Open Call: Technical Support for Local Citizens’ Budget Practices (Nepal)

UNICEF is seeking a partner in Nepal to provide technical assistance for institutionalizing Citizens’ Budget practices at the local government level and expanding their adoption nationwide. The initiative will support federal endorsement of Citizens’ Budget tools, pilot implementation in seven local governments—one in each province—and wider adoption and publication by 35 local governments.

What Is the Initiative?

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is seeking a qualified partner to strengthen participatory budgeting, fiscal transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement across Nepal’s local governments.

The initiative recognizes Nepal’s federal governance structure, under which provincial and local governments have greater authority and fiscal responsibilities to respond to community needs.

A key objective is to ensure that local budgets are easier for citizens to understand and that communities can better engage with government spending decisions, particularly investments affecting children.

What Is a Citizens’ Budget?

A Citizens’ Budget is a simplified and accessible version of a government budget that explains public revenues, expenditures, priorities, and planned investments in language that citizens can understand.

Citizens’ Budgets can strengthen:

• Public participation.
• Budget transparency.
• Government accountability.
• Citizen understanding of public expenditure.
• Community engagement in local development.
• Investment and planning for children.

Key Objectives

The selected partner will work with stakeholders across federal, provincial, and local levels to institutionalize Citizens’ Budget practices.

Key objectives include:

• Establishing strong federal ownership of Citizens’ Budget practices.
• Supporting standardized Citizens’ Budget processes across local governments.
• Developing and disseminating practical tools and guidance.
• Strengthening participatory and transparent local budgeting.
• Supporting greater investment in children through improved governance.
• Creating a model that can be scaled nationally.

What Will the Selected Partner Do?

The partner will provide technical and institutional support across several areas.

Federal-Level Institutionalization

The partner will support the federal government in endorsing and disseminating:

• Citizens’ Budget templates.
• Citizens’ Budget manuals.
• Standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Guidance for local government implementation.

The objective is to create a standardized framework that can be used by local governments throughout Nepal.

Pilot Implementation

The initiative will pilot Citizens’ Budget processes in seven local governments, with one local government selected from each province.

The partner will help these governments develop, implement, and secure approval for their Citizens’ Budgets.

Nationwide Expansion

Following the pilot phase, the partner will facilitate wider adoption by 35 local governments.

This will involve:

• Knowledge sharing.
• Technical assistance.
• Capacity building.
• Integration of Citizens’ Budget practices into government systems.
• Support for publication of Citizens’ Budgets.

Who Is the Opportunity For?

This is a partnership opportunity for an organization capable of providing technical and institutional support in Nepal.

The selected partner is expected to work across multiple levels of government and coordinate with relevant stakeholders.

The organization should therefore be capable of supporting:

• Federal government engagement.
• Provincial-level coordination.
• Local government capacity building.
• Participatory budgeting processes.
• Transparency and accountability mechanisms.
• Development and dissemination of standardized tools.
• Scaling and institutionalization of government practices.

Geographic Scope

The initiative covers Nepal, with implementation involving:

• Federal stakeholders.
• Provincial governments.
• Local governments.
• Seven pilot local governments, representing all seven provinces.
• An additional group of local governments for expanded adoption, bringing the targeted scale to 35 local governments.

How the Initiative Works

Step 1: Establish Federal Ownership

The partner will work with federal stakeholders to secure endorsement of standardized Citizens’ Budget tools and procedures.

Step 2: Develop and Disseminate Tools

Templates, manuals, and SOPs will be prepared or refined and disseminated for use by local governments.

Step 3: Implement Seven Pilots

One local government in each province will pilot the Citizens’ Budget approach.

Step 4: Secure Local Approval

The partner will support the pilot governments in obtaining the necessary approval and institutionalizing their Citizens’ Budgets.

Step 5: Share Knowledge

Lessons and experiences from the pilot phase will be shared with other local governments.

Step 6: Expand Adoption

Technical assistance and knowledge sharing will support the adoption and publication of Citizens’ Budgets by 35 local governments.

Step 7: Integrate the Practice Into Government Systems

The long-term objective is to move Citizens’ Budget practices from individual projects into regular government budgeting and governance systems.

Why It Matters

Nepal’s federal structure gives local governments an important role in determining how public resources are allocated to local priorities.

However, effective decentralization also requires citizens to understand government budgets and participate meaningfully in decision-making.

Institutionalized Citizens’ Budgets can help bridge this gap by making public financial information more accessible and strengthening the relationship between governments and communities.

The initiative also has an important child-focused governance dimension, because clearer and more participatory budgeting can help communities and governments identify and monitor investments affecting children.

Key Outputs

The partnership is expected to contribute to:

• Federal endorsement of Citizens’ Budget tools.
• Standardized templates and manuals.
• Standard operating procedures for local governments.
• Seven provincial pilot implementations.
• Approved Citizens’ Budgets in the seven pilot governments.
• Expanded adoption across 35 local governments.
• Publication of Citizens’ Budgets.
• Increased institutional capacity for participatory budgeting.
• Integration of Citizens’ Budget practices into government systems.

Common Challenges to Consider

Organizations developing a response should consider potential challenges such as:

• Differences in capacity between local governments.
• Coordination across federal, provincial, and local authorities.
• Ensuring Citizens’ Budgets are genuinely accessible to citizens.
• Maintaining consistent standards across different municipalities.
• Moving from pilot activities to long-term institutional adoption.
• Ensuring that transparency tools are integrated into existing government systems rather than operating as standalone initiatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is UNICEF seeking through this call?

UNICEF is seeking a partner to provide technical support for institutionalizing Citizens’ Budget practices at Nepal’s local government level.

What is a Citizens’ Budget?

A Citizens’ Budget is an accessible version of a government budget that helps citizens understand public revenues, expenditures, priorities, and planned investments.

How many local governments will participate in the pilot?

The initiative will pilot Citizens’ Budget practices in seven local governments, with one local government representing each of Nepal’s seven provinces.

How many local governments are targeted for wider adoption?

The initiative aims to facilitate expanded adoption and publication of Citizens’ Budgets by 35 local governments.

What tools will be developed or disseminated?

The initiative includes federal endorsement and dissemination of Citizens’ Budget templates, manuals, and standard operating procedures.

Is the initiative limited to local governments?

No. The partner will collaborate with stakeholders at federal, provincial, and local levels, with strong federal ownership intended to support nationwide scaling.

What is the ultimate goal?

The long-term goal is to institutionalize Citizens’ Budget practices across Nepal, strengthening fiscal transparency, participatory governance, accountability, and informed citizen engagement at the local level.

Conclusion

The UNICEF Nepal partnership opportunity focuses on transforming Citizens’ Budgets from emerging participatory governance practices into a standardized and scalable component of local government systems. By combining federal endorsement, standardized tools, seven provincial pilots, and expansion to 35 local governments, the initiative seeks to strengthen budget transparency, citizen participation, accountability, and governance that is more responsive to children and communities.