Job Description
Scope of Work:
The Nutrition Financial Tracking (Budget and Expenditure Analysis) will be carried out in alignment with the national framework of MSNP-III and in accordance with global SUN Movement standards by using standardized tools and methodologies to ensure consistency and comparability. The process will involve: (i) desk review of the sectoral plans and policies related to nutrition; (ii) collecting financial data from federal, provincial, and local governments, and (iii) analysing budget allocation and expenditure status/trends for both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions across key MSNP-III sectors and (iv) mapping outcomes of the program implemented against the expenditure made (value for money)
The analysis will capture financial resources allocated by the Government of Nepal, development partners, and other stakeholders, as recorded in the Red Book under both “On-Budget–On-Treasury” and “On-Budget–Off-Treasury” modalities. All grant types such as equalization, conditional, special, and complementary/matching will be covered across the three level s of government and key sectors, including health, agriculture and livestock, education, social protection, WASH, and women and children. Likewise, the exercise will identify funding gaps in relation to the implementation of MSNP-III and recommend strategies to strengthen nutrition governance and financing. An additional deliverable of this analysis will be the development of an advocacy brief to support advocacy effort for establishing a dedicated nutrition budget code and institutionalizing regular monitoring and reporting on nutrition budget allocations and expenditures at all levels.
Specific Tasks:
Under the direct supervision of UNICEF and with technical and strategic guidance from the National Planning Commission (NPC) and the concerned division and section of NPC. The consultant works closely with National Nutrition and Food Security Secretariat (NNFSS) NPC in close coordination with sectoral ministries, provincial and local governments, and development partners;
(Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Ministry of Health and Population; Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ministry of Water Supply, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Financial Comptroller General Office, Ministry of Communication, Information and Technology and Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies).
- Prepare a roadmap for conducting the Budget and Expenditure Analysis for nutrition with the NPC/NNFSS and coordination with sectoral ministers and provincial and local governments.
- Review key frameworks and policies, including MSNP-III (2023–2030), the Nutrition Friendly Local Governance Guideline (2080), the National Nutrition Strategy (2020), the Agriculture Development Strategy (2015–2035), and other relevant sectoral policies, strategies, and plans for nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.
- List and categorize all the nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions implemented by government and development partners across all three tiers of government in close coordination with sectoral ministries, provincial and local government and development partners.
- Collect, verify, and consolidate data on budget allocations and actual expenditures for nutrition interventions at federal, provincial, and local levels for fiscal years 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24.
- Review and analyze financial data from key government systems, including the Red Book, Line Ministry Budget Management System (LMBIS), Provincial Line Ministry Budget Management System (PLIMBS), and Sub-National Treasury Regulatory Application (SuTRA).
- Capture and categorize all relevant grant types (equalization, conditional, special, complementary/matching) and funding modalities (“On-Budget–On-Treasury” and “On-Budget–Off-Treasury”) across key sectors such as health, agriculture and livestock, education, social protection, WASH, and women and children and provincial and local governments to ensure comprehensive tracking of nutrition financing.
- Review and analyze budget allocations versus actual expenditures to assess utilization, identify under- or over-expenditure, budget diversions (rakamantar), and funding delays, and document underlying causes.
- Assess the relative contribution (weightage) of sectoral interventions to nutrition outcomes using standardized methodologies/guidelines (e.g., SUN Movement methodology), in coordination with NPC and sectoral ministries.
- Assess available resources against the estimated costs of MSNP-III to identify funding gaps across federal, provincial, and local governments, and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve allocations and expenditure efficiency.
- Analysis of the capacity gap in regard to expenditure efficiency of all levels of the government.
- Develop an evidence-based policy brief on the creation of a “nutrition budget code” to support systematic tracking of nutrition investments and improve efficiency of resource utilization.
- Conduct Capacity building sessions for the relevant Government Officials from relevant ministries on using the financial tracking tool
- Prepare a comprehensive report on the total MSNP-III budget, disaggregated by sector, level of government (federal, provincial, and local), and intervention type (nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive). The report should analyze budget allocation and expenditure patterns across sectors and government levels for fiscal years 2022/23 to 2024/25, comparing allocations and expenditures to identify gaps and inconsistencies. It should assess key bottlenecks affecting fund flow and utilization, such as under- or over-expenditure, budget diversion, and delays, and propose actionable strategies to improve allocation efficiency and strengthen budget utilization capacity across all sectors and levels of government.
TASK
- Prepare a roadmap for conducting the Budget and Expenditure Analysis for nutrition, in consultation with NPC/NNFSS, sectoral ministries, provincial and local governments, and development partners.
- Review key frameworks and policies (MSNP-III, Nutrition Friendly Local Governance Guideline, National Nutrition Strategy, Agriculture Development Strategy, and other sectoral policies).
- Conduct initial consultations with key stakeholders (Government, UNICEF, development partners)
- Map and categorize all nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions implemented by government and development partners across three level of government.
- Collect and consolidate data on budget allocations and actual expenditures for nutrition interventions (FY 2021/22–2023/24).
- Review and analyze data from Red Book, LMBIS, PLIMBS, and SuTRA, capturing all grant types and funding modalities.
- Assess budget utilization, under/over-expenditure, budget diversions, and delays.
- Assess the relative contribution of sectoral interventions to nutrition outcomes using standardized methodology (e.g., SUN Movement) and identify funding/resource gaps against MSNP-III targets.
- Synthesize findings from budget/expenditure analysis and funding gap assessment.
- Present draft findings to key stakeholders
- Facilitate discussions and gather feedback
- Document validation comments and recommendations
- Integrate feedback from the validation workshop
- Finalize narrative, tables, and analysis
- Prepare evidence-based recommendations to support the establishment of a dedicated nutrition budget code.
- Conduct Capacity building sessions for the relevant Government Officials from relevant ministries on using the financial tracking tool
First Deliverable
- Submission of inception report including detailed work plan, methodology, and timeline based on the assigned tasks/milestones.
Second Deliverable
- Submission of a comprehensive report on MSNP-III budgets and resource gaps analysis in word and excel files based on the task and milestones
Third Deliverable
- Submission of the validation meeting reports/minutes (reports/minutes to include the feedback/key decisions of the stakeholders’ meetings).
- Submission of draft report to NPC and UNICEF in word, Excel and power point presentation (Brief summary) form as outlined in the Annex 1
Final Deliverable
- Submit the final report (print/digital) in English and Nepali Language as outlined in the Annex 1
- Submission of all tools, data, syntax etc to be UNICEF.
- Submission of an evidence-informed advocacy brief for establishing nutrition budget code as outlined in Annex 2
- Submission of training report on the capacity building to the programme and finance team of the concerned government stakeholders on the nutrition finance tracking tool.
Job Specification
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
Master’s degree in economics or other closely related fields of study. A PhD in Public Health Economics will be considered an asset. In the absence of an academic degree in Economics, an advanced degree in a related social science field is acceptable with proven experience in public finance management, budget and expenditure analysis, and financial tracking of public sector investments in social sectors.
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in costing and budget analysis of public sector expenditures for candidates with a PhD, or at least 8 years of such experience for candidates with a Master’s degree.
- Demonstrated experience in health and nutrition programme or project development, preferably within the UN system or other international organizations.
- Proven expertise in economic data analysis, database management, and development of budget analysis tools and expenditure tracking systems.
- Strong analytical capacity with demonstrated ability to conduct cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, cost-minimization, cost-consequence, and budget impact analyses.
- In-depth knowledge of economic and financial issues related to children, adolescents, maternal health, and nutrition in Nepal.
- Demonstrated professional experience collaborating with government institutions, development partners, donors, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organizations in Nepal.
- Excellent documentation, report writing, negotiation, communication, and advocacy skills.
- Strong strategic thinking, coordination, and collaboration capacities.
- Fluency in English and Nepali, both written and spoken, is required.
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