Quality Assurance Expert

Quality Assurance Expert – Designing and Conducting Survey studies to gauge stakeholder perception of Trade facilitation, Anti-smuggling and Taxpayer facilitation

Background

The Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade (REMIT) is a 39-months (2021 – 2025) programme funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and is being implemented by Adam Smith International (ASI). The programme provides technical assistance (TA) to Pakistan with a broader objective to implement reforms for strengthening macroeconomic stability and improving conditions for high and sustained growth, mutual prosperity, job creation and poverty reduction. The Programme works towards supporting the Government of Pakistan, its relevant ministries, institutions, and departments to strengthen revenue mobilisation reforms/initiatives, address investment environment challenges, facilitate trade and drive competitiveness by reducing trade barriers, and improve the macroeconomic policy and its management.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has commissioned comprehensive surveys to gather public and stakeholder feedback on trade facilitation, faceless assessments, and anti-smuggling efforts. The goal is to understand the publics experiences with tax and customs procedures, focusing on transparency, ease of compliance, and the effectiveness of recent reforms. By capturing candid feedback from key stakeholders and the public, this exercise will identify systemic bottlenecks, inform policy decisions and guide the trajectory of reforms for FBR.

Job Summary

The Quality Assurance Expert will ensure the smooth execution of the subject survey studies. Key tasks include collaborating with FBR, REMIT, and the survey firm to identify stakeholders, refining survey tools through pilot testing, and enforcing data privacy and ethical standards. The expert will monitor fieldwork to prevent fraud, resolve logistical hurdles, and clean raw data by removing duplicates and inconsistencies. Additionally, they will cross-check survey results with FBR's operational data, validate findings through focus groups, and mitigate biases. Finally, they will help translate technical insights into policy recommendations and support stakeholder workshops to drive meaningful reforms. The role is critical in delivering reliable, actionable feedback to enhance FBR's trade and tax facilitation measures.

Duties & Responsibilities

1. Collaborate with the vendor hired by REMIT for the development of manuals to ensure that the development of output remains aligned with FBR priorities.

2. Verify all manual content against current Pakistani tax laws (Income Tax, Sales Tax, Federal Excise, Customs), including all relevant rules, SROs, circulars, and amendments.

3. Identify and report any discrepancies, omissions, or misinterpretations of tax laws and FBR regulations within the manuals to REMIT team and the vendor for the course correction

4. Ensure the technical accuracy of procedural steps in the light of other laws for the time being in force in the country.

5. After the delivery of manuals, confirm the completeness of each procedure, including all necessary steps, scenarios, and exceptions

6. Assess the clarity, conciseness, and user-friendliness of the language used keeping in view the needs of tax collectors

7. Evaluate the logical flow and practical applicability of procedures for real-world operations of FBR.

8. Ensure consistency in terminology, formatting, and presentation throughout all manuals.

9. Suggest improvements for process efficiency and identify any potential procedural gaps or weaknesses.

10. Provide clear, constructive, and actionable feedback to vendor explaining in detail the required corrections and suggested enhancements.

11. Maintain comprehensive documentation of all review findings, issues identified, and recommended resolutions.

12. Review subsequent drafts of the manuals to verify that all identified issues have been effectively addressed.

13. Engage with FBR team for clarification on tax law interpretations or operational nuances as and when required.