Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development (MRRD)
National Solidarity Program (NSP)
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REoI)
For
International Individual Consultant to Provide Technical Assistance to the
NSP Operations Directorate on Financial Oversight
(Reference # MRRD/NSP III/CN/494)
Country: Afghanistan
Ministry: Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development (MRRD)
Type: Individual (International) Consultant
Project: National Solidarity Programme Phase Three (NSP III)
Project ID: P117103
Grant #: ARTF (and/or other grants as may be available)
Issue Date: January 07, 2012
Closing Date: January 21, 2012
Procurement Plan Ref #: 89-a
I. General Introduction:
The National Solidarity Program is the largest of the Afghanistan Government's national priority programmes and is the second largest development programme in the world. The Program is implemented by the Afghanistan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and currently into its 9th year and 3rd phase. NSP consists of four core elements:
n Facilitation at the community level to assist communities establish inclusive community institutions known as Community Development Councils (CDCs);
n Building the capacities of CDC and community members;
n Providing direct block grant transfers to fund approved subprojects; and
n Linking CDCs to government agencies, NGOs, and donors to improve access to services and resources.
NSP proposes to cover an estimated 39,200 rural communities to achieve full national coverage. In addition to its core structure comprisingover 800 national employees, the NSP contracts an international firm to serve as its Financial Management Agent (FMA) and other individual international and national consultants to provide technical assistanceto its various departments. The NSP also contracts around 30 firms (including UN agencies and NGOs) to serve as Facilitating Partners (FPs).
II. Introduction to NSP Financial Oversight
The NSP Phases I and II (May 2003 to September 2011) has a total budget of around US$ 1.2 billion. The NSP Phase III (September 2010 to September 2015) has an additional budget of US$ 1.5 billion. Together NSPhas a budget of nearly US$ 2.8 billion. This may broadly be divided as around 70% as block grants provided directly to communities, around 20% as costs for facilitation and capacity building of Community Development Councils (CDCs), and around 10% as all other management, operational and project support costs. NSP has spent around US$ 1.3 billion to-date.
NSP has 4 primary funding sources: a) the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), b) the Afghanistan Reconstruction TrustFund (ARTF), c) the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF), and d) bilateral donors. The funding is channeled through the donor accounts in the Afghan Ministry of Finance (MoF) and via the "float accounts" managed by a contracted firm serving as NSP's Financial Management Agent(FMA). Deloitte Overseas Consulting Inc (USA) has been contracted since late March 2010 to February 2012 as the NSP FMA. The FMA arrangement is likely to be extended for the whole duration of NSP III, i.e. till September 2015 but with a revised mandate.
The NSP Headquarters includes one full-fledged Finance Department (FD) which is currently under restructuring to move from a core cost-component based Unit structure to a structure where the Units will be based on function rather than component. It is also likely that the FMA role will change from direct management to support services for the FD. At the field level, the 6 NSP Regional Coordination Units (RCUs) have 1 Finance Officer and 1 Finance Assistant each and the 34 Provincial Management Units (PMUs) have 1 Accountant and 1 Assistant Accountant each.
Financial management functions of the NSP include budget planning/forecasts, budget implementation and monitoring, proper financial controls, financial management information systems and financial reporting. Each of this is done for all NSP funds compiled by component, by fiscalyear, by donor, by grant, etc. All approval related to potential financial expenditure/commitments and procurements are divided into various units and levels as per the Approval Policy and the NSP Financial Management Manual (FMM) which are in line with Afghan government legislation and/or policy and/or as per the Financing Agreements of NSP's various Grants.
Regular audits are conducted on all NSP finances by the Government's Central Audit Office (CAO). The World Bank also conducts Financial Management Reviews as part of their NSP Implementation Support Missions (ISMs) once every 6 months.
III. Specific Roles/ Responsibilities Expected of the Consultant Position:
n Assist the DoO in overseeing the overall financial management of the programme.
n Assist the NSP Director of Operations (DoO) in preparing budget forecasts for multiple years based on operational work plans for various donors/individual grants in NSP III.
n Assist the DoO in ensuring that the legal covenants and other obligations of the Client with regard to the World Bank grant related Technical Annexes and Financing Agreements, and Grant Agreements of other donors are met.
n Assist the DoO in monitoring NSP expenditure against approved annual and quarterly budgets. This includes review and feedback to the FD on all finance related reports, included the Interim Unaudited Financial Reports (IUFRs).
n Assist the DoO overseeing the NSP Finance Department's performance.
n Assist the DoO in managing the FMA contract and contractual performance.
n Assist the DoO in liaison with external auditors on all financial audit report queries/responses, observations/feedback and comments.
n Assist the DoO to ensure the linkage between financial and physical progress in the various components of all NSP financial management reports.
n Assist the DoO in establishing and implementing smooth financial coordination between the NSP FD, the MRRD FD, and the various units withinthe Ministry of Finance (MoF) that handle NSP payments/ funds.
n Technical assistance to the NSP's Internal Control Unit.
n Ensure completion of all the various action points raised in the World Bank's Implementation Support Missions' (ISMs') Aide Memoires relating to NSP's financial management.
n Advise the DoO on the progress in implementing the NSP Financial Management Information Systems (FMIS).
n Advise the DoO on the progress in the restructuring of the NSP FD andthe areas needing further refinement, improved efficiency, etc.
n Assist the DoO in monitoring and improving upon existing policies, systems, regulationsand procedures relating to NSP's financial management.
n Assist the DoO and the Donor Relations Manager in set-up and implementation of a financial-cum-physical monitoring and reporting against bilateral grants.
IV. Time Schedule
The assignment is expected to start in April 2012 and is for a periodof Six (6) months, with an additional possible extension of 6 months if mutually agreed between both parties. The contract could be phased if so agreed between both parties during the contract negotiations.
V. Qualification Requirements
V.A Academic Qualifications
A chartered accountant certification is preferred. A master's degree in a related field such as financial management will also be considered acceptable. Specific experience (minimum 1 year) in development programme financing in mandatory.
V.B Work Experience
A minimum of 3 years of direct experience in senior financial management of large organizations/ programmes of which at least 1 year is outside the consultant's native country is required. At least 1 year experience in senior management in organizations/ programmes with multiplecontractual partners is essential.
V.C Other Requirements
- Considerable knowledge in development and development partnerships.
- Excellent knowledge in international best practices in financial management in large multi-donor, multi-partner development programmes.
- Excellent knowledge of software, tools and related requirements for FMIS set-up and implementation.
- Working knowledge of personal computers including word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications.
- Fluency in English (listening, reading, writing, speaking).
- Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
- Ability to listen and ascertain the needs of various NSP stakeholders, especially donors and community members.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all related stakeholders.
VI. Duty Station and Reporting Requirements:
VI.A Duty Station: The duty station shall be the NSP HQ Offices located within the MRRDCompound in Darul Aman, Kabul, Afghanistan. The position will includeoccasional travel to the field as may be required to fulfill the ToRsstated above.
VI.B Reporting Requirements: The consultant reports to the NSP Director of Operations (DoO) on all work related issues, including HR issues (such as leave days, time sheets etc) of his/her contract.
VII. Submission of Expression of Interest:
The NSP/MRRD now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested eligible candidates must provide both a cover letter and Curriculum Vitae (CV) as their Expression of Interest (EoI). The EoI should include clear information on the applicant's key qualifications, employment history (including description of similar assignments, experience in similar programmes/conditions, previous remunerations etc), availability of appropriate skills, at least 2 professional work references (preferably from current or immediate previous employer), any specific conditions required by the applicant for the potential services, and statement on any disabilities or other factors that may hinder or affect the performing of the services.
A consultant will be selected in accordance with 'Section V: Selection of Individual Consultants' procedures set out in the World Bank's Guidelines: 'Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers, version May 2004'. Interested consultants may obtain further information
a) in person at the address below (from 08:00 to 16:00 hours from Saturday to Wednesday) or
b) from the website indicated below or
c) by email to the contact person indicated below.
Expressions of interest (EoI) must be delivered to the address below or by E-Mail to the ID shown below no later than 16:00 Hours on January 21, 2012. The subject line (of the email or the cover letter if submitted in person) should refer to the position being applied both by title and by the reference number stated in this document. Note: No telephone inquires will be entertained.
Address of Focal Person for Enquires and Submission of EoIs:
Mr. Nabiullah Azimi, Head, Procurement Department, National Solidarity Program (NSP),
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), Afghanistan
Address: NSP HQ Offices, MRRD Compound Tashkilat Street, Darul Aman Road, Kabul, Afghanistan
E-mail to: n.azimi@nspafghanistan.org with cc to d.hadi@nspafghanistan.org and j.anto@nspafghanistan.org Website: www.nspafghanistan.org