Budget Brief Consultant, Samoa and Tonga, 30 days work from home

UNICEF Pacific is hiring a Budget Brief Consultant to develop the annual budget briefs for social sectors in Samoa and Tonga, to inform advocacy, through key messages for policy and financing changes. If you have the expertise for this role, please submit your interest!

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, support.

In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. These 14 Pacific Island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria. 

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work in the link provided here www.unicef.org/pacificislands. 

Background of Assignment: 

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The priority for UNICEF is for all children to have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favoritism. Every child must have an equal chance in life across all aspects including social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions.

There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens, particularly children, will help address inequity. Ensuring the benefits of Government spending and public policies is equitably beneficial to all citizens is an important foundation for a peaceful, productive, and happy society.

A transparent and responsive Public Financial System must balance its economic objectives with its social responsibility to the people. Children as the future of the country need special attention and public investment to achieve their potential that will lead to sustained growth and stability of the country. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of countries.

How can you make a difference? 

The objective of this assignment is to develop the annual budget briefs for social sectors in Samoa and Tonga, to inform advocacy, through key messages for policy and financing changes. A prime focus is to strengthen linkages of policy and planning to budget allocations and thus to long-term outcomes for target groups in line with national priorities and sector strategies and promoting equitable spending with focus on vulnerable groups.

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Social Policy and direct supervision of the Social Policy Specialist, the selected candidate will develop ten national Government briefs (five for each country). The type of briefs are as follows:

1. National budget brief

2. Health & Nutritional budget brief

3. Education budget brief

4. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) budget brief

5. Social protection budget brief

The Consultant will be required to work remotely throughout the duration of the contract. However virtual meetings/ meetups are expected with UNICEF Pacific MCO staff, Pacific Government officials, and other stakeholders.

Please refer to the ToR ( TOR Budget Brief Consultant Samoa and Tonga March2024 – 02.04.2024..pdff) for further information on the deliverables and the timelines.

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS

Please submit a separate financial offer along with your application. The financial proposal should be a lump sum amount for all the deliverables and should show a break down for the following:

• Monthly / Daily fees– based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference above.
• Miscellaneous – to cover communications, and other costs, if applicable.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

EDUCATION

• Advanced University degree in Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or any other related technical field.

EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES

The candidate should ensure adherence to required qualifications, skills and experience as stated below:

• Proven minimum of 5-year experience in policy sector programming or research at the national and international level, some of which preferably were served in a developing country,
• Experience in developing investment/business cases and conducting economic analysis is required,
• Technical knowledge related to public budgeting and finance is required,
• Strong background in public economics and proven experience of conducting similar budget briefs and/or studies, in the Pacific, is an advantage
• Prior experience engaging with government departments and other stakeholders, particularly in the Pacific, is an advantage,
• Strong research and writing skills, and strong communication, for the development of technical documents is essential,
• Experience in data analysis and survey report writing,
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of the latest developments and issues related to public finance particularly in the Pacific, are essential,
• Fluency in English (both written and verbal) is required,
• Profiles and/or CV of the candidate as well as references/links to two most recent projects should be provided with the proposal.

OTHER COMPETENCIES

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
• Excellent oral and written communication in Samoan or Tongan, or other Pacific language, would be an advantage,
• Familiarity and previous experience of working in Samoa and Tonga, and/or in the Pacific region are highly desirable,
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and to establish harmonious and effective relationships both within and outside the organisation,
• Demonstrated leadership, managerial and supervisory ability.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

Remarks:  

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible for ensuring that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.