Aim of this assignment

VNG International is the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) and is committed to supporting democratic local government worldwide. VNG is implementing the Uniting Local Governments in Ethiopia programme financed by the Delegation of the European Union (EUD) in Addis Ababa. The overall objective of the programme is to strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of local governments to deepen Ethiopia’s decentralization process. The programme consists of several components.

The PFM expert will be in charge of supporting Local Governments capacities in public finance management and strengthening Civil Service Capacity for better service delivery. ULGE wishes to support a more effective PFM in medium sized cities and adjacent rural areas in Ethiopia to meet the growing costs of infrastructure, operations, and maintenance associated with the rapid urbanization. The PFM expert will steer this component (known as component 3) of the ULGE programme.

Activities to be performed

The Expert is responsible for the following activities:

•  The development and implementation of the Public Finance Management component of the ULGE programme;
• Participate in a baseline assessment on Public Finance Management in local governments in Ethiopia including review of relevant legislation / SOP’s, inventory of existing PFM training modules, inventory of projects funded by international donors;
• Support in the identification and selection of pilot local governments (medium sized cities and adjacent rural areas);
• Assistance to selected medium sized cities and adjacent rural areas in the development of context specific PFM Development Strategies (PFMDS) including recommendations on capacity building, revenue and expenditure management, own-source revenue enhancement planning, capital investment planning;
• Provision of hands-on technical assistance to support implementation of the PFMDS including the capacity building curriculum for municipal staff; the hands-on technical assistance to support implementation of the FMDS to be handled using participatory approach, small groups or individuals for on the job training to acquire practical experience and knowledge through on-the-job coaching;
• Within the pilot Local Governments, develop HR standards for key functions and develop capacity development initiatives for civil service/municipal staff
• Stakeholder engagement to ensure ownership, participation and a clear understanding of the analysis of the PFM processes and the successful implementation of the technical assistance to support implementation of the PFMDS;
• Assist the recruitment and management of a maximum of two PFM trainers in the to-be-determined pilot Local Governments;
• Ensure proper monitoring, evaluation and learning within the programme;
• Organization of benchmarks / exchanges to promote horizontal exchange and learning on PFM functionalities;
• Ensure alignment of the PFM component with other areas of the programme, including decentralization and urbanization agendas, in close collaboration with the programme staff;
• Timely communication and sharing of information at all levels, federal, regional and to the identified Urban local governments so that all the key stakeholders are involved and are aware of the project implementation process;
• Facilitate dissemination of best practices and knowledge exchange among all local authorities through the Ethiopian Cities Association (ECA) and other platforms of publication and knowledge-sharing

Outputs/Deliverables

The Expert is responsible for the following deliverables:

• PFM strategy and programme for ULGE developed;
• Baseline study on PFM has been delivered with support of the PFM expert;
• PFM Development Strategies (PFMDS) and capacity development plans for pilot local governments developed;
• Activities of ULGE component 3 are implemented as outlined above.
• The Expert is expected to report on a regular basis to the programme team in The Hague in the form of:
• Regular progress reports (narrative and financial reports);
• Upon request, contribute to EUD reporting in collaboration with the VNG International team.

The reporting routing shall be structured as follows:

• The expert will work closely with the Governance Advisor (Addis Ababa based) and the Country Programme Director (The Hague) to ensure that all activities are aligned to the Programme focus and expected outcomes;
• The Expert will report directly to the Country Programme Director of VNG International in The Hague;
• The expert will not report directly to the beneficiary local government(s) or any other partners involved in the execution of the assignment.

Job Requirements

Required profile of the expert

Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree at academic level in Public Finance Management.

General professional experience

• At least 12 years' professional experience in Public Finance Management, preferably in medium-sized cities and / or rural woredas;
• Experience and familiarity with urbanization processes in Ethiopia.

Specific professional experience

• At least 5 years’ experience in the implementation of PFM capacity development programs, preferably in urban development;
• At least 5 trainings delivered on PFM in the last 10 years;
• At least 5 years’ experience in a management position in the field of in PFM will be considered as advantageous;
• Experience in stakeholder management and liaising with local governments and Ministries in Ethiopia is considered an asset.

Languages

• Excellent master of the English language and preferably two national or regional Ethiopian languages.

Computer knowledge and skills

• Computer literate (Microsoft Office);
• Knowledge of relevant data collection tools and methods. Period of the assignment

The PFM expert shall be based in Addis Ababa and will be appointed until March 2022 (one year) with possible extension based on performance and availability of funds.

How to Apply

 Interested and qualified applicants can apply through: vng@ethiojobs.net