Government of Antigua and Barbuda Public and Social Sector Transformation Project (Ln 8269-AG) Socio-Economist (PP 3.2.4) Department of Social Policy, Research and Planning (DSPRP) Ministry of Health, Social Transformation, Consumer Affairs and Local Government (MHSTCA) Terms of Reference
1. BACKGROUND 1.1 On August 14, 2013, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda signed with the World Bank a loan in the amount of US$10,000,000 (ten million dollars) for the implementation of the Public and Social Sector Transformation (PSST) Project. The development objectives of the Project are to: (i) strengthen the management of the public sector and make more efficient use of its human resources; (ii) enhance the government capacity to develop coherent and efficient social sector policies and interventions on the basis of evidence; and (iii) strengthen and increase the coverage of intermediation services and competency-based training programmes to enhance its effectiveness in increasing the ability of persons between the ages of 17 to 50 years to find and maintain a job. 1.2 One of the components of the PSST Project is to improve efficiency in social protection spending. The primary objective of this component is to enhance Government’s capacity to design, implement and monitor social policies and interventions by: (i) creating a unified targeting system and a single registry for beneficiaries; and (ii) improving Ministry of Health, Social Transformation, Consumer Affairs and Local Government (MHSTCA) leading and coordinating capacity. The Project will support activities to strengthen social protection programmes, improve social sector spending, and harmonise social sector interventions to ensure that poor and vulnerable households receive benefits through evidence-based and objective targeting. The expected results of the component are the design and implementation of a National Beneficiaries Management Information System (NBMIS); a central beneficiary registry of all social programmes; improved efficiency of social sector spending; and strengthened capacity of the MHSTCA to plan, coordinate, monitor and evaluate social policies and programmes. 1.3 The DSPRP’s responsibilities include policy formulation for all social assistance and subsidy programmes; monitoring and evaluation of social programmes; facilitating macro social sector planning and supporting the implementation of the National Social Protection Commission (NSPC); and providing technical support and oversight to the Board of Guardians Program. DSPRP requires institutional strengthening for effectively achieving these objectives, which will be supported by the Project. The project will provide support for planning, monitoring and evaluating social programmes and policy under the directive of the DSPRP. 2. CONTEXT PSST Project – TOR for Socio-Economist Component 3 (18 Nov 2013)
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2.1 A 2007 Country Poverty Assessment exposed elderly persons and unemployed single women most of whom have children and receive no financial support from their partners as the key indigent population and the at risk groups in Antigua and Barbuda. The Government attaches great importance to improving the standard of living for the population, so it responded to these findings with a national Poverty Reduction Strategy and the introduction of several social protection programmes to immediately improve the quality of life and begin alleviating poverty. Also, as a part of National Economic and Social Transformation Plan (NEST), the Government has demonstrated its commitment to improve social protection programmes to strengthen their impact on addressing poverty and vulnerability. 2.2 The MHSTCA is the principal Government Ministry responsible for social protection in Antigua and Barbuda. As such, MHSTCA holds responsibility for a number of social programmes that seek to reduce poverty, improve living standards and provide a variety of social and community services. The DSPRP plays a leading role in this agenda, with responsibility for policy formulation for all social assistance and subsidy programmes; monitoring and evaluation of social programmes; facilitating macro social sector planning; and providing technical support to the Board of Guardians1 program, among others. 2.3 The PSST project will support the enhancement of MHSTCA’s capacity to develop effective institutional arrangements for coordination and policy making, foster greater governance and transparency in the social sectors and perform process evaluation of existing programmes to provide feedback to policy decisions. The DSPRP, as chaired of the NSPC, has the responsibility to produce information about the evolution of implementation, targeting, and monitoring results of social protection programmes. The DPSRP has also the responsibility to design and cause the implementation mechanisms to improve transparency of social spending and promote its greater efficiency, among other: (i) dissemination of social protection programmes objectives, operational rules, outputs and progress in implementation to beneficiaries; (ii) design and implementation of complaint and appeals system; and (iii) conduct process evaluations and perform tracking surveys on selected social protection programmes. 3. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT 3.1 The principal objectives of the consultancy is to support (i) the design and roll-out of an instrument to improve targeting of beneficiaries of social programmes; (ii) improving administration, monitoring, and evaluation of social programmes; and (iii) support improved research capabilities and data collection capacity within the DSPRP to facilitate informed social programming. The specific duties and responsibilities of this consultancy are therefore to: I. Targeting Instrument and NBMIS: (a) Serve as a focal point of contact for support to the consultant selected to design the targeting instrument of the NBMIS; (b) Elaborate, in coordination with the Technical Coordinator of the NBMIS, the operational design of the module of targeting of the NBMIS system; 1
The Board of Guardians programme provides financial assistance to elderly persons who are deemed to be poor and destitute as well as children, mentally challenged, destitute, visually impaired and discharged lepers. PSST Project – TOR for Socio-Economist Component 3 (18 Nov 2013)
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(c) Assist the NBMISTU with the design of an operations manual on the use of the targeting instrument and NBMIS for MHSTCA staff, beneficiaries and other stakeholders. Participate in training sessions as necessary, particularly during roll-out; (d) Support the Director of the DSPRP with efforts to expand the use of the targeting instrument. II. General Support to the DSPRP: (a) Define with the Director of DSPRP and the Technical Coordinator of the NBMIS a list of social programmes, specifically social protection programmes, to be included in a four months period report about the evolution of implementation, targeting, and monitoring results; (b) Elaborate, in coordination with the Technical Coordinator of the NBMIS, the operational design of the module of monitoring of the NBMIS system; (c) Elaborate semi-annual reports on monitoring SP programmes, including results indicators for the PSST Project. The report would include, at least, the main characteristics of SP programmes, targeting or eligibility selection mechanism applied, types of benefits, coverage, spending and description of the results indicators. As soon as the monitoring module of the NBMIS enters in operation, information on SP programmes will be collected by that system; (d) Draft a TOR and supervise the contract execution of appeals and complaints mechanism for social programmes; (e) Define and implement a tracking survey of beneficiaries of Temporary Employment Programme (TEP) of the Ministry of National Security and Labour. This activity includes a short note about the main characteristics of the tracking survey, questionnaires for beneficiaries and the logistics to contact the beneficiaries after completing the TEP subproject. The consultant will be responsible for writing a report on the main results of the first round of TEP subprojects; (f) Provide general advice and guidance to the DSPRP and MHSTCA on social protection policy.
4. DELIVERABLES The consultant is expected to produce the following deliverables: (a) An Action Plan describing the strategy for executing the assignment within the desired timeframe; (b) Draft operational design of the modules of targeting and monitoring of the NBMIS, in coordination with the Technical coordinator of the NBMIST; (c) Elaborate two semi-annual reports on monitoring social protection programmes, including results indicators for the PSST Project;
PSST Project – TOR for Socio-Economist Component 3 (18 Nov 2013)
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(d) Draft the methodology of the tracking survey of beneficiaries of TEP of the Ministry of National Security and Labour; (e) Elaborate the report on the main results of the tracking survey of beneficiaries of the first round of TEP subprojects. 5. QUALIFICATIONS The consultant should have the following qualifications:
At least a Master's degree or equivalent in Economics or a Masters in a related social science with baccaleureate qualifications in Economics;
At least 3 years professional experience in the field of development economics and proven experience working on social protection programmes and policies;
Proven analytic experience in economics. Experience with analysing poverty data is essential.
6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS The Socio-Economist will report directly to the Director, DSPRP. The Socio-Economist will, as required, submit written reports to the Director and the Project Coordinator of the PMU. 7. CONTRACT DURATION The contract duration will be for twelve (12) months in the first instance for a fixed monthly salary. The contract may be subject to extension for a period of time and subject to terms and conditions agreed to between the World Bank, the Government, and the Consultant.
PSST Project – TOR for Socio-Economist Component 3 (18 Nov 2013)
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