Public Financial Management Expert

Public Financial Management Expert

Kenya

Background:

SoCha (a name created by combining the terms Social and Change) is an independent MEL firm that provides bespoke solutions to social challenges. Since its inception in 2010, SoCha—a small, veteran-owned business—has grown into a full-service MEL and analytical firm that works with USAID Missions and implementing partners around the world. SoCha is USAID/Kenya East Africa’s Implementing Partner for the Mission Support for the Journey to Self-Reliance Pivot (MSP) Activity. The MSP Activity supports USAID/Kenya and East Africa (KEA) staff and stakeholders to be more efficient, effective, transparent, and skilled in achieving development outcomes using evidence, performance management techniques, and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) practices that enable KEA’s journey to self-reliance.

SoCha LLC is recruiting for a candidate with a strong background in public financial management (PFM) in Kenya.

USAID Kenya and East Africa (KEA) seeks support in drafting a foundational public financial management concept note. USAID seeks to understand the nature of public financial management challenges in Kenya at all levels and the ways in which programmatic risk can be mitigated and reduced. In partnering with Kenyan people, institutions, and organizations, USAID/KEA expects that public resources will be utilized transparently, in line with the country’s PFM legal framework. USAID/KEA seeks to work with Kenyans to improve the utilization of PFM systems and to help prevent/mitigate corruption and diminish public apathy.

Scope of Work:

The PFM expert will draft a concept note which addresses key actors in Kenya’s PFM ecosystem, their interests, challenges, their effectiveness in relation to PFM in Kenya, and opportunities for partnership for USAID/KEA.

Responsibilities:

● Hold a kickoff, exploratory conversation with the USAID team to develop a better understanding of knowns and unknowns, as well as refine research questions, propose methodological approaches, and discuss overall timeline, outputs, deliverables, and expectations.

● Develop and share an inception report including an understanding of the assignment, research work plan, methodological approach, and outline.

● Conduct a review of published research, policy and legal documents, and gray literature.

● Develop an understanding of Agency policy and practice regarding PFM. Identity lessons and best practices from the Agency’s PFM initiatives.

· Develop an understanding of the current PFM environment in Kenya.

· Highlight main policy bottlenecks for successful PFM in Kenya.

· Examine measures that have been attempted and implemented to improve PFM in Kenya, and specifically, identify what has worked and what has failed. Give specific rationale for why policy measures to address PFM challenges have not worked previously. Highlight political economy issues related to failures of PFM in the past.

· Explore additional questions, for example why the economy has grown without related increases in government revenue.

● Conduct key informant interviews with Kenyan stakeholders, USAID staff, implementing partners, and other experts and development actors. Develop an understanding of Agency policy and practice regarding PFM. Identity lessons and best practices from the Agency’s PFM initiatives.

● Develop a map or matrix of key institutional stakeholders and key actors. Develop an understanding of the interests of key actors and groups.

● Scope out the establishment of a PFM Working Group within USAID/KEA incorporating all technical offices. Develop a PFM Working Group Action Plan that includes: a framework for engagement with the above-mentioned Kenyan PFM actors; an approach for local capacity development; and strategic goals for a Mission PFM portfolio that cuts across different sectors.

● Share early findings and information on these topics with USAID and select partners during an activity co-creation event.

● Prepare the first full complete draft of the paper.

● Revise draft based on USAID feedback and composed a final foundational Public Financial Management concept note for USAID/KEA.

Location:

Nairobi, Kenya.

Reporting & period of performance:

The consultant in PFM Expert will report to MSP Strategy and Programs Advisor. The anticipated period of performance is from April 15^th, 2022, to July 30, 2022, for a level of effort of 60 days.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience working in roles providing a purview and understanding of Kenya’s public financial management systems.
• Some experience with USAID operations and programming portfolio.
• Independent researcher with the ability to uncover and present new ideas.
• Ability to engage and gather information from key informants and stakeholders, and experience with some key networks with key actors i.e., national and county governments as well as NSAs.
• Experience working with a key stakeholder institution in the PFM space in Kenya preferred.
• Understanding of civil society approaches to strengthen demand side of PFM in Kenya.
• Excellent English writing and analytical skills.
• Master’s degree or Ph.D. preferred.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience working in Kenya.