Location:

Washington DC, United States
Salary:

negotiable / YEAR
Job type:

CONTRACTOR
Posted:

2 weeks ago
Category:

Programme and Project Management
Deadline:

10/12/2024

JOB DESCRIPTION

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

BPPS’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit, works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses:

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests.
Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems.
Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS.
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.
Sustainable Energy;
Extractive Industries.
Chemicals and Waste Management;
Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches.

This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships in Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds (VFs), UNDP’s Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit supports UNDP’s Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste related Hubs and provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

The VF Management and Programme Support Unit (MPSU) under the VF Hub provides financial oversight to a large VF portfolio across over 130 countries, including GEF/GCF/AF and non-VF global projects. Along with UNDP’s new ERP system (Quantum), and the new BPPS Environment Hubs structure, a large number of business processes need to be reviewed, MPSU standard operating Process to be amended, aiming at streamlining/simplification, enhancing compliance with donor policies, conducting training/capacity building of COs/VF teams. The Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight, and Compliance Unit is looking to engage a Management and Programme Support Specialist (MPSS) to accelerate policy/SOP alignment, automaton and simplification of business processes, project closures to implement audit recommendations.

Duties and Responsibilities

The MPSU Management and Program Support Specialist will work under the supervision of the Chief of Management and Programme Support Unit (MPSU) in the VF Programme Support Oversight and Compliance Unit. S/he will provide VFs project cycle management services/oversight on VF project design, implementation to the project closure/reporting to donor, knowledge management, Capacity Building, Compliance and Risk management on the financial/budgeting/auditing areas, Portfolio financial/budgeting data analysis, data quality Control and Reporting, audit support and reporting to the donor.
Ensure knowledge management, Training/Capacity Building of VF Teams and COs

Perform portfolio analysis and advise as required on the business process and application of the ’NDP’s and donors’ guidelines, rules, and regulations to ensure compliance and risk management;
Review, update, and develop financial management processes to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and timeliness of the oversight functions provided by MPSU;
Develop, review, update, and maintain MPSU-driven Standard Operating Procedures/processes on budget management, financial management, portfolio management, direct project services, and project cycle management services;
Design, coordinate, and provide training on the financial management processes of the VF-Hub portfolio to the BPPS VF-Hub, Regional Hubs, and Country Offices;
Prepare an MPSU-driven compliance program based on the VF-Hub’s needs and requirements to ensure compliance with donor policies and guidelines, and coordinate and advise on its implementation.
Liaison with other VF-Hub and BPPS teams, participating in discussions on topics related to the financial management processes and guidance of the VF-Hub portfolio.
Support the VF-Hub knowledge-sharing platforms, coordinating and maintaining updated and accurate information and documents on topics within the MPSU scope.

Ensure portfolio data analysis, data quality control, audit support and reporting to donors, and cost efficiency analysis

Perform portfolio data analysis, find best practices of project management structure focusing on the set up of the Project management Unit leading to timely and quality project delivery;
Conduct cost-efficiency analysis of project cycle management services at various stages, from CEO endorsement/approval to the financial closure of the projects;
Assist in the preparation, clearance, and reconciliation of portfolio reports to donors: project approvals/closures between GEFSEC, GEF Trustee, and UNDP- GEF Unit, and First Disbursement to the GEF.
Prepare data/info of GEF/AF/GCF donor reports and UNDP-GEF financial statements;
Provide support to audits
Advise and coordinate the workflows, maintenance, upgrades, and updates of the VF-Hub internal database system (PIMS+) business processes and data quality assurance related to financial management to ensure streamlining, simplification, and accuracy.
Ensure the revision, maintenance, and development of reports that support the portfolio and project-level financial management oversight function of the VF Hub and Country Offices;
Analyze VF Quantum transactions, setup, and structure, focusing on risk management to ensure donor requirements are met and discussing improvement on the processes and features with UNDP Quantum teams.
Conduct analysis of VF portfolio data, closures, first disbursements, and GCF/GEF financial reports.

Provision of VFs Project cycle management services/oversight from project design, implementation, closure, to reporting to donors and ensure compliance and risk management

Support, advise, and provide guidance to regional MPSU teams on compliance and the financial management oversight of the VF-Hub portfolio project cycle management
Review the performance of the project budget, and identify compliance issues compared to the donor-approved budgets and relevant budget management policies.
Conduct portfolio reviews and analyses, including project budget balances, deficits reviews, project closures, inactive projects, NIM advances, and exception analyses, to ensure only authorized account codes are used in the UNDP-GEF portfolio. Based on results, follow up with the MPSU regional team to ensure actions are taken on time;
Liaising with relevant Regional Technical Advisors and Programme Support staff to review submission documents, including draft project documents, CEO endorsement templates, Letter of Agreements focusing on budget formulations, auditing, financial compliance, project cycle management arrangements, direct project services, and to ensure compliance with GEF, GCF and AF donor policies and UNDP policies, and conduct financial clearance for global, regional and national projects as required;
Support and provide guidance on project set up focusing on budget/finance in Quantum and PIMS+, ensure donor commitments, approvals, and financial/reporting milestones are entered/maintained accurately;
Identify critical financial/budget management issues at the project preparation stage and provide technical advice to address them.
Review all project budget revisions submitted by 1^st tier oversight team, compare to Quantum budgets, verify cumulative expenditure status and project budget balance, and clear for ASL allocations;
Provide guidance and grant clearance on the financial data/information reported to the donors.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangements

The incumbent will work remotely from his/her home-base.
The incumbent will report to the Chief of the Management and Programme Support Unit (MPSU) based in NY, USA and/or his/her designate. S/he will work closely with other staff in the VF Unit and Environmental Hubs as appropriate.
The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment.
The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection.
Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably be flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results:	LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively:	LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously:	LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility:	LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination:	LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner:	LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:	LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Thematic Area	Name	Definition
Business management	Customer Satisfaction/Client Management	Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
Business development	Knowledge generation	Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
Business management	Communication	Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.
Digital	Data Analysis	Ability to extract, analyze and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making
Digital	Digital Business Analysis	Ability to support digital business processes across a range of digital projects, programmes and activities.
Business management	Monitoring & Evaluation	Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns
Business Direction and Strategy	System Thinking	Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education	Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, compliance and risk management, or other closely related field is required. Or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Min. years of relevant work experience	Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services and/or project/programme support focusing on financial, fund, and resource management.
Required skills/knowledge	Extensive experience working with an ERP system Experience in the development of Standard Operating Procedures Extensive experience in managing/maintaining a project/portfolio information management system focusing on financial/budget and reporting modules.
Desired Skills	Demonstrated experience in, and knowledge of, Quantum ERP is strongly desired. Extensive experience in, and knowledge of, UNDP policies, procedures and practices is highly desirable. Extensive experience in, and knowledge of, Vertical Funds (GEF/GCF/AF) financial and programme support management, and reporting.
Required Language(s) (at working level)	Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of Spanish is an asset.

Travel

Mission travel may be required to attend relevant meetings and/or trainings;
Any necessary mission travel must be approved in advance and in writing by the Chief – MPSU based in New York, USA;
The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
The incumbent is responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP and for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
S/he is required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb.

Disclaimer

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements

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