LRPS 2022-9175332 for Risk & Financial Management Support for New Fund Modality, TREF, for the Lebanese Education Sector

The hybrid financial management set up between the company, MEHE, UNICEF, and the IST for the first funding window is depicted as follows:

While MEHE will prepare the program budgets and payment requests with all accounting details, UNICEF will execute payments directly to beneficiaries through existing and authorized mechanisms (i.e. OMT, banks). The TP will perform ex ante and ex post due diligence and verification actions, issue quarterly financial reports (which are reviewed by MEHE) and undertake financial reconciliation after the annual payment cycle. Also, the TP will conduct capacity building activities for the central, regional and school-level financial management function and more specifically support schools in issuing regular school-level financial reports. The IST, which reports to the DGE, will support MEHE staff in meeting TREF requirements and translate them into internal MEHE procedures.

For the second funding window, the TP will work closely with the relevant UNICEF team to execute payments directly to beneficiaries (i.e. around 400 private school accounts). The payment items consist of lump sum to each school including enrolments, and support cost for operational and administration. The final budget estimates for the second funding window will be confirmed before the contract is issued for the selected bidder. 

The key responsibility of the Third Party is to implement the relevant procedures of the Operational Handbook[1] of TREF in accordance with the UNICEF-MEHE Agreement and the Bilateral Agreements between UNICEF and the Contributing Partners. The responsibilities apply to both TREF funding windows.

UNICEF will be responsible for oversight of the program and processing of payments to beneficiaries in line with donor conditions while the company´s responsibility will be to review and verify data in line with the details in this TOR and perform capacity development interventions at central and school level (i.e. financial reporting)

UNICEF education section chief will be responsible for the overall management of the program while the TP will be working directly under the supervision of the education manager.