Consultancy: Comprehensive transparency, accountability and openness strategy - Call for proposals

Background

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the world organization of parliaments. It is a global forum for parliamentary dialogue, cooperation and action. It advances democracy and assists parliaments and parliamentarians throughout the world to fulfil their mandates.[1]

The IPU is issuing this call for proposal as part of its efforts to develop a comprehensive transparency, accountability and openness strategy. The Organization intends to set an example for all parliaments in this domain. While it already has a number of transparency and accountability instruments, it wants to further improve its tools and policies in this regard for the benefit of all its members.

The instruments currently at its disposal are the following:

• Code of Conduct for IPU personnel
• Fraud and Corruption Prevention and Control Policy
• Staff Regulations
• Financial Regulations
• Risk Management Framework
• Guidelines relating to voluntary contributions to the IPU
• Gender mainstreaming strategy
• Common Principles for Support to Parliaments
• Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy (draft)
• Carbon offsetting arrangements
• Accessibility policy
• Website for publishing key documents.

The IPU has certain mechanisms to put these instruments into practice, including the Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual, the Staff Rules and the Risk Management Register. Staff performance and programme results are regularly evaluated.

With regard to parliaments, the IPU has developed a set of criteria for democratic parliaments – set out in its publication Parliament and democracy in the twenty-first century: A guide to good practice – including openness, transparency and accountability. The IPU has also produced a self‑assessment toolkit to enable parliaments to assess their strengths and weaknesses against international criteria in order to determine priorities for strengthening the parliamentary institution.

Tasks and deliverables

The consultant will:

• review existing policies, tools and mechanisms and identify any gaps
• benchmark these policies, tools and mechanisms with those of other international or membership organizations
• provide the IPU with an analysis on their efficiency and effectiveness
• make proposals to improve them and create new tools as appropriate
• establish a dialogue with the IPU leadership and Secretariat
• create a template for an annual report to the IPU governing bodies on transparency and accountability.

The key deliverable will be a comprehensive transparency, accountability and openness strategy.

Location and working arrangements

The consultant will mainly work remotely but will be required to come to the IPU Secretariat in Geneva as necessary. The work will be carried out under the overall supervision of the Director of Support Services.

Duration

Prospective consultants should submit a proposal setting out the number of days required to complete this work. The initial draft strategy should be submitted no later than 30 September 2019.

Remuneration

Prospective consultants should propose a daily rate.

Employment conditions

The consultant selected will be an independent contractor and will not be considered an IPU official or employee and will not be subject to the IPU Staff Regulations and Staff Rules. The consultant is not entitled to claim from the IPU any income tax payable in respect of the fee provided under this contract; they will be solely liable for the payment of any national income tax due in respect of the emoluments payable under this contract. The consultant will not be included in the IPU pension scheme.

Requirements

Candidates should demonstrate expertise in the field of transparency and accountability and give examples of prior work in this domain, with clients’ references where possible. The report and discussions should be in either French or English.