Budget Reform Consultant, IGPA

STTA Name: Budget Reform Consultant, Iraq Governance Performance and Accountability (IGPA/Takamul)Job Location Baghdad, IraqJob Classification: International ExpatriateReporting to: Objective 2 Public Financial Management LeadEstimated Start Date: On/or about 9 January 2022Estimated End Date: On/or about 13 March 2022Duty Station: The duty station will be Baghdad and embedded in the Ministry of Finance Budget Directorate in coordination with the Ministry of Planning .IntroductionIGPA/Takamul Has Four (4) ObjectivesThe purpose of the Iraq Governance Performance and Accountability (IGPA/Takamul) project is to advance effective, accountable, and transparent governance in Iraq. This USAID effort, implemented by DAI, is working with the Government of Iraq (GOI) at all levels to better respond to citizen needs by supporting reform initiatives and Iraqi change agents on inclusive governance and public-sector transparency, accountability, and economy. Reform initiatives include support to improve service delivery functions, public financial management, and open government initiatives. IGPA/Takamul will support the GOI and the citizens of Iraq in forming partnerships and collaborative efforts to solve problems jointly. Enhance GOI service delivery capacity Improve public financial management Strengthen monitoring and oversight of service delivery and public expenditure Support Iraqi change agents (cross-cutting objective)Objective 2 Has Two Year 5&6 Workplan Activities Dedicated To Addressing These ReformsObjective 2 is implementing key PFM reforms in support of the GOI���s White Paper Initiatives to improve the country���s economic and financial state. These include budget reform initiatives that involve program budget implementation over a three – five-year period (White Paper Initiative # 6 ��� Program Budget) and increasing the transparency of the national budget (White Paper Initiative #1 ��� Public Budget).Activity 2.4.1 Provide technical support to Ministry of Finance on program budgeting implementation Activity 2.4.2 Increase budget transparency Ministry of FinanceBackgroundProgram Budget ImplementationThe Government of Iraq has committed to transition to program budget reform as part of the Government���s White Paper Initiative 6 and related Federal budget reforms. There is still limited understanding of the benefits of program budgeting across the MOF, national and provincial entities and limited capacity to transition from line item to program budgeting. Additionally, the GOI current budget cycle does not align with program-based budgeting (PBB) principles.For Year 5&6 workplan activity 2.4.1, the Project is providing technical support to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) budget and accounting directorates to update the roadmap prepared in 2019 with more details on transitioning from line-item to program budgeting and prepare a handbook for line ministries and provincial directorates to understand how to implement program budgeting in Iraq. The Project will seek MOF approval for the handbook and buy-in to roll out the handbook across the government at the national and provincial levels. The Project will also support the Ministry of Finance to conduct program budgeting workshops for MOF staff, line ministries and provincial directorate staff. This activity will be implemented with the MOF in close coordination with the Ministry of Planning for the related investment budget aspects of program budgeting and to promote a unified and integrated approach to program budgeting implementation at the national and provincial level. The Project assumes that the USAID-funded UNDP FFER project will play a major role in implementing program budgeting at the national level.Increase Budget TransparencyUnder Article 50, Chapter 10 of the Federal Financial Administration Law No. 6 of 2019 (PFM Law), the MOF is responsible for increasing transparency and accountability by publishing national budget data, information, documents, and reports in a timely and regular manner and by making this information available on the MOF and other government websites. The MOF Budget, Economic, Accounting and IT Departments would be mainly responsible for ensuring that the required budget and financial information would be uploaded to the MOF website, including the budget approved by the COR, monthly reports on the execution of the federal budget and preliminary financial data for four months of each year(M), and the citizen���s budget. Currently, this vital budget and financial information on how the government resources are allocated and spent are not readily available and shared with the public. Additionally, the Federal budget information is not published in a format that would enable citizens to increase their understanding of the Federal budget and what is spent to provide basic services to communities.Under this activity, IGPA/Takamul will provide technical support to the MOF to prepare a citizen���s guide to the national budget to improve transparency and citizen understanding of the national budget. This activity involves supporting MOF to prepare the citizen���s guide to the 2022 budget and possibly the 2023 budget, uploading the national budget and financial information on the MOF website required under the PFM Law.ObjectivesThe main objectives for the work of the Budget Reform Consultant under this Scope of Work are:Program Budgeting ImplementationObjective 1: Building awareness, knowledge and understanding of ministers, deputies and director generals on how to transition to program budgetingObjective 2: Preparing a roadmap for the transition and a comprehensive program budgeting manual to provide guidance for transitioning from line item to program budgetingObjective 3: Train a cadre of Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning technical staff on how to implement the roadmap for transitioning to program budgeting and to train line ministry staff on program budgeting implementationIncrease Budget TransparencyObjective 1: Build MOF capacity to prepare national budget data, information, and reports in a timely and regular manner and making this information available on the MOF and other government websites. Objective 2: Support MOF to prepare a citizen���s guide to the budget for public dissemination that would increase understanding of the Federal budget projects and activities that improve local service delivery.The Budget Reform Consultant will be engaged for 60 LOE working days to be embedded in the MOF Budget Department with weekly/biweekly coordination meetings with the MOP on achieving these objectives. The Budget Reform Consultant will work closely with the local Senior Budget Specialist and Regional Technical Coordinators to complete the work under this SOW.Key Tasks and responsibilities Program Budget ImplementationThe main responsibilities of the Budget Reform Consultant, working under the direction of the Public Financial Management Team Lead, will include, but not be limited to:Task 1: Work with the MOF Budget, Economic, Accounting Departments, Ministry of Planning and 2 ��� 3 select line ministries to update the draft roadmap that was prepared in 2019 to detail step-by-step how to transition from line item budgeting to program budgeting over five years. A working group will be established with the Heads of these Departments and a Ministry of Planning representative to be responsible for the program budgeting implementation work.Task 2: Based on the draft roadmap, the technical working group will prepare a program budgeting manual of up to 100 pages with appendices and templates and worksheet tools for preparing the annual draft Federal budget. Task 3: The budget expert will provide a presentation for Ministries of Finance and Planning officials on program budgeting implementation to increase the level of understanding and awareness of the importance and how this budget reform has been implemented in other countries. The presentation will comprise a half-day workshop with the Technical Deputy Ministers of Finance and Planning, MOF of Budget, Economic Director Generals, MOP, Economic Policy, Capital Investment, and Sector Director Generals for up to 15 participants.Task 4: Support the MOF to finalize the draft roadmap and program budgeting manual. Prepare training materials to conduct training sessions for the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and select line ministries for implementing program budgeting. Increase Budget TransparencyTask 5: Support MOF Budget, Economic, Accounting Departments to review the current budget and financial information available in accordance with PFM Law transparency requirements. The budget reform consultant will then work with the departments to determine the appropriate format to share this information on websites to be readily available and accessible to the public. Task 6 : Support MOF to develop instructions for the MOF internal departments and relevant ministries on making the budget and financial information available by website and other communication mechanisms ��� media, forums, etc.Task 7: Support MOF Budget and Economic Department to design and develop a citizen���s guide to the national budget based on the budget and financial information collected and formatted under Task 1. The guide should be published in Arabic with an English translation and in a format that can be easily understood by the public.Task 8: Design and support MOF to conduct a workshop for the Ministry of Planning and COMSec and the line ministries on the instructions for public dissemination of budget and financial information in accordance with the PFM Law.Task 9: Write and publish final lessons learned report of up to 10 pages that describes the progress and what was accomplished towards completing the activity tasks, challenges and how they can be resolved, recommendations and next steps and at least 2 success stories.The Budget Reform consultant should submit weekly reports to the IGPA/Takamul PFM Component Lead/Regional Technical Coordinator every Tuesday by the end of the workday for the previous week. The weekly reports should detail which governmental entities the consultant met within the previous week, what has been accomplished towards completing the deliverables under this scope of work, provide a brief description of the support provided and what is planned for technical support for the next week/coming weeks.In executing these tasks, the STTA Budget Reform Consultant will be responsible for complying with the relevant requirements specified under the IGPA Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) component.V. Sustainabiilty and change agentsObjective 2 will consult with the MOF Economic, Budget, Accounting Departments to select at least 1 change agent from each department to be responsible for the sustainability of the program budgeting implementation and increased budget transparency efforts.Increased budget transparencyThe change agents will work closely with the IGPA STTA international budget reform consultant and regional PFM coordinators to ensure the national budget and financial information is identified, collected, reviewed and formatted to be readily available and accessible to the public via the MOF and other government websites. The change agents will be responsible for ensuring that the MOF follows the schedule and process for updating the information on the website regularly. The change agents may also participate in the MOF workshop for MOF department, MOP, COMSec and key economic and fiscal institutions on the policy and instructions on public dissemination of budget and financial information. The change agents will participate in the budget transparency workshop for the MOF, Ministry of Planning, and COMSec and the line ministries on the instructions for public dissemination and will be responsibility for the sustainability of the budget transparency efforts including dissemination of the national budget and financial information on the MOF and other government websites and other media mechanisms.Program Budgeting ImplementationThe change agents will work closely with the IGPA STTA international budget reform consultant and regional PFM coordinators to ensure the program budgeting implementation tasks are carried out effectively including the draft roadmap development, and preparing a program budgeting manual up to 100 pages with appendices and templates and worksheet tools for preparing the annual draft Federal budget. The change agents will support the STTA budget experts to conduct training sessions for the MOF, MOP and select line ministries for implementing program budgeting and will be responsibility for the sustainability of the program budgeting implementation efforts based on the roadmap and manual and instructions that may be developed by the MOF for implementation.VI. Required QualificationsA Master���s degree in public policy, economics, finance or a related field is required. A PhD is preferred.At least 15 years of experience working as a budget reform expert with governments in transition or developing countries. Preferred experience in the MENA region.Familiarity with relevant budget reform including program budgeting reform implementation and budget transparency best practices to be adapted for the local contextFluency in Arabic with professional proficiency in English (written and speaking skills)Excellent communication and reporting skillsFamiliarity with the social, economic and political context of Iraq VII. Skills Strong analytical and research skills, including data analysis and macroeconomic modelling techniquesExcellent writing, reading and verbal communication skills essentialArabic is essential. English will be an advantageAbility to prepare analysis reportsFacilitation skills with persuasion abilitiesComputer skills: proficient in the use of Microsoft Office package (Word, Excel, Powerpoint Presentation)VIII. Location and Language of DeliverablesThe duty station for this assignment will be Baghdad and embedded in the Ministry of Finance Budget Department.All deliverables must be prepared in both English and Arabic.IV. ReportingThe Budget Reform Consultant will report to the PFM Team Lead.V. General Statement Under this SOW, IGPA/Takamul project will be responsible for covering all other indirect implementation costs including air and ground transportation, lodging, per-diem, and phone communications.For all formal workshops and trainings, for the purposes of contractual compliance, the consultant will be responsible for implementing the relevant requirements specified under the IGPA Projects Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) component, including the submission of all sign-in sheets, photos.