Job Opportunity: IMF Looking for Public Sector Cost Accounting Expert to be Based in Sao Paolo, Brazil

The IMF Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) is looking for candidates to work in a project on public sector cost accounting in the State of Sao Paolo, Brazil. The project aims to improve the budget preparation, budget execution, and cost control at the state level. We are looking for highly-qualified public sector cost accounting experts for two assignments: (i) a long-term assignment (one year, renewable for one more year); and (ii) a short-term peripatetic assignment (a two-week visit every quarter during two years). The assignments are in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It is expected that the short-term expert will be a leader in his field and have a strategic guidance role in the project, while the long-term expert will work more intensively on the implementation of the project with Brazilian counterparts.

The objectives of the project are to (i) implement the public cost system in phases, starting with four pilot entities (health, education, prisons, and social assistance); (ii) develop a cost methodology adequate to the public services at the state level; (iii) organize seminars, courses, and other training events to educate the state officials on how to prepare and use cost information; (iv) document the cost methodology used in the existing projects; (v) prepare guidelines for external dissemination of cost data; and (vi) prepare progress reports.

The State of Sao Paolo will create a unit in the Secretary of Finance dedicated to implementing the project. The authorities are also enrolling the University of Sao Paolo to provide support on capacity building and research methodology. The consultants will work directly with this unit and in collaboration with the University.

The State of Sao Paolo has some similarities with US states because Brazil is also a federation. Sao Paolo relies strongly on its own tax resources to implement local policies, and is responsible for the provision of the main public services (education, health, police, etc.). The State has well-functioning integrated financial management information system (IFMIS). The State of Sao Paulo has a population of more than 40 million people and an economy of the size of Argentina. It is indeed a nice place to work and live.

The positions are funded by the State of Sao Paolo itself through a Trust Fund administered by the IMF. The IMF will provide guidance and support (“backstopping”) to the consultants during the entire project, and introduce and support the consultants during the kick-off phase.

Qualification requirements include at least ten years of relevant professional experience, including in cost accounting in the public sector. The ideal candidates would have a degree in accounting, business management, or economics. Portuguese language skill is a plus but it is not a requirement. Fluency in Spanish or English is also acceptable.

The deadline for applications is September 30, 2010. Please send your CV to Mr. Mario Pessoa (mpessoa@imf.org) indicating if you are applying for the short-term or long-term position.

Jess Ford of GAO on US Government Assistance to Mexico

by Fernando Ruiz

International Consortium on Government Financial Management (ICGFM) held a luncheon in the Carnegie Mellon Endowment for International Peace on Wednesday, September 8. The speaker was Jess Ford of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) who spoke about United States assistance to Mexico in the ongoing fight against the drug cartels on the Mexico-US border.

The essence of Mr. Ford’s presentation was the management of aid going to the Merida Initiative which is a joint program between the United States and Mexico to combat the threats of drug trafficking, and money laundering on the border. According to Mr. Ford, since 2007 the United States has been ramping up its aid to Mexico and Central America in order to fight drug trafficking. US assistance has been heavy on equipment and technical assistance such as the training of police.

The objective of the aid has also shifted and is now concentrated on judicial reform, human rights and community development. The GAO’s main role has been speeding up the pace of assistance delivery which has been very slow. As of March 2010, only 46 percent of the funds had been released and the program was signed into law in June of 2008.

Some of the difficulties lie in the State Department which has been the overseer of the program. It simply has not had a modern enough system to track the status of the funding and could only track outputs with no outcome measurements or targets. Several other government organizations track the status and data on the program but none of them share a standard language and methodology, further exacerbating the problem.

Another major concern in this effort according to Mr. Ford is the lack of a consistent strategy by Mexico and other Central American countries to combat drug trafficking.

Mr. Ford concluded with his “lesson learned” about the program and its funding. He placed an emphasis on the need to build institutional capacity for the program and properly train personnel.

Job Offer: The World Bank has an Opening for a Financial Management Specialist (FMS) Based in La Paz, Bolivia

Job descriptions and qualifications needed are detailed in the job announcements, posted on the World Bank's website: Financial Management Specialist based in La Paz, Bolivia -- Job # 101546

The Closing Date is August 9, 2010. For convenience, we provide the ICGFM readers with excerpts from the Job Announcement.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The Financial Management Specialist (FMS) will work from the La Paz Country Office and work on all financial management (FM) aspects related to the World Bank’s operations in Bolivia. This will include, but is not limited to: assessing the adequacy of project financial management arrangements, providing implementation support and supervising projects financed by grants and credits; ensuring compliance with the Bank’s audit and other fiduciary requirements, ensuring that the project operations are carried out in accordance with sound financial management practices, performing analytical work on financial management and accountability issues, and carrying out capacity building activities. The FMS will work with the country team, including Task Team Leaders, FMS, Procurement and other technical specialists, and Administrative and Client Service (ACS) staff.

The FMS is expected to assume the following duties and responsibilities:
• Assess the adequacy of the borrower’s project financial management systems and their ability to manage and monitor World Bank financed projects. This includes budgeting, policies and procedures, internal controls, accounting, financial reporting and auditing.
• Provide implementation support and carry out supervision work to ensure that projects financial management systems are functioning appropriately, including the review of periodic interim financial reports.
• Assess the selection and engagement of auditors, ensuring their suitability including their independence, and competence to perform audits; and ensure that the borrower provides auditors with all the relevant information (including Terms of Reference and Bank requirements) necessary to carry out their engagement.
• Review audited financial statements and other periodic financial reports received, monitor the Borrower's compliance with financial covenants including audit compliance, ensure adequate communication with the Borrower and the project implementing agencies with respect to audits and other financial reports, and advise as appropriate.
• Provide advice and support to Borrower and the World Bank Task Teams on project financial management matters.
• Provide guidance and advice to borrowers and Bank staff on capacity building in projects and with public sector accountability institutions.
• Assess the financial and operational viability of implementing entities (e.g. with respect to revenue earning entities), and advise on the design and use of financial performance covenants.
• Monitor implementation of the agreed action plans for public financial management (PFM) and/or corporate financial reporting reform initiatives, and provide technical advice to the Government in the implementation of reform actions.
• As requested by the RFMM, undertake other FM activities, as appropriate.

Selection Criteria:

Education/experience/language:
• The candidate should be a professional accountant (CPA, CA or equivalent membership of an internationally recognized professional accounting institute) with a Bachelors degree in accounting, business, finance, economics or related subject.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in financial management.
• Language: Fluency in English and Spanish is required.

Technical and other skills:
• Knowledge of International Accounting Standards and International Standards on Auditing.
Experience in designing and assessing internal control systems and procedures, using internationally accepted control frameworks such as COSO.
• Knowledge in the application of accounting, auditing and financial reporting systems and software packages.
• Experience in evaluating audits, assessing auditor competence, and following up on issues raised by the audits.
• Experience in interpreting financial and project management reports and determining appropriate remedial actions.
• Knowledge of current issues in financial management, including relating to the public sector and relating to developing country issues.
• Ability to assess the quality of portfolio performance on financial management.
• Ability to understand cross-cutting issues beyond financial management (e.g. procurement, governance, public sector management) at sector/country level.
• Ability to conceptualize, design and implement country or sector level financial management capacity building initiatives. Ability to promote client/beneficiary participation and commitment to financial management and accountability.
• Ability to distill and disseminate financial management knowledge. Experience in advising clients on the design and implementation of financial management systems, including financial and management reports.
• Experience in financial statement analysis, their use in comparison with industry benchmarks and their application to particular circumstances.
• Strong planning, organization and time management skills to function in a team and contribute towards a common goal. Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects.
• Capacity to function effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team, to search for common ground, to resolve problems, and where appropriate, to recommend decisive action.
• Strong analytical capabilities and proven skills to deal with FM issues innovatively and independently.
• Ability to communicate effectively, in writing and orally, including situations requiring negotiation.
• Understanding of information systems and the application of new technology.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently.