Adviser on Coordination and Performance Assessment of Advisers, PFMCBP

• Type: Contract
• Location: Dili, East Timor
• Organisation: Ministry of Finance
  The Ministry of Finance The Ministry of Finance is the Government's main body responsible for the design, execution, coordination and assessment of the policies defined and approved by the Council of Ministers, along the areas of budget and finance and the Government's annual planning and monitoring of their programs. The Ministry's responsibilities include: -Propose macroeconomic, monetary and exchange-rate policies, in collaboration with the central bank; -Propose policies and draft laws and regulations on tax and non-tax revenues, budgetary framework, procurement, public accounting, public finance, auditing and control of the State treasury, issuing and management of the public debt; -Administer the petroleum fund of Timor-Leste; -Work in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate the relationship of Timor-Leste with the donors; -Manage the external public debt, the State's stakes in companies and external assistance, coordinate and define its financial and tax aspects; -Manage the State's assets, without prejudice to the powers of the Ministry of Justice in terms of real estate assets; -Compile and publish official statistics; -Implement the budget allocated from the State Budget; -Draft the necessary regulations and perform financial control over the expenses of the State Budget that are allocated to other ministries, in view of pursuing a policy of granting greater financial autonomy to the services; -Look after the good management of the funds transferred from the State Budget to bodies that are indirectly administered by the State and by the local government bodies, through audits and monitoring; -Administer and promote international technical assistance in terms of technical advisory for State bodies, except for the areas of human resources training; -Set up collaborative mechanisms with other Government bodies to improve coordination along related areas of concerns. In a recent report on the present status and challenges faced by the Ministry of Finance, it was noted that the overall condition of the Ministry is fragile; that systems and procedures installed in 2000-2001 require renovation; that technical assistance lacks integration and that its primary capacity will depend on staffing key positions with qualified people. The report recommended actions for the short term, through to the end of 2008, to improve the effectiveness of the Ministry and ensure that it can play its proper role as the government seeks to ameliorate the social and economic conditions of the country. The Ministry, in response to this report's assessment and recommendations, has deemed that 2008 will be a year of consolidation of basic functions, as well as the period in which the ministry determines what needs to be done in the medium to longer term, 2-5 years, to improve administrative capacity in finance. The Report also made various proposals to improve transparency information sharing within the MoF and with MoF's clients. These proposals drew on experience in the Canadian Ministry of Finance which promotes frequent consultation across the ministry as a whole, at the senior management level and a form of cascading of such consultation throughout the ministry and with major client groups elsewhere in Government.
• Closing Date: 21-May-2008
• Description:
  Job Title: Adviser on Coordination and Performance Assessment of Advisers, PFMCBP Reporting to: Director of Corporate Services Branch; Program Implementation Officer-PFMCBP Counterpart staff: Chief of Human Resources and Capacity Building Duration: 1 year renewable commencing in May 2008 for a maximum of 2 years (till May 2010), subject to review of performance and the needs of the program Location: Ministry of Finance Background 1. Since the restoration of independence in 2002, the Government of Timor-Leste has made steady progress in building its public financial management system. There is strong awareness within the Government on the key role of the public financial management system for growth, service delivery and poverty reduction. 2. Similarly, the Government recognized the current fragility of institutions responsible for formulating plans, budgeting, budget execution, revenue collection, monitoring and audit in the face of the huge challenges posed by rapid expansion of the budget and increased petroleum sector activity. 3. Early capacity building initiatives undertaken by the Government understandably focused on getting the public financial management system up and running. With such focus, the system that was established remains heavily reliant on the presence of international advisers, who have largely focused on in-line performance and, to a limited extent, on the transfer of skills. 4. With the recent entry of the 4th Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste, a more focused approach on capacity-building is envisaged. This will be pursued without negating the scheme adopted by its predecessor which went beyond the transitional substitution of international for local expertise and focused on an integrated approach to institution building that relies on three pillars: skills and knowledge; systems and processes; and attitudes and behaviors. 5. Through integrated capacity development based on the three-pillar framework, the objectives for the PFM function are (i) improved service delivery, both to internal clients and to the population; and (ii) to create a sustainable PFM system that would be increasingly managed and run by national staff, with the number of advisers decreasing over time as national staff take on increasing responsibility. The Planning and Financial Management Capacity Building Program (PFMCBP) 6. The previous Government signed a multi-year, multi-donor program aimed at strengthening the planning, budgeting, public expenditure management and revenue administration for growth and poverty reduction. 7. The PFMCBP was designed as a coordinated program of targeted capacity building in planning and financial management both for then Ministry of Planning and Finance and for financial management staff in the line ministries and districts. The program encompasses expenditure, revenue, and macroeconomic functions, together with support for executive management of the Ministry, Ministry-wide systems, and program implementation. 8. The program is managed and implemented by the GoTL through an Annual Action Plans and Annual Results Frameworks. 9. The management of the PFMCBP is lead by a Program Implementation Unit (PIU) which is supported by a pool of Advisers, among them, the Adviser for Coordination and Performance Assessment of Advisers, a short-term Attitudes and Behaviours Adviser, a Financial Management Information System (FMIS) Adviser, and a Financial Management Officer. These Advisers collectively assist the PIU in ensuring best practice capacity building efforts throughout the program. The Ministry of Finance The Ministry of Finance is the Government's main body responsible for the design, execution, coordination and assessment of the policies defined and approved by the Council of Ministers, along the areas of budget and finance and the Government's annual planning and monitoring of their programs. The Ministry's responsibilities include: -Propose macroeconomic, monetary and exchange-rate policies, in collaboration with the central bank; -Propose policies and draft laws and regulations on tax and non-tax revenues, budgetary framework, procurement, public accounting, public finance, auditing and control of the State treasury, issuing and management of the public debt; -Administer the petroleum fund of Timor-Leste; -Work in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate the relationship of Timor-Leste with the donors; -Manage the external public debt, the State's stakes in companies and external assistance, coordinate and define its financial and tax aspects; -Manage the State's assets, without prejudice to the powers of the Ministry of Justice in terms of real estate assets; -Compile and publish official statistics; -Implement the budget allocated from the State Budget; -Draft the necessary regulations and perform financial control over the expenses of the State Budget that are allocated to other ministries, in view of pursuing a policy of granting greater financial autonomy to the services; -Look after the good management of the funds transferred from the State Budget to bodies that are indirectly administered by the State and by the local government bodies, through audits and monitoring; -Administer and promote international technical assistance in terms of technical advisory for State bodies, except for the areas of human resources training; -Set up collaborative mechanisms with other Government bodies to improve coordination along related areas of concerns. In a recent report on the present status and challenges faced by the Ministry of Finance, it was noted that the overall condition of the Ministry is fragile; that systems and procedures installed in 2000-2001 require renovation; that technical assistance lacks integration and that its primary capacity will depend on staffing key positions with qualified people. The report recommended actions for the short term, through to the end of 2008, to improve the effectiveness of the Ministry and ensure that it can play its proper role as the government seeks to ameliorate the social and economic conditions of the country. The Ministry, in response to this report's assessment and recommendations, has deemed that 2008 will be a year of consolidation of basic functions, as well as the period in which the ministry determines what needs to be done in the medium to longer term, 2-5 years, to improve administrative capacity in finance. The Report also made various proposals to improve transparency information sharing within the MoF and with MoF's clients. These proposals drew on experience in the Canadian Ministry of Finance which promotes frequent consultation across the ministry as a whole, at the senior management level and a form of cascading of such consultation throughout the ministry and with major client groups elsewhere in Government. The Senior Management Team As an initial step in this restructuring process, a Senior Management team will be created within the Ministry. The team will comprise of the Minister, the Chief of Staff, the Directors and their Senior Advisers, as the case may be, of the four (4) major proposed management modules (branches) in the Ministry, as follows: -Program Branch -East Timor Revenue Services Branch -Financial Management, Policy and Research Services Branch -Corporate Support Branch Brief Description of the Management Branches Program Services Branch The Program Branch refers to the units of the Ministry that are involved in annual planning and monitoring, budget preparation and execution, treasury and payroll, procurement services including the internal. Purposes -Provide whole of government routinized financial management services - planning, Budget, treasury, cash management, payroll - to fulfil basic legislation and administrative requirements of all Budget funded activities/ services. -Assist other Ministries with their own management cycle - plan/ Budget, gather resources, provide services, assess and report performance (against the plan), thus, improve their plan/ Budget and services. Responsibilities -Articulate a cohesive whole of government approach to each of the routinised financial management services, including: -Best practice guide - updated/ confirmed annually in close consultation with client agencies -Supporting infrastructure - templates, training, 'help desk' -Training and on going support for staff of MoF, client agencies, within and across professional boundaries -Minimum standards - timing, quality and cost -Monitor legislation and policy settings of client Ministries - in developmental phase through to implementation - 'refine' service offerings to suit -Identify performance gaps/ opportunities for improvement - services offered and provided - develop and implement appropriate response Revenue Services Branch The Revenue Services Branch refers to the units of the Ministry that are involved in ensuring the judicious application of the approved revenue generation of the Government including those that relates to the Petroleum resource of the country. Purpose Establish and maintain financial arrangements, to moderate movement of goods and services across Timor Leste borders (Customs) and specific business activities/ transactions within Timor Leste borders (Tax). Responsibilities -Provide confidence in proper arrangements - governance, probity, consistent, - to community, especially those prospectively affected by legislation, policy and administrative settings o Articulate a cohesive suite of legislation, policy and administrative instruments to identify and characterise financial implications for specific forms of activities/ transactions like tax, duty, levy including: o Best practice guide - updated/ confirmed annually in close consultation with community representatives o Supporting infrastructure - pro forma, document templates, training, 'help desk' o Training and on going support for staff of MoF, community representative, within and across professional boundaries o Minimum standards - timing, quality and cost -Properly collect and account for monies paid -Provide a basis for appeal and redress of each decision with consequential payment to government -Identify performance gaps/ opportunities for improvement - services offered and provided - develop and implement appropriate response Financial Management Policy and Research Services Branch The Financial Management Policy and Research Services Branch refer to the units of the Ministry that are involved in developing macroeconomic, monetary and exchange-rate policies. The FMPRSB is also responsible in initiating policies and in drafting laws and regulations along the areas of tax and non-tax revenues, budgetary framework, procurement, public accounting, public finance, auditing and control of the State treasury, including the possibility of issuing and management of public debt. Units of the Ministry under this Branch are also incharge of drafting the necessary regulations and perform financial control over the expenses of the State Budget that are allocated to other ministries, in view of pursuing a policy of granting greater financial autonomy to the services managed by the Ministry of Finance. Purpose Advance the wellbeing of Timor Leste community by providing sound and timely services, including advice to the MoF and client Ministries, based on objective and thorough assessment of contemporary circumstances, options and by providing high quality and timely policy and research services to client Ministries. Responsibilities -Asses and implement policy and research settings using a wellbeing framework: o personal benefit/ impact to Timor Leste community members (characterised in various ways) o prospective strategic impact to the Timor Leste community as a whole o prospective disproportionate impact to specific individuals/ community groups o inherent risks - distribution and management thereof o complexity - people's ability to properly manage their lives using the legislation, policy and administrative settings that might arise -Provide balanced coverage for all matters within the MoF purview: o Sources of government income like the petroleum, tax, customs, licensing o Economic levers o Developmental levers - shared role with private sector developers/ service providers o Expenditure like wages/ allowances, pensions, procurement of good/ services o Basic information to inform these assesments - primarily statistics Corporate Support Services Branch The Corporate Support Branch refers to the units that are involved in ensuring the efficient management and functioning of the Ministry as an organ of the State. This Branch shall administer and promote collaborative mechanisms among all organs of the Ministry aimed at improving coordination and complementation along related areas of concerns. Purpose -Provide high quality, value add services across the suite of Ministry activities -Provide comprehensive range of corporate services to MoF managers and staff that: o help MoF managers to provide basic services to clients o help MoF managers deliver value for money services to client Ministries o facilitate leadership by MoF people Responsibilities -Provide a suite of standardised, user friendly, services readily available and used by MoF staff, covering: o day to day requirements of personnel administration o document preparation and printing services o gathering, storage and retrieval of data and other information o provision of information systems to suit decision making processes o purchase of goods and services from external suppliers o working environment, space, furnishings and equipment o filing o activity description and history ? Continuous improvements in client focus and client perspective for all MoF activities -Facilitate whole of government, multi agency approach to corporate services -Simple access and payment arrangements - low administrative overheads -Training for service providers and for (MoF) clients -The Minister and MoF executive are provided with confidential advice and assistance on specific initiatives, such as: o organization structures o new policy initiatives o sensitive relationships within and between sectors Objective of Assignment The Adviser shall assist the PIO and the Ministry of Finance in effective, efficient, transparent and accountable implementation of the Program by (i) coordinating the program inputs of other capacity-building advisers to meet program goals; (ii) coaching advisers on mentoring and enabling skills and on the implementation of the three-pillar framework throughout their work plans; (iii) developing a framework for performance assessment for all advisers together with the PIO; (iv) assisting in the development of appropriate framework to assess the success of training programs, specifically capacity development of local staff; and (v) assisting other PFMCBP advisers in developing individual results frameworks and baseline indicators to measure performance and progress in technical and capacity building activities. Duties and Responsibilities Core functions 1. Support the PIO and work with the Advisers' team within the PIU on all matters relating to the deployment and effectiveness of Advisers. 2. Support the PIO in developing and regularly updating the Implementation Action Plan for the Program as a whole, incorporating an agreed work plan for the coordination and coaching of advisers and the development of a performance assessment system for Advisers; 3. Based on the PFMCBP Implementation Action Plan, assist the PIO to develop and implement an Adviser support plan to achieve Program objectives. 4. Provide a focal point for coordination of Advisers, identify changing needs for specific types of Advisers, and identify and seek to resolve of any behavioral and capacity-building problems arising; 5. Review Adviser work plans to ensure overall harmonization to ensure integration of the three pillars within their specialist areas; 6. Provide a capacity-building methodology and guidance for the Program in collaboration with the PIO; 7. Design basic skills training and other on-the-job training in support of Program objectives in collaboration with the PIO; 8. Lead in the design and implementation of an appropriate methodology for assessing progress in capacity building of staff, including recognition of prior learning (RPL) assessments, training evaluations (both of the learning and the application back at the workplace), and assessment against agreed performance benchmarks, in collaboration with the PIO; 9. Coach and mentor Advisers on capacity-building skills and behavior and support them with the integration of the three pillars within their specialist areas; 10. Support the PIO to develop and implement an appropriate incentives framework to encourage a 'learning culture', including the application of learning and training in the workplace. Capacity building By focusing on coordination and development of Adviser capacity-building skills, the Adviser would support capacity-building throughout the Program. In addition, the Adviser would: 1. Work with managers to identify capacity building requirements and help them to assess and report on the adequacy of their advisers; 2. Work with managers to develop and implement an appropriate incentives framework in their respective units to encourage a 'learning culture', including the application of learning and on-the-job training in the workplace; 3. Support the managers, staff, and other advisers to review, simplify and streamline operating procedures and provide user-friendly manuals, working with other units and stakeholders where necessary; 4. Support managers to encourage a culture of openness, transparency, cooperation and customer service within their units, with other units in the ministry and with stakeholders outside the ministry; 5. Develop capacity of the Ministry to monitor developments in the ministry / department / work unit including changing needs for particular types of Adviser, resolution of problems with Advisers, and performance assessment of Advisers; and provide advice and assistance, as required; assist the PIO to respond to these developments and implement changes. Deliverables Support the PIO in developing an a Implementation Action Plan for the Program as a whole, incorporating an agreed work plan for (i) coordinating and coaching advisers in capacity-building techniques and in incorporating the three-pillar framework in their work plans; (ii) development of the adviser performance assessment framework; (iii) regular coaching, monitoring and problem-solving; (iv) regular updates on changing needs for specific types of advisers and on problems experienced; and (v) contributions to quarterly reports. Schedule of Deliverables At the beginning of the assignment, the Adviser will contribute to the Implementation Action Plan and present a work plan and timetable for coordinating and coaching advisers in capacity-building techniques and in incorporating the three-pillar framework in their work plans; and development of the adviser performance assessment system. The implementation plan should include a baseline assessment and identify easily measurable objectives and milestones to be achieved during the assignment. The Adviser shall also work jointly with the PIO to submit biannual status reports on a timely basis. At the end of assignment, the Adviser shall submit a report on the accomplishments and constraints encountered throughout the period, with recommendations for improvement. Work Plan and Reporting The Consultant will prepare a Work Plan based on the objectives of the assignment, functions and deliverables and submit this to the PIO within two (2) weeks from the commencement of the contract; and The Consultant will work jointly with the PIO and the PIU pool of advisers and shall submit to the PIO a monthly Work Plan Progress on a timely basis. Performance Evaluation The Advisor shall undergo a three-month probationary period and review of performance will be based against the work plan of activities and deliverables. Ongoing performance shall be assessed by the Programme Implementation Unit through the Program Implementation Officer in accordance with the agreed deliverables in the TOR and performance review framework for Advisors. Likewise, the Advisor shall be subject to inputs and recommendations from the Steering and Supervisory Committees, joint supervision missions and the World Bank Task Team, as appropriate. Qualifications Technical competencies The selected candidate should be service oriented, disciplined, mature, honest, open, transparent, able to maintain good working relationships with counterparts and other staff members, and have a strong professional work ethic. In addition, the candidate should have: 1. Masters Degree or equivalent in a management, public administration or related field and a minimum of five years of working experience, including experience working in a developing country; 2. Knowledge and skills in capacity building methodologies, including preparing and running training sessions and workshops, and designing and providing structured on-job training. 3. Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment (Australian National Training Framework qualification) or equivalent is highly desirable; 4. Understanding and application of adult learning principles and techniques to motivate staff; 5. Understanding and application of methods for evaluating training effectiveness and following up and reinforcing training and learning activities back at the workplace. 6. Skills in mentoring and coaching; 7. Excellent conceptual and analytical skills; 8. Excellent organizational and prioritization skills, with ability to follow assigned tasks/projects through to completion; 9. At least five years experience in program management or similar; and, 10. Fluency in Tetun, Portuguese, or English. Knowledge of and willingness to undertake further language training in at least one of the two. Capacity-building competencies The selected candidate should be service oriented, disciplined, mature, honest, open, transparent, able to maintain good working relationships with counterparts and other staff members, and have a strong professional work ethic. In addition, the candidate should have: 1. A commitment to supporting Timorese staff, and ensuring necessary support for those staff, to achieve the outcomes and objectives of the division/ministry; 2. Ability to model the attitudes and behaviors required, including openness, teamwork, transparency, cooperation, communication, accountability and a customer service attitude; 3. Sensitive to and able to act appropriately in the Timorese culture; 4. Flexible and responsive, disciplined and patient; 5. Demonstrated ability to make sound judgments on capacity issues for the consideration of the PIO and senior managers; 6. Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a mentoring role; 7. Demonstrated ability to communicate ideas and analyses clearly and tactfully, both orally and in writing; 8. Demonstrated ability to assist and support the development of useful processes and procedures to implement the Program effectively; 9. Demonstrated ability to transfer skills and knowledge - previous training or teaching experience a plus; 10. Demonstrated ability to adapt to challenges in the workplace, including finding creative solutions; 11. Familiarity with Timor-Leste and Timorese culture and/or willingness to acquire it.
• Applicant Requirements:
  Application Procedure To be considered for the post, applications with a covering letter, detailed curriculum vitae and at least three (3) references must be sent to the Programme Implementation Officer-PFMCBP at email address, pfmcbp@mof.gov.tl, no later than EOB on 21 May 2008. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Please note also that applications received after the deadline will not be accepted
• Application instructions:
  Application Procedure To be considered for the post, applications with a covering letter, detailed curriculum vitae and at least three (3) references must be sent to the Programme Implementation Officer-PFMCBP at email address, pfmcbp@mof.gov.tl, no later than EOB on 21 May 2008.
• Restrictions: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Please note also that applications received after the deadline will not be accepted
• Other Contact Details:
  Ramon Oliveros Adviser to the Program Implementation Officer Planning and Financial Management Capacity Building Program (PFMCBP) Email address: roliveros@mof.gov.tl
• Contact Person: Ramon Oliveros pfmcbp@mof.gov.tl
• More information about this Contract...

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