Afghanistan: International Consultant for Corruption Vulnerability Analysis in the Afghan Mining sector

Aug 13, 2017 | Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee
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In 2010, the Government of the Islamic Republic Afghanistan (GIRoA) invited the international community to form the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC), to provide anti-corruption policy advice, and monitor and evaluate progress against specific anti-corruption benchmarks. The MEC was established jointly by the GIRoA and the international community, following the London and Kabul Conferences in January and July 2010, respectively, and by Presidential Decree 61, 2010.

The MEC is an independent agency, and is not subject to direction from either the Afghan government or from the international community. Following the London Conference, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan invited the international community to form a joint Afghan-International monitoring and evaluation committee. On September 18, 2016, the Afghan president issued Presidential Decree No. 115. This changed the legal status, duties, scope of activities and authorities of the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee which abrogates all previous Presidential Decrees. The MEC focuses on:

  • Developing anti-corruption recommendations;
  • Monitoring and evaluating the anti-corruption efforts of the Afghan government and the international community; and
  • Reporting on a regular basis to the President, Parliament, and people of Afghanistan, as well as to the international community about the state of the fight against corruption.

Job Summary:

The primary responsibility of the International Consultant will be as a senior member of MEC’s wide-ranging analysis of the corruption vulnerability of the Afghan Ministry of Mine and Petroleum (MOMP) operations in Kabul and selected provinces. This is an exciting, ground-breaking study on a difficult but crucial topic, which is hugely reducing government revenue generation across the country. The analysis is being conducted with the full support of the Mining and Petroleum Minister.

The analysis will be the first comprehensive analysis of the corruption vulnerabilities across the entire MOMP, including an assessment of the corruption vulnerabilities in the provision of mining laws & policies, services, legal and institutional frameworks, key functions, interaction with the main stakeholders of the mining sector, human-resources systems, awarding mining contracts, internal oversight and audit regime, information-management systems, and management and leadership – all with a focus on corruption and practical measures to mitigate such corruption. The MVCA will also look at ways to improve government revenue generation via reduced corruption, enhance integrity in the mining sector and enable external stakeholders to more effectively fight corruption. The work will mostly proceed via semi-structured interviews, but will also involve analysis of the institutional, policy and legal arrangements of the MOMP, investigating the experiences of donors, and desk research on the many corruption issues that have happened in the MOMP, and analysis.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • The Consultant will work closely with two teams of supporting consultants and MEC Secretariat staff.
  • The project will take place between September 2017 and Mar 2018 (expected completion date). The Consultant will be required to be present in Kabul for much of that time, though some work will be able to be done from home.
  • Upon arrival to Kabul, the Consultant will review assembled documentation and conduct an initial analysis – in conjunction with the MOMP and MEC – to determine the scope, detailed methodology, required resources and work plan of the project, within the first three weeks.
  • The consultant will act as the domain expert supporting the two teams in doing the work – much of which will be interviews and focus groups – collating the results, analyzing their meaning and developing the findings. He/she may be asked to lead the teams, depending on experience.
  • The team will be led at Committee level by Committee member Noorani. The exact roles of the team members will be decided based upon the experience of the chosen candidate.
  • Over the final months, the Consultant will finalize – as the primary author – the Report (in English, and with accompanying recommendations) that MEC will issue, entitled, “Vulnerability to Corruption Assessment in the Afghan Mining Sector.”
  • The Consultant will not be expected to complete, nor be reimbursed for, any tasks performed outside of his or her expected work-days.
  • The final number of working days will likely range from 80 - 100, depending on the agreed-upon timeframe and schedule of the Consultant, supporting consultants, and MEC Team
  • The format, content, and length of the Special Report can be changed at any time with the approval of the MEC Executive Director.
  • Refining the scope of the project by designing a research methodology that will accurately assess MOMP’s vulnerabilities to corruption.
  • Assigning data-collection, report-writing, and any other tasks to the MEC Officers working on this project.
  • Designing tools (questionnaires) to collect information from the MOMP staff via interviews, document analysis, and the review of quantitative data.
  • Writing the final In-Depth Report (in English) and proposing recommendations to address problems identified therein.

Project outline

A detailed project outline is available on request

Deliverables:

  • Analysis Methodology and detailed work plan
  • Interim Report at the end of the interview phase
  • Final Report, with recommendations
  • Follow up to explain the report and the findings within the Ministry

Qualifications:

The Consultant must have the following qualifications:

  • Advanced university degree in mining or a related field;
  • A minimum of ten years of experience in project management in politicized environments,
  • Research and written reports focusing on large sectors or ministries, with a prior record of professional publications;
  • Prior international experience, preferably in conflict or post-conflict environments, with a preference for experience in Afghanistan;
  • Knowledge of internationally accepted norms and standards in anti-corruption and integrity in the mining sector;
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
  • Ability to effectively lead a team in a challenging, multi-cultural and fast-paced environment;
  • Ability to work in a politicized environment on a highly sensitive topic
  • Native-level oral and written English required, including the ability to write sophisticated reports in English;
  • Dari and/or Pashto language skills are not essential, but would be a significant asset.

The Consultant will report to the MEC Executive Director.

How to Apply Candidates can apply for the position by sending their cover letter and CV in one PDF or Microsoft Word document, named in the following way: "LAST_NAME_first_name.pdf" or "LAST_NAME_first_name.doc." Supplementary documents - degrees, certificates, etc. - should not be sent at this time. The single PDF or Word file should be emailed to jobs@mec.af with the subject line "MOMP International Consultant” by 22 August, 2017.