International Consultant to

Job Summary:

The scope of this assignment is to support GCMU on developing the procurement manual based on World Bank Procurement Regulation. The Manual will help GCMU to manage the process of procurement of consultancy services within the MoPH.

The objective of the assignment is to work with GCMU in reviewing its current procurement policies, guidelines, processes and procedures so that they are robust, cater to the needs of the compliance regimen of the donor as well as MoPH and are responsive to the needs of the operations. The consultant will work with GCMU/MoPH in preparing the Procurement Manual for managing and completing the procurement/contracting processes under Sehatmandi project. The procurement processes should strictly adhere to the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. The TA is of crucial importance to help GCMU in preparing guidelines for procurement.

Skills Required:

Skills Description:

·      Excellent communication, interpersonal and team working skills as well as ability to work cooperatively with all stakeholders (e.g. government of Afghanistan, donors and NGOs).

Duties & Responsibilities:

The technical assistance (TA) will work closely with management and staff within the MoPH and, on a day-to-day basis, report to, and work directly with, the Head of the GCMU.

The TA will be accountable for grounding her/his services in the following principles:

·      Respect for Afghan Ownership and Mutual Accountability. The TA will build on existing Afghan knowledge and ideas, utilise personnel and resources already in place, and will make maximum use of local experts and country systems. TA services to MoPH are demand driven and will be supported by MoPH through an enabling environment.

·      Alignment with Afghan Policies and International Principles. The provision of TA will be provided in accordance with existing Afghan policies and strategies that are in accordance with internationally recognised best practices.

1.    Reporting and Working Conditions

On a day-to-day basis, the consultant will work with and report to the Head of GCMU. The consultant will primarily work with management and staff of the GCMU.

2.       Methodology

The consultant will work with the GCMU team to prepare the procurement manual. Specifically, the consultant will provide the following support to the GCMU:

·      The consultant shall study (desk review) the existing policies and practices with all the amendments issued in the last two years to understand the current policies. GCMU will arrange and provide all the documents to the consultant. The consultant shall work with documents provided by GCMU.

·      This would be followed with interviews with key stakeholders from GCMU and donor to understand context of the current systems, challenges faced in implementation. The consultant shall also meet with some program team members to understand their challenges in the field and their expectations.

·      The consultant shall suggest changes and amendments to the process through a consultative process in a workshop setting to discuss findings and provide recommendations to finalise changes or amendments in current systems. Also discuss and finalise turnaround times for key processes and finalise them in consultation with the GCMU team.

·      The manuals shall be in word file with a copy in pdf format. The updated forms and formats would be in word, excel or pdf format.

Job Location:

Qualifications:

·      Master degree from a recognised university in a relevant discipline e.g. project/contract management, business law, public administration, MBA;

·      Minimum 10 years of experience in international procurement, management of procurement and project management.

·      Experience in developing of relevant guidelines, protocols and policies

·      Extensive familiarity with the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers and guidelines.

·      Good management skills, including ability to handle several tasks concurrently.

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