Timor-Leste AIMS Trainer

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Position: AIMS Trainer (International)

Objective: The Aid Information Management System (AIMS) Trainer (International) position will complement the support that is currently being provided by the Government of Japan (GoJ), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) (through core funding to Development Gateway) during the current phase of Aid Information Management System (AIMS) Aid Management Platform (AMP) rollout

The candidate will provide in-house and on the job training to guide staff and develop capacity with respect to data management processes, data analysis and the broader rollout of the AMP in support of Timor-Leste’s broader aid effectiveness agenda.

Reporting to: Director, the National Directorate for Aid Effectiveness (NDAE) Counterpart: Staff of Ministry of Finance and of the NDAE Supervision: AMP Project Manager Duration: 12 months Location: Ministry of Finance, Dili, Timor-Leste

I. SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential

 Relevant tertiary qualifications and a minimum of 2 to 5 years work experience in training / teaching, capacity development, public sector management, donor coordination and/or aid effectiveness.  Ability to provide guidance within an adult learning environment conducting Technical Needs Assessments / benchmarking participants / understanding of various learning approaches, levels of capacity etc.  Experience in the implementation of data gathering and information management systems as well as direct training with groups of varying capacity levels.

Desirable

 Proficient in English; Tetun and/or Bahasa a strong advantage  A strong understanding of general aid effectiveness principles  Prior experience in the use of the AMP or a similar AIMS system  Direct experience in the collection and validation of data  Strong collegial spirit and demonstrated ability to work well as a member of a multicultural team  Diplomacy and tact in dealing with development partners so as to be able to influence positively the identification, development and delivery of capacity building programs  Local knowledge of the Timor-Leste development context an asset  Excellent written and oral communication skills

II. PROJECT BACKGROUND

Foreign aid continues to play an important role in Timor-Leste’s development; official estimates are that bilateral and multilateral agencies have allocated more than $8 billion to Timor-Leste since 1999. The government is committed to strengthening its engagement and partnership with its development partners, as one of the necessary inputs to the continued acceleration of Timor-Leste’s development. The government recognizes that maximizing the development results from foreign aid will require an enhanced capacity to carefully analyze development needs, prepare plans, strategies, and policies that address priority needs, and put complementary management tools in place.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) through the National Directorate for Aid Effectiveness (NDAE) oversees aid coordination. The NDAE also tracks the activities of Timor-Leste’s 41 development partners. The current NDAE AIMS system (2008 – current) in place to gather information on international assistance is Excel spreadsheet based and offers limited analytical flexibility, including no easy way to produce reports linked to state budget. The current information being inputed into the Excel sheets, with limited fields, is a manual process for both data entry and analysis.

The Ministry of Finance has conducted a review of international experience with AIMSs. This review drew on (i) a 2008 assessment of aid management needs (supported by the United Nations Development Programme) that identified the preconditions for success and options for an AIMS , and (ii) participation by the MOF in a regional dialogue on AIMSs, undertaken with the support of the UNDP and the ADB. Building on these reviews, the government has proposed adoption of an AIMS that adheres to international standards.

The AIMS will provide data and information on DP activities. It will be linked to the government’s financial management system, thus enhancing the link between the budget and development partner activities. The planning and management tools of the AIMS will support government decision-making processes on resource allocation, help the targeting of priorities, and avoid the duplication of activities. It will assist with the multi-year programming of foreign aid and support increased aid predictability. Improved predictability will in turn enable the government to enhance planning for service delivery as well as overall public finance management over the long term.

The AIMS will be an important new management tool for effective implementation of the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) and achievement of the goals of rapid economic development and poverty alleviation. Improvements in the accessibility of data and information, including project reports, will reinforce the government’s integrity and enhance transparency and accountability. Aid coordination processes will be improved, facilitating implementation of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action, under the umbrella of the government’s soon to be released aid management policy.

Following a request from the Government of Timor-Leste, capacity development related technical assistance (TA) from the ADB was approved in December 2010. The aim of the TA is to strengthen and enhance the development results from foreign aid by the establishment of an AIMS that meets international standards.

Information (data) from both the current system and REA will be uploaded into the new AIMS which will allow for historical access to information (while it is noted that not all data fields will be covered) will allow analysis based on trends established over multiple years of data.

In July 2011, the MoF recruited five additional permanent staff in the NDAE assigned specifically to ensure the implementation and on-going long-term sustainability of the AMP and to support the broader aid effectiveness agenda in Timor-Leste. From Q4 of 2011 and throughout 2012 these new staff will require special support to develop capacity in the implementation and execution of the AMP and aid effectiveness principles more widely. It is envisaged this capacity building would be delivered by an in-house Aid Information Management Systems and Capacity Development Trainer.

The Implementation of new AIMS -AMP will:

 Support NDAE management of ODA in accordance with the Budget process  Facilitate reporting of donor commitments / projections and actual disbursements on all ODA (to Government and non-state actors) to MOF, increasing accuracy and data quality  Allow all required reports to be predefined or generated on demand, including on project/program results and outputs.  Meet new monitoring and reporting needs against the Strategic Development Plan and Paris indicators.  Increase transparency and accountability by introducing broad access to a data repository on ODA-funded projects/programs  Make ODA data visible online to different users through predefined access rights to AMP  Increase the analytical capacity of both donors and Government on the volume, distribution and effectiveness of ODA  Seek to capture the involvement of implementing partners and non-state actors in implementing ODA funds and programs and facilitate their integration into planning processes.  Better alignment of aid through improved mapping of aid resources against the Strategic Development Plan.  Better understanding of Division of Labor through sectoral / donor based aid mapping  Increase donor confidence in government systems through an improved data recording and reporting system, and enhance government-led coordination, allowing the government to take more control of their own development process.

The AMP will also be integrated into the MoF budgeting system (FreeBalance), enabling MoF to have a more complete and accurate understanding of all resources, internal and external (both financial and in-kind) being provided to Timor-Leste and better plan and allocate these resources accordingly within a common Government system.

During the current phase (2011/2012) of the implementation of AMP this additional training provision will guide staff and develop capacity with specific respect to the data management process, analysis of the data and the broader rollout of the AMP as an instrumental element of the broader aid effectiveness agenda pursued by the MoF.

This position is firmly based upon principles laid forth in the soon-to-be released Aid Policy and related upcoming policy on the use of Technical Assistance (TA). The specific focus on capacity building and training will ensure that the position’s roles and responsibilities are not expanded to include performing in-line or policy advice functions.

The position will reinforce the NDAEs capacity will focus on training and capacity development with regards to the in house implementation of the AMP and for the NDAE to act as a one-stop-shop for all issues to do with development partner assistance to Timor-Leste. Increasing the NDAEs capacity to operate in this regard will be one key element that allows for Government and development partners alike to better align their short-medium term development interventions towards those areas set forth within the SDP.

III. SCOPE OF WORK

 Train NDAE staff in the use of the AIMS AMP;  Undertake a training needs assessment and prepare training plans in line with AIMS rollout;  Provide on the job training to NDAE staff and Development Partners on data entry and use of AIMS;  Support NDAE staff to effectively work with AIMS users from GoTL and Development Partners, including assisting them in the preparation of data, project and program information and performance reporting;  Support the implementation of AIMS data management plan;  Ensure quality control of data entered into the AIMS;  Undertake other training of staff within NDAE.

IV. KEY DELIVERABLES

Provide the necessary skills and knowledge to NDAE staff through a 12 month training program that will enable the effective implementation and ongoing management of the AIMS AMP, and in doing so support the broader objectives of AIMS AMS. These include:  Increasing transparency and accountability by introducing broad access to a data repository on ODA-funded projects/programs  Making ODA data visible online to different users through predefined access rights to AMP  Increasing the analytical capacity of both donors and Government on the volume, distribution and effectiveness of ODA  Aligning aid through improved mapping of aid resources against the SDP.

V. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Performance of the AIMS Systems & Capacity Development Trainer will be assessed by the Director NDAE/AMP Project manager, using the Performance Appraisal System put in place and carried out by the Directorate-General for Corporate Services, Ministry of Finance.

How to apply:

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications must be sent to the National Directorate for Aid Effectiveness (NDAE), Ministry of Finance at jobs@mof.gov.tl no later than 17:00 hours Timor-Leste time on 15 November 2011. Applications received by this date will take priority; however, late applications will be considered if the position has not been filled.

Please visit our website at www.mof.gov.tl/ and go to ‘Announcements/Employment Opportunities’ to learn about our recruitment process and your application requirements Applications should include a covering letter and a detailed resume of no more than 7 pages. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.