Overview : Consultancy Title: Public Account Committee Secretary and Researcher (National Consultant) – PN/FJI10-006-18 | Project Name: Pacific Parliamentary Effective Initiative (PPEI) Project | Duty Station: Nuku’alofa, TONGA | Duration of the Contract: 1 year | Date of contracts: 27 March 2018 – 28 March 2019 |
Objectives: The objective of this consultancy is to provide secretariat, administrative and research support to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Tonga Legislative Assembly. |
Background: Pacific Island Countries (PICs) still face significant challenges in achieving meaningful participatory democratic governance that is responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens, including the poor and marginalised, and that promotes sustainable development. The challenges range from political instability, lack of financial and human resources capacity, including weak policy and regulatory frameworks. Participatory decision making is severely limited, with women and young people under-represented in formal political structures across the region. In recognition of the central importance of parliaments to good governance, inclusive development and public accountability, the UNDP Pacific Office has been working with Pacific parliaments to strengthen their capacity for many years. Currently, UNDP has a flagship project in Fiji and is also supporting national parliamentary projects in Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tonga. These projects are primarily implemented by UNDP Country Offices, with design support, oversight and technical advice being provided by the UNDP Pacific Centre. Support to the Tonga Legislative Assembly Under the overall guidance of the Clerk to the Legislative Assembly, the PAC Secretary and Researcher will provide research and administrative support to the committee clerks, committee members, Members of Parliament and parliament staff. |
Scope of work/Expected Output Under the direct supervision of the Committee Clerk, the Researcher shall: - Work closely with the Head of the Committee, Research and Library Division in the provision of professional secretariat support to the PAC;
- Assist other parliamentary committees with decisions relating to government policy and legislation, or with any other matter before the committees or the House;
- Undertake relevant research on a range of topics in support of PAC, the Office of the Speaker, Members of Parliament and the Clerk;
- Provide financial and economic opinion on referral from the House, Public Account Committee, Speaker, Members of Parliament and Clerk;
- Provide procedural advice to the PAC when required;
- Prepare committee reports and briefings for the PAC to be tabled at meetings of the Committee and submission to the House;
- Contribute to knowledge building and knowledge sharing to the committees and stakeholders on parliamentary issues; and
- Progress casework through liaison with local and national bodies, government agencies, lobby groups and other associated bodies for the PAC and other parliamentary committees.
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Resources Provided The successful applicant will be given desk space, computer, be provided internet and printing accesses in the Tonga Legislative Assembly to provide an enabling environment. |
Requirement for Qualifications & Experience Academic Qualification - Possess undergraduate degree in Commerce, Economics/Accounting or related field from a recognized academic tertiary institution.
Knowledge & Experience - Has minimum of three years’ experience working on corporate planning and budgets for an organization and/or work experience at the Budget Division of a government Ministry;
- Strong experience working on research topics with Public Account Committee, Office of the Speaker and Members of Parliament; and
- Relevant experience using information technology tools for research.
Competencies: - Excellent analytical, writing and drafting skills and experience;
- Demonstrated ability work effectively within strict deadlines; and
- Fluency in English (written and oral) is essential.
Reporting Requirements The key person to whom the PAC Secretary and Researcher will report to: a) Tonga Legislative Assembly Ms. Gloria Poleo Clerk, Tonga Legislative Assembly Telephone: (676) 23565 Email: gloriapoleo@gmail.com The PAC Secretary and Researcher shall also have reporting obligations to the UNDP Pacific Office on all work carried out as part of the Terms of Reference. b) UNDP focal point: Ms. Luisa Senibulu Programme Analyst– Effective Governance UNDP Pacific Office Tel: (679) 3300 399 Fax: (679) 3301 976 Email: luisa.senibulu@undp.org Dates and details as to how the work must be delivered: The Consultant will fulfil these Terms of Reference, in cooperation with the Legislative Assembly team and the UNDP Parliamentary Development Team. The Consultant will ensure that the objectives of this work are completed and achieved within the agreed timeframes and agreed budget. |
Payment Schedule Submission of monthly reports (based upon a standard UNDP template) should be made to the national counterparts and to UNDP Pacific Office. Payment will be made monthly, based upon acceptance of the Researcher’s monthly report, and national counterpart’s endorsement of acceptable performance. Proposal Requirements Offers must send the following documents: i) Signed P11 form including names of at least 3 referees ii) Completed template for confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal (Financial Proposal which includes breakdown of professional fees, travel expenses to and from home and duty station (economy class) plus living expenses at the duty station and any other miscellaneous cost that may be incurred during the duration of the consultancy.) The P11 form and Template for confirmation of interest and Submission of Financial Proposal is available under the procurement section of UNDP Fiji website (www.pacific.undp.org) |
Evaluation Cumulative analysis The proposals will be evaluated using the cumulative analysis method with a split 70% technical and 30% financial scoring. The proposal with the highest cumulative scoring will be awarded the contract. Applications will be evaluated technically and points are attributed based on how well the proposal meets the requirements of the Terms of Reference using the guidelines detailed in the table below: When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract may be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and b) having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. * Technical Criteria weighting; 70% * Financial Criteria weighting; 30% Technical Criterial – Maximum 70 points - Criteria A: Possess undergraduate degree in Commerce, Economics/Accounting or related field from a recognized academic tertiary institution; 10%
- Criteria B: Possess relevant experience working on corporate planning and budgets for an organization and/or work experience at the Budget Division of a government Ministry; 15%
- Criteria C: Strong experience working on research topics with Public Account Committee and/or Committees, Office of the Speaker and Members of Parliament; 20%
- Relevant experience using information technology tools for research; 10%
- Criteria D: Excellent analytical, writing and drafting skills; 5%
- Criteria E: Demonstrated ability work effectively within strict deadlines; 5%
- Criteria F: Fluency in English (written and oral) is essential; 5%
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Proposal Submission Offerors must send the following documents: - Signed P11 form including names of at least 3 referees
- Cover letter setting out:
- A statement of how the applicant meets the qualifications and experience requirements;
- Proposed methodology/approach including preliminary work plan (covering deliverables, key activities and due dates); and
- Completed template for confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal.
- The consultant must send a financial proposal based on a Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs.
In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. Annexes Proposal Submission All applications must be clearly marked with the title of the consultancy and submitted by 5.00pm (Fiji Time), 6th March 2018 (Fiji Time) electronically to etenderbox.pacific@undp.org . For further information concerning this Terms of Reference, please contact Ms. Luisa Senibulu Programme Analyst– Effective Governance, UNDP Pacific Office on email luisa.senibulu@undp.org. Incomplete applications will not be considered, and only candidates for whom there is further interest will be contacted. Women applicants are encouraged to apply |
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