UNDP Liberia

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO UNDP/ISSA/2007/017

Post Title : Capacity and Financial Assessment of the Monrovia City Corporation
Post Level : Special Service Agreement (SSA International)
Duty Station : Monrovia City Corporation Monrovia/Liberia
Duration of contract : Seven (7) weeks
Starting Date : 1 October 2007
Date of Issue : 15 August 2007
Closing Date : 5 September 2007

This vacancy is open to applicants of either sex. Preference will be given to equally qualified women candidates.

Background

During the years of conflict, Liberia 's infrastructure was nearly completely destroyed and the majority of services ceased being rendered. The public solid waste collection system that existed prior to the war came to a total collapse, very limited private commercial services continued during this time. Waste is disposed of indiscriminately and open dumping has become the most common disposal method, with sites dotted around the city. In addition to this physical destruction, severe capacity constraints affect most parts of Government, both in terms of personnel and equipment.

Following the conflict, the World Bank resumed its presence in Liberia . In October 2006, the Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved a grant (within the Emergency Infrastructure Supplemental Component - EIPSC, project) for US$16.5 million to address the most urgent infrastructure rehabilitation needs; US$7 million of this grant was allocated to urban works in Monrovia, with the remainder being allocated to rehabilitation of rural roads.

Urban works consist of basic rehabilitation of public toilets, markets, the sewer and drainage networks, as well as large-scale clean-up of accumulated solid waste and introduction of a basic solid waste collection system. All works are being executed by UNDP, and an independent engineering firm, Poyry, is providing on-the-ground construction and delivery of services supervision. The Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) is the agency in charge of solid waste and on-site sanitation (public toilets). Sewerage is the responsibility of the Liberia Water and Sanitation Company (LWSC), while drainage is the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW).

The solid waste component of the project has three facets: (i) solid waste clean-up; (ii) solid waste collection system; and (iii) upgrade and management of the existing disposal site.

•  Upgrade of the Fiamah waste disposal site The following limited improvements will be made to the Fiamah site: leveling, compacting, and covering present and new waste; construction of a security fence to surround the entire site; removal and stockpiling of topsoil; construction of embankment and drainage; and provision of a gatehouse and notice board. It is anticipated that these improvements will be sufficient to keep the dumpsite operational for another 3 to 6 months. The Government is currently working to raise the funding for the construction of a new landfill site. Another interim disposal site will need to be sited and prepared, as the new permanent landfill site will take 2 – 3 years to construct.

•  Solid Waste Clean-up. Using the 12 solid waste zones identified by the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), the agency responsible for solid waste, the city was divided into three areas, each corresponding to a solid waste clean-up contract. Each contractor is responsible for cleaning up all solid waste accumulated in his area, and disposing of it at the Fiamah site. The contracts will end in September of 2007.

•  Solid Waste Collection The MCC has designated 120 sites throughout Monrovia to serve as solid waste collection points. Skip trucks and skips are being procured under this project, and will be used for a collection system. Until the trucks and skips arrive, the contractors performing the clean up are responsible for furnishing all MCC-identified collection points in their areas with signs and wooden frames, and collecting waste from those frames at least once every week for the duration of their contracts. Markets may need to have a slightly different (larger skips and skip trucks) system introduced. All waste collected by contractors from the collection points is currently deposited at Fiamah. A local NGO works with communities to explain the waste collection system.

Once the contractors have completed the period of their contracts, it is expected that the MCC will resume responsibility for the solid waste collection system. The Supervision Engineer is currently reviewing the various possibilities for the operation of solid waste collection in Monrovia . Based on the assessment of the capacity of the MCC's solid waste department, the private sector's capacity to carry out an outsourced service, the cost of service and estimated repayment levels, a recommendation for optimal service provision will be made and introduced prior to the start of this consultancy.

The World Bank has made provisions within the EIPSC project to cover the cost of the solid waste collection for a duration of about 12 months, after which, the municipality is expected to fund the collection from a combination of own resources, subsidies, and service fee collections. It is recognized that a great deal of work must be done during this 12 months of World Bank support in order to prepare the MCC (skills and finance) to assume full responsibility after month 12.

Introduction

MCC was incorporated by an Act of Legislature in 1973. It's Department of Waste, Environmental Health and Sanitation is responsible for waste management service delivery. The city's budget for 2004/5 was heavily dependant on donor funding and state budget transfers. About 70% of the city's expenditures were dedicated to waste management activities, while collections from associated fees were less than 1% of revenue.

Capacity and Financial Assessment of MCC Consultancy

1. Objective of Assignment

To improve the planning and management of municipal services, in particular solid waste collection, developing a medium term strategy that the MCC can sustain using its own resources and user fees.

 2. Scope of Works and Expected Outputs

(A) Review statutory and actual functions of MCC in terms of service delivery (Consultant is expected to spend about 20% of his/her time on this task).

Output: (i) An outline of municipal functions, both statutory and “by practice”; (ii) recommendations for outsourcing of municipal functions (if any) for better service delivery. (In recommending outsourcing, the Consultant is expected to have made a quick check of the availability of the private sector to deliver a service on behalf of MCC and estimated costs for these services.)

(B) Review of the Organizational Structure of MCC vis-a-vis its functional responsibilities (Consultant is expected to spend about 40% of his/her time on this task) . The Consultant is expected to make recommendation how to (i) rationalize the internal organizational structure of MCC, including a proposal for restructuring/right-sizing as need be; (ii) introduce/rationalize MCC's internal processes/systems for service delivery; (iii) improve the performance of MCC's functional departments; and (iv) enhance overall institutional capacity.

Output : Review of the (i) municipal organigram; staffing levels within MCC and individual departments; (ii) flow chart of internal processes for service delivery; (iii) assessment of the institutional capacity including systems in place; and (iv) working with MCC budget/financial staff, estimate the annual cost of the recommended staffing levels. Based on the review, the Consultant is expected to recommend practical and quick-impact measures to enhance institutional capacity.

(C) Assess the financial health of MCC (Consultant is expected to spend about 40% of his/her time on this task) . The Consultants is expected to (i) review the MCC's annual financial statements from the past three years and estimate future financial flows in order to assess expenditure categories and revenue sources, including recurrent costs vis-a-vis functional responsibilities, short and long-term liabilities/outstanding debt service, generated own resources and potential for increased revenue flows, state budget transfers (in kind, earmarked or uncommitted);

(ii) Review the current quality of financial controls and the credibility of budgeting, accounting and auditing systems;

(iii) Review the impact of planned investments in solid waste collection. The Consultant would be presented with a draft forecast of future revenues and costs associated with the implementation of investments in solid waste. He/she is then expected to develop a medium term (3-5 year) financial plan for MCC to incorporate the impact of solid waste investments on municipal finances. Particular attention shall be given to the level and sources of subsidies (cross-subsidies from other municipal services or central budget subsidies) required in the next three-five years to cover the deficit in waste collection.

(iv) Match the core functions identified in Section (A) above with available/projected resources.

Output : (i) review of MCC's budgets and other financial statements from the past three years and estimate future financial flows; (ii) review financial controls in place and make recommendations for improvement; (iii) prepare a medium term financial plan for MCC.

3. Deliverables

The Consultant is expected to submit:

•  Inception Report within 1 week of contract signing;

•  Interim Report within 4 weeks of contract signing;

•  Draft Final Report within 6 weeks of contract signing;

•  Final Report within 8 weeks of contract signing.

The Consultant is expected to spend 6 weeks in the field and 1 week of desk work in a home office.

All reports should be structured to correspond to Section “Scope of Works and Expected Outputs” above. In addition, the draft and final reports are expected to annex: (a) planned and actual municipal budgets for the past three years and any audited financial statements if available including the value and list of the assets owned by MCC; (b) organigram of MCC including a list of all staff members by function/department; (c) existing fee/tariff structure of MCC for municipal services. All reports should be presented to both the MCC and the World Bank in 3 hard copies and a soft copy.

Educational Qualifications and Competencies

The Consultant should be a senior municipal specialist and have at minimum a Master's Degree in accounting, finance or economics. He/she should have a minimum of 15 years experience in municipal finance and local government development. The consultant team will work in close coordination with the Supervision Engineer of the solid waste works. He/she will report to the Infrastructure Cluster Leader at the Monrovia World Bank Office.

Duration of Assignment

The duration of the assignment is 7 weeks. The consultant will be expected to commence the assignment in mid to late September.

Email application to this vacancy should be sent to vacancies.lr@undp.org . Please insert Vacancy Announcement Number in the Subject of the email or written application.  Applications without the Vacancy Announcement Number or with the incorrect Vacancy Announcement Number will not be accepted. Attach photocopies of qualifications (i.e. technical certificates and academicals) and a one-page cover letter indicating your interest and suitability for the position.

Please note that applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for a written test followed by an interview.

Please forward all written applications to:

Deputy Resident Representative (Operations)

Attention: HR Unit
United Nations Development Programme
Simpson Apartment, Mamba Point
Monrovia , Liberia

cc: All UN Agencies and UNDP Programmes/Projects and All Counties

Note: All applications/queries must be addressed to: vacancies.lr@undp.org
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