National Specialist, Tax for SDGs

Office/Unit/Project Description

Project Description – Tax4SDGs: Restoring Fiscal Space, Delivering Progress on SDGs, Mobilising Revenue in Djibouti

By enhancing domestic revenues, UNDP envisions that Djibouti will be able to implement the investments identified and achieve development aspirations within a short-to-medium period of time. Representing the views of developing countries in the global normative tax discussions is critical. To this effect the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative will also work to bring evidence, lessons learned and perspectives from developing countries into the regional and international dialogues on taxation. Accordingly, UNDP intends to support the Government of Djibouti to address key issues including domestic resource mobilization to address the financing gap for development, as well as economic inefficiencies, lack of equity, high costs of tax administration and compliance, tax avoidance and evasion, transfer pricing as well as inefficiencies in the tax system in general. The UNDP Tax for SDGs program has also developed a joint initiative with the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB). TIWB sends qualified tax experts to help developing countries collect more revenues by working alongside auditors on international tax issues, transferring audit skills and knowledge, without substitution. The initiative underpins the OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Actions as part of a broad international effort to strengthen developing countries’ ability to effectively tax multinational enterprises. 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy and programme work carried out at Headquarters, Regional and Country Office (CO) levels, form a contiguous spectrum of deep, local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. Within this context, UNDP invests in a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Scope of Work 

UNDP Djibouti is seeking a National Specialist, Tax for SDGs to effectively manage and support the implementation of the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative and provide support to UNDP Djibouti on tax-related engagements as part of their agenda of Financing the SDGs in the country. 

Under direct supervision of UNDP Djibouti’s Deputy Resident Representative (DRR) and in close coordination with UNDP Djibouti’s Economist and Regional Programme Specialist of UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative, with the overall guidance of UNDP Djibouti Resident Representative, the National Specialist, Tax for SDGs will implement the following activities:

1) Strategic and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement 

• Support embedding the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative in UNDP’s broader SDG finance portfolio in UNDP Djibouti
• Lead implementation and multi-stakeholder engagement for the project in Djibouti including engaging with tax experts, bilateral, regional and multilateral organizations, and government actors (Ministry of Finance and Economy, Ministry of Budget, Djibouti Tax Authority, as well as other secondary ministries, agencies and departments of relevance).
• Support UNDP Djibouti in building strategic alliances and partnerships with governments, think tanks and academic institutions, development partners and others to expand UNDP’s work on tax and fiscal policy. 
• Ensure close coordination to promote synergy and prevent overlaps with development partners and regional and multilateral organizations (e.g., World Bank, IMF, USAID) providing support to the government on tax policy reforms and administration capacity building. 
• Develop partnerships with relevant institutions, agencies and organizations domestically and globally, to support specific elements of the Country Engagement Plan (CEP), where relevant

2) Policy and Programme Coordination

• Lead on the implementation of the Country Engagement Plan between UNDP Djibouti and the UNDP Tax for SDGs global initiative support to the Ministry of Finance and Economy and Ministry of Budget, including coordination, technical input to, and oversight to technical assistance and capacity building
• Analyze local context and identify potential synergies with UNDP’s policy and development work in-country at national / sub national level and map out emerging trends and opportunities for the region. 
• Provide technical advice to support the implementation of the project and to backstop experts working under the project.
• Identify potential synergies between the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative work of UNDP Djibouti, the UNDP Regional Hub and UNDP Country Offices implementing similar project. 
• Engage with policymakers on tax and fiscal policy matters and further develop the role of UNDP in taxation in Djibouti. 
• Coordinate the development of policy papers to promote understanding and integration of tax and fiscal policies and SDG issues.
• Support UNDP Djibouti in developing relevant analytical and policy-oriented work on tax policy and administration and providing guidance on technical tax topics.
• Draft internal UNDP briefing notes and talking points for Senior Management on UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative 

3) Knowledge Management:

• Facilitate setting up the interventions under the project as well as coordinate their implementation as per standard operating procedures, including knowledge capture from past programmes.
• Collaborate on evidence collection and lessons-learned from other countries, including promoting best practice sharing and peer learning through case-studies.
• Collaborate on knowledge management between various stakeholders, including UNDP COs and tax experts (including through expert engagement platform).
• Develop concept notes for technical workshops/webinars/side-events for UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative

4) Outreach Engagement

• Collaborate on project communications, including Annual Reports and Newsletters.
• Facilitate public dialogues on topics outlined within the Country Engagement Plan (CEP) 
• Coordinate the organization of events, including high-level launches of the programmes.
• Collaborate on lessons-learned from the project activities, including through case-studies.
• Develop resources to enhance capacities within UNDP on tax, fiscal policy issues and SDGs.
• Follow technical discussions in other fora and represent UNDP in relevant meetings.
• Perform other duties, as may be required by the Supervisor.

Institutional Arrangement

• The position will be embedded in the Governance unit and work as part of the UNDP Djibouti Country Office. 
• The National Specialist, Tax for SDGs will report to UNDP Djibouti’s Deputy Resident Representative in close collaboration with Economist of Djibouti’s CO, and Regional Programme Specialist of UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative.
• Throughout the project, collaboration and coordination with the rest of the UNDP Tax team and other teams will be required.

• Strong record in advising and engaging with international institutions and/ or governments on taxation, public finance management or domestic resource mobilization with involvement in technical work such as producing tax policy proposals, auditing, conducting tax audits, computation of tax expenditures or drafting tax regulations is required

•   Excellent experience of current debates regarding taxation, fiscal policy and illicit financial flows in the Horn of Africa countries.
•   Relevant experience of tax/fiscal policy, tax administration processes, public finance reforms and management.
•   Experience of working in and with developing countries in the region.
•   Experience of working with UNDP or UN Development System on matters related to taxation and fiscal policies.
•   Experience of results-oriented based project management. 
•   Working knowledge of the context in Djibouti will be an advantage
 

Travel:   
The work may entail duty travel. In case of such travel, travel expenses will be covered by UNDP in accordance with the UNDP rules and regulations.
 

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