Consultant

Job Description

Position: Consultant

Position No.: 1

Location: Kathmandu Office                                     

Division: International Development Division 

Supervisor: Policy and Research Lead

About the Position:

Abt Associates is looking for a Consultant to conduct a study on “Bottlenecks in Governance Structures Affecting Low Capital Expenditure in Nepal”.

About USAID/Nepal Sajhedari – Support to Federalism (STF):

The goal of the USAID funded Sajedhari - Support to Federalism  (STF) project, implemented by Abt Associates is to provide technical assistance to the Government of Nepal (GoN) in transitioning from a unitary state to a federation of provinces with more effective, accountable, responsive and inclusive local governance. The key objectives of the STF Project are: (a)  The GoN creates and implements sound policies and legislation that are informed by evidence, and empower, finance, and regulate provincial and municipal governments; (b) The targeted province and select municipal governments therein are more responsive, inclusive, accountable, transparent, and effective in decision making and delivering priority services to fulfilling core legal responsibilities; and (c) Citizens and civil society organizations in targeted geographic areas, including the historically marginalized, actively participate local decision-making and oversight. 

Objectives of the Study

The recent news and government reports suggest that the sub-national governments have not been able to spend the capital budget in a satisfactory way. During the scoping visit, some local leaders explained the procurement policy and lack of staff as prime reasons for low expenditure of capital budget.

Sajhedari- STF Project intends to carry out a study to understand the current bottlenecks facing sub-national governments in executing their proposed capital expenditure projects. The study will examine existing systems, both financial and non-financial, that effect the disbursement of funds and the planning and implementation of capital expenditure projects at the national and sub-national levels.  

Besides mapping existing legal structures, processes and institutions that affect spending on capital projects, the study will also focus on two to four case studies. Through the case studies, the aim will be to understand actual projects which have been successful or unsuccessfully implemented in Province No.5 and Sudur Pashchim Province to understand the underlying challenges facing their success or failure. The end goal of the study is to identify gaps which are impeding execution of capital expenditure projects and help the Government by identifying mitigating measures to resolve the problem.

Deliverables:

The Consultant is expected to deliver the following:

• Present a detailed plan and study framework within a week of signing the agreement to be discussed with Sajhedari program team before the assignment begins.
• Produce a draft study report identifying bottlenecks that are leading to low  capital expenditure with  practical recommendations to improve relevant policies and practices
• Collect and compile two to four case studies showing the underlying challenges contributing to the success or failure of a project as part of the study report
• Produce a final report incorporating the comments and suggestions from Sajhedari program team and Urban Institute, USA
• Present the gist of the study in stakeholder meeting comprised of federal, provincial and local elected leaders and relevant GoN officials

The report should contain graphs, case studies and pictorial representation of situation as much as possible and it should provide complete and authentic citations using Vancouver or Harvard Methods of Referencing.

Level of Effort and Timeline:

• The expected level of effort to conduct the study is expected to be between 20-30 days starting from January 2020 to February 2020. Level of efforts (No. of days) will be negotiated after submission of inception report. The consultant is required to visit provincial headquarters and selected Palikas of Sudur Pashchim and Province-5. The travel cost including accommodation and food will be covered by the project as per the organizational rule.

Reporting and Coordination:

• The consultant will report to the Policy and Research Lead and liaise with project team members to pursue the study.

Required Qualification and Skills:

• At least a Master’s Degree in Economics, public policy or similar subject
• At least seven years of experience working in economic and/or governance sector in Nepal
• Sound understanding of federalism implementation in Nepal 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills 
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research and analyses
• Strong writing skills in English
• Demonstrated knowledge to be able to set high standards in ethical aspects of the study and fieldwork
• A good understanding of Gender Equality & Social Inclusion issues and challenges in Nepal

To Apply:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter along with updated CV to nepaljobs@abtassoc.com with the subject line “Consultant to Study on Bottlenecks in Governance affecting Low Capital Expenditure in Nepal” by January 19, 2020. Please indicate your ability, availability and daily rate to undertake the terms of reference above.