Senior and Junior Consultant Public Finance Economists in Social Protection

Vacancy No: ROSTER/2013/DDG/P/SOCPRO/04

Title: Senior and Junior Consultant Public Finance Economists in Social Protection

Grade: Consultant

Contract type: Rosters

Organization unit:   DDG/P SOCPRO

Application Deadline (midnight Geneva time): 31 March 2014

The ILO is issuing a call for expressions of interest from Social Protection Experts who may wish to be included in a consultancy database currently being compiled by the ILO's Social Protection Department (DDG/P SOCPRO).

Interested consultants are invited to submit their application on-line in order to establish their profile in the ILO Social Protection Experts Database from which they may be considered for consultancy opportunities which might arise. Inclusion in the experts database does not guarantee a contract with the ILO or any other UN agency that may use the Database. Applications will be maintained in the ILO Social Protection Experts Database for a period of two years. The precise contractual arrangements pertaining to each consultancy will be determined as appropriate to the nature of that particular consultancy.

Candidates also applying for fixed-term employment positions with the ILO are encouraged to respond to this call for expression of interest if they so wish.

ILO welcomes applications from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities.

INTRODUCTION

The Social Protection Department (SOCPRO) of the International Labour Office (ILO) provides, at the request of member States, technical advice on the formulation of national policies and the design of social protection schemes, as well as for their implementation and monitoring. The Public Finance, Actuarial and Statistical Branch of the Social Protection Department collaborates closely with the regional, sub-regional and country offices of the ILO to respond to growing demands for public finance economists in social protection to support national development processes, namely the review of existing schemes, the analysis of reform proposals from the point of view of population coverage, adequacy of benefits and affordability and financial sustainability.

Furthermore, it is necessary to analyse policy reform proposals with a view to collaborate with national counterparts and tripartite representatives relying on the ILO's high-quality public finance and actuarial expertise in the field of social protection/social security, with a particular emphasis on rights-based public social protection programmes, including contributory and non-contributory social security schemes, aiming at ensuring effective access to health care and income security.

Such support is required in various settings. The ILO often works closely with and advises Governments and social partners, as well as UN Country Teams, international organisations and bi- and multilateral aid agencies. The work of a social protection public finance economist entails familiarity with the public finance and actuarial techniques on social security schemes as well as good international practices and ILO standards on social security.

Requests for public finance economists in social protection can be both for short-term consultancies and long-term project-based assignments. Experience has shown that the work of public finance economists in social protection includes the design and the financial and fiscal assessments of social policies, social insurance, unemployment protection, social assistance and social health protection schemes.

For its new ILO Social Protection Experts Database that will be used to rapidly identify and deploy expertise in support of social protection country assignments, the ILO is currently soliciting expressions of interest from interested individuals (not firms) with analytical and advisory expertise in one or more of the following areas:

- Design of specific social protection schemes and programmes taking into account affordability and financial sustainability.
- Methodological and knowledge development on social security financing.
- Development of poverty and social impact analysis.
- Development and revision of modules of the ILO's quantitative models including the Social Budgeting Model and the Actuarial Model.
- Analysis and advice with regard to the affordability and financial sustainability of national social protection systems.
- Delivery of training and lectures on social protection financing and quantitative analysis to highly specialized national financial and fiscal experts and to audiences of policy-makers and practitioners.
- Quantitative research on social protection, its linkages to related issue areas (food security, health, education, gender equality, etc.) and its impact on various categories of the population, including with respect to children and youth, women, migrant workers, persons with disabilities, minorities, and marginalized vulnerable groups.

In the context of quantitative analysis of social protection policies, the ILO is soliciting expressions of interest from:

- Highly qualified and experienced senior experts in financial and fiscal analysis of social protection policies with proven track records in one or more of the above-mentioned areas.
- Junior experts with a solid academic research track record in financial and fiscal analysis of social policies, including as well quantitative research analysts from Governments and social security institutions dealing with quantitative analysis of social protection.

Description of Duties

The following range of tasks would typically be expected from a consultant - the level of responsibilities being adjusted with the level of experience expected (one or more):

- Advisory services: Provision of technical advice to Governments, social partners, civil society, other national stakeholders and UN agencies;
- Programme management: Policy analysis for the design and formulation of national-level policies, programmes and projects, implementation, coordination among national stakeholders and quality assurance;
- Capacity development: Capacity assessment, planning and implementation of capacity building for constitutional review bodies and other national stakeholders, and delivery of training events;
- Monitoring and evaluation: M&E matrix design, mid-term/final project evaluation, development of national social protection monitoring frameworks;
- Research and knowledge development: Specialized applied research, development of quantitative models, policy papers, identification of good practices, development of knowledge and capacity-building products and tools.

Required Qualifications

Education

Advanced university degree in econometrics, statistics, actuarial science or mathematics with demonstrated expertise in econometric or actuarial methods quantitative modelling, analysis and research.

Experience

- Senior Consultant Public Finance Economist: Minimum 10 years of experience at the national level including 5 years at the international level in the area of econometric or actuarial modelling, micro-and macro-data analysis of labour force, employment, household survey and social protection administrative datasets;
- Junior Consultant Public Finance Economist: Minimum 3 years of experience at the national and/or international level in the area of econometric or actuarial modelling, micro-and macro-data analysis of labour force, employment, household survey and social protection administrative datasets;
- Proven track record of publications (such as technical reports, articles, research papers, guides, manuals, etc.) in the area of work is essential.
- Excellent knowledge of EXCEL and SPSS is a requirement.
- Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders is an asset, including liaising with high level government officials and in multi-cultural contexts.

Languages

Excellent command of English is a requirement. Proficiency in at least another one of the following languages is a strong asset: Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian and/or Spanish.

Competencies

Computer skills: IT literacy and ability to operate with on-line web-based applications.

Demonstrate integrity by actively promoting the ILO's and UN's values and ethical standards; cultural, ethnic, gender, religion, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills; openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback; ability to work under pressure and stressful situations; ability to manage workload with minimum supervision; strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities. Ability to work in a team.

Additional Information:

Interested candidates are advised to carefully review this ToR and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described above. The submissions should contain: An up-to-date detailed Curriculum Vitae; and a cover letter clearly identifying each of the analytical and expertise area(s) for which the applicant wishes to be considered and a short summary of relevant qualifications for each as well as a list of publications authored by the applicant.

Applicants will be screened against qualifications and the competencies specified above. Candidates' references, including past employers, may be verified and confirmed.

Candidates short listed for a possible consultancy will be contacted by the Social Protection Department directly and will be invited to participate in an interview and/or assessment.

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit ILO's e-Recruitment website at: https://erecruit.ilo.org/. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

You can also send your CV to the email address: socpro@ilo.org with the text "EoI Consultancies: [Senior and Junior Consultant Public Finance Economists in Social Protection]" in the subject field.

Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including assessment centres, technical tests or interviews.