CsprZambia Civil Society For Poverty Reduction
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP A SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE NATIONAL PLANNING AND BUDGETING ACT
1. Background about Civil Society for Poverty Reduction
Civil society for Poverty reduction (CSPR) is a Zambian civil society network of 104 members that has been building the voice for the poor in the fight against poverty in the country. It was established in 2000, primarily to ensure that civil society effectively and meaningfully participates in the design, formulation, and implementation of the National Development Plans (NDPs) and further monitor the NDPs to ensure government provides a means by which Zambia can effectively strategize on reducing the escalating levels of poverty
2. Background information about the project
In August 2021, Diakonia entered into cooperation agreements with three (3) Organizations namely: The Council of Church in Zambia (CCZ), Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) and the Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL). The partnership is aimed at facilitating the implementation of a programme in Zambia financed by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Diakonia through its Head Office in Sweden under a global SIDA CIVSAM framework running for the period 2021- 2025.
The overall objective of the programme is Rights holders, especially women and youths (young men and women) have improved quality of life by ensuring environmental resilience, access to fundamental rights, freedoms, and quality public services. The programme is further anchored on 3 changes processes:
- Change process 1: Increased level of Rights Holder’s (especially women and youths) influence on participatory development, decision making and political processes at local and national level for improved accountability, quality of life and gender justice.
- Change Process 2: Strengthening community resilience in environmental protection, management, and gender justice especially for women and youths through promotion of alternative livelihoods.
- Change process 3: Strengthened Civil Society to become resilient and better represent right holders’ interest.
The programme is a departure from the civil society project funding to that of Diakonia’s traditional model of core funding with some level of partial implementation by Diakonia itself as a Co-creator and partner accompaniment approach. It will be implemented in selected districts of Luapula province (Mansa & Samfya) and (Sinazongwe, Gwembe Choma, Kalomo, Livingstone, Monze, Chikankata and Mazabuka) in Southern Province.
3. Rationale for engaging a consultant
The CIVSAM project in Zambia has been adapted to achieve the goal of “Promote the active participation of women and youth in the monitoring of national development programmers and budgets for the realization of citizens’ economic, social and cultural rights.
Currently, there are several reports which have shown low participation of women and you in Zambia. However, information on the effectiveness of the CSOs responses to national public policy and budget acts has increased. An analysis is therefore needed to fulfill this information gap, but this will also aid the CIVSAM project to refine its interventions so that it can address this specific gap amidst in the National Planning and Budget Act.
There is also needed to generate evidence which will aid the project to harness the CSOs, women and youth in partnering to address the weaknesses in their joint efforts to address the gaps in the National Planning and Budget Act. With this information available CSOs will collaborate better to ensure that there is a conducive environment for Civil Society, Women and Youth to have a better understanding of the National Planning and Budget Act.
Overall, the National Planning and Budget Act will provides for an integrated national planning and budgeting process; strengthened accountability, oversight and participation mechanisms in the national planning and budgeting process; principles and modalities for formulation, approval, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of long and medium term national, provincial and district development plans and budgets; coordination of national development plans with the National Planning Framework; a participatory and decentralized national planning and budgeting process which promotes the participation of state and non-state actors in the planning and budgeting process; evidence based decision making in national planning and budgeting; enhanced budget credibility; and matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing. This document may not be understood by many Zambians if not simplified
The task
This is a desk-based assignment that aims at analyzing and simplifying the National Planning and Budget Act for 2020 as reflected.
The consultant is required to thoroughly read the National Planning and Budget Act and simplify the document for easy understanding for every Zambian especially women and youths.
Organize one day validation workshop with Law students from ZIALE, Lawyers, CSO’s network members and CSPR Staff to validate the simplified document.
4. Methodology for carrying out the analysis
- Consultant will read the national planning and budget act and simplify the main clauses from the Act that can be documented.
- Make consultations with key relevant stakeholders and institutions to obtain their views.
5. Deliverables
An inception report will be required before commencement of the assignment, to make sure that the consultant understands the Terms of Reference and the assignment requirements.
After the validation meeting, the consultant is expected to submit the first draft of the simplified National Planning and Budget Act for review before finalizing.
Provide a summarized and simplified National Planning and Budget Act of less than fifty (50) pages.
6. Timelines
The simplification is expected to take 10 working days from the date of signing the contract. There will be no time extension for the work due to time limitations. The total number of days for the assignment includes the validation meeting and analysis report.
8. Qualifications of the consultant
- Must have a degree in Law. A master’s degree will be an added advantage
- Must be in possession of a valid practicing license
- Experience in working with a law firm
- Should be able to demonstrate competency and experience of more than 5 years in analyzing national documents.
9. Requirements & Application process
- Interested and eligible consultant/s can apply for the assignment by submitting their proposals(Both Technical and Financial) together with their CVs to; [email protected] and copy [email protected] ,Mwila.Musonda@csprzambia and [email protected].
10. Deadline for submission
The deadline for submission of the application will be on 13th July 2022 at 17:00hrs.
No late applications will be considered for evaluation.