TOR for RMI Aid Management & Coordination Consultancy

AID MANAGEMENT & COORDINATION CONSULTANT –
REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Reference: WP/6/2/1
A. Beneficiary Country
Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI)
B. Contracting Authority
Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Pacific Islands Forum
Secretariat
C. Country Background
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is a vulnerable, sparsely populated
low-lying small island state located in the Northern Pacific ocean. The geographical
characteristics of the islands make it vulnerable to transitional threats, natural disasters,
and the effects of climate change. Two-thirds of country’s population is concentrated on
Majuro and Kwajalein Atolls.
2. Development assistance is an essential source of funding for meeting national
development priorities in RMI. In the period 2008-2011, development assistance inflows
to RMI were estimated to be around USD$322M 1 , with the United States providing a
significant amount of development assistance amounting close to eighty percent (80%) of
all total development assistance, through their Compact of Free Association arrangements
with RMI.
3. Although traditional donors 2 to the Pacific region also provide assistance, the
United States of America continues to be the major contributor of development assistance
to RMI. Development Assistance is being focused on supporting health, education and
infrastructure in the Marshall Islands, as well as strengthening RMI’s climate change
resilience through disaster preparedness.
1 OECD Stat Extracts, 2012
2 Namely Australia, ADB, European Union, New Zealand, United Nations System, World Bank

4. The 2012 Peer Review Report of RMI highlighted ongoing development
challenges with regards to donor-driven approaches to the management and delivery of
development assistance, institutional weaknesses, and uncoordinated donor activities.
The Government agreed to a number of key recommendations to address the ongoing
structural and capacity challenges and policy limitations highlighted in the report.
5. In this regard, RMI has identified the need for an assessment of the aid
management architecture, with emphasis on the existing functions and location of its
development assistance management entities within government, and using the results as
the basis for proposing the most workable arrangement and locality, for improving the
management of all external resources for development, including the formulation of a
Development Cooperation Policy
D. Purpose of the Assignment
6. There are two key purposes of this assignment:
a. To identify, and propose to Government an appropriate development assistance
management architecture, aimed at improving the management and delivery of all
external development assistance, (including Compact of Free Association - COFA
resources), and detailing clear roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders
within the architecture, compatible and aligned with existing government
systems, including planning, budgetary and public financial management and
reporting; and
b. To assist the RMI government in the formulation of a Development Cooperation
Policy and Implementation Plan. The Development Cooperation Policy will be
aligned to RMI’s National Development Plan, which will guide development
partner and government expectations in the management and delivery of external
development assistance.
E. Scope of Consultancy
7. In line with the above the Consultant shall provide support to the Pacific Islands
Forum Secretariat in the development of the RMI Development Cooperation Policy,
which will involve close engagement with relevant stakeholders in the RMI in particular
the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
8. Under the guidance of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs in close and regular
consultation with the Secretary of Finance, the Economic Planning, Policy &
Statistics Office and the Office of the Chief Secretary of the Republic of the Marshall
Islands and the Development Cooperation Adviser of the Pacific Islands Forum
Secretariat, the Consultant shall provide the following services:
Phase 1
a. Undertake an assessment of RMI’s existing development assistance functions and
location of aid management entities within government, including the extent to
which processes and procedures, and financial and human resources capacity
contribute to the ability of Government to link external development assistance to
national and sector budgets;
2

. Identify process/information gaps relating to government and donor monitoring of
results on delivery and management of development assistance.
c. Propose the most practicable arrangement and locality for improving the
management of all external resources for development, including Compact
resources.
Phase 2
a. From the findings of Phase 1, formulate RMI’s Development Cooperation Policy
b. Develop an Implementation Plan for the Development Cooperation Policy
framework;
c. Develop terms of reference for the Government of RMI and Development Partner
Roundtable Dialogue; and
d. Prepare an aid management operational guidelines, procedures and processes
handbook.
F. Methodology
9. The Consultant is expected to submit a proposed methodology, work plan, and
timelines to achieve the stated outputs.
G. Outputs and Reporting Requirements
10. The Consultant shall produce the following outputs:
a. Draft Assessment Report on existing development assistance procedures and
architecture, with recommendations;
b. 1 st and 2 nd Draft of Development Cooperation Policy and Implementation
Plan;
c. Development Assistance management operational guide and procedures; and
d. Terms of Reference for facilitating RMI Government & Development
Partners Roundtable Dialogue
H. Qualifications
a. Sound knowledge and understanding of international and regional
development policy frameworks and processes such as the MDGs, Barbados
Programme of Action, Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, Accra Agenda
for Action, Busan Partnership for Development Cooperation, the Pacific Plan,
Pacific Principles on Aid Effectiveness and the Forum Compact on
Strengthening Development Coordination;
b. Extensive understanding and experience working in the Pacific and/or
developing countries, in particular Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and
the Smaller Island States (SIS) of the Pacific Islands Forum, in aid policy
3

development and development and implementation of aid effectiveness
principles and structures;
c. Minimum five (5) years working knowledge, understanding of and experience
with national development planning, public financial and aid management
systems and processes in the Pacific and/or in developing countries, in
particular Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
d. Post-graduate qualification in international development and/or planning and
economics, aid management and public financial management.
e. Excellent written and oral English.
I. Logistics and Timing
11. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat will provide and facilitate financial support
for the consultancy and where necessary make technical inputs to the proposed outputs of
the consultancy during their finalisation. A monitoring country visit by the PIFS at the
commencement and during the course of the consultancy will also be undertaken.
12. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide the following for the duration of the
consultancy: suitable office space for the consultant; an official counterpart to work with
the consultant; and coordinate consultations and other required in-country logistical
arrangements for the successful completion of the consultancy.
4