(b) Investment advisers (fixed fee).

It is therefore recommended that the costs associated with investment advisers be separated from other operational expenses.

Bring in your financial advisor Your advisor can also help you come up with a way to pay for those expenses.

Taking into account the level of consulting funds available in the budget as a whole, the Committee recommends against the provision of an additional 104,800 for consultant and expert services at this time.

(b) Consultants' fees and travel 20,000.

18. Decides to maintain the current level of funding for consultants and experts

Under non post objects of expenditure, the resources relate to general temporary assistance, overtime, consultants, travel of staff and other operational costs, such as general operating expenses, supplies and equipment.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should seek to avail itself of such expertise before committing funds for consultants.

Non post resources reflect reductions in provisions for services of consultants, hospitality, furniture and equipment, partially offset by a slight increase for supplies and materials.

The Advisory Committee notes that the total training budget amounts to 766,800, including 56,200 for training consultants, 611,100 for travel and 99,500 for training fees, supplies and services.

11.23 The resources of 1,330,400, at the maintenance level, provide for the continuation of four existing posts and related non post resources (other staff costs, consultants and experts and travel of staff).

(b) Funds for such studies and planning activities, including funds for advisory consultancy assistance if needed.

Provision is therefore made for internal audit ( 1,195,500) to cover costs of general temporary assistance ( 908,000), consultancy ( 250,000), travel of staff ( 10,000) and training, equipment, communications and supplies, furniture and equipment ( 27,500).

The budgetary implications for OIOS were 466,600, including 235,000 for consultants and 231,600 for official travel.

The unspent balance under consultants is attributable to the following factors

The total resources provided for the CRM project in the Information Technology Services Division amount to 579,600, of which an amount of 401,600 is included under consultants for configuration and implementation (ibid., para. 372), 135,000 is included under consultants for staff training (para. 374) and 43,000 is included under travel ( 18,000 related to training and 25,000 related to mission visits for implementation of the programme).

Benchmarks used include the benchmark prices established by the Inter Agency Procurement Services Office and the consultancy fees being charged.

Amounts requested for consultants should also be deferred.

The amount of 737,900 for non post requirements, including an increase of 126,500, relates to an increase for overtime ( 8,000) provision for consultants and experts ( 435,700, including an increase of 45,000) provision for travel of staff ( 165,200) provision for contractual services ( 55,500) an increase for supplies and materials ( 21,000) and an increase for office automation equipment ( 52,500).

9.93 The amount of 831,100, including an increase of 2,000, to provide for non post requirements, relates to an increase for overtime due to redeployment from subsection D, Programme support ( 2,000) consultants and experts ( 530,200), travel of staff ( 214,100) general operating expenses ( 48,300) supplies and materials ( 8,400) and furniture and equipment ( 28,100).

For the 2005 06 period, the Mission requests a substantial increase in training related resources as compared to the cost estimates for the current period, including a provision for 32,000 for consultants and 51,000 for supplies and services, an increase of 21 per cent over the 40,000 requested for the current period.

(l) Has entered into or accepted directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fees from the United Nations other than in his capacity as a committee member (compensation for committee services).

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has indicated that it will take over the cost of a policy adviser in the Ministry of Education.

Savings were offset in part by additional requirements under consultants and general temporary assistance due to the retention of advisers of the Civilian Support Group beyond 31 December 2003, under United Nations Volunteers because of higher average monthly costs for Volunteers than budgeted, and under national staff as a result of a higher than anticipated incumbency rate.

The non post requirements would provide for general temporary assistance, consultants, overtime, official travel of staff, contractual services, general operating expenses, supplies and materials and furniture and equipment for both CEB secretariat offices.

Costs are low when local or regional experts are involved (Guatemala, Peru), and on the high side when international consultants are used (e.g. PDR Lao).

The Mixed Commission has been able to obtain voluntary contributions to cover the costs related to the work of two military advisers and a legal expert on the maritime boundary.

A provision of 449,000 is proposed under consultants, reflecting an increase of 349,000 over the provision approved for 2004 05 to cover the outputs described in paragraphs 62 65 of the budget report.

The provision of 463,000 is made for the services of a consulting actuary who will provide the following services, in accordance with article 10 of the regulations of the Fund

An amount of 132,500 is included in the revised estimates under consultants and experts to cover the cost of outside expertise to be employed for the review.

The level of the investment advisers' fees is dependent on the market value of the Fund and the prevailing fee structures.

In connection with training, the Advisory Committee notes that the total requirements for training for the Office of Mission Support amount to 534,800, which, besides the travel related costs, include 165,000 for consultants (see below) and 66,000 for training fees, supplies, services and equipment.

Travel of panel members on mission to Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Santiago 151.8

30.20 The estimated requirements in the amount of 15,017,800 would provide for the continuation of 46 posts (1 D 2, 3 D 1, 3 P 5, 8 P 4, 4 P 3, 3 P 2, and 24 General Service (2 Principal level)) and related non post operational requirements, including consultancy, travel, contractual services, general operating expenses, supplies and equipment.

As regards the construction of two additional floors, the design consultants, using the same parameters used for the original four floor structure, estimated the cost of the additional office space at 2,390,600, including 1,871,000 for construction, 148,000 for design, 73,300 for site work and safety systems, 102,000 for project coordination and 196,300 for construction contingencies.

Additional requirements were mainly for non training consultants and resulted from capacity constraints during the start up phase, when a consultant was hired to monitor developments in the Sudan and conduct research to identify policy and planning recommendations for the management of UNMIS.

Financial implications and cost sharing arrangements

Table 3 provides a detailed cost comparison of the project, as initially budgeted in 2001 and as estimated by the design consultants in 2005.

A provision of 3,050,800 has been made to cover their salaries and common staff costs, taking into account a vacancy rate of 10 per cent.

WFP's share of common services programme costs in 2004 was US 132,000, including its portion of the cost of two common services adviser posts established for the Eastern Southern Africa region and West Africa.

Consultants on the Division's roster are increasingly solicited by other organizations, often at rates that exceed those paid by the United Nations system.

2005 18 UNDP strategic cost management and implications for cost recovery

With regard to a provision for consultants, in view of the delayed recruitment factor for new posts, which could be up to one year, it may be prudent to retain the provision for consultants, subject to review and rejustification in the report requested in paragraph 11 above.

This provision will be needed to hire the services of a professional designer for the cover pages of UNIDIR's publications ( 10,000), and consultancies for the study entitled, A Strategy for European Action on Small Arms, Light Weapons and Explosive Remnants of War.

The amount of 777,700 for non post requirements, including an increase of 130,100, relates to provision for other staff costs ( 83,700), including an increase of 6,600 for overtime an increase of 39,400 for consultants and experts ( 377,500) provision for travel of staff ( 105,900) provision for contractual services ( 126,500) an increase for supplies and materials ( 22,500) an increase for office automation equipment ( 61,600).