Capacity gaps assessment and Development of the National Roadmap for MRC core functions decentralisation Mekong River Commission
Mekong River Commission
The role of the MRC is to promote and coordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries’ mutual benefit and the people’s well-being
The MRC Secretariat is now recruiting highly qualified consultants for the following consultancy
Consultants for Capacity Gaps Assessments and/or Development of the National Roadmaps for Core Functions Decentralisation
The consultancies will last 100 working days starting from December 2011 to May 2012 in individual Member Countries. They will be home based and at the Office of the respective National Mekong Committee Secretariats in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam, with possible travel to Offices of the MRC Secretariat in Vientiane (OSV), Lao PDR and in Phnom Penh (OSP), Cambodia.
The consultancies are under the International Cooperation and Communications Section (ICCS)
The Terms of Reference and other information can be obtained at MRC website http://www.mrcmekong.org Women are encouraged to apply. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.
Application procedures:
The application should include (i) a cover letter outlining clearly how the candidate meets the requirements of the position, (ii) a detailed CV, and (iii) MRC Personal History Form (IV) a sample their work in the form of a report, and (v) financial expectation. The position title and division/section must be indicated in the cover letter. The application should be sent to:
Mekong River Commission Secretariat
P.O. Box 6101
Vientiane 01000, Lao PDR
Email: mrcs@mrcmekong.org
Closing date for applications: 31 December 2011
Terms of Reference (In-country Consultants)
Title: Capacity gaps assessment and Development of the National Roadmap for MRC core functions decentralisation
Type of service: Short term consultancy
Consultants: 1 to 2 national consultants per country (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam);
1 international consultant for Thailand
Reporting lines: The consultants report directly to the respective National Mekong Committee Secretariat on all aspects of the assignment, & communicate directly with the MRC Secretariat (ICCS) on methodological aspects and others that require regional coordination and coherence by keeping the National Coordinator of the NMCS well informed– see Sections V & VI for details
Duration: A maximum of 100 working days for the whole assignment in each country, over 6 months from December 2011 to May 2012
Starting date: As soon as possible
Duty station: Home-based and the Office of the respective National Mekong Committee Secretariat, with occasional travel to the offices of the MRC Secretariat in Vientiane and Phnom Penh as deemed necessary by MRC Secretariat. He or she may be required to attend consultation meetings or missions outside the national capital by the NMCS to which he/she reports.
I. BACKGROUND
1. MRC Strategic Plan 2011-2015
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has, since its establishment in 1995, realised its mandate through project- and programme-structures assisted by the corporate services units and technical divisions at the MRC Secretariat. The implementation of the projects and programmes is usually led by MRCS programme/project teams working with national agencies coordinated by the Secretariats of the National Mekong Committees (NMCs), and funded by donor agencies.
With the approval of the Strategic Plan 2011-2015, the MRC plans to move towards a new operational structure with a greater focus on sustaining the MRC through in-country activities. Accompanying this is the expectation that the MRC Secretariat (MRCS) will gradually shift from its current centralized programme-based approach to a leaner organisation built around the seven core river basin management (RBM) functions. This will contribute to a greater alignment of the MRC activities with its mandate and ensure a smooth transition towards increased ownership of the MRC by its Member Countries as well as to ensure effective implementation and integration of MRC policies into national systems. Heads of Government of the Member Countries at the first MRC Summit in April 2010 set the year 2030 a target by then MRC is financially sustained by Member Countries.
The four categories of MRC’s core functions that include the seven RBM functions were endorsed by the MRC Joint Committee (JC) in 2009 as a step to respond to the long-term prospects of sustainable financing for the MRC. RBM functions are the functions of the MRC through which it routinely engages in water resources development and management issues at different scales in the Mekong River Basin.
(i) Secretariat Administrative and Management Functions
(ii) River Basin Management Functions
- Data acquisition, exchange and monitoring
- Analysis, modelling and assessment
- Planning support
- Forecasting, warning and emergency response
- Implementing MRC Procedures
- Promoting dialogue and communication
- Reporting and dissemination
(iii) Capacity Building and Tools Development Functions
(iv) Consulting and Advisory Services
Focusing on core functions will have important implications for MRC functioning and financing. The implementation of the core functions will also affect the current structure of human resources of the MRCS. This process will go hand in hand with the progressive decentralisation of some MRC core functional activities to national agencies.
MRC programmes are at different stages of advancing implementation arrangements in which national agencies take increased responsibilities both in implementing and financing selected core functions.
2. Preparing a Roadmap of core functions decentralisation and transition
A Roadmap for the MRC transition towards a decentralised mode of core function implementation is set to be developed in 2011 for MRC Council approval. The Roadmap will set realistic and time-bound goals and objectives for the MRC decentralisation until the 2030 target. As such, the Roadmap is a prerequisite for the overall successful implementation of the transition and decentralisation process. The process of preparing this Roadmap will help establish or strengthen the necessary institutional and organisational links at both national and regional levels in implementing the core RBM functions.
To initiate the transition, the Roadmap is expected to provide the MRC and its Member Countries with a concrete and practical concept of a decentralised modality of core functions implementation as well as a structured framework for them to plan for the implementation at both regional and national levels, and to monitor the progress with reference to the 2030 target of financial autonomy.
As discussed at the 34th JC meeting held in August 2011, a sub-group of the JC Task Force is being established to monitor and guide the Roadmap preparation process. Each of the Member Countries may set up an inter-agency coordination mechanism to engage the responsible agencies in the in-country process. A National Roadmap Coordinator will be mobilised by the respective NMCs to assist and coordinate the process. The MRC Secretariat will provide an overall coordination support and technical assistance to the regional and national teams. National team includes the NMC, its Secretariat and their staff, focal points of the concerned line agencies appointed to work on the core functions decentralisation, other inter-agency mechanisms in place or will be established to work on the core functions decentralisation, and the in-country experts.
Under the overall framework of the MRC, each Member Country will lead their in-country process in close collaboration with the MRC Secretariat and its team. MRC Programmes & their National Programme Coordinators, on their respective technical areas, will assist the NMCs in reviewing the methodology developed for the capacity gaps assessment of the responsible national agencies, and in leading the discussions and consultations with relevant line agencies on technical and programme-specific aspects of a plan for decentralisation and transition.
Aligned with the Strategic Plan 2011-2015, a number of MRC programmes have planned to discuss with their programme-specific line agencies on the decentralisation of some of the programme activities for national implementation, including undertaking capacity needs assessment of the line agencies and preparing a plan for transition. Among these programmes, IKMP for example has significantly advanced their decentralisation process for the operation of the hydro-meteorological monitoring stations.
3. Preliminary analysis of the core functions implementation
A preliminary analysis on how the core RBM functions are currently implemented and which functional activities would be further considered for decentralisation by 2015 was undertaken with German support from May to August 2011. This analysis was done only from the perspectives and perceptions of the MRC programmes. Preliminary findings show that under the seven RBM functions there are about 110 (sub)activities in which 15 would be most ready for decentralisation by 2015, some 30-35 activities should stay “centralised” in the MRC Secretariat for implementation, and the remaining or about 60 activities will be gradually decentralised after 2015 during the next two or three strategic plan periods. These findings were presented to the Joint Committee at its 34th Meeting held in August 2011 for guidance. The JC provided no comment to these findings, and provided no objection to the next steps proposed to finalise the Roadmaps.
As proposed at this JC Meeting, next steps will be to review the description of the seven RBM functions at the activity and sub-activity level from the needs of the Member Countries, and to verify the preliminary findings at the national level in order to prepare the National Roadmaps and the overall MRC Roadmap of decentralisation and transition. The “review” and “verification” must be based on an institutional and organisational capacity gaps assessment to be undertaken in each of the Member Countries in relation to the increased national responsibility in implementing and financing the MRC core RBM functions. The capacity gaps assessment is the subject of this Terms of Reference.
II. OBJECTIVE
This in-country assignment is an integral part of an overall MRC-wide project to prepare the MRC Roadmap for core functions decentralisation and transition which is performed by the MRCS and NMCS with technical assistance provided by the international coordinator and relevant in-country consultants.
The objective of the overall project is the development of a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound) Roadmap of core functions decentralisation and transition for the MRC in which details specific and relevant to each of the Member Countries (“National Roadmaps”) in line with the agreed Principles of decentralisation[1] are included.
To achieve this overall objective, the specific objective of this in-country assignment is the development of a SMART National Roadmap of core functions decentralisation and transition for the respective Member Country in line with the agreed Principles of decentralisation.
III. DESCRIPTION AND SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The project includes two integral and inter-connected yet distinctive sets of tasks, namely (i) the conduct of an institutional and organisational capacity needs assessment and gaps analysis at the responsible national agencies in relation to the implementation of the core RBM functions, and (ii) the preparation of the National Roadmap for decentralisation and transition in relation to the overall MRC Roadmap.
1. Capacity needs assessment & gaps analysis
The objective of this set of tasks is to determine the current level of capacities of the responsible national agencies (hereinafter, “national agencies” is a collective term that includes the NMC Secretariat, line agencies and other designated agencies such as any of the country’s river basin committees or river basin organisations) in implementing the MRC-related work, and to determine practical links of the current level of capacities of these agencies to the implementation plan of the decentralisation in which transitional arrangements (e.g. capacity support) will be proposed.
“Institutional and organisational capacity” in this context embraces (i) institutional/organisational capacities, (ii) staff capacities, and (iii) financial capabilities of the Member Country agencies in relation to the implementation of the MRC core functions at national level.
The institutional and organisational capacity needs assessment and gaps analysis will be conducted at the responsible national agencies identified by the MRC programmes and the National Mekong Committees to determine existing individual, organisational and system level capacity versus the actual capacity needed to implement and finance the MRC core RBM functions nationally.
The assessment will be conducted for all the seven RBM functions at the activity and sub-activity levels, with more details for the 2015-target activities. This assessment may need to be undertaken after the description of these functions is thoroughly reviewed by all the parties involved using the weighted criteria through a consultative and participatory process as described below.
The assessment will need to take into account any available baseline data on capacity and financial requirements by the MRC programmes. A review of the available capacity baseline applicable for the country is needed to ensure consistency. Knowledge and information gaps on other capacity baselines not yet available will need to be filled in. The analysis of the core functions implementation undertaken in the MRC Secretariat during June-August 2011 may already provide some rough data on this issue.
Capacity development plans to be developed based on results of the assessment will need to take into account any capacity development plans in place for the core function activities by individual programmes. Any plans available need to be reviewed within the core functions decentralisation framework.
Results of the assessment & analysis will be used to feed into the preparation and finalisation of the National Roadmap of decentralisation and transition.
2. Preparation of the National Roadmap for Core Functions Decentralisation & Transition
The description of the seven RBM functions at the activity and sub-activity levels (i.e. 110 activities) that were preliminary defined by the MRC programmes will be reviewed by using consultative and participatory approaches and using weighted criteria that would reflect (i) the routine and recurrent nature of the functions at the activity and sub-activity levels, (ii) the needs and priorities of the Member Country taking into account the regional needs and priorities in the joint management of the Mekong River Basin and also in relation to the financial autonomy target of the MRC, and (iii) MRC mandate.
The preliminary classification of the core functions to be decentralised within various timeframes as mentioned above (Ref: section I, item 3) will be reviewed in light of the review of the description of the detailed core function activities and also in light of the results of the capacity gaps analysis. This re-examination is necessary in order to determine the actual levels of readiness of the core RBM functions to be decentralised and associated timelines of transition all in relation to the relevant mandates and functions of the responsible national agencies, as well as the associated levels of intervention to strengthen national capacities. This review will need to follow the four guiding principles for the roadmap process as defined in the Concept Paper on decentralisation.
The Roadmaps must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timebound. The Roadmaps must be linked with the national planning processes to institutionalise the Roadmap and its implementation / transition plan, and with the relevant line agencies’ annual work planning cycles.
The Roadmaps must also identify:
· How MRCS and its programmes provide some level of back-up and support for the initial period of national implementation; and
· Roll out options, in which plans to manage risk of interruptions to the implementation of any work programme activity are identified
IV. RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS
Using consultative and participatory approaches and methods to be discussed and agreed upon by the NMCs, MRCS and its Programmes, the consultant(s) shall undertake the following tasks:
A. Capacity needs assessment and gaps analysis
1. Carry out a desk review on institutional, organisational, financial and staff capacity needs assessment and gaps analysis of the national line agencies of the respective Member Country;
2. Produce a country-specific segment of a SMART inception plan of the capacity needs assessment in the respective Member Country & the national agencies which details the scope, approach, methodology, expected results, and other pertinent information, of the in-country assessment. As the inception plan must have a strong conceptual grounding for comparative assessment results (across the four Member Countries and across the core functions), the country-specific segment under the responsibility of the in-country expert(s) must be built upon the conceptual foundation as developed and agreed by all members of the international and in-country expert team, the NMCs, the MRCS and its Programmes;
3. Discuss and work closely with the International Coordinator, ICCS, MRC programmes and the National Programme Coordinators to design practical tools and instruments for use in the assessment, and together with the international and other in-country consultants, to train MRC resource persons (from the MRCS and from the country) if needed on their application;
4. Work with the National Programme Coordinators, the National Roadmap Coordinator, and MRC programmes when relevant in using the designed tools to collect data and information from the identified national agencies and their staff relevant to the MRC activities on their capabilities for implementing and financing the RBM function activities. This activity will enable the consultants to use the data to construct a baseline of the existing capacity and a capacity needs map pertaining to the agencies associated with a particular RBM function;
5. Conduct an institutional, financial and staff capacity gaps analysis for the respective country agencies, taking into consideration the overall timeframe for the MRC decentralisation
6. Develop a comprehensive SMART capacity development plan for the respective Member Country including indicative costed implementation/operational plan & a monitoring and evaluation framework;
B. Development of the National Roadmap for decentralisation & transition
Using consultative and participatory approaches and methods to discussed and agreed upon by the NMCs, MRCS and its Programmes, the consultant(s) shall undertake the following tasks:
7. Review at the country level the description of the seven RBM functions at the activity and sub-activity levels as preliminarily defined by the MRC programmes in the analysis undertaken during June-August 2011; This review will need to be verified by the relevant line agencies, the respective NMC and its Secretariat, in close coordination with the MRCS Programmes and other Member Countries;
8. Review at the country level the classification of the seven core RBM functions as presented in the preliminary analysis undertaken from June to August 2011; This review will need to be verified by the relevant line agencies, the respective NMC and its Secretariat, and in close coordination with the MRCS Programmes and other Member Countries;
9. Produce a country-specific segment of a SMART inception plan on the development of the National Roadmap which also specifies a strategy for the respective NMC and its Secretariat on the engagement of the responsible line agencies in discussion on core functions decentralisation;
10. Faciliate consultative meetings with Member Country agencies and with MRC programmes/sections in developing the Roadmap;
11. Prepare an overview assessment of the likely budget allocation needed in the respective Member Country;
12. Produce a SMART National Roadmap for decentralisation and transition which must include:
a. Classification of the core RBM functional activities for decentralisation with clearly identified timelines, benchmarks, mandates and capacities of the respective Member Country;
b. Decentralised modalities suitable for the respective Member Country for implementing the selected functions including funding mechanisms for centralised and decentralised core functions, taking into account the “Independence”, “National Competencies” and “Financial Capacity” factors as defined in the MRC Strategic Plan 2011-2015 regarding the core functions decentralisation;
c. “Core” milestones recommended for the respective Member Country in relation to the implementation of the decentralised core functions, specific steps that need to be achieved and timelines for implementation;
d. Options of transitional arrangements suitable for the respective Member Country including temporary support mechanisms (e.g. targeted funding, capacity support), for the selected core functions to be decentralised, for the MRC to try out during the transition period up to 2015 and beyond when applicable for necessary adjustments before a full application is initiated;
e. An indicative costed implementation plan for the transition period up to 2015 and for the overall decentralisation process (with timelines and major milestones for National Roadmap implemetnation); and
f. Indicative rollout options to support the implementation of the National Roadmap during the transition process.
V. REPORTING LINE / WORKING PRINCIPLES
· Supervision requirements: The in-country experts will require no supervision responsibility.
· Level of autonomy: Decision-making is recommendatory, subject to the review and approval of others. The position carries no financial autonomy.
· Level of problem solving required: Solutions to problems require collection and analysis of information. The incumbent needs to demonstrate creativity, independence and initiative.
· Level and type of communications required: The position involves wide communications, within the MRC, the respective NMC and its Secretariat, and with the line agencies.
VI. WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
· The incumbent(s) will work closely with the National Roadmap Coordinator, National Programme Coordinators, and other staff members of the NMC and NMC Secretariat, and the relevant MRCS Programmes in providing national inputs to the development of the methodologies, tools for the capacity gaps assessment, and preparation of the National Roadmap;
· The incumbent(s) will support and provide expert opinions to the NMC and its Secretariat, and other relevant national agencies in generating national perspectives into the overall design of how the assignment is conducted, and will primarily lead the data collection activities in the respective MRC Member Country in collaboration with and being supported by the national team (National Roadmap Coordinator, National Programme Coordinators, and other staff appointed by the national agencies) and the MRCS team (programmes, coordination unit of the project, and others);
· Through NMCS’s coordination, the incumbent(s) will work closely with all national agencies engaged in the Roadmap preparation activities;
· The incumbent(s) will work in a team with other in-country experts and an international coordinator; the latter will coordinate with all the in-country experts in the development of the methodology and tools for the assessment and methodology for the development of the Roadmaps, to ensure the integrity in the process, to make sure that the methodology is technically sound and consistently followed in all Member Countries.
VII. DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME
The incumbent(s) will deliver the following products within the expected timeframes. The numbers of person days indicated are the total working days for the whole assignment in each Member Country, regardless of the number of experts employed.
| Deliverables | Indicative number of person days | Expected date of delivery |
| 1. A desk review report and a country-specific segment of a SMART inception plan for the capacity gaps assessment/analysis in the respective Member Country | 08 | Dec 2011-Jan 2012 |
| 2. Tools, instruments for use in the capacity gaps assessment | 04 | Dec 2011 – Jan 2012 |
| 3. Synthesised data collected from the NMCS and responsible national agencies on their capacities to implement and finance the core RBM functions, after the assessment | 45 | Jan – Mar 2012 |
| 4. A national report with a list of capacity needs and on capacity gaps analysis of the identified agencies and their staff involved in the MRC activities | 04 | Mar 2012 |
| 5. An institutional/organisational and staff capacity development needs map pertaining to the respective Member Country relevant to the 7 core RBM functions | 04 | Mar-Apr 2012 |
| 6. A comprehensive SMART capacity development plan for the respective Member Country including indicative costed implementation/operational plan & a monitoring and evaluation framework | 06 | Mar-Apr 2012 |
| 7. A country-specific segment of a SMART inception plan on the development of the National Roadmap which also specifies a strategy for engaging the responsible line agencies in discussion on core functions decentralisation | 04 | Dec 2011-Jan 2012 |
| 8. A first draft of a SMART National Roadmap for decentralisation and transition with at least details for items 12 a, b, c, and d under section IV – Responsibilities and Tasks | 15 | Mar-Apr 2012 |
| 9. A final draft of a SMART National Roadmap for decentralisation and transition & its implementation plan (details of such a Roadmap identified under section III – Description and specific requirements of the assignment, and item 12, section IV – Responsibilities and Tasks) | 10 | Apr-May 2012 |
| Total of working days: | 100 |
|
VIII. QUALIFICATIONS
The assignment requires two distinctive sets of qualifications and skills.
1 – On institutional analysis and capacity development:
· University degree or higher in organisational development, law, political science, public administration, environmental policy and management, behaviour change or related subject;
· At least 5 years of accumulated professional experience related to institutional analysis and capacity gaps assessment, organisational change management, strategy and policy development, programme/project coordination with government agencies in the MRC country of origin;
· Knowledge of the Mekong River Commission is an asset;
· Good sense of initiative and sound judgement;
· Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills;
· Attention to detail, and ability to deliver work of high standard within tight deadlines;
· Very good command of English, both written and spoken.
2 – on financial and budgeting analysis
· University degree or higher in accounting, finance, business administration, economics, public administration, statistics, political science, or related subject;
· At least 5 years of accumulated professional experience related to budget (cycle) analysis, budget planning, financial control, programme/project planning, or related areas;
· Strong analytical skills are essential;
· Strong oral and written skills are essential;
· Familiar with data and statistical analysis software;
· Knowledge of the Mekong River Commission is an asset;
· Good sense of initiative and sound judgement;
· Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills;
· Attention to detail, and ability to deliver work of high standard within tight deadlines;
· Very good command of English, both written and spoken.
IX. KEY REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
· MRC Strategic Plan 2011-2015
· IWRM-based Basin Development Strategy
· MRC Summit Declaration, April 2010
· Independent Organisational, Financial and
· Briefing notes and reports to the MRC Council and Joint Committee meetings in 2010 and 2011
· Decentralisation Concept Paper (draft)
· Outline of the Roadmap (draft) and analysis report of the core functions implementation, June – August 2011
· Summary reports of the regional workshops on the formulation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2015, and on decentralisation held in 2010 and 2011
· MRC Programme Documents 2011-2015
· Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs)
· MRC Work Plan 2011, 2012
· Preliminary list of the responsible line agencies and their focal points, identified by the MRCS Programmes
· Other roadmap documents as prepared by MRCS
Condition of payment:
- . 10% of total contract amount will be paid to the Consultant when the SMART inception plan for the capacity gaps assessment and analysis is finalised.
- . Another 40% will be paid to the Consultant when the capacity gaps assessment report is submitted.
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