| Introduction : Country: Laos Description of the Assignment:
Background Lao PDR is halfway through the implementation of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP: 2021-2025), which sets out national priorities to achieve quality, focused, green, and sustainable development aspirations. To support achievement of the 9th NSEDP targets, in particular in light of the many challenges being faced in implementing the Plan, the Government (with support from the UN and other development partners) for the first time developed a Financing Strategy for the 9th NSEDP to identify specific policies that could increase the volume and / or alignment of all financial flows to national priorities. The 9th NSEDP Financing Strategy was endorsed by Prime Minister H.E. Sonexay Siphandone in June 2023, and sets out 54 specific actions, organized across 5 chapters: domestic public finance, international public finance, domestic private finance, international private finance, and priority sectors (health, education, and green and climate finance). The Financing Strategy applies the Integrated National Financing Framework approach, with a holistic (looking at all sources of finance), country owned (explicitly linked to the national plan), and goal-oriented (focused on accelerating the financing and achievement of national development priorities) action framework. Crucially, it represents a consensus built progressively across all key government ministries through a structured process. Monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the 9th NSEDP, including the Financing Strategy, is the responsibility of the Department of Planning, at the Ministry of Planning and Investment. However, maintaining the multi-stakeholder approach taken to developing the Strategy will be essential for smooth and effective implementation. At the request of Ministry of Planning and Investment, the UN is seeking a national consultant to support the Department of Planning in the early stages of implementation of the Financing Strategy, in particular in maintaining cross-government coordination. The consultant will be co-funded by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and UNDP.
Objective: The National Consultant / Secretariat Support to implementation of 9th NSEDP Financing Strategy will provide secretariat support to the Department of Planning to monitor and report on the implementation of the Financing Strategy, ensuring that concerned departments have a clear understanding of expectations and are able to provide regular updates on the implementation of actions that they are responsible for. The consultant will also support Ministry of Planning and Investment in maintaining coherence between policy frameworks and alignment between policies and projects.
Scope of works
Under the direct management of DOP, the national consultant will be responsible for: - Design and / or modify templates used for NSEDP reporting to integrate inputs on the Financing Strategy implementation from partners.
- Maintain the mapping matrix developed to identify development partner contribution to the actions in the Financing Strategy
- Support to co-facilitate familiarization sessions targeting stakeholders implementing the Financing Strategy.
- Identifying capacity gaps that could be the bottlenecks for implementing the Financing Strategy, including lack of understanding of / interest in the Financing Strategy; work with the Department of Planning, with technical support from the UN system as necessary, to fulfil the capacity gaps.
- Provide inputs to the identification of the governance structure and implementation mechanism, both at the political leadership and the technical level.
- Working with all concerned departments to preparing a thorough annual update on the implementation of the Financing Strategy.
- Preparing light quarterly updates on the implementation of the Financing Strategy, in consultation with all concerned departments.
- Maintaining a record of support provided by Lao PDR’s development partners to the implementation of the Financing Strategy.
- Supporting with preparations for and management of government meetings on Financing Strategy (including preparation of draft agendas, logistics, and keeping clear records of participation, reporting, and decisions).
The consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment. The consultant is responsible for providing own laptop computer and mobile phone for use during this assignment; the incumbent must have access to reliable internet connection. Period of assignment/services: 72 working days over 6 months. Proposal should be submitted directly in the portal no later than indicated deadline.
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