Division: International Development Division 
Supervisor:  Policy and Research Lead 

About the Position:

Abt Associates is looking for Consultant to conduct a study on “Bottlenecks in Governance Structures Affecting Low Capital Expenditure in Nepal”.

Objectives of the Study

The recent news and government reports suggest that the sub-national governments have not been able to spend the capital budget in a satisfactory way. During the scoping visit, some local leaders explained the procurement policy and lack of staff as prime reasons for low expenditure of capital budget.

Sajhedari- STF Project intends to carry out a study to understand the current bottlenecks facing sub-national governments in executing their proposed capital expenditure projects.  The study will examine existing systems, both financial and non-financial, that effect the disbursement of funds and the planning and implementation of capital expenditure projects at the national and sub-national level.  

Besides mapping existing legal structures, processes and institutions that affect spending on capital projects, the study will also focus on two to four case studies. Through the case-studies, the aim will be to understand actual projects which have been successful or unsuccessfully implemented in Province No.5 and Sudur Pashchim Province to understand the underlying challenges facing their success or failure. The end goal of the study is to identify gaps which are impeding execution of capital expenditure projects and help the Government by identifying mitigating measures to resolve the problem.

Deliverables:

The Consultant is expected deliver the following:

• Present a detailed plan and study framework within a week of signing the agreement to be discussed with Sajhedari program team before the assignment begins.
• Produce a draft study report identifying bottlenecks that are leading to the low  capital expenditure with  practical recommendations to improve relevant policies and practices
• Collect and compile two to four case studies showing the underlying challenges contributing to the success or failure of a project as part of the study report
• Produce a final report incorporating the comments and suggestions from Sajhedari program team and Urban Institute, USA
• Present the gist of the study in stakeholder meeting comprised of federal, provincial and local elected leaders and relevant GoN officials
• The report should contain graphs, case studies and pictorial representation of situation as much as possible and it should provide complete and authentic citations using Vancouver or Harvard Methods of Referencing.

Level of Effort and Timeline:

The expected level of effort to conduct the study is expected to be between 20-30 days starting from January 2020 to February 2020. Level of efforts (No. of days) will be negotiated after submission of inception report. The consultant is required to visit provincial headquarters and selected Palikas of Sudur Pashchim and Province-5.  The travel cost including for accommodation and food will be covered by the project as per the organizational rule.

Reporting and Coordination:

The consultant will report to the Policy and Research Lead and liaise with project team members to pursue the study.

Required Qualification and Skills:

• At least Master’s Degree in Economics, public policy or similar subject
• At least seven years of experience working in economic and/or governance sector in Nepal
• Sound understanding of federalism implementation in Nepal 
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills 
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research and analyses
• Strong writing skills in English
• Demonstrated knowledge to be able to setting high standards in ethical aspects of the study and field work
• A good understanding of Gender Equality & Social Inclusion issues and challenges in Nepal