A. BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT AND THE ASSIGNMENT

Mongolia 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: (I) Strengthening Macroeconomic and Fiscal Management; (II) Improving the Efficiency of Public Financial Management; (III) Enhancing Financial Sector Stability; (IV) Strengthening the Social Protection System; (V) Project Management and Monitoring. The objectives are to Strengthening fiscal responsibility and implementing relevant policy measures, improving fiscal discipline, strengthening the resiliency of the banking system, improving public expenditure quality in social protection, providing support for Project implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation, including, inter alia, audit arrangements, reporting requirements, procurement, and financial management activities respectively. For more details, please refer to the Project Appraisal Document Report No. PAD2269 . 

Subcomponent B2 of the SFFS project aims to increase budget comprehensiveness and transparency through better control, reporting and expansion of the government’s integrated financial management information capabilities. Under the subcomponent, the Accounting Policy Department (APD) and the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance (MOF) have been undertaking an ambitious agenda towards improving public sector accounting and reporting.

Good accounting and financial reporting practices, which meet international standards, can serve as the basis for good governance and the provision of high-quality financial information to users of financial statements (government, citizens, development partners, international investors, etc.). Mongolia has been working for the last 20 years with the support from international donor organizations to achieve compliance with the international accounting and auditing standards since the requirements were legalized in 1993. The most recent amendments to the Accounting Law in 2015, as well as the approval of the Integrated Budget Law in 2011, reinforced the requirement to comply with the international standards.

Even though efforts to improve accounting and reporting for public sector entities have been successful in certain areas, the following issues still remain: (i) the government’s accounting basis is not yet full accrual, (ii) IPSASs are not fully implemented, and (iii) the quality and importance of the Government’s consolidated financial statements are undermined because SOEs with less than 90% ownership, but are material to the financial statements, are not consolidated into the Government’s consolidated financial statements. 

Particularly, public sector entities have followed chart of accounts, guidelines, and regulations approved by the MOF for their accounting and reporting. However, these documentations followed in public sector accounting have not been revised immediately in accordance with the most recent IPSASs and IFRSs due to capacity constraint of the accounting professionals as well as the state central administrative body in charge of finance and accounting. 

B. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of this assignment is to provide support to the MOF’s efforts in improving the quality of public sector accounting through revising guidelines and regulations in accordance with the most recent IPSASs under the accrual basis of accounting.  

C. SCOPE OF THE WORK

The consultant will undertake tasks including, but not limited to, the following in close cooperation with the other national consultant (team member):

Task #1: Revise the consolidated chart of accounts as well as the economic classifications for financial statements of budget entities and fully and partially state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which are consolidated into the government’s financial statements in accordance with the most recent IPSASs.    

• Conduct a study on the implementation and compliance with international standards of the existing regulations concerning chart of accounts and economic classifications of financial statements of budget entities and SOEs;
• Conduct a study on international best practice examples/models on the public sector chart of accounts as well as the economic classifications for financial statements, particularly in countries that have fully transitioned to the accrual basis accounting; 
• Based on the above-mentioned studies and their findings, develop recommendations for further improving the relevant regulations concerning chart of accounts for budget entities;
• Present the report findings and recommendations and organize consultations with the MOF and other relevant stakeholders to receive their comments and suggestions;  
• Based on the findings of the studies and consultations with stakeholders, revise and improve the consolidated chart of accounts as well as the economic classifications of financial statements for budget entities, fully and partially SOEs. 

Task #2: In accordance with the revised consolidated chart of accounts under Task # 1 above and the most recent IPSASs, revise the guidelines and methodology documents previously approved by the Ministerial Order no. 388 on November 27, 2006. Those include namely:  i) Instructions on accounts to be followed for budget entities, ii) Templates for financial statements and notes to the financial statements, iii) Methodology for preparing financial statements, iv) Instruction for estimating product costs, and v) Regulation for preparing report on product supply.

• Conduct a study on the implementation of the above-mentioned existing regulatory documents and guidelines to identify pros and cons and challenges faced in implementation;
• Conduct a study on the compliance of these regulatory and methodology documents with the IPSASs and relevant international good practices;  
• Based on the above-mentioned studies and their findings, develop recommendations for further revising the regulatory and methodology documents;
• Present the report findings and recommendations and organize consultations with the MOF and other relevant stakeholders to receive their comments and suggestions;  
• Based on the findings of the studies and consultations with stakeholders, revise and improve the set of regulatory and methodology documents and guidelines including: i) Instructions on the accounts to be followed for budget entities, ii) Templates for the financial statements and notes to the financial statements, iii) Methodology for preparing the financial statements, iv) Instruction for  estimating product costs, and iv) Regulation for preparing report on product supply -- all to be followed for budget entities in Mongolia. 

D. DELIVERABLES 

Based on the contracted assignment and detailed contract implementation plan approved by the client, the consultant’s deliverables will be as follows:

1. Under task # 1:

• A report on study conducted on the implementation and IPSAS compliance of the existing regulations concerning chart of accounts and economic classifications of financial statements of budget entities and SOEs;
• A report on the study on international best practice examples/models on chart of accounts as well as the economic classifications for financial statements, particularly in countries that have fully transitioned to the accrual basis accounting;
• A report with findings and recommendations for further improving the relevant regulations concerning chart of accounts for budget entities;
• Notes and other supporting documents from the consultations organized among relevant stakeholders; and
• Revised and improved final consolidated chart of accounts as well as the economic classifications for financial statements for budget entities and fully and partially SOEs, which have incorporated the comments/inputs from the MOF and other relevant stakeholders.

2. Under task # 2:

• A report on the implementation of the above-mentioned existing regulatory documents and guidelines to identify pros and cons and challenges faced in implementation as well as on the compliance of these regulatory and methodology documents with the IPSASs and relevant international good practices;
• Revised and improved final set of regulatory and methodology documents and guidelines to be followed by budget entities as listed below:

            o Instructions on the accounts; 

            o Templates for the financial statements and notes to the financial statements;

            o Methodology for preparing the financial statements;

            o Instruction for estimating product costs; and  

            o Regulation for preparing report on product supply. 

The Consultant will receive formal feedback and comments on each deliverable within 2 weeks after submission from the APD.

E. CONSULTANT’S QUALIFICATIONS/SELECTION CRITERIA

Education and Knowledge:

• A suitable candidate must have a master’s degree in accounting and/or other relevant fields;
• Professional qualifications such as ACCA/CPA/CIMA or similar will be required; and
• Proven knowledge of the IPSASs and IFRSs.

Experience: 

• Incumbent should have at least 6 years of direct relevant experience in the accounting and finance field;
• Previous experience in a similar capacity of developing accounting policy documents and other metholdogy and guidance will be required; and 
• Previous experience of providing consultancy services to government entities and international organizations will be an advantage.

Language skills: 

• Fluent written and spoken skills in both English and Mongolian are required.

Other skills: 

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function effectively and collaboratively in a team environment and high integrity and accountability; and
• Be proficient in PC-based applications such as Word, Excel and data management, and have excellent web research and navigation skills.

F.  INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

The MOF will provide office space or equipment for the consultant as deemed necessary. The Consultant will have access to all the necessary data/information that the MOF could provide for this assignment. The Consultant will work in close cooperation and coordination of the APD, MOF and supervise tasks and outputs of the national consultant (team member). If required, on issues concering the chart of accounts and GFS, the Consultant will work in close cooperation of the Treasury Department (TD) of the MOF and the Fiscal Policy and Planning Department (FPPD) of the MOF.  

The Client will appoint officials to monitor the contract implementation. Appointed MOF officials will be responsible for the coordination of activities under the Contract, for reviewing and accepting Deliverables to be submitted by the Consultant. 

G. SUPERVISION AND REPORTING 

The Consultant will report to the Director-General of the APD of MOF and will work on a daily basis with officials appointed by the APD and, as required, with officials from the TD and the FPPD on technical matters relevant to the assignment.  

H.  CONTRACT DURATION 

The consultant’s assignment is expected to commence in June 2021. The assignment’s expected input is 8 months on a full-time basis. 

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