Public Finance Management is throughout the Pacific a topic of importance for international and local partners equally. Numerous stakeholders, institutions and international actors have been engaged in reinforcing the frameworks, tools and actors linked to public monies management. Civil society actors, Parliament and Supreme Audit Institutions form oversight function in public financial management across the Pacific Islands region have been identify as an area requiring strengthening. A specific focus of UNDP in this regard is the parliament’s role in budget scrutiny; effective external audit of government budget execution by the supreme audit institutions, inclusion of citizens and civil society in budget processes, thorough and transparent parliamentary oversight of the external audit, and follow-up with government on recommendations.

Strengthening of public Finance Management and Governance in the Pacific Project (hereafter PFM) aims to strengthen oversight over public financial management in the Pacific region, though improving the budgetary scrutiny, public financial oversight and accountability capacities of parliaments, supreme audit institutions and civil society within the region, aligning with international public financial oversight and accountability standards, and fostering citizen engagement and oversight. Strengthening of Public Finance Management project is funded by the European Union (EU) and Implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The PFM project has been experimenting with ways of engaging a wide range of actors on public finance include sector specialists. Some of the activities and lessons learnt conducted since December 2018 include:

• Design and pilot of the PFM modules a series of 5 modules providing insight into the basic principles and entry points into Public Finance Management oversight.
• Regional facilitation by the Pacific Alliance of Non-Governmental Organizations of national CSO-led research and design of Citizen Budget Guides and budget submissions (7countries).
• Almost expert mentorship programme 2021 looking into sector budget submissions and links with the National Development Plans and SDG realisation.

One of the key recommendations from these activities are to develop and cultivate a network of PFM experts for the PFM project, who can engage with sector specialists and broader discussion on PFM in the Pacific

The proposed consultancy aims being a first engagement with PFM experts in countries.