A. BACKGROUND 

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) with the support from the World Bank (WB) has been implementing the European Union (EU)-financed Strengthening Governance in Mongolia (SGM) project. The project aims to support the efforts of the Government of Mongolia (GOM) to improve fiscal stability by strengthening public financial management (PFM) as well as transparency and accountability in Mongolia. 

The SGM project, through both Recipient Executed (RE) and Bank Executed (BE) interventions, serves two main purposes. Firstly, it complements and expands the ongoing technical assistance the WB is providing through the “Strengthening Fiscal and Financial Stability” (SFFS) Project. Secondly, this TF supports the GOM in advancing the current efforts toward increasing transparency, participation, and accountability in fiscal matters as well as in strengthening its capacity to deal with non-technical drivers of the reform process that prevent state agencies from implementing policies and regulations as intended.   

Component 2 of the SGM project primarily focuses on supporting the specific needs of the GOM to establish sound fiscal discipline, to improve expenditure management by strengthening the budget credibility, to establish the foundations for medium-term budgeting, and to re-orient public investment to strategic projects linked to the diversification of the economy. Five priority areas constitute the core of the component: (i) development and implementation of a public financial management reform plan and inter-agency coordination; (ii) strengthening budget preparation and execution towards results-based medium-term budgeting; (iii) improving budget reporting and transparency by increasing the comprehensiveness of fiscal and financial information and reporting; (iv) improving the management of contingent liabilities, through enhancing the existing governance framework for recognizing, managing, and disclosing contingent liabilities; and (v) strengthening public investment management, through the development and implementation of mechanisms for prioritizing capital project proposals and cost-benefit analysis.  

The Citizen’s Budget for the consolidated budget in Mongolia was first-ever developed in 2018 with the aim to increase the citizens’ knowledge about the state budget, enable citizens to monitor and participate in the budgeting process, and improve budget transparency by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) initiative and with the support of the U.S. Department of Treasury.  

The subsequent 2019 and 2020 Citizen’s Budgets for Mongolia were also developed both on the proposed and approved budgets intending to explain the budget in a transparent and easy-to-understand format using dialogues between family members and representatives of functional sectors, such as health, education, environmental protection, etc. The booklets also included information on the state fiscal policy, macro-economic projections, budget revenue sources, government loans, and grants as well as information on government debt. Detailed expenditure information is provided for each functional sector. Moreover, comprehensive information is included about government services provided to children, mothers, senior citizens, citizens with disabilities, civil servants, and herders. Starting from 2019, additional Citizen’s Budget booklets have been developed on the quarterly budget execution. To continue these efforts, the WB and the MOF agreed to develop an interactive, web-based Citizen’s Budget under the SGM Project. The development of the website was partially completed and launched in February 2021 and is planned for completion around April 2021.  

Currently, given the current circumstances of the outbreak of worldwide pandemic COVID-19, the MOF envisions developing dissemination materials and contents on the fiscal data specifically related to the COVID-19 and release those through the Citizen’s Budget website and other suitable means. In this regard, the Treasury Department (TD) of the MOF plans to engage a local consultant to support this initiative going forward. 

B. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT  

The main objective of this assignment is to update in a timely manner the fiscal data related to the government response to the COVID-19 to be released to the public by compiling the relevant information from related MOF units and developing appropriate content for dissemination using the data. Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for reviewing the COVID-19-related fiscal data collected and use them to produce graphic and video content that will be disseminated to a wide range of stakeholders nationwide using the live Citizen’s budget website, the official MOF website as well social media (FB, Instagram, among others) as the main channels. 

C. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT 

Within the context and specific objective as above, the consultant will be responsible for, but not be limited to, the following tasks: 

Task 1. Collect and update the relevant budget data from the various MOF units: 

• Support COVID-related fiscal data collection by gathering from relevant units of MOF the approved, modified, and executed budget data related to the COVID-19 response actions from the Government of Mongolia including contributions from its international partners (emergency support operations, loans, and grants);       
• Update the existing data template for the data to be collected that would be used for developing contents to be released to the public through the dedicated tab/page on the interactive Citizen’s Budget website for the government’s response to COVID-19 http://iltod.mof.gov.mn/budget/covid?year=2021&category=APPROVED).  

Task 2. Develop audiovisual contents based on the collected/updated fiscal data and disseminate those using different channels e.g. MOF website, interactive Citizen’s Budget website and social media: 

• Research international good practices emerged on disseminating COVID 19-related fiscal information to the public and propose design and communications ideas, approaches, and samples (ppts, flyers etc.) to be used in the Mongolian context. When performing this task take into consideration materials already produced under the project with the support of the GIFT team. 
• Based on the research conducted and the identified good practices and initial ideas proposed to the MOF, develop creative data visualization, posters, PPTs, and other innovative media content presenting the COVID-19 response actions and their budget information based on the data collected. The visual and communication materials to be produced will be disseminated through the interactive Citizen Budget web portal, official MOF website, and social media pages. 

D. DELIVERABLES 

The consultant shall present the progress and results of the work performed to the Treasury Department of the MOF for guidance and recommendations. The Consultant will prepare the deliverables listed below at the minimum. Other relevant information, research, reports, and drafts may be added during the course of the assignment, as deemed appropriate and reasonable: 

1. Regular updates to the data collection template on the budget data related to the proactive measures taken by the government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
   
2. A brief action plan/strategy detailing the contents to be develop, ideas for communication and content development, selected channels as well as timeline for their release.  
3. Actual audio/video and printed materials designed and developed as well as all relevant original files/contents in digital form. 
4. A monthly report on the communication activities carried out with detailed statistics on conversion rate, significant and organic engagement, numbers of viewers, comments, etc., as applicable. 
5. A final report summarizing the communication activities undertaken and links to access audio and video contents disseminated through social media and other channels.  

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DELIVERABLES 

The deliverables under the assignment shall comply with the following specifications, internal  government as well as donor communication guidelines and existing copyright requirements: 

1. Media content preparation 

• All contents shall be created/developed specifically for the assignment with the following components: program intro, transitions, outro, logos, music, title template, interpretation to for hearing-impaired audience, subtitles, etc. All materials should come from the consultant’s own libraries or creation, or open libraries as there is no additional budget available for licensed contents or additional graphic design work. 
• Publication material contents shall be easy to understand and be interesting to follow and be in accordance with the latest publication standards and quality /jpg, png, gif etc./.  

2. Property rights and copyright 

• The contractor shall keep all the original footage, recordings and other relevant files during the contract period. For each of the contents, make use of audio, video and any other visual materials created only for this assignment and avoid any intellectual property violations. The deliverables under this assignment shall become intellectual property of the MOF and shall not be used by other parties without written approval of the Client. 

3. Donor’s visibility requirements  

• All content materials should follow the Branding and Visual Identity Guidelines of the WB and Communication and Visibility Guidelines of EU and clearly state that the project is funded by the EU and implemented with the support of the World Bank.  

E. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONSULTANT 

Education: A suitable candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, publication design or other relevant discipline, or a recognized professional certification in visual design. Proficiency in the use of Adobe Creative suite, particularly InDesign and illustrator, or a similar software such as Illustrator, After effects, Edius, Corel draw, Photoshop etc. Basic knowledge of finance and proficiency in Microsoft Excel will be considered a plus. Knowledge on data collection and/or economic and fiscal matters will be an asset.  

Experience: The candidate should have at least 2 years of experience in the media and communication field and be experienced in designing and developing media and publication content as well as developing and implementing a dissemination strategy. Previous experience working for the government or related public administration organizations will be an asset.  

Professional qualifications: Evidence of media and publication materials developed within the last 2 years.  

Language skills: Fluent written and spoken skills in Mongolian. Basic command of English will be required; 

Other: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function effectively and collaboratively in a team environment. Have the ability to perform and manage high-quality work in a relatively short period. 

F. SUPERVISION AND REPORTING 

• The consultant will report directly to the Head of the Payment and Settlement Division (PSD) and the Director-General of the TD, MOF and will work closely with the officials of the relevant departments. The Head of the Payment and Settlement Division will communicate regularly with the consultant to review progress of the relevant tasks to resolve any outstanding issues.   
• The consultant will also work closely with the national consultants, the coordinating consultant covering the budget transparency agenda under the project. Consultation and advice can be sought from the WB and the GIFT Coordination teams, when needed.  
• The consultant will be required to carry out his/her tasks in line with the approved contract implementation plan which will serve as a basis for measuring progress on desired outcomes and goals for the entire consultancy service.  
• The consultant will prepare monthly progress reports detailing the achievements and impediments in executing the entire contract implementation plan effectively. These progress reports will be discussed with the Director-General of the TD.  
• All information provided to the consultant will be regarded as confidential and information will not be shared with any outside individuals or organizations without prior agreement by the Client.  

G. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS  

The client will provide office space, assign the officials to accept deliverables stated in the contract, and provide all necessary materials required for undertaking the assignment. The consultant shall bring his/her own computer/laptop. 

H. CONTRACT DURATION 

The assignment is expected to commence in May 2020. The total duration of the consultancy service rendered is estimated to be eight (8) months. 

Based on the business needs of the Client and the performance of the consultant, the contract may be extended if needed. If any task is not finished and approved by the Client within the agreed-upon timeline, the consultant should complete the task/s without any additional cost. 

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