Reference: | B22/CS/020 |
Client: | Ministry of Finance |
Category: | Consultancy Service |
Advertised: | 2019.04.04 |
Deadline: | 2019.04.18 17:00:00 |
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Mongolia has
received a credit from the International Development Association (IDA)
for the Strengthening Fiscal and Financial Stability (SFFS) Project. The
objective of the SFFS Project is to contribute to the Government of
Mongolia’s efforts to strengthen fiscal and financial stability and
improve the quality of expenditure. The project is designed into five
components: (A) Strengthening Macroeconomic and Fiscal Management; (B)
Improving the Efficiency of Public Financial Management; (C) Enhancing
Financial Sector Stability; (D) Strengthening the Social Protection
System; (E) Project Management and Monitoring. For more details, please
refer to the Project Appraisal Document Report No. PAD2269[1].
Subcomponent
B2 of the project aims to increase budget comprehensiveness and
transparency through better control, reporting and expansion of the
government’s integrated financial management information capabilities.
The Government of Mongolia has been using FreeBalance software since
2005 as the Government’s Financial Management Information System (GFMIS)
i.e. the treasury system. This system is primarily focused on enabling
quick settlement of payments and producing budget execution reports.
Starting from 2018, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has upgraded the GFMIS
to the latest web-based FreeBalance Version 7 (FB v7). However, payroll
for civil servants is currently not fully administered through the
GFMIS other than the relevant payments being settled through the system,
while the wage bill accounts for a significant proportion of overall
government expenditure.
Among its many duties, the MOF is
responsible for budgeting for personnel-related costs (salaries and
employer’s share of social insurance contributions) and for settling the
relevant payments through the treasury system to the active civil
servants. The current budget planning systems, however, have functions
only to indicate the total number of civil servants per grade on the
salary scale but do not include detailed information on the individual
civil servants’ salaries, which undermines the budget control and cost
efficiency. On the other hand, the Civil Service Council performs a
variety of functions on human resource management for the government
including maintenance of the civil servants’ data. However, the
information compiled by the Civil Service Council in its Human Resource
(HR) System is currently not used in the budget planning and execution
processes. It is therefore of critical importance that all
salary-related payments (salaries, taxes, any deductions and so on) are
accurately calculated and recorded in an integrated system, in order to
enhance the overall fiscal and financial management responsibilities for
the Government of Mongolia.
With consideration to the
above-described context, the MOF aims to strengthen the budget control,
accountability and discipline by establishing an Integrated Payroll
System (IPS) for civil servants. Establishment of the IPS in the public
service is not a small task as this system will be comprehensive and
used by around 6,000 budget entities representing almost 190,000 civil
servants. The MOF decided to purchase a commercial off-the-shelf payroll
software developed by a local IT company (the Contractor) and customize
it for the use of payroll administration for all civil servants in
Mongolia. In this regard, so far, a contract has been signed for the
initial purchase of the software and for developing interfaces between
the existing software and the HR System of the Civil Service Council to
collect the necessary personnel and salary data. For the customization
and further development of the software, along with vendor’s team to be
engaged in the assignment, an experienced team of functional and
technical specialists from the MOF’s side with specialized knowledge of
the budget, relevant systems and civil service payroll issues will be
required to ensure smooth processes towards successful implementation
and operation of the system.
During the system customization,
piloting and initial stages of implementation, from the budget execution
perspective, a dedicated team’s support and assistance will be critical
until the full ownership of the system is transferred to the MOF. The
desired IPS support team will comprise of 7 consultants in total
including a team leader, IT/technical consultant, and senior and junior
functional consultants (4) who will provide the needed technical and
functional support from the MOF’s side to the customization of the the
payroll information system.
OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The
objective of the assignment is to assist the Treasury Department of the
Ministry of Finance (TD, MOF) in the process leading to implementation
and rollout of the integrated payroll system (IPS) nationwide towards
improving fiscal discipline and efficiency of government financial
resources.
SCOPE OF WORK
During this assignment, as
a member of the IPS support team, the junior functional consultant will
provide functional support to the MOF and the Contractor on functional
matters concerning the system and work as a help desk for the central
budget entities and those in UB city. Due to the unique and
collaborative nature of the assignment, each team member’s scope of work
were not defined separately but rather specific inputs from the
respective IPS support team members are identified and marked for each
of the detailed tasks.
Key responsibilities under this assignment will include, but not be limited to, the following tasks:
Task 1: The preparation and system customization stage:
1.1.Analyse
and report on the existing offline payroll systems used by budget
entities to identify functions that can be considered for customization
of the off-the-shelf software purchased by the MOF (all consultants);
1.2.Identify specific needs of the MOF for the system customization (all consultants);
1.3.Review
and identify the interface requirements of the IPS with the HR System
of the Civil Service Council, the GFMIS FB v7, clearing house system of
the Bank of Mongolia, the tax office system (TIAS), the Social Insurance
Office system (Benefits), as well as the accounting software used by
the budget entities (IT/technical consultant);
1.4.Review budget
entities’ civil servants’ data obtained from HR System to identify the
specific budget entities and the asociated civil servants, whose payroll
to be managed within the IPS (senior functional consultant);
1.5.Review
and check the civil servants’ data from the HR System of the CSC in
comparison with the actual payroll information obtained from the
selected budget entities to identify requirements for data quality
improvements in the HR System (functional consultants);
1.6.Review
and propose recommendations on the appropriate use of functional and
economic classifications for the salary-related payments (senior
functional consultant and technical consultant);
1.7.Configure and
manage the IPS Public Access Portal (www.payroll.gov.mn) including
creation and update of the contents (technical consultant and functional
consultants); and
1.8.Coordinate the integration of the IPS with the
various systems including GFMIS FB v7, tax office system (TIAS) and
Social Insurance Office system (Benefits), Civil Service Council’s HR
System and accounting systems used by budget entities (IT/technical
consultant).
Task 2: Recommendations on legal documents to enable rollout of the integrated payroll system:
2.1
Review the existing legal framework for rolling out the IPS and develop
recommendations for amending the relevant Cabinet resolution to enable
implementation of the IPS nationwide (team leader and senior functional
consultant); and
2.2 Prepare a draft of the nessary amendments to the
relevant Cabinet resolution on the Treasury operations as well as to
the related regulations to be approved by the Minister of Finance (team
leader and senior functional consultant).
Task 3: System piloting stage at selected budget entities and UB city:
3.1 Develop a detailed work plan draft to carry out the implementation pilots at selected budget entities and the UB city municipality (team leader and senior functional consultant);
3.2 Prepare and conduct
end-users training for the pilot entities in accordance with the
approved training plan (all consultants);
3.3 Provide support to the end-users on a daily basis on the system operations at the pilot entities (all consultants);
3.4
Identify and report system bugs and errors in the system, if any,
during the pilot in collaboration with end-users (all consultants); and
3.5 Provide telephone support to the pilot on a daily basis for the system operation (junior functional consultants).
Task 4: Development of IPS manuals and documents:
4.1 Review and revise the following manuals for finalization in collaboration with the contractor:
4.1.1 System administrator’s manual (technical consultant and functional consultants);
4.1.2 Troubleshooting manual for functional consultants (technical consultant and functional consultants);
4.1.3 End-user manual (functional consultants);
4.2
Compile and archive documents related to the IPS project and record the
relevant incoming and outgoing documents/correspondence (team leader
and junior functional consultant).
Task 5: Preparation and rollout of the system nationwide:
5.1
Develop an implementation and roll-out plan detailing the systematic
roll-out of the solution in accordance with the recently approved PFM
action plan (2018-2020) (team leader and senior functional consultant);
5.2
Act as key persons to identify needs of the IPS end-user training and
prepare a plan for the end-user training (all functional consultants);
5.3 Identify hardware needs for the IPS to enable implementation/rollout of the IPS nationwide (technical consultant);
5.4 Conduct the end-user training in accordance with the approved training plan (all consultants);
5.5
Identify and report bugs and errors, if any, in the system during the
initial stages of rollout in collaboration with end-users (all
consultants);
5.6 Act as key functional and technical resource
persons to interact with end-users in the regions (junior functional
consultants); and
5.7 Act as key persons to interact with the Contractor in terms of the system operations (all consultants).
Task 6: Ownership transfer to the Ministry of Finance:
6.1
Identify and obtain approval for the system administration team within
the MOF, which will become responsible for the IPS administration and
operations upon transfer of the system ownership to the MoF (all
consultants); and
6.2 Train the MOF system administration team and
MOF end-users (TD) in order to transfer the relevant knowledge on how to
provide daily system support and assistance in parallel with the
preparation and rollout of the system in the central budget planning
process (all consultants).
Task 7: Project monitoring and reporting:
7.1
Monitor project implementation progress and prepare and compile
progress and other project related reports (team leader and senior
functional consultant);
7.2 Report on a regular basis and when
required on the status and issues of the system to the Director General
of TD and the Project Coordinator of the SFFSP (all consultant); and
7.3
Undertake such other tasks related with the system as reasonably
requested and/or assigned by the Director General of TD or Project
Coordinator of the SFFSP (all consultants).
DELIVERABLES
Task 1: The preparation and system customization stage:
1.1.
Report on the existing offline payroll systems used by budget entities
identifying functions that can be considered for the customization of
the off-the-shelf software purchased by the MOF (all consultants);
1.2.
Review report on the interface requirements of the IPS with the HR
System of the Civil Service Council, the GFMIS FB v7, clearing house
system of the Bank of Mongolia, the tax office system (TIAS), the Social
Insurance Office system (Benefits), as well as the accounting software
used by the budget entities (IT/technical consultant);
1.3. Review
report on the budget entities’ civil servants’ data obtained from the HR
System to identify the specific budget entities and the asociated civil
servants, whose payroll to be managed within the IPS (senior functional
consultant);
1.4. Report and recommendations on the review of the
civil servants’ data from the HR System of the CSC in comparison with
the actual payroll information from the selected budget entities
identifying requirements for data quality improvements in the HR System
(functional consultants);
1.5. Recommendations on the appropriate
use of functional and economic classifications for the salary-related
payments (senior functional consultant and technical consultant); and
1.6. Report on the review of data identifying specific needs of the MOF for system customization (all consultants).
Task 2: Recommendations on legal documents to enable rollout of the integrated payroll system:
2.1
Review report on the existing legal framework for rolling out the IPS
including recommendations for amending the relevant Cabinet resolution
to enable implementation of the IPS nationwide (team leader and senior
functional consultant); and
2.2 Draft of the necessary amendments to
the relevant Cabinet resolution on the Treasury operations as well as
to the related regulations to be approved by the Minister of Finance
(team leader and senior functional consultant).
Task 3: System piloting stage at selected budget entities and UB city:
3.1
Detailed work plan draft for carrying out the implementation pilots at
selected budget entities and the UB city municipality (team leader and
senior functional consultant);
3.2 End-users training materials and
reports on training conducted for the pilot entities in accordance with
the approved training plan (all consultants); and
3.3 A completion report on the system piloting at selected budget entities and the UB city municipality (all consultants).
Task 4: IPS manuals and documents are finalized and delivered as follows:
4.1 System administrator’s manual (technical consultant and functional consultants);
4.2 Troubleshooting manual for functional consultants (technical consultant and functional consultants);
4.3 End-user’s manual (functional consultants); and
4.4
Compiled and archived documents related to the IPS project handed over
to the Client (team leader and junior functional consultant).
Task 5: Preparation and rollout of the system nationwide:
5.1
Implementation and roll-out plan detailing the systematic roll-out of
the solution in accordance with the approved PFM action plan (2018-2020)
(team leader and senior functional consultant);
5.2 Plan for the end-user training (all functional consultants); and
5.3 Training reports (all consultants).
Task 6: Ownership transfer to the Ministry of Finance:
6.1
Evidence of the transfer of ownership of the IPS (system
administration) to the Ministry of Finance together with all the related
documents, training plan and materials (all consultants).
Task 7: Project monitoring and reporting:
7.1
Progress and other project related reports to the Client and the SFFSP
PIU (team leader and senior functional consultant); and
7.2 Final report of the project (all consultants).
CONSULTANT’S QUALIFICATIONS/ SELECTION CRITERIA
Education: The suitable candidate should have a degree in a relevant field: accounting, finance and/or business administration;
Experience:
The incumbent should have at least two (2) years of direct relevant
experience in the accounting and finance field. Previous experience in
payroll accounting is also essential. Knowledge of technical terms of
finance and budget would be an advantage;
Language skills: Good skills of writing and comprehending in Mongolian and English;
Other skills:
· Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function effectively and collaboratively in a team environment;
· Be proficient in PC-based applications such as Word, Excel and data
management, and have excellent web research and navigation skills;
· Familiarity with IT system particularly, with the financial management system is essential; and
· Be able to work overtime and travel locally if required.
SUPERVISION AND REPORTING
The
consultant will report directly to the IPS team leader and the
Director-General of the TD, MOF and will work on a day-to-day basis with
the IPS support team on functional matters related to the assignment.
The Director-General of the TD will meet regularly with the support team
to review progress with the work program and to resolve any outstanding
issues.
The consultant will also work closely with respective officials of central and local budget entities as applicable.
The
consultant will be required to carry out his/her tasks in line with an
approved workplan which will serve as the basis for measuring progress
on the desired outcomes and goals for the entire consultancy service.
The
consultant will prepare monthly progress reports detailing the
achievements and impediments in executing the entire workplan
effectively. These progress reports will be discussed and endorsed by
the Director-General of the TD.
CONTRACT DURATION
The initial duration of the consultancy service is estimated to be 10 months with a possible extension, as needed.
The consultant will be selected in accordance with the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (July 2016).
If you possess the above qualifications, please submit following documents via email to procurement@sffs.mn:
1. Cover letter indicating why she/he considers her/himself suitable for the position,
2. Detailed CV highlighting relevant skills/experience,
3. Copy of diplomas or certificates and,
4. 2 reference letters from previous last two employers no later than 17:00, April 18, 2019.
The
submitted documents will not be returned to the applicants. Please note
that incomplete applications would not be considered for evaluation.
Only selected candidates will be contacted. Candidates can be
interviewed. Detailed terms of reference can be requested from
procurement@sffs.mn Contact address: Attn: Ms.Bayarmaa, Procurement
Specialist, Strengthening Fiscal and Financial Stability Project
Room #204, Negdsen undestnii 8/2, 4th khoroo, Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Tel: 70120582
70120582