Programme Manager

United Nations Development Programme (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 Hubs and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the 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 the 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. 

• The 2030 Agenda for SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind reflect the interconnectedness of health and sustainable development, including widening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis), the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and well-being for all demands innovative partnerships and financing. As affirmed in the Political Declaration of the 2019 High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and others are critical partners for delivering on the health-related goals of the 2030 Agenda.  Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All outlines how a dozen multilateral health, development and humanitarian agencies, including UNDP, the Global Fund, Gavi and others will collaborate to be more efficient and effective in supporting countries to deliver UHC and achieve the health-related SDG targets.
• UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund, in line with UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2022-2025: Connecting the Dots, makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind.
• As a long-standing partner of the Global Fund, UNDP’s value proposition lies in providing an integrated package of development solutions to strengthen institutions to deliver health services. Through its contributions as an interim Principal Recipient (PR) and a provider of technical assistance to Global Fund grants in countries more than 53 since 2003, UNDP’s provision of integrated policy, implementation and capacity development support to countries has yielded significant health and development results in challenging operating environments. Proactive risk management and investing in sustainability are the cornerstones of UNDP’s portfolio management approach in supporting to countries with significant national capacity constraints to manage large-scale health programmes. UNDP has established a comprehensive risk management framework (RMF) to mitigate and manage risks, through specific implementation modalities and other targeted measures to manage risks effectively. Integral components of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) are Sub-recipient (SR) management to allow for prevention and detection of weaknesses and support to safeguarding, maintaining, accounting, and reporting on GF financial resources and assets.  By providing technical assistance to national counterparts in all phases of implementation, strengthening legislation, policies and regulatory frameworks, and building capacities across key functional areas, including financial management, health information systems, procurement and supply chain management, SR management and asset management, UNDP has been able to deliver results whilst sustainably transitioning health programs to national entities. UNDP’s track record as a PR over the last 18 years and capacity to deliver in challenging operating environments has been critical for strengthening its positioning as a health implementation support partner.
• In Angola, the Ministry of Health and UNDP have had a long-standing, strategic partnership for health service delivery and health systems strengthening through Global Fund grants. Currently, UNDP is the Principal Recipient for a consolidated HIV, Tuberculosis, and malaria grant, implemented in two provinces (Benguela and Cuanza Sul), which started on 1 July 2021 and will end on 30 June 2024.  In 2021, the country received an additional allocation of USD 22 million to support the Covid response. In 2023, UNDP was confirmed as the Principal Recipient for the Grant-Continuation 7(GC 7) grant to be implemented from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2027, which will cover a third province (Bie). For GC 7, UNDP will continue to manage the grant in close collaboration with implementing partners, including Ministry of Health, World Vision, ADPP and the Provincial Governments of Benguela, Kwanza Sul and Bie. UNDP exercises its PR role in consultation with other UN agencies, bilateral donors, and International Financing Institutions.
• The Programme Manager will be responsible for promoting collaboration and cohesion between and among the programme, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), finance, and procurement and supply management (PSM) teams within the Global Fund Project Management Unit (PMU), as well as the UNDP Angola Country Office teams, in ensuring successful implementation and oversight of GF programme resources and Country Office performance. In addition, the Programme Manager will work closely with functional team leads to promote overall capacity development for Sub-recipients.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Under the overall supervision of the Resident Representative, the Programme Manager will be responsible for leading a multi-disciplinary team to achieve a high level of programme performance, coordinating and building strategic partnerships, and providing policy and technical guidance while engaging with partners to strengthen national systems and health institutions for the transition of the interim PR role. The Programme Manager will promote a collaborative, client-oriented approach, ensuring integration across functional areas within the PMU, policy integration in coordination with the Country Office, Regional Bureaus, other UNDP business units, Global Fund Partnerships and Health Systems Strengthening Team (GFPHST) and support to the integration of capacity and health system strengthening activities.
• UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Key duties and accountabilities include:

Ensures strategic leadership, programme planning and execution focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Leads on the strategic planning, oversight and programme management in compliance with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures, and the terms and conditions of the grant agreement with the Global Fund.
• Leads on the coordination of the PMU across all functional areas and units (e.g. programme, finance, monitoring, procurement and supply management, capacity development and policy) and Sub-recipients and fosters strategic discussions to develop a cohesive, organization-wide approach to implementation, to ensure programmatic performance will achieve or surpass UNDP’s commitments.
• Provides quality and timely management of programme lifecycle, including meeting programmatic and financial deliverables.
• Leads the PMU to proactively diagnose underperformance, bottlenecks and ensure accountability of corrective action plans;
• Develops and maintains an organizational structure which ensures UNDP is resourced to deliver its commitments.
• Leads on recruitment processes of PMU staff, performance management and supervision fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in everyday work, build technical, management and leadership capacity of staff, and develop an environment which recognizes strong employee performance and morale.
• Ensures strong collaboration with UNDP regional and headquarters on all areas of strategic implementation and donor communication.
• Ensures project compliance with UNDP project planning, management and closure processes.

Ensures proactive financial oversight and controls are met and proactively performs risk assessments focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures that all UNDP financial and asset management policies and procedures are followed and validated by internal reviews.
• Ensures project performance against UNDP corporate Finance and Integrated Finance Dashboards.
• Leads on timely and quality submissions of core documents and reports to the Global Fund;
• Proactively performs risk assessments to identify and mitigate risks, including operational, financial, legal, contractual, reputational and safety. Ensure that mitigation actions are implemented and proactively work with other units to ensure adequate oversight and support is provided.
• Ensures compliance of procedures, systems to ensure safety and security of staff and assets in line with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures.
• Supervises and ensure accountability for Sub-recipient (SR) assessments, contracting, monitoring, with SRs work plan and budgets implemented in compliance with UNDP’s SR agreement, contracts, while ensuring quality of the programme.
• Liaises with headquarters on crucial events, high-risk periods, incident reporting. 
• Leads on programme audits (including Sub-recipients) and investigations under the guidance of the Resident Representative and in coordination with the Regional Bureau, Office of Audit and Investigations, GF/HIST and ensure follow up on audit recommendations; and
• Develops and completes regular reviews of the risk management matrix for the GF grant, SRs and technical partners.

Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and support the implementation of resource mobilization efforts, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Coordinates, builds partnerships and maintains excellent relationship with national partners, including the Ministry of Health and its different departments, UN Agencies, NGOs/CSOs, financial and technical partners and other implementing partners as well as with international and local stakeholders to ensure transparent and effective implementation of the GF programme.
• Supports national planning processes related to the GF programme, based on evidence gained during implementation of the programme.
• Maintains close co-ordination between the GF programme and other health initiatives in the country to ensure and promote continuity, partnership building and avoid duplication of programmatic activities.
• Supports implementation of interventions and policy guidance related to the removal of human rights and gender related barriers to the access to and uptake of services.
• Maintains effective partnership with government and regional institutions, implementing partners and UNDP colleagues to exchange critical and technical information and resolve programme/project implementation issues to ensure results are achieved as planned; and
• Establishes consistent and transparent dialogue with donors, partners, and stakeholders to maintain effective working relationships, sustain interests, promote resource mobilization and cooperation.

Ensures provision of policy advice and strategic technical guidance focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures harmonization and integration of the Global Fund funded programme(s) into the national strategic plans/policies on disease programmes.
• Provides policy and technical advice to the Ministry of Health, other government ministries, national disease programmes, and implementing partners and support work on programme adjustments, as necessary.
• Coordinates planned studies and programme review(s) with the national programme(s), in collaboration with other government ministries, civil society, UN agencies and technical partners.
• Supports implementation of interventions and policy guidance related to the removal of human rights and gender related barriers to the access to and uptake of services.
• Coordinates the involvement of involvements of all SR and partners (civil society, government, NGOs, etc.); and
• Participates in technical committees of the Country Coordinating Mechanism as appropriate.

Actively leads on the development of a capacity building and transition plan and facilitation of knowledge building and sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Engages with national partners to strengthen resilient health systems and institutions including national disease programmes and across functional areas including, procurement and supply management, monitoring, financial management and oversight, risk management, programme and SR management and monitoring.
• Engages with national partners and oversee the development of capacity development and transition strategies aimed at assisting governments and national programmes to increase implementation and assume the PR role over time.
• Undertakes a synthesis of lessons learnt and disseminate best practices for management of the programme.
• Represents UNDP in relevant technical meetings with partners, working groups.
• Contributes substantially to information sharing with other agencies/partners at the global, regional and local level and within UNDP; and
• Actively participates in UNDP and other relevant external networks to promote UNDP’s health and development work in relevant forums (conferences, e-forum).

Other Duties:

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: 

• The Global Fund Programme Manager will work under the direct supervision of the Resident Representative. He/she will manage a large team of personnel based performing the following functions: Project Mgr. COVID19 Award (P4)/ Finance Specialist (P4)/ M&E Specialist (P4)/ Project Managers.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Health, Epidemiology, International Development, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields of study, with additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• A minimum of 10 years (with master’s degree) or 12 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in managing development programmes is required.
• Demonstrated work experience in challenging operating environment an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing effective partnerships with government and civil society organizations in the context of health and development programmes is an asset.
• Knowledge and experience working with UN or UNDP agencies is an asset.
• Experience and knowledge of Global Fund policies and procedures is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in the management of diverse teams in the context of development programmes is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in building capacity of national entities in the area of development programmes is an asset.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.
• Working knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese is an asset.

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/22308