The USAID/Bosnia and Herzegovina Local Governance Assistance Activity (LGAA), implemented by Tetra Tech International Development (http://www.tetratech.com/intdev) is currently accepting expressions of interest from qualified candidates to fill the position of short-term Expert in Public Finance Management (PFM)  on this newly awarded five-year USAID-funded project. The purpose of this activity is to strengthen the performance of selected local government units (LGUs) through multi-year technical assistance and capacity development to better plan for, manage, and improve quality of LGU service delivery, to promote sustainable local development, and increase transparency and accountability to citizens and businesses.

Consultant Title: Expert in Public Finance Management (PFM)

1. Background

As part of its citizen engagement efforts, the Local Governance Assistance Activity (LGAA) will support the establishment of Citizen Advisory Panels (CAPs) within partner Local Government Units (LGUs) to serve as a bottom-up nonpartisan advisory body and a mechanism to strengthen LGU performance by increasing the responsiveness and accountability of their operations. CAPs will be trained to use different methodologies, techniques, and approaches, including relevant digital tools, to promote public participation in local decision making and oversight processes.

As part of the Year I activities, LGAA has prioritized the development of the following interrelated tools:

1. Budget infographics – Citizens’ awareness of budgetary processes and key figures is crucial to ensuring wider CSO participation and monitoring. Citizen engagement in the budget process (including through budget planning, implementation, and monitoring) can encourage local governments to make the budget process more open, and to make information more transparent and easily understandable for the average resident. This, in turn, can improve the quality of the budgeting process and its components such as planning and execution. Respectively, LGAA will develop simple and improved infographics, by extracting key information from budget documents, specifically designed to present budget information from partner LGUs to the public in a user-friendly format.

• Web portal presenting key LGU budgetary and PFM data – Work with partner LGUs and CAPs, LGAA will develop a simple web portal to accurately monitor and report on key aspects of local Public Finance Management (PFM) including revenue collection and capital investments. At a later stage, LGAA plans on making the web portal available to a wider group of civil society organizations and support them in using the portal for their policy research, reporting, and monitoring efforts.

• Objective/Purpose of the SOW

LGAA seeks to engage a  local expert in PFM to assist the project in fulfilling two primary objectives:

1. To identify key information from LGU budgets and make that information available to average citizens in an easy to understand and access format. The consultant will summarize key budget information and data in a simple and clear way, suggesting an approach and key inputs for the subsequent development of citizen-friendly budget infographics.
2. To develop a model for presentation of LGUs PFM data via a web portal that will allow stakeholders to monitor and report on budget data in LGAA partner LGUs, including revenue collection and capital investments.

• Scope of Work/Activities/Tasks

The Consultant will work on the two interrelated, but separate tasks:

Task 1: Development of Budget Infographics

• Conduct a desk-review of annual (for years 2022 and 2023) budget documents from each of the LGAA 10 partner LGUs to identify key budget data (such as revenues, expenditures, public debts, investments in infrastructure etc.) including available breakdowns, tax rates and collection, and any performance indicators, that can be relevant in the context of improving public understanding and oversight of the budgets.
• Develop a draft outline of relevant data from the LGU budgets to be presented in the form of infographics, and consult with the LGAA team about suggested budgetary figures and approaches for its presentation.
• Recommend quality inputs for the subsequent development of citizen-friendly budget infographics.

Task 2: Development of a Model for presentation of LGUs PFM data via a web portal

• In line with the relevant legal framework, map and analyze existing PFM reporting and data collection practices; revenue and cost structure of LGUs; phases of budget development; etc. to identify the most appropriate data for monitoring and reporting via the web-portal.
• Identify and analyze current domestic and regional best practices among local governments and / or CSOs’ related to reporting on LGUs’ PFM data.
• Work closely with LGAA staff as well as partner LGUs and CAPs to understand the needs and requirements of the web portal as well as the implementation context in which it will need to operate.
• Collaborate with the IT firm hired by LGAA for the development of the web portal to support the design, testing, and refinement of the portal.
• Prepare a final report proposing a model for presentation of partner LGUs PFM data in a clear and concise manner suitable for a web-enabled portal. The model must be user-friendly and easy to understand and access by all stakeholders.

• Deliverables and Due Dates

Task 1: Development of Budget Infographics

1. Draft outline describing key figures and inputs for the infographics – one week after the start of the consultancy
2. Final outline describing key figures and inputs for the infographics based on consultations with relevant stakeholders – two weeks after the start of consultancy

Task 2: Development of a Model for presentation of LGUs PFM data via web portal

1. Mapping and analysis of existing PFM reporting practices in both entities of BiH as well as in other countries in the region, which could be relevant for developing web-portal for monitoring and reporting on partner LGU PFM data – three weeks after the start of consultancy
2. Final report on model for monitoring and reporting on partner LGU PFM data including revenue collection and capital investments – four weeks after the start of consultancy

• Total level of effort for completion of Tasks 1 and 2 is 15 (fifteen) days.

LGAA will specify the format

for submission of each deliverable at a later date in consultation with the selected consultant.

Successful candidates are expected to have following qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant field, such as finance, public administration, etc.
• More than five years of experience in PFM, including budget formulation, budget execution, accounting, reporting and / or auditing at the local government level in BiH.
• More than three years of practical experience supporting citizen engagement in PFM process such as citizen budgets, e-citizen opportunities, etc.in BiH.
• Demonstrated familiarity with the main stakeholders at the local government as well as civil society organizations in BiH.
• Advanced analytical and report-writing skills.  
• Fluency in BSC and English.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter on the Careers portion of our website at www.tetratech.com/careers or via [email protected]

Applications that do not meet the minimum requirements listed above will not be considered. Please ensure that all necessary documents are uploaded, as incomplete applications and/or corrupt files may delay processing of your application or remove you from consideration. No phone calls will be accepted.

Deadline for submission of applications is June 19, 2023.

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