Mission and objectives

UNICEF helps build a world where the rights of every child are fully realized. It is our conviction that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created in 1946 to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. It has global authority to influence decision-makers, and a wide variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and Governments.

Context

The Finance Assistant UN Volunteer will be responsible for executing a broad variety of standardized administrative and financial tasks for the finance Unit, requiring thorough knowledge of UNICEF administrative and financial procedures, processes, and policies. The incumbent will perform a variety of data information gathering, input and manipulation, report generation and dissemination. The UN Volunteer assignment tasks will include but not limited to updating the payment monitoring tool and tracking, Reconciling and Monitoring Mobile payments. The UN Volunteer will work closely with programme sections in the delivery of the results for children. The objective of the UN Volunteer assignment is to strengthen data collection to generate meaningful statistics to track finance performance and improve quality and efficiency of processes.

Task Description

Under the direct supervision of the Finance Officer, the Finance Assistant will undertake the following tasks: • Support the Finance Assistant in updating and maintaining schedule of direct payments made on the cash handling long term agreements-LTA’s; • Support Finance Assistant to reconcile and process recalls of unspent funds from service providers (Mobile Network Operators-MNO’s); • Support the Finance Assistant in ensuring that all cash disbursements are retired with supporting documentation; • Working closely with Finance Assistant to review and monitor paysheets of all direct payments; • Assist in maintaining an online filing system of all retirements such as money paysheets and cash in transit acquittal sheets; • Support Finance Assistant in updating the payment monitoring tool by obtaining information to measure efficiency in payment processing; • Working closely with Finance Officer to review all payment forecasts on a weekly basis.

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organizing • Professionalism • Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

Zambia is a land-locked country with a population estimated at 18 million. It is a resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the centre of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) that serve as an expanded market for its goods. Lusaka became the capital city of Zambia in May 1935. Lusaka’s central position in Zambia and its pleasant climate were two of the main reasons for its selection as the capital. It is a metropolis, which provides a home to about two and half million (3.3 M) inhabitants of different nationalities. It has grown to become the seat of the Government of the Republic of Zambia and as such all diplomatic missions, international organizations, industrial and commercial entities are based there. Its political, social, economic and cultural significance has also in-creased through the years. Public transport is provided by private operators using minibuses and taxis. The bus routes are not mapped, and roads are often congested. Good modern housing for rent is available on the open market. The official language is English, which is widely spoken. The country is generally food secure, with sufficient local fresh fruits and vegetables available in the markets, as well as various dairy, poultry and meat products. There are several international schools using the Cambridge GCSE or IGCSE syllabi, from key stage one through to A levels. Health conditions are generally good, although malaria is endemic. Zambia is generally a safe place to live in, although not free of crime. Some prudence is required. For more info, visit: http://www.zambiatourism.com

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements