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Job Description
Location: Cameroon
Closing date: 25 September 2016
Contract duration: 15 working days
Fee: £400 per day
The Debt Management Unit (DMU) which implements the Commonwealth Secretariat’s capacity building programme in debt management in its member countries has developed and continuously maintains a suite of debt management software comprising the Commonwealth Secretariat Debt Recording and Management System (CS-DRMS), the Commonwealth Secretariat Securities Auction System (CS-SAS) and a Public Debt Analytical Tool (Horizon). The CS-DRMS software is utilised in more than 60 countries around the world and is primarily used to record and manage loans and securities contracted by the general government. (www.csdrms.org)
The Commonwealth Secretariat is enlisting the services of a CS-DRMS expert to assist with the training and implementation of CS-DRMS for managing domestic debt at the debt management office in Cameroon. The consultancy services will include the following:
- Provide formal training to officials on managing domestic debt using CS-DRMS. This would be the French version of CS-DRMS (v1.3 SP1);
- Assist officials in the interpretation of debt instruments and compilation of transactional domestic debt data for recording in CS-DRMS;
- Support officials in recording domestic debt instruments and transactions and reconciling these instruments against statements and relevant records;
- Deliver on-the-job training and handholding on the various functions (recording and reporting) of CS-DRMS to the officials in the Debt Management Office of Cameroon;
- Identify reports in CS-DRMS for domestic debt reporting and train officials on their use;
- Prepare a guidance document (in French) for the Debt Management Office on how staff should effectively use CS-DRMS going forward for keeping the database up-to-date and reconciled. This is not intended to be a procedures manual, only a high-level guide. This document should be submitted within one week of the assignment.
The entire assignment including the training will be delivered in French.
The consultant will be expected to provide an end of assignment report (in English) to the Secretariat outlining the completed and outstanding activities, if any. The report should be submitted within one week of completing the assignment.
For undertaking the above mentioned work, the consultant must have working experience with CS-DRMS software and should have the following mix of expertise:
- A sound knowledge of public debt management;
- Expertise and an excellent understanding of CS-DRMS (French version) for recording and reporting debt;
- Demonstrable experience in providing training in CS-DRMS;
- Very good understanding of various debt instruments including loans and securities;
- Experience in validating and reconciling debt instruments in CS-DRMS;
- Previous experience in preparation of procedures manual for debt management offices;
- Consultancy experience in debt management to countries;
- Fluent in French and English.
Please refer to the terms of reference for full information.
We are only able to accept applications from Commonwealth citizens.
Closing date for applications is Sunday, 25 September 2016, at 17:00 BST
About the Organization
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 countries that support each other and work together towards shared goals in democracy and development.
The world’s largest and smallest, richest and poorest countries make up the Commonwealth and are home to two billion citizens of all faiths and ethnicities – over half of whom are 25 or under. Member countries span six continents and oceans from Africa (19) to Asia (8), the Americas (2), the Caribbean (12), Europe (3) and the South Pacific (10).
The Commonwealth, with roots as far back as the 1870s, believes that the best democracies are achieved through partnerships – of governments, business, and civil society. This unique association was reconstituted in 1949 when Commonwealth Prime Ministers met and adopted what has become known as the ‘London Declaration’ where it was agreed all member countries would be “freely and equally associated.”
Since then membership has continued to grow. The most recent members are Rwanda - which was admitted at the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Cameroon and Mozambique, which was the first country to join with no historical or administrative association with another Commonwealth country.
Beyond the ties of history, language and institutions, it is the association’s values which unite its members: democracy, freedom, peace, the rule of law and opportunity for all. These values were agreed and set down by all Commonwealth Heads of Government at two of their biennial meetings (known as CHOGMs) in Singapore in 1971 and reaffirmed twenty years later in Harare.
At government level, the values are protected by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a rotating group of nine Foreign Ministers, which assesses the nature of any infringement and recommends measures for collective action from member countries. It has the authority to suspend or even recommend to Heads of Government that a member country be expelled. When member countries have been suspended the Commonwealth continues to do everything possible to bring them back into the fold. While CMAG represents one aspect of the Commonwealth’s commitment to democratic principles, many more discreet interventions are made through ‘good offices’ work, where specially appointed representatives conduct quiet diplomacy as part of efforts to prevent or resolve conflicts and build dialogue and democratic structures.
As well as Heads of Government, ministers responsible for education, environment, civil society, finance, foreign affairs, gender affairs, health law, tourism and youth also meet regularly. This ensures that Commonwealth policies and programmes represent views of the members and gives governments a better understanding of each other’s goals in an increasingly globalised world.
There are three intergovernmental organisations in the association: the Commonwealth Secretariat (which executes plans agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government through technical assistance, advice and policy development); the Commonwealth Foundation (which helps civil society organisations promote democracy, development and cultural understanding) and the Commonwealth of Learning (which encourages the development and sharing of open learning and distance education). Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Head of the Commonwealth and Kamalesh Sharma, current Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, is the principal global advocate for the Commonwealth and Chief Executive of the Secretariat.
Citizen-to-citizen links are as important to the Commonwealth as the contacts between member governments. The Commonwealth’s worldwide network of around 90 professional and advocacy organisations, most of which bear its name, continues to grow with a third of these based outside the UK. They work at local, national, regional or international levels and play crucial roles in policy, political or social aspects of Commonwealth life. One such organisation is the Commonwealth Games Federation, which manages the four-yearly multi-sport event.
Commonwealth countries work together in a spirit of co-operation, partnership and understanding. This openness and flexibility are integral to the Commonwealth's effectiveness. Emphasis on equality has helped it play leading roles in decolonisation, combating racism and advancing sustainable development in poor countries.
This support network of countries and organisations is involved in a diverse range of work, from helping trade negotiations, building the small business sector and encouraging women entrepreneurs to supporting the quality and quantity of teachers, and increasing understanding of HIV/AIDS.
As well as working with each other, member countries and organisations have also built alliances outside the Commonwealth. Commonwealth ideas have been taken up by the World Bank on Small States, by the World Health Organization on the migration of doctors and nurses, by the International Labour Organization on the migration of teachers. Its support and expertise have been enlisted by the European Union (EU) and the African Union on building governance in Africa, and by the EU and the Pacific Islands Forum on building governance in the Pacific.
The Commonwealth is part of the world that it serves, sharing the same interests as those of its citizens: democratic freedom and economic and social development.More Jobs from this Organization
