International Consultant — Sustainable Budgeting Approach (SBA)

Result of Service

•The Sustainable Budgeting Approach is calibrated to the fiscal, economic and policy context of the Lao PDR, with a domestically validated taxonomy and assessment framework. •Ministry of Finance counterparts are introduced to the SBA methodology through a structured capacity strengthening workshop in Vientiane, with documented engagement and feedback. •An early version of the AI assisted SBA application tool is produced and ready for validation testing. •Methodological refinements and country evidence generated through Phase 1 are documented in a form that strengthens the broader SBA programme and informs application in other partner countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

5 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional levels. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP's Industry and Economy Division works with national and international governments, non-governmental organisations, business and industry to develop and implement policies, strategies and practices that internalise environmental costs, use natural resources efficiently, reduce pollution and risks for humans and the environment, and enable the implementation of conventions and international agreements. UNEP's Economics and Fiscal Policy Unit (EFPU) leads the organisation's work on sustainable public finance, supporting Ministries of Finance and Planning to align fiscal frameworks with durable and inclusive growth, competitiveness, resilience, and the simultaneous achievement of economic, social and environmental objectives. As part of its mandate, EFPU is co-developing and operationalising the Sustainable Budgeting Approach (SBA), a methodology that applies a triple lens, economic, social and environmental, to fiscal policy and to national budgets, supporting governments in identifying where public spending and revenue measures generate the most durable and inclusive returns. The SBA has been successfully applied to the national budget of the Government of Gabon, and EFPU is now scaling the approach across partner countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America in support of national budget cycles and medium term fiscal strategies. As part of this broader scaling agenda, EFPU is contributing to the UN Joint Programme on Green and Climate Finance in the Lao PDR, led by UNDP with UNEP, UN-Habitat and FAO as implementing partners. The consultant's responsibilities will include, •Calibrate the SBA taxonomy and assessment criteria to the fiscal, economic and policy context of the Lao PDR, drawing on the 10th NSEDP, the Lao PDR Budget Execution Report, Government Finance Statistics and the IMF 2025 Article IV Consultation. •Convene and facilitate a local expert panel (in coordination with the national consultant) to fine tune the SBA criteria scores to the Lao PDR context. •Produce the inception report, the calibrated framework, the data sourcing plan, the workplan and the methodological transferability note as set out in Deliverable 1.1. •Design and deliver the first capacity strengthening workshop in Vientiane, in close coordination with EFPU, the UN Joint Programme partners and the Ministry of Finance. •Develop the early version of the AI assisted SBA application tool, with architecture documentation that supports replication across EFPU's wider SBA portfolio. •Coordinate with the Environmental Fiscal Reform consultant (Activity 2.5) to ensure consistency of the fiscal narrative presented to the Ministry of Finance, and align workshop scheduling where feasible. •Provide bi-weekly progress updates to the direct supervisor and contribute to UNEP reporting requirements under the UN Joint Programme. •Hand over a clear set of inputs, decisions and open items at the end of Phase 1 to support seamless transition into Phase 2.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced degree (Master's or higher) in economics, public finance, public policy, environmental economics or a closely related field. A doctorate is preferred. •At least five years of professional experience working with Ministries of Finance, national planning agencies or international financial institutions on public financial management, fiscal policy reform or budgeting. •Experience working in emerging and developing economy contexts, including in Asia, Africa or Latin America, is required. •Demonstrated experience applying the green/sustainable budgeting frameworks, or an equivalent triple-lens fiscal assessment methodology, to a national budget context, with evidence of government ownership of the output. •Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to interpret budget data and translate technical findings into policy options that resonate with senior government counterparts. Demonstrated experience designing and delivering capacity building activities for senior government officials, with proven ability to transfer methodologies to local counterparts so that they can be applied independently after the engagement ends. •Proven track record of developing methodological tools, guidance notes or country case studies that have been used to inform the work of other countries or partner institutions. •Demonstrated familiarity with Artificial Intelligence assisted analytical tools and willingness to integrate them into the design of the customised SBA application tool, in order to reduce the technical lift required of government counterparts in subsequent budget cycles.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this assignment, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.