Terms of Reference (TOR): Fiduciary Risk and Value for Money Study for the Mother & Early Childhood Grant and other social transfer payment mechanisms in Lao PDR
Context
In October 2019, the Joint SDG Fund approved a new UN Joint Programme “Leaving no one behind: Establishing the basis for social protection floors in Lao PDR”. The main objective of the UN Joint Programme is to support the Government of Lao PDR to implement the National Social Protection Strategy 2025, through an approach based on development of the national social protection system and implemented through a pilot of the Mother and Early Childhood Grant. The expected results of the UN Joint Programme are the following:
Result 1: Government planning, managerial and implementation capacity, including on leadership and coordination, to implement the National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) is enhanced.
Result 2: At least 1,400 children under 12 months are benefiting from a new integrated package of welfare services, including the new Mother and Early Childhood Grant (MECG), early childhood wellbeing services and support for birth registration.
The UN Joint Programme contributes to building the capacities of social protection stakeholders in Lao PDR. It follows a systemic and integrated approach in supporting the implementation of the National Social Protection Strategy 2025 in order to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. The Programme has some innovative elements:
It seeks to support the development of a consolidated social protection system under a single ministry that carries the mandate for social protection in the country.
It creates linkages between cash transfers and related services such as community-based social welfare, child protection services, birth registration, nutrition and healthcare.
It aims to ensure that financing for social protection is on-budget and the budgetary system meets international standards.
It seeks to bring all this together by building capacities and improving budgetary efficiency which would contribute to better implementing social protection, and in turn, using evidence from the pilot of a nationally owned social assistance scheme to inform the former activities and thereby contribute to system development.
The UN Joint Programme is implemented by the Programme Advisory Committee, co-chaired by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the UN Resident Coordinator. It receives technical assistance from ILO, UNICEF and UNCDF, while financial assistance is provided by the Joint SDG Fund and DFAT Australia.
Service provider’s tasks and responsibilities
Content-wise, the requested service – ideally implemented by a team of international and national financing experts – will contribute to the Output 2.1 “Feasibility assessment and roadmap for the design and implementation of the Mother and Early Childhood Grant Conducted.”
In particular, it will contribute to Activities 2.1.3. “Identification of the institutional arrangements and for implementation of the MECG (functions, roles, responsibilities)” and 2.1.4. “Support NSPC in assessing the features of the cash transfer pilots and dialogue on best options post-pilot”.
The team will work with the UN Joint Programme team in Lao PDR, with technical backstopping and supervision provided by the ILO Decent Work Team in Bangkok as well as with UNCDF and UNICEF experts.
Specifically, the team will have the following responsibilities (see process chart below for proposed timeline of milestones):
Based on the initial concepts and guidance provided in the context of these TORs (see attached concept note) develop a methodology for the implementation of a credible and valid study for assessing: fiduciary risks, value for money (VfM) and scaling-up feasibility of “last mile” payment mechanisms and fund routing processes for the MECG, which could also be utilized with by other cash-transfer schemes as envisioned by the National Social Protection Strategy 2025.[1]
Conduct the study on the agreed upon methodology/approach.
Draft a final report including the methodology/approach, the study’s results and recommendations (including a cost-efficient risk mitigation framework) for next steps.
Develop a PowerPoint presentation, detailing the study’s main results and recommendations and present these to the UN Joint Programme stakeholders (including national government partners).
Incorporate into the final report the comments and advice provided based on the draft report review as well as those received during the presentation of the study’s results.
Expected Deliverables
The team is expected to perform the tasks necessary to deliver the following outputs:
- Deliverable 1: Refined FRA methodology and timeline
- Deliverable 2: Presentation of initial results and recommendations*- Deliverable* 3: Final report
The team will work under the supervision of the ILO Programme Manager for the UN Joint Programme on social protection in Lao PDR, the ILO Senior Social Protection Specialist in Bangkok and the ILO Coordinator for Lao PDR.
The team will predominantly be home-based. Travel to Vientiane and the MECG pilot locations may be required if the situation allows, in which case, mission costs will be covered separately.
Timeframe
Desirable number of working days: 50
Payments will be based on the financial proposal submitted by the service provider. The payments and the payment schedule will be agreed between the service provider and project team prior to signing the contract.
A preliminary mapping of key milestones along the timeline is depicted in figure 5 below (tbc).
Figure 5: MECG FRA Milestones along Timeline
Qualifications
International Expert
At least a BA in economics, public policy or related field (preferably within PFM context) plus 12 years of relevant work experience, or
MA in economics, public policy or related field (preferably within PFM context) plus at least 7 years of relevant work experience
Proven track record in undertaking fiduciary risk assessments in the G2P sphere
Ability to organize own work and to carry out a research project with limited supervision according to deadlines
Excellent presentation and writing skills
Ability to speak and write fluently in English
Willingness to undertake project-related travel
National Expert
At least a BA in economics, public policy or related field (preferably within PFM context)
At least 5 years of Lao PDR Public Financial Management (PFM) experience
Previous work experience with international development organizations
Ability to speak and write fluently in Lao and English
This vacancy is archived.