Result of Service

The ultimate result of this service is to provide technical assistance and tailored country-specific advice to Vanuatu on INFF implementation in support of its national sustainable development priorities. The consultant will help Vanuatu build its capacities on INFFs by drawing on INFF guidance material developed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development (IATF), other relevant analytical work produced by development partners on the area of financing for development, and existing country-experiences. The consultant will receive technical backstopping on INFF from UNDESA/FSDO, as part of the mentorship component.

Work Location

Vanuatu, Port Vila

Expected duration

12 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FSDO) helps governments finance and implement sustainable development, the 2030 Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through: support for intergovernmental negotiations and global norm-setting; analytical work; and capacity development. For more information please visit: https://financing.desa.un.org/about/about-financing-sustainable-development-office. Background: In the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) countries decided that “integrated national financing frameworks (INFFs) that support nationally owned sustainable development strategies will be at the heart of our efforts” to implement the 2030 Agenda, supported by an enabling international economic environment and international cooperation. In the outcome of the 2018 Financing for Development (FfD) Forum, Member States followed up on the AAAA by committing to “operationalize national financial frameworks into investable projects and pipelines.” In 2019, 16 countries committed to pioneering the INFF approach, and by 2022 governments over 80 countries were taking steps to develop and operationalize INFFs. INFFs provide a comprehensive framework and roadmap for countries to implement the SDGs and operationalize the AAAA at the country level. INFFs map the landscape for financing sustainable development (including all financial and non-financial means of implementation of the AAAA) and lay out a country’s financing strategy to implement targeted policies and reforms in order to reach the SDGs. INFFs can help national authorities identify, mobilize, and align financing and other means of implementation to meet national sustainable development priorities and the SDGs. As widely recognised in international agreements, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face particular challenges for financing sustainable development, which undermine their sustainable development gains and their progress towards the SDGs. The impact of the COVID-19 crisis affected SIDS disproportionately, including: significant economic contractions, strained health and social security systems, plummeting tourism revenues, declining remittances, heightened food insecurity, and commodity trade disruptions. The decrease in tax revenues caused by the economic contraction, coupled with the increased spending needs for addressing the health, supply and climate-adaptation crisis also exacerbated the risk of debt distress in many SIDS (especially in those with already high debt service costs). In this context, it is imperative that SIDS develop and implement financing strategies that can support their recovery and ensure their resilience. As they seek to recover from the multiple crises and build back better, INFFs can help support financing strategies for SIDS to achieve national sustainable development priorities and the SDGs. Objective: The Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FSDO) of UNDESA is currently seeking the services of a consultant to support the INFF capacity-building activities to be carried out under the project, as embedded expert in Vanuatu. The consultant will work at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management of Vanuatu. The consultant will be based in Vanuatu and will report to UNDESA/FSDO through the Policy Analysis and Development Branch (PADB) staff designated as his/her Supervisor. The objective of this assignment is to provide technical assistance and tailored country-specific advice to Vanuatu on INFF implementation in support of its national sustainable development priorities. The consultant will help Vanuatu build its capacities on INFFs by drawing on the INFF guidance material developed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development (IATF), other relevant analytical work produced by development partners on the area of financing for development, and existing country-experiences. In performing the work assignments under the project, the consultant will receive technical backstopping on INFF from UNDESA/FSDO, as part of the mentorship component. The consultant will work in coordination with the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) of Vanuatu and in close collaboration with other UNDESA divisions (especially with the SIDS Unit at the Division for Sustainable Development Goals – DSDG -), other relevant parts of the UN system, including UN Country Team, the UN Regional Commission, UNDP, as well as international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group, IMF, regional development banks and other international development agencies. Work Assignments: Under the supervision of Policy Analysis and Development Branch (PADB) staff at FSDO and with the technical backstopping of FSDO, the consultant will be responsible for the following work assignments: 1. Provide technical advice to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management of Vanuatu for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of an INFF that help to mobilize additional resources to finance and is aligned with the national development priorities and the SDGs. In particular, the consultant will: a. Provide technical advice in connection with the institutional arrangements and governance mechanisms required to advance the INFF process in Vanuatu and assist with the engagement of relevant national stakeholders. b. Provide technical advice and assist government officials in an appropriate INFF strategy or focus area, as determined by Vanuatu. c. Engage with other relevant parts of the UN system, including the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the UN Country Team, the UN Regional Commission, and UNDP, as well as with international financial institutions working on financing for development-related issues in Vanuatu (including the World Bank Group, IMF, regional development banks and other international development agencies), in order to provide the support on INFF in Vanuatu in collaboration and coordination with them. d. Make substantive contributions to and lead the preparation and delivery of workshops, seminars, trainings, and other capacity development events on INFFs and other financing for development-related topics, aimed at increasing the capacity on INFFs of pertinent national authorities and other national stakeholders. 2. Actively contribute to the peer exchange activities undertaken as part of the project by: a. Advising and assisting the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management of Vanuatu with the preparations for participating in the sub-regional, regional and international peer knowledge exchange events. b. Participating and making substantive contributions to the sub-regional, regional and international peer knowledge exchange events. c. Participating in the regular discussions among the embedded experts deployed in the target countries under the project. 3. Contribute to the compendium of experiences of targeted SIDS on INFF design and implementation that will be produced as part of the project, by providing inputs and detailed information on the experience of Vanuatu advancing INFF. 4. Participate in regular technical backstopping sessions to be provided by FSDO experts as part of the mentorship program under the project to discuss and probe progress made, challenges, lessons, and next steps regarding the INFF activities undertaken in the country. 5. Support the required reporting, monitoring and evaluation of the project, including the preparation of the mid-term and final progress reports on the implementation of the project, by providing inputs on the activities carried out in Vanuatu. 6. Perform other relevant duties, as required. Outputs: 1. Workplan of activities to be carried out under the project with measurable indicators including on capacity development targets. 2. Mid-term progress report against workplan performance indicators. 3. Preliminary draft of the country report on the implementation of INFFs in Vanuatu, which will serve as input for the compendium of country experiences to be developed under the project. 4. Final draft of the country report on the implementation of INFFs in Vanuatu.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree in economics, development studies or other relevant academic discipline is desired; first university degree in the relevant academic discipline plus 2 additional years of experience maybe qualified in lieu of an advanced degree. • A minimum of 7 years of experience working in financing for development issues or related, particularly in a SIDS context (regional and/or national) is required. • Experience in public financial management, strengthening national planning, budgeting and monitoring and evaluation processes is desired. • Experience in engaging high-level officials and facilitating dialogues with varied stakeholders, including significant experience on building partnerships and coordination is desired. • Demonstrated ability to independently plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals is desired. • This is a local consultancy. The candidate should preferably be a national of Vanuatu. International candidates may apply if they hold or can secure a valid work permit/visa by the time of engagement.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.