Result of Service

The ultimate goal of this service is to enable target countries to enhance their capacities to plan and implement effective financing strategies that support their sustainable development priorities and contribute to achieving the SDGs.

Work Location

Home-Based

Expected duration

18 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of this assignment is to provide technical assistance and tailored country-specific advice to the target countries -two in Africa, one in the Caribbean, and one in Asia-Pacific- for the development and implementation of financing strategies in support of their sustainable development priorities and the SDGs. The consultant will help the target countries build their capacities on INFFs by drawing on the INFF guidance material developed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development (IATF), other relevant analytical work produced by development partners on the area of financing for development, and existing country-experiences. In addition, the consultant will assist FSDO to provide technical backstopping on INFFs and other financing for development-related matters to the consultants deployed in the target countries under the project to support INFF implementation (‘embedded experts’). The consultant will work in coordination with the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) of the target countries and in close collaboration with other UNDESA divisions (especially with the SIDS Unit at the Division for Sustainable Development Goals – DSDG -), other relevant parts of the UN system, including UN Country Teams, the UN Regional Commissions, UNDP, as well as international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group, IMF, regional development banks and other international development agencies.

The international consultant will work with the Policy Analysis and Development Branch (PADB) at the Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FSDO) of UNDESA to provide substantive and technical leadership on the INFF capacity-building activities to be carried out under the Support to Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) in SIDS Project. The Support to INFFs in SIDS Project, currently funded by the government of Italy, is part of the broader Financing for SIDS Initiative (FINS Initiative) that was jointly developed by FSDO and the SIDS Unit of Division for the Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) at UNDESA.

Under the supervision of the Chief of the Policy Analysis and Development Branch (PADB) at FSDO, the Consultant will be responsible for the following work assignments:

Provide substantive advice on the execution of INFFs in the target countries, including the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, in close coordination and collaboration with the national authorities, embedded experts, UNDESA, and UN Country Teams.

Provide substantive advice to the embedded experts deployed in the target countries, in particular by:

• Providing advice on engagements with national authorities on INFF implementation according to national priorities.
• Providing advice on the preparations of national workshops, seminars, and other training events at the country level.
• Providing advice and facilitating the engagement of the embedded experts with UNDESA and other relevant parts of the UN system (including the UN Resident Coordinators’ Offices, the UN Country Teams, the UN Regional Commissions, UNDP), as well as with international financial institutions working on financing for development-related issues in the target countries, including the World Bank Group, IMF, regional development banks and other international development agencies.
• Leading and facilitating discussions among embedded experts of the targeted countries for knowledge exchange.

Design and execute sub-regional, regional or international peer exchanges on experiences of the target countries as required.

Prepare a compendium of experiences of the targeted SIDS on INFF design and implementation. The compendium should consist of:

• A summary of experiences in the targeted countries, with a focus on concrete and actionable policy recommendations for policymakers, building on lessons learned and country experiences exchanged during relevant workshops, seminars or trainings.
• Details of experiences for each of the targeted SIDS.
• Summary of peer exchanges and discussions at workshops.

Support the required reporting, monitoring and evaluation of the project, including the preparation of the mid-term and final progress reports on the implementation of the project in target countries.

Perform other relevant duties, as required.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree in development studies, international relations, economics, political science or other relevant academic discipline;¿

A minimum of eight years of experience in development policy and analysis;

Experience in advising countries and/or developing guidance on integrated approaches, including on development financing;¿¿

Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals;

Significant experience on building partnerships and coordination;

Good analytical and conceptual skills;¿

Excellent drafting and communication abilities;¿

Experience in advising SIDS on development policy and analysis is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in spoken and written English is required.
Fluency in spoken and written Spanish and/or French is desirable.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.