Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Terms of Reference
TOR Name: KP Project Implementation Policy
Log-frame: Output 2
Duration: December 2021 - February 2022 (3 months)
Location: Peshawar
Programme Background
Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) is a £37.5 million programme that aims to support provincial economic development and sustainable energy in Pakistan. It will support the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), to plan and finance the infrastructure and investment it needs for growth, jobs and prosperity. The programme will also address Pakistan’s energy crisis by providing innovative financial solutions to industry for the adoption of sustainable energy practices. Within SEED, ASI has been contracted to deliver the first component - Improved Economic and Urban Planning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – with a budget of £15 million. The programme’s longer-term outcomes include generating higher levels of public and private investments, enhancing public investment management efficiencies and ensuring that investments made produce greater economic, social, and environmental returns. The programme will be managed by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Context
The existing project policy promulgated under section-25 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Servants Act governs appointments to post in approved development projects. In addition, there is a recruitment policy for market-based talent. However, there is a realization that recruitment of project staff is only one component of project implementation. Successful implementation of project implementation needs a holistic approach that goes beyond recruitment of staff and addresses the full cycle of project management with the objective that ‘projects are effectively managed within the scope, quality, resources (time and budget) and risks.
In this regard, the Planning and Development (P&D) Department of Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa intends to formulate a comprehensive ‘Project Implementation Policy (PIP)’ that captures all the elements of project management with detailed guidelines (Refer Figure below).
Assignment Deliverable:
D1. Consolidated Report on Project Implementation Policy
D1.1 Report on component 1 of Project Implementation Policy
D1.2 Report on Component 2 of Project Implementation Policy
Resources:
To successfully complete the formulation of the Project Implementation Policy, a team of 2 specialist consultants will be hired who will be working collaboratively to deliver different components.
- Project Management Specialist
- Accounts/Finance Specialist
The roles, functions, qualifications, and deliverables for each are defined below.
Accounts & Finance Specialist
Apart from supporting Project Management Specialist in delivery of tasks assigned to him/her, the Accounts & Finance Specialist will be responsible for delivering the following components of the Project Implementation Policy (PIP):
2.1 Financial Management:
Provide details on the financial management of projects including:
a. Maintenance of accounts
b. Book keeping – cash flow, expenditure statements, utilization reports etc
c. Audit, internal controls and the requirement of third-party audit, including the criteria of audit by Chartered Accountants
d. The requirement of revenue clearance and role of P&DD
e. Identify types and requirements for periodic reporting related to financial risks and management
2.2 Procurements and supply chain:
a. Procurement of Machinery & Equipment including areas where role of works department is unclear such as installation of air-conditions, Generators, backup power such as solar energy with Net metering etc.
b. Procurement of services – including services that can be outsourced like Janitorial services, security services, rent a car service & warehousing service etc.
c. The institutional mechanism for managing procurements – procurement committees etc.
d. Establish enabling linkages with relevant instruments like procurement rules, building codes, MRS etc.
The consultant should demonstrate flexibility and ability to incorporate feedback/inputs received from government counterpart and SEED Team Lead.
The Accounts Specialist will have to undertake following tasks/activities for satisfactory fulfillment of overall assignment
- Conduct assessment based on primary/secondary/tertiary research tools and sources
- Identify past projects and gaps in existing policy for lesson learning on implementation issues
- Engage relevant government counterparts/stakeholders to form better understanding of existing policy/systems/processes and source of required information
- Collect/collate/compile data and analyze issues at departments level and on-field challenges for project implementation
- Conduct KIIs/FGDs for formulation of recommendations for the new policy
- Identify various reporting mechanisms/requirements and stakeholders to be involved in new policy for each component
- Consult web resources for international best practices/case studies regarding development project implementation
- Quality assures data and write-ups
Qualification:
- Advanced degrees in Accounts/Finance (Master’s/MBA/CA) from a reputable institution in management sciences or relevant field
- Certification in specialist accountancy/finance course (e.g. CFA) will be given preference.
- 6-8 years’ experience in auditing and financial management in/with public sector or donor funded development projects. 3-4 years’ experience in a leading position (project/unit head or CFO etc.)
- Familiarity with government reporting requirements, especially monitoring and evaluation
- Familiarity with existing laws/policies, processes and systems for implementation of development projects
- Good data analysis, presentation, research and writing skills
- Good IT skills
- Fluent in English and Urdu. Pashto may be given preference
Duration of Assignment
The project is expected to be completed within 3 months from the date of signing of contract
Deliverable
Deliverable
Description
Weightage in remuneration
D1.2
Draft Report on Financial Management and procurement – component2 of the PIP (Tasks 2.1-2.2) as outlined above
70%
D1.2.1
Presentation of the draft report on component 2 to the Planning & Development (who may also invite representatives from Finance Department, Establishment Department and Law Department)
20%
D1.2.2
Participate in the Presentation of the consolidated PIP report to the forum identified against deliverable D1.1.1
10%
The Accounts & Finance specialist will closely coordinate with the Project Management Specialist for ensuring the former’s availability for both the presentations
Compensation will be made on approval of each deliverable by the government and SEED Team.
Values and Obligations
All members of the SEED team are expected to adhere to the following values and obligations:
- At all times working collaboratively and openly with other members of the SEED team, proactively providing guidance, advice and sharing experiences in order to solve problems, overcome challenges and manage risks together.
- Freely and openly sharing information gained from government counterparts, FCDO or other international projects with other members of the team.
- Respecting the confidentiality of the SEED team’s discussions, assessments, decisions and plans or agreements with FCDO; sharing information with external parties only when authorised to do so by the Team Leader or Deputy Team Leader.
- Adhering to decisions taken by the programme’s leadership and taking collective responsibility for implementing those decisions and communicating them to counterparts or other external parties.
- Ensuring they have an accurate understanding of policies and decisions made by FCDO that relate to SEED, and respecting and adhering to those policies.
- Complying with the channels set out by ASI for all communications with FCDO through the SEED leadership structure.
- Careful coordination with other team members of communications and meetings with government counterparts to ensure coherence of technical advice and as efficient use of counterparts’ time as possible.
- Constant monitoring of risks to the delivery of SEED activities and achievement of objectives, as well as the reputation of SEED and FCDO, and swift referral of those risks to the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader.
- Advisers are obliged to look out for and report human rights abuses known and rumoured to have taken place connected with or undertaken by our counterparts. In the event that advisors gain information about any such abuses they should report the matter in line with the procedure contained in the SEED Human Rights Assessment and Framework document.
- Professional coordination with other internationally funded programmes supporting SEED, including briefing those programmes when requested by the Team Leader or Deputy Team Leader.
- Contributing constructively to team meetings, development of workplans, risk assessment, progress reviews and report writing, as well as external evaluations by FCDO or its independent evaluation advisers.
- Complying with SEED’s media policy of referring all inquiries from the media to the Team Leader and Deputy Leader before responding in any way to those inquiries.
- Minuting all meetings with officials from FCDO and sharing those minutes with the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader at the earliest opportunity.
- Maximising the impact of the programme’s limited resources by ensuring expenditure on travel, accommodation or other costs is as efficient as possible.
- Complying with financial procedures designed to protect the financial integrity of the programme and notifying the Deputy Team Leader and Project Managers of any incidents that threaten that integrity.
- Complying with ASI’s Duty of Care and security procedures designed to ensure safety of personnel and notifying the Deputy Team Leader and Project Managers of any incidence that threaten the security of personnel or assets of the programme.
Compliance with Working Policies
- The consultant is expected to observe the highest ethnical standards during the performance of Services related to this assignment and must comply and apply business practices that follow the Adam Smith International’s Code of Conduct available at: https://www.adamsmithinternational.com/about-us/policies/code-of-conduct-2018/.
- The consultant is expected to apply zero tolerance to terrorism or the financing of terrorism; bribery or corruption of any kind; human trafficking or modern slavery; safeguarding or child protection breaches, money laundering, fraud or tax evasion; and discrimination. The consultant is expected to use reasonable endeavours to give effect to any reasonable request from Adam Smith International to adjust working practices for this purpose or otherwise to promote positive social or environmental impact.
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