Job Details

Job Description

In 2020, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General inaugurated the Decade of Action, recognizing local action as one of the key areas for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The crises of our time – environmental, social, health, economic, and conflict – all have local dimensions, putting additional pressure on prompt and effective local responses that ensure no one and no place is left behind. As the world grapples with unprecedented challenges, exposing the fragile systems and threatening progress towards the 2030 Agenda, “Localizing the SDGs” brings opportunities for shaping responses and planning for a sustainable recovery. Local action and leadership are thus essential to identify innovative, collective, and coordinated pathways for sustainable development. For this reason, SDG localization has become a high priority for the UN System, which launched the Local2030 Coalition in September 2021 – a mechanism to bolster the localization efforts of all UN entities by systematically mobilizing, engaging, and empowering every local actor everywhere. While localization is critical in moving everyone forward and towards the Agenda 2030, gaps remain that may hinder the progress. The gaps include:

• Advocacy: the scarcity of platforms that facilitate local actors’ engagement at the national, regional, and global levels where priorities, programs, and funding are discussed and defined.
• Action: the lack of tools to support the use and scale-up of integrated, tailor-made, and well-tested implementation methods.
• Monitoring: limited data, lack of monitoring and reporting capacities, and little evidence-based analysis.

To help and propel the country towards localizing development and SDGs implementation, Zambia has developed a number of initiatives and policies. First and foremost the Decentralization policy plays a critical role in guiding the whole process of localization. It recognises vital role of the district in facilitating development and service delivery while promoting citizen participation.

In addition, Zambia has enacted the Urban and Regional Planning Act No. 3 which ensures environmentally sustainable development as well as Integrated Development Planning at sub-national and sub-sub national levels. Further, the National Planning and Budgeting Act along with its policy provides an overarching planning framework for the country. Therein, the Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) are acknowledged as vehicles for development planning at the district level.

The IDPs aim to promote inclusive participation in the development process. With devolution the country is seeing more and more functions being transferred to the local level, along with resources (Constituency Development Fund). However, challenges remain – lack of prioritising identification resulting from multiple planning tools, uncoordinated implementation of development programmes, and inability to raise local own resources.

While the National Development Plan (NDP) sets out Zambia’s strategic direction in terms of the development priorities and implementation strategies, including action towards the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other regional development plans, the attainment of NDP is hindered by factors that contribute to the limited implementation of the IDPs. Furthermore, challenges such as vertical misalignment between national priorities and local plans, and horizontal integration gaps with SDGs and Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB), persist.

In 2020, the UN Secretary-General launched the Decade of Action to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, emphasizing local action as a critical driver.

Therefore, there is need to support a well-coordinated and integrated development space in which plans at all levels relate to each other so that the country has a harmonised approach in realizing its development aspirations as well as the attainment of SDGs.

It is for this reason and among others that the UN in Zambia through the Joint SDG Fund is supporting the country to localize the SDG to enhance integrated policy and build capacity. This initiative is designed to accelerate these transitions at the local level by supporting actions and strategic interventions that enhance multilevel capacities and governance.  UNDP in Zambia, is supporting the Government of the Republic of Zambia to develop an Orientation Toolkit to bridge these gaps, ensuring strategic alignment and inclusive planning at subnational levels.

The primary objective of the consultancy is to support the work of the Local Authorities, Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and UNDP in designing a comprehensive orientation toolkit. This toolkit will facilitate the vertical and horizontal alignment of development planning and budgeting processes at sub-sub national, thereby enhancing multilevel governance and accelerating SDG localisation in Zambia.  This toolkit is expected to enhance the capacity of Local Authorities to create plans and budgets that are vertically aligned with the 8NDP and horizontally integrated with cross-cutting themes, including SDGs and GRB, through context-specific indicators and participatory processes.

A.    Scope of work:

The consultant shall undertake the following tasks:

a)       Conduct an in-depth and critical review of Zambia’s national development planning and budgeting system.

b)      Review key Legal Framework, including, but not limited to, Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), National Planning and Budgeting Act No. 1 of 2020, Local Government Act No. 2 of 2019, the Public Finance Management Act No. 1 of 2018, Urban and Regional Planning Act No. 3 of 2015, and Business Regulatory Act No. 3 of 2014.

c)       Review the Policy Framework, including, but not limited to Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), National Planning and Budgeting Policy of 2014 and National Decentralisation Policy of 2023, along with various key strategic documents such as the budget manual, own resource strategy, assessing their relevance, ambition, gaps, in terms of supporting the alignment of the development planning and budgeting processes at sub-sub national level.

d)      Engage with key stakeholders, including local authorities, government agencies, civil society organizations, and ward development committee, to gather insights that would feed into the development and draft and design of the orientation toolkit for national development planning and budgeting in alignment with the national development planning and budgeting frameworks.

e)      Facilitate and participate in relevant technical meetings and consultations as required by UNDP, including pilot activities in Katete, Petauke, and Solwezi.

B.     Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The Consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

1.       Inception Report:

–           Outlining the methodology, work plan, and timeline for the assignment, to be submitted within one week of contract signing.

2.       Draft Toolkit:

–          A comprehensive draft toolkit for National Development Planning and Budgeting that includes will serve as a practical guide for Local Authorities to align the sub-sub national development planning framework to the national planning and budgeting system.

3.       Consultative meetings:

–          Working closely with staff of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Ministry of Finance and National Planning and UNDP, arrange and facilitate at least one (1) field missions to the selected districts focused on Local Authorities and Ward Development Coordinating Committee (WDCC) consultations meant to present the proposed draft elements of the toolkit as well as to learn of challenges, solutions, and get feedback from stakeholders.

4.       Final Toolkit:

–          A practical toolkit that facilitates the vertical as well as the horizontal alignment of the development planning and budgeting to the national planning framework and the sub-sub national planning provisions.

5.       Presentation of Toolkit:

–        Present the final toolkit to UNDP and other stakeholders at a validation workshop or meeting.

The schedule of outputs is expected to be as follows:

Deliverables
Estimated duration (days)
Target dates

1.       Inception Report
5
01st August 2025

2.       Draft Toolkit
10
29th August 2025

3.       Consultative meetings
5
5th September 2025

4.       Final Toolkit
10
19th September 2025

C.     Institutional

Arrangements/Reporting Lines:

The consultant’s work will be overseen by the UNDP Senior Economic Advisor, who is the Head of Strategy and Policy Unity (SPU), with technical guidance from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. All reports shall be submitted to the UNDP Senior Economic Advisor for review and approval. The UNDP Senior Economic Advisor, in consultation with relevant UNDP personnel, will certify the acceptability of deliverables, authorise payments, and evaluate performance. The consultant is expected to collaborate with local authorities, government agencies, civil society, and ward development committees. UNDP will provide access to policy documents and logistical support for field missions.

D.    Duration of the Work

The consultancy is anticipated to span 30 working days spread over a 3 month period, commencing on 24 July 2025 and concluding by 19 September 2025, subject to a 5-working-day review period per deliverable by UNDP. Delays may jeopardize subsequent project phases, potentially affecting budget allocations and timelines.

E.     Duty Station

The consultant will operate from a home-based location, with mandatory field visits to selected districts in Zambia (e.g., North-Western, and Eastern Provinces) for consultative meetings. A work plan, including travel schedules, must be approved by the UNDP Senior Economic Advisor. No regular office presence is required, though intermittent consultations may be scheduled.

F.     Qualifications and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

An advanced degree in Public Finance, Economics, Public Administration, Local Government Administration, or a related field. A Ph.D. would be an added advantage.

Professional Experience:

At least 12 years of relevant experience in policy analysis, Local Government Administration, Toolkit development, and development planning.

Proven experience conducting similar assignments and analyses within the context of development planning at subnational level.

Strong knowledge of Zambia’s policy landscape, particularly in relation to SDG integration and sustainable development.

Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills

Language requirement:

Full proficiency in English, both written and spoken.

Knowledge of a second UN language is an advantage.

Competencies:

Functional Competencies:

Advanced analytical and conceptual skills.

Proficiency in producing high-quality reports and policy documents.

Ability to meet strict deadlines in an independent setting.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills in multicultural environments.

Core Competencies:

Outstanding communication and negotiation abilities.

Proven networking and relationship-building expertise.

Cultural sensitivity and effective time management.

Strong problem-solving and teamwork capabilities.

G.    Scope of Bid Price and Schedule of Payments

The financial proposal should be presented as a Lump Sum Amount – representative of payments closely linked to deliverables.

The lump sum amount must be “all-inclusive”; and provide a breakdown consistent to the project deliverables

The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost of components