (MS Word, Excel PowerPoint, etc) and good knowledge of information management and relational databases at user level.
Apply Now at https://jobs.undp.org/cj_apply.cfm?job_id=19453