Individual National Consultant – Sectoral PFM Systems Expert (remote)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, right. 

The purpose of this assignment is to support federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) in preparing the country’s federal Citizens Budget (CB). Led and owned by MoF, this assignment involves providing the Budget and Program Division – the division leading the preparation of the CB – necessary support for facilitating consultations, sectoral analysis, and quality assurance for timely publication of the document that is useful, clear and visually simplified for general citizens to understand what the budget plans to deliver for them.

MoF will lead the overall process by establishing the necessary institutional mechanisms (example: citizens’ budget formulation committee), ensuring sectoral coordination, overseeing data consolidation, management & accuracy, and providing coordination and technical oversight

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

To fulfill this assignment, a technical assistance (TA) team of two experts – Public Finance and Budget Transparency Expert (team leader) and Sectoral PFM Systems Expert (the advertised position) – both engaged by UNICEF – will work under the leadership of the Budget and Program Division in the Ministry of Finance (MoF). In the context of this call, the Sectoral PFM Systems Expert will be responsible for:

• Provide technical support to MoF to ensure seamless sectoral coordination and data accuracy.
• Manage the extraction, consolidation, and rigorous validation of budget figures against official MoF source documents to ensure the accuracy of all data presented in the Citizens Budget.
• Work with sectoral ministries to extract necessary budget details on the sectors for relevant analysis. Bridge technical budget data in LMBIS and PLMBIS with public facing information.
• Transform complex financial information – including revenue, expenditure, deficit, and financing – into accessible, visually simplified content that clarifies what the budget plans to deliver for citizens.
• Interpret budget allocations with ministries, Classification of Functions of Government (COFOG).
• Highlight the most significant programs and projects of the ministries for this fiscal year. Where applicable, specifically call out programs that target persons with disabilities, children, women, senior citizens, indigenous peoples, Dalits, and other groups at risk of being left behind (LNOB).
• Prepare a glossary of budget terms used in the CB, draft the necessary forewords, and design a survey questionnaire to be included in the CB to gather feedback from interested readers.
• Review the draft of CB received from (i) Graphic Designer and Data Visualization Expert, and (ii) Nepali to English Language Translator and Copy Editor to ensure accuracy of the language, data and its representation.
• Assist the team leader in facilitating stakeholder consultations and workshops necessary during the preparation of the CB.

TASK

• Support team leader to work with MoF and UNICEF to prepare Inception Report which should include: (i) work plan including timelines clearly showing that the CB will be completed within the Open Budget Survey (OBS) acceptance deadline and standard, (ii) draft template of the CB, and (iii) progress on formation of Citizens Budget Committee, etc.
• Support the team leader to organize the template review and finalization workshop together with CSOs and other stakeholders. UNICEF’s draft template shared with Economic Policy Analysis Division can be used as a starting point of discussion.
• Provide technical support to MoF to ensure seamless sectoral coordination and data accuracy.
• Manage the extraction, consolidation, and rigorous validation of budget figures against official MoF source documents to ensure the accuracy of all data presented in the Citizens Budget.
• Work with sectoral ministries to extract necessary budget details on the sectors for relevant analysis.
• Bridge technical budget data in LMBIS and PLMBIS with public facing information.
• Transform complex financial information – including revenue, expenditure, deficit, and financing – into accessible, visually simplified content that clarifies what the budget plans to deliver for citizens.
• Interpret budget allocations with ministries, Classification of Functions of Government (COFOG).
• Highlight the most significant programs and projects of the ministry for this fiscal year. Where applicable, specifically call out programs that target persons with disabilities, children, women, senior citizens, indigenous peoples, Dalits, and other groups at risk of being left behind (LNOB).
• Prepare a glossary of budget terms used in the CB, draft the necessary forewords, and design a survey questionnaire to be included in the CB to gather feedback from interested readers.
• Assist the team leader to facilitate organization of all necessary consultations, work sessions, and workshops (including with sectoral ministries)
• Review the draft of CB received from (i) Graphic Designer and Data Visualization Expert, and (ii) Nepali to English Language Translator and Copy Editor to ensure accuracy of
• the language, data and its representation. and its representation

First Deliverable:

• Inception Report (one inception report, submitted by team leader)

Second Deliverable:

• CB template (one template, submitted by team leader)

Third Deliverable:

• Sectoral Analysis of sectors agreed with MoF, including social sectors.

Fourth Deliverable:

• Documentation from key consultations, meetings and workshops

Final Deliverable:

• Drafts of the reviewed CB (Nepali and English)

Duration:

The consultancy is for the period of 2.5 months, tentatively starting from 15 July 2026

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Education:

Bachelor’s degree IT, Computer Engineering, Public Finance, Management, or related fields.

Years of Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required

• At least seven years of professional experience in working with national budget management information system, mostly focusing on its operation, interoperability, and usage.
• Practical experience working with Government of Nepal in the federal context, including understanding fiscal transfers and sector financing arrangements.
• Comprehensive understanding of fiscal federalism, specifically on how budget allocations flow from the federal to subnational level.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent command of spoken and written Nepali, suitable for effective communication with government stakeholders.
• Strong working proficiency in English (spoken and written).

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

• Demonstrated capability to coordinate across multiple government agencies to be able to understand horizontal and vertical allocation on budget to different institutions as well as levels of government.
• Deep understanding of the national budget structure, including revenue, expenditure, deficit, and financing frameworks.
• Excellent facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills, including experience organizing trainings, workshops and consultations.
• Ability to ensure quality assurance, including validating consistency of data across official documents and outputs.

Desirables:

• Knowledge of pro-poor, gender-responsive, climate-responsive, and inclusive budgeting, including familiarity with Leave No One Behind principles.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.