Strategy

Carry out a review of the Terms of References (ToRs) of the consultants deployed at BISP under the Technical Assistance program. The objective will be to analyze their ToRs for cross reporting and/or over lapping of the scope of work amongst each other.

We have recently carried out the expenditure review of the social sector for Punjab. This was a joint exercise of the World Bank Washington Head office and the World Bank’s Pakistan Country Office. The scope of the assignment entails the institutional assessment review of the Social Protection programs of the Government of Punjab.

The assignment was undertaken by Mr. Hussain as an independent consultant with the World Bank.

We have developed the Annual Statement of Progress (ASP) of 2013 for the Punjab Employment Opportunity Program (PEOP) for the year 2013. PEOP is a GFBP 55 million program jointly funded by DFID and Government of Punjab by providing GBP 25 each and an additional GBP 5 million as technical assistance by DFID. The purpose of the ASP is to review the annual progress of the project in light of the recommendations given in the Fiduciary Risk Assessment (FRA).

Conducted in-depth research study both primary and secondary for scope of public private partnership (PPP) in Pakistan. The study entails analyzing economic and political environment for the implementation of PPP strategy in the development of infrastructure in Pakistan, institutional analysis by studying Pakistan’s early experience with PPP, the roadblocks to PPP implementation and private sector perspective with a special focus on energy, communication and ports & shipping sector and global PPP Policy. Recommendations will be suggested for making Pakistan´s PPP Program successful based on international best practices and on basis of responses from various key stakeholders.

Advisory services at the pre-bid submission stage includes methodology formulation, budget preparations, proposal conceptualization and review, negotiations with the donor till financial close and at the post award stage; review of the project design and implementation, financial reporting, project burn rate, project cost charging methodology, adherence to ADS / FAR regulations (For USAID funded projects) and relevant guide lines from the donor. Advisory services rendered on various projects undertaken directly or while representing other clients, are here under: -

• CDKN, PricewaterhouseCoopers, UK (Climate Data Knowledge Network)
• ENI Pakistan - Bhit Rural Support Program (BRSP)
• USAID (ASP) – Assessment and strengthening Program (pre award proposal submission in association with Aid, LEAD and GHK)
• Packard Foundation – Women Leaders for Reproductive Health and Development (WLRHD),
• Packard Foundation – Leadership and Reproductive Health Project (LRH)
• Care International – Stimulating Hope in District Buner, NWFP
• Asian Development Bank – Promoting Climate Change and Adaptation in Asia & Pacific
• Sindh Education Foundation - Rural Base Community Supported School
• The World Bank  - Improving Quality, Access and Governance in Education (in collaboration with GET GmbH/ICON-INSTITUTE, LEAD Pakistan and Proman SA)
• British High Commission - The Roles & Capacities of Actors in Water Conflicts in Pakistan: A Mapping Study
• RAF - Maternal and Newborn Health Programme Research
• USAID (JOBS)– Integrated Work and Learning Programmes for Pakistan
• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (HBF) – Copenhagen Climate Change Summit
• IDRC – Entrepreneurship Education through School based productive enterprises
• Oxfam Novaib - Disaster Response Network-Balakot (DRN-Balakot)

USAID- Education Sector Relief Assistance.

The Term Sheets were prepared after hectic negotiations with the JV partners to finalize the terms of financing, to be offered to SNGPL.

Never before the JV has partners financed any pipeline infrastructure project in the country. Therefore this unprecedented arrangement needed number of brain storming sessions and structuring, while drafting the loan agreements, especially from the prudential regulations, foreign exchange regulations and collaterals point of view. The loan agreements prepared and agreed upon, included:

1. Foreign Currency Loan Agreements
2. Murabaha Financing Agreements
3. Escrow Agreement

Security Trust deed

This is a US $ 25 million project and is being financed by the Joint Venture (JV) partners of the Sawan gas field. The financial viability of financing the project was analyzed keeping in mind the General Sales Agreement (GSA), signed between the JV partners and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd. (SNGPL). This also included a detailed study, of the various financing options, the due diligence of the project, the prevailing market interest rates, security, and from SNGPL point of view, ways to hedge the foreign currency component of the financing from potential exchange losses.

Managed a USD 18 million consortium for financing the Sawan Qadir pipeline. Represented the joint venture partners for arranging financing from all the top non development financial institutions and also commercial banks throughout Pakistan. Was able to negotiate the term sheet on behalf of the joint venture partners.

Carried out the commercialization study for the Zarghun filed for Premier Kufpec Pakistan as financial specialist with Hagler Bailly Pakistan.

The World Bank is providing USD 300 million in the first phase, for technical assistance and financing cash transfers. This is a long-term engagement to assist the project FM team in:

• development of a credible FM system, which allows smooth financial flows and tracking of all payments made to the project staff, vendors, and implementation partners such as BPO; and
• develop MoU between the Local Government Division (LGD) and Bangladesh Post Office (BPO) which clearly spells out the responsibilities of each entity in:
  •  setting up the compliance monitoring system (with investments by the project in developing the electronic  infrastructure for enrolment and compliance monitoring at the local level);
  • managing financial flows from LGD to BPO for timely cash transfers to the beneficiaries that are enrolled in the program and complying with the relevant co- responsibilities; and
  • providing necessary controls at each level of financial transactions; and
  • managing timely reconciliation of funds disbursed from Project Implementation Agency (PIA) to BPO, and then to the program beneficiaries.

The assignment is undertaken by Mr. Hussain as an independent international consultant with the World Bank, Washington head quarters.

The project consists of two main components:

I. Immediate Safety Net Recovery support– To provide Cash Transfers (UCT) for 6 months to cover basic and subsistence needs of the families when they return home. This would ensure consumption smoothing and provide support to people till they restore their livelihoods

II. Co-responsibility Cash Grants Child Immunization – This Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) will be linked to comprehensive child immunization package including Polio for the affected families. This will encourage long term improvements in children’s health and support overall human development outcomes for the affected region.

We are providing support to the design team in finalizing the financial management and institutional arrangements with the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) - GoP.

The assignment is undertaken by Mr. Hussain as an independent consultant with the World Bank.

The Kenya National Safety Net Programme (NSNP) is a government Social Protection programme established in September 2013 as part of the government’s initiatives to improve and enhance social protection delivery in the country.

We are reviewing the existing disbursement mechanisms of the cash transfers with a view to consolidate cash payments provided by the Government of Kenya (GoK) and introduction of technology based payment mechanisms to bring efficiency, transparency and accountability in the safety net program. 

The assignment is undertaken by Mr. Hussain as an international independent consultant with the World Bank Headquaerters.