I.Background
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was established by the 1995 Agreement on Co-operation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, between the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. In accordance with this Agreement, the mission of the MRC is: “To promote and coordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries’ mutual benefit and the people’s well-being by implementing strategic programmes and activities and providing scientific information and policy advice.”
The MRC has a three-fold governance structure, consisting of the Council as the highest level decision-making body (at ministerial level), the Joint Committee (JC) and the MRC Secretariat – complemented by National Mekong Committees (NMCs) in each MRC Member Country. The MRC Secretariat is the operational arm of the MRC. It provides technical and administrative services to the JC and the Council to achieve the MRC’s mission. The office of the Secretariat is located in Vientiane (OSV), Lao PDR, and a Regional Flood Mitigation and Management Center is based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

In 2010, the heads of government of the four MRC member countries held their first MRC Summit in Hua Hin, Thailand, and decided on a vision of a financially self-sustained organisation by 2030. To achieve this 2030 goal, the MRC has since embarked on a comprehensive organizational reform towards a leaner and more efficient organisation, based on the decentralisation of activities to the member countries. This reform includes structural, staff and financial reform.

A new organisational structure has been implemented since July 2016 and the recruitment process for almost all new positions is now being finalised. The financial reform has focused on the establishment of a basket fund where development assistance support and member countries’ contributions are pooled to fund one overall annual budget for MRCS, replacing the previous dual budget structure. A new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) accounting platform was also installed and configured at MRCS in 2016. The new Financial Management Information System is based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV, to substitute the Microsoft Dynamics SOLOMON System that was in place for more than 10 years. The new software has become the production environment and has coincided with:

• A new Chart of Accounts, enforced by changes to the accounting basis and move to new accounting system
• Unresolved matters regarding accruals-basis processes and outcome/output budgeting in the new system, with impact on the quality and completeness of the data migration

The change of software has also coincided with the departure of senior team members giving rise to a considerable shortfall in strategic accounting expertise.

This has all led inter alia to many implementation and transitional issues remaining unresolved that are critically impacting the effectiveness of the new application, and lead in turn to the emergence of manual processes that subvert the NAV system purely to manage day-to-day accounting and management reporting priorities.

Therefore it is necessary to introduce experienced accounting expertise familiar with Microsoft Dynamics NAV to support the MRC Finance team to complete the implementation of the new software and train the MRC finance team to be fully proficient and independent in the use of the new platform. This work will be of necessity a team effort, and include MRC finance team and IT resources, as well as support from the vendor as required.

II.Objective of the assignment
The main objective of this work is to provide support to the MRC finance team in the implementation of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform, ensuring that the new system is fully operational at technological and user level and that the finance team is fully proficient and independent in its use.

After this consultancy, the MRC finance team should be able to make the new system deliver accurate, reliable, timely and meaningful management reports, based upon good quality source data.

Specifically, the full implementation of Microsoft Dynamic NAV needs to be complete according to auditable standards, and ensure that:

• All 5 modules that are part of the first phase of implementation (Finance, Procurement, HR, Fixed Asset and Workflow and Corporate modules) are complete, compatible, implemented, stable and live;
• Staff are mentored and trained in the use of key NAV processes ;
• The relevance, accuracy and usage of tactical, operational, management and statutory/regulatory reports are assessed, engaging with the implementation supplier to guide remedial work on their part where necessary

III.Description of tasks and deliverables
The consultant will be requested to undertake the following tasks:

• Ensure the optimum day to day operation and implement of the Microsoft Dynamic NAV;
• Configure Microsoft Dynamics NAV software to meet MRCs requirements and reconfiguration of the accounting system to make it in line with the existing accounting practice, (budgeting, Income, expenditure, obligation, fixed assets and cash advance);
• Assist the Finance team in developing customised financial reports from the Microsoft Dynamic NAV, Jet report, or other tools including design, develop and testing of the reports necessary to support the monthly and annual cycles closure;
• Ensure accuracy of the system generated financial reports (Expenditure, Income, Profit and Lost Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Projections, Budgeting, Monthly Bank Reconciliation and Obligation);
• Fund management reporting works, day to day accuracy in transaction processing, and the ability of the implementation model to support the reporting needs. Especially Chart of Accounts, Vendor (AP), Customer (AR), Employee, Cash advance aging and other relevant to our daily transactions;
• Coordination and work alongside with the Microsoft Dynamic NAV software provider or developer;
• Other accounting tasks required by the Director of the Administration Division and the Chief Financial Officer.

The delivery of value from this intervention will be contained almost wholly within the finance system and function themselves. A comprehensive financial and budget report is however expected, as well as a short project completion report. This report includes the identification of major risks for the future implementation and respective recommendations and should be submitted no later than March 15th 2018.

IV. Timeframe
A maximum of 90 days is expected. The assignment will tentatively start on August 15th 2017 and end on March 31st 2018. The consultancy is to be undertaken at the MRC Headquarters in Vientiane, Lao PDR and will be divided in two missions

V. Working relationship and contractual arrangements
The Consultant will work closely with the MRC Administration Division and in particular with the finance and IT teams. He/She will report to the Director of the Administration Division, the Chief Financial Officer of MRCS, and the Technical Advisor of MRC-GIZ Cooperation Programme.

GIZ is responsible for all contractual arrangements and will provide all relevant previous reports and information to the consultant as needed.
The consultant is under the obligation of confidentiality.

VI. Qualifications and requirements

• Bachelor or advanced degree in Finance/Accounting/Information Systems or relevant field.
• A minimum 5 years of experience in financial management or financial management consulting.
• Demonstrated 3 years’ hands on experience in Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
• Knowledge of Jet Reports and/or EDI software.
• Troubleshooting and support experience with Microsoft Dynamics NAV is preferred.
• Excellent English verbal and written skills and general communication skills.

VII. Key reference documents
The consultant will have full access to all relevant documents as needed to undertake the assignment namely:

• Regional Roadmap for MRC’s core river basin management function decentralisation and financial reform related information;
• Current MRC manuals, forms and templates;
• Basket Fund guidelines and annexes;
• Recommendations from previous consultancies on the financial reform.