The Project Finance Advisor will work in partnership with UNOPS and support capacity building activity development and implementation, with specific focus on finance and management capacity areas. The Project Finance Advisor will support the project manager with all technical implementation issues relating to capacity building (operational and project management issues are dealt with by the existing team). This requires engagement and commitment as a team member and goes beyond implementing only specific tasks. The support envisaged may be adapted as the needs of the project evolve.
In addition, the Project Finance Advisor may be required to contribute expert input, as part of a conceptualization team, to development of the Framework for management of urban utilities in Sudan
1. Support capacity building
1.1 General support to capacity building
The Project Finance Advisor will support capacity building on the project through
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Collaborating with the team to strengthen the capacity building approach and tools, including developing and adapting tools.
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Support, through mentorship and targeted ad-hoc training, the development of capacity in the UNOPS field team to implement their capacity building and planning roles in the project to ensure that mini reform projects are implemented, and results are achieved.
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Support the conceptualization of the “introduction to risk management” training and workshops.
1.2 Capacity building for financial management
The project envisages strengthening the financial management capacity of UWAs in five specific areas
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Updating the customer database, including updating software aspects and adding a mapping component
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Strengthening invoicing, collections and revenue collection tracking
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Improving budget structure and comprehensiveness and linking budgeting to delivery, as well as training on budgeting
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Training on, and development of, a tariff model
The project also envisages introducing cost benchmarking and management concepts and tools, as well as introducing asset management, depreciation, replacement and valuation concepts, but it is unlikely that any reform will be achieved in this area during the project period.
Further, the UWAs wish to improve their accounting by introducing double-entry book-keeping systems and computerization of accounting systems.
A local financial expert and a database expert will be appointed to support the financial improvement locally and to implement the financial improvement project on the ground. The Project Finance Advisor - Retainer under this assignment will design the process for strengthening the financial capacity, develop the technical instruments and training materials and manage the local experts. Workshops and training sessions will be led by the project manager with the support of the local experts.
1.3 Capacity building for monitoring and reporting
The project is in the process of identifying KPIs for use by the UWAs, building on 10 KPIs previously used and on the reform project objectives identified during the problem analysis phase. The local M&E expert and the project manager will undertake the local advocacy and training on the monitoring and reporting capacity building. The local M&E expert will be responsible for developing the report templates, indicator definitions and methodologies, and for running training workshops on these.
The Project Finance Advisor under this assignment will provide advisory and mentoring support on indicators, collaborating with the local M&E expert and the project manager to develop a menu of indicators, definitions and measurement methods for the ten key performance areas for utilities.
2 Contribute to development of framework for urban utilities
Contribute expert input, as part of a conceptualization team, to development of the Framework for management of urban utilities in Sudan. This will involve participating in a brainstorming and project design discussion, and commenting on the conceptual research, analysis and conceptual framework, with specific contribution on indicators and financial strategies for utilities. It will also involve providing input on the knowledge management and dissemination project, which covers the KM centre, website and Communities of Practice.
Deliverables:
The Project Finance Advisor will deliver:
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a short monthly report on progress on agreed activities
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other outputs, including project plans, training materials, workshop methodologies, as agreed from time to time.
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Report on RSWC finance and commercial functions, their reform and training needs along with proposed actions.
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RSWC Financial Management and Procurement Manual
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Standard financial reporting templates
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Cost recovery plan