REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

ZIMBABWE COUNTRY OFFICE (COZW)

Expressions of interest are invited for the following suitably qualified and experienced Individual Consultant position:

ELIGIBILITY :

1. The position is open to nationals of one of the Member Countries of the African Development Bank Group. Interested applicants are encouraged to send an updated Curriculum Vitae and samples of past professional assignments, noting level of involvement and impact. These samples should either be hyper-links on the internet of attachments not exceeding a total of 5 MB ;
2. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The call for proposal will require the same elements as the expression of interest. Both expression of interest and proposal may be submitted in either English or French language ;
3. Candidates are  encouraged  to  register  in  the  AfDB’s  Consultant  Database  (DACON) https://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/procurement/consultancy-services-dacon, if they have not yet done so. Newly registered on DACON, please communicate the processing number after your DACON registration to the e-mail addresses below, so that your registration can be followed up and confirmed. Registration on DACON requires Internet Explorer (exclusively) ;

4. The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a short list and the selection procedure shall be in conformity with the Bank’s Rules and Procedures for the Use of Consultants, available on the Bank’s Website.(https://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/procurement/frequently-asked-questions/acquisition-of-consultancy-services-individual-consultants). Please note that interest expressed by a Consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include him/her in the shortlist ;
5. Expressions of interest must be received by e-mail at the addresses below no later than 18^th November 2021 at 3 pm GMT and should mention COZW Consultant – Local Economist – in the subject line of the email. If you do not receive a confirmation, email by 21^ST November 2021 pm UCT, your EOI might have not been received and you are invited to contact us by email for follow-up.

Applications to be submitted by EMAIL to

Ms. Fortunate MANUHWA

F.MANUHWA@AFDB.ORG

TERMS OF REFERENCE

CONSULTANT- COUNTRY LOCAL ECONOMIST

1. OBJECTIVES key work objectives of the organizational unit :

• In coordination with the Southern African Regional Office the principal objectives of the African Development Bank (ADB) Country Office in Zimbabwe, among others, are :
• To support the operations and projects of the Bank Group through business development, supervision and management of such operations ;
• To reinforce cooperation and dialogue between the Bank and the Government of Zimbabwe, development partners, private sector and civil society. Additionally, support the government’s NDS1 in designing and implementing projects and policies that lead to improved socio-economic development and poverty reduction ;
• Provide analytical and knowledge products on various developmental issues including arrears clearance, macroeconomic and governance reforms ;
• Provide oversight in implementing projects under ZIMFUND.

2. DUTIES the major responsibilities of the position and how each is achieved :

Under the supervision of the Country Manager, and in close collaboration with the Country Economist, the principal tasks to be carried out by the Consultant are as follows :

• Draft position papers and analytical briefs related to Zimbabwe’s socio-economic development issues ;
• Support the Country office in providing inputs into the Bank’s strategic documents ;
• Provide technical support towards the Bank’s participation in the Zimbabwe Development Forum ;
• Collect and analyze macroeconomic and social data from related institutions to be used for the CPIA, the Country Strategy Paper (Country Brief) and other programmes ;
• Provide technical and strategic advice by regular participation in dialogue with Government, technical and financial partners in platforms such as technical sectoral or thematic groups ;
• Actively support the preparation of the mid-term review and of the Country Strategy Paper (Country Brief), ensuring that the AfDB’s interventions support NDS1 ;
• Actively participate the Bank’s technical working group on arrears clearance, including providing inputs to technical papers ;
• Give an active support for the preparation of progress and completion reports by participating in the data-collecting, discussions with the Government and partners, the drafting of the reports.

3. COMPLEXITY :

The Consultant Macroeconomist should :

• Have sufficient competences and experience to be able to provide practical and technical recommendations to the Country Manager, the Country Economist and the Country Team, to participate in the dialogue with the Government and the partners in the country ;
• Have a good understanding of the specificity of the economy of Zimbabwe and the sub-region ;
• Have competences to provide active assistance to the Country Economist and Country Team in the preparation of strategic interventions, and projects and programmes ;
• Be familiar with the key concepts such as results management, aid effectiveness, project cycles, and have a good proficiency of analytical instruments and evaluation of fiduciary risk in the country, the comprehensive approaches (poverty reduction strategies or development program of the country) and of the sectoral approaches (sector strategies and policies developed in the country) ;
• Develop a capacity of listening and diplomatic competences for dialogue with the Government ;
• Be able to work under pressure and deliver results in a timely manner ;
• Have at least a Master or its equivalent in Economics, Political economy or International Development Economic and have a minimum of 8 (eight)            years of relevant professional experience ;
• Have sound analytical and conceptual capacities; a proven experience in providing policy advise. Prior experience working with multilateral development banks and a experience in the formulation of country strategies is an added bonus ;
• Have a capacity to communicate and defend orally and write documents in various areas ;
• Have proficiency in the standard software used by the Bank such as Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint, ms Projects, Internet and be familiar with SAP.

4. GUIDELINES :

The Consultant Macroeconomist functions within the framework of the directives and general tasks. He/she must be familiar with a certain number of documents available.

• At operational level: handbook of operations, handbook of disbursement, procedures of acquisition, loans policies, general conditions, format for reporting on the portfolio review, Country Strategy Paper, evaluation report and supervision of operations ;
• At Aid Coordination level: aid effectiveness general framework for organization of budgetary support, agreement protocols ;
• At country level: strategic framework for fight against poverty, priority Action Plan of NDS1, joint matrix of partners, institutional device of follow up of NDS1, sectoral strategies and policies existing in the country and their action plan, state budget, framework for medium-term expenditure, etc.

5. SUPERVISORY CONTROL :

• The Consultant Macroeconomist works under the technical supervision of the Country Manager but with a margin for flexibility and initiatives ;
• For the tasks specific to macroeconomic issues, portfolio review, he/she works in close cooperation with the Country Economist ;
• He/She can also receive specific requests from the Country Economist on certain issues relevant to the work of RDGS Department ;
• However, daily work is done with minimum supervision.

6. RELATIONSHIPS Within the Bank :

Title :

• COZW Country Manager ;
• Operations Managers and other Bank Staff ;
• Country Economist and Country Team ;
• Office Staff.

Content :

• Proposal of speech, letter, memo, assistances – memories, reports/ratios of supervision, note, etc ;
• Supervision of acquisition and disbursement documents ;
• Work in close collaboration ;
• Sharing of information.

Purpose :

• Approval ;
• Visa ;
• Request information on the economic and social status ;
• Collaboration and exchange information.

Outside the Bank

Purpose :

Technical structures of the administration (technical secretariat for the follow-up of policies and financial programs, Head office of the economy and planning, Head office of the co-operation, National institute of the statistics and demography), private sector, civil society, Bank, regional organizations

Economic and financial information gathering on the country (table of the state’s financial transactions, reports of implementation of the NDS1, documents of economic policies and social, regulatory texts, etc)

Exchange of information and advisory support on the directives, policies and procedures of the Bank

procedures

7. SUPERVISION :

As the office focal point for the macroeconomic issues in the country, the Consultant Economist, with guidance from the Country Economist, ensures the coordination of the work of consultants or STS recruited by the office for missions of economic and financial studies.

8. LEADERSHIP :

• The Consultant Economist plays the central role in the collection, analysis and dissemination of macroeconomic data on the country at the Bank ;
• He/She plays a central role in the aid coordination and the follow-up of the implementation of the strategic ;

Framework for the Government’s fight against the poverty.

• He/She plays a central role in the preparation of documentation necessary to the function of Leader of the technical and financial partners, which role the Office plays for the organization of the budgetary supports and the Strategy for reinforcing public finances ;
• He/She is the principal underwriter of the Country Economist on the ground.

9. DECISIONS :

• The Consultant Economist does not have decision-making power ;
• He/She provides technical and strategic advises to the Country Manager, Country Economist, Country Team members, project managers who, in turn, approve them or not, or suggest them at higher levels of decision ;
• The suggestions can relate to the contents of a report, a memo, the appreciation of the performance of the country, the appreciation of the performance of the projects, etc. ;
• He/She can also propose, in collaboration with the project managers, a work program, a program of mission, Terms of references, etc.

10. RECOMMANDATIONS :

• The Consultant Economist does not make recommendations ;
• He formulates Recommendation proposals in memos, reports and assistance – supervision memoires.

11. CONSEQUENCE OF ERROR the possible consequences of errors that may occur owing to an error in judgment or inappropriate choice, etc. (not to be confused with poor performance).

• An error in the proposals of the Macroeconomist, accepted, can lead the persons in charge to make erroneous recommendations or to make contrary decisions with the reality in the field. This can affect not only the image of the Bank in the country but also the quality of the operations of the Bank in the country ;
• A proposal for an erroneous appreciation of the situation of the country at the time of a dialogue meeting with the Government and the partners can affect the image of the Bank in the country ;
• A bad supervision of project can affect the quality of the operations of the Bank in the country.

1.0 DURATION AND LOCATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT :

The Consultant will commence the assignment in January 2022. The assignment is expected to last for a period of six (6) calendar months. The assignment will take place at the Bank’s Zimbabwe Country Office, requires full-time presence in the Bank’s offices and may require occasional mission travel.

2.0     REMUNERATION :

The Consultant will receive a monthly all-inclusive fee to be negotiated upon contract signature, and in compliance with the Bank’s established remuneration scale, considering requisite qualifications and experience. No additional benefits or per diems will be paid while in Harare. The Bank will cover full costs of any required missions and provide per-diem in accordance with rules governing consultant mission travel. The Consultant is responsible for his/her own health insurance and accommodation costs.