Consultancy Simplification of Key Public Finance Management Legislation and Guidelines

Job description

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TORS) FOR CONSULTANCY ON SIMPLIFICATION OF KEY PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT LEGISLATION AND GUIDELINES

1. Background

CSPR is a network member organization of over 104 members established in 2000 that seeks to enhance meaningful participation of civil society in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of National Development Plans to strengthen the oversight role on the development process and advocate for pro-poor policies. CSPR has been collaborating with Diakonia for nearly 10 years under the project “Activating Women and Youth-Led Accountability for Social Justice”. Effective public finance management understanding for CSO actors and local communities is crucial for promoting transparency and accountability. Youths and women need to have a detailed understanding for them to effectively engage with authorities, monitor and track public resource usage at various levels as well as demand for social justice. Zambia’s Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Planning and Budgeting Act, Constituency Development Fund ACT and  (CDF) guidelines, Social Protection frameworks, and the Sustainable Agriculture Financing Fund (SAFF) serve as foundational documents for fiscal governance and CSO engagement on relevant government programmes . However, the complexity and technical language of these documents often hinder their effective implementation and understanding by various stakeholders more especially the youths and women in vulnerable communities.

CSPR is therefore desirous to engage an expert consultant to facilitate the simplification of core public finance management frameworks for effective civil society advocacy.

2. Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to simplify the PFMA, Planning and Budgeting Act, CDF guidelines, Social Protection frameworks, and the SAFF to enhance their accessibility and usability by civil society actors at all levels. The simplified documents will aim to clarify processes, and make the frameworks more user-friendly, ultimately improving community understanding of the existing public finance laws/framework.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

Review Existing Legislation and Guidelines:
Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the PFMA, Planning and Budgeting Act, CDF guidelines, Social Protection frameworks, and the SAFF.
Identify key areas of complexity, redundancy, and ambiguity that hinder understanding and implementation.

Stakeholder Engagement:
Organize interviews with relevant stakeholders, including specific government ministries with responsibility for implementation of public financing instruments , academia,  civil society representatives, and community members, to gather views on the complexity of the existing frameworks.
Gather feedback on the existing frameworks to understand their challenges, needs, and suggestions for simplification.
Develop Simplification Proposals:
Based on the review and stakeholder feedback, propose simplified versions of the PFMA, Planning and Budgeting Act, CDF guidelines, Social Protection frameworks, and SAFF.
Ensure that the proposals maintain the integrity and intent of the original documents while enhancing clarity and usability.
Draft Simplified Documents:
Prepare clear and concise, simplified documents for each framework, using layman’s terms and visual aids where appropriate to enhance understanding.
Include summaries, flowcharts, and key points to facilitate quick reference for users.

4. Deliverables

The consultant shall deliver the following:

Simplified infographic versions of the PFMA, Planning and Budgeting Act, CDF guidelines, Social Protection frameworks, and SAFF.
Simple community implementation and monitoring tracking tools for CDF, Cash for work and Food Security Pack and welfare assistance program
A final report summarizing the entire process, including methodologies, stakeholder feedback, and recommendations for future actions.

5. Timeline

This consultancy is expected to be completed within 15 working days from the date of contract signing to be taken between June and July 15th 2025.

6. Qualifications of the Consultant

The ideal consultant or consulting firm should possess:

A Minimum Degree in Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, Public Policy or related field with extensive knowledge of public finance management and relevant legislation in Zambia.
Proven experience in social-economic policy analysis.
Strong facilitation skills and experience in stakeholder engagement.
Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
Familiarity with social protection and sustainable agriculture financing is an asset.

7. Submission of Proposals

Interested consultants should submit a proposal that includes:

A detailed work plan and methodology.
Profiles of key personnel involved if the consultant is a firm.
A financial proposal outlining costs associated with the consultancy.
Previous relevant work sample/s or case studies.
Submit your application to recruitments.procurements@csprzambia.org the subject line Simplification of Key Public Finance Management laws.

Deadline for submission: 13th June 2025