Project Partnership and Finance Specialist

The Gov4Res Project has three outcome areas: 1) government planning and financing systems enable gender and socially inclusive risk-informed development; 2) country oversight and accountability systems require gender and socially inclusive risk-informed development; and 3) regional organisations, policies and practices are actively supporting gender and socially inclusive risk-informed development.

The Gov4Res Project Partnership and Finance Specialist will support the Project Manager to coordinate operations functions in the project to ensure effective implementation. In particular, s/he will lead on overseeing the operational aspects of the project’s partnerships with ministries and CSOs across the Pacific, working closely with the Project Finance Officer.

Reporting line: the Project Partnerships and Management Specialist will be supervised by the Gov4Res Project Manager.

• Operational management of the project’s partnerships with government agencies and CSOs
• Oversee the assessment and management of risks in partnerships.
• Effective management of project operational systems.
• Design and lead capacity building initiatives on financial and operational matters for project stakeholders, particularly government agencies 
• Day to day supervision of the project’s operations team, in coordination with the Project Manager.

Operational management of the project’s partnerships

• Leads on liaison with project partners – both state and non-state – on operational matters, in coordination with the Project Manager and the Project Finance Officer.
• Develop, implement and oversee processes to manage partner agreements in close cooperation with the Project Manager and CO Operations Manager
• Provide advisory services for the establishment of partnership agreements, ensuring partners understand UNDP’s operational processes, and advising on resolution of operational issues as they arise.
• Ensure compliance of project partnerships with project and programme management policies at the design, implementation, and closure stages to ensure they are implemented consistently and per corporate policies and standards.

Oversee the assessment and management of partnership-related risks

• Provide advice and oversee the quality of HACT implementation for partnerships with state/inter-governmental organisations, including project-level cash transfers and the recording and follow up of HACT assessments, spot checks and audits.
• Oversee assessment of risk in low value grant making to CSOs, leading on assessing grantee capacity/risks using tools such as PCAT.
• Where third parties are engaged to manage the project’s grants facility, oversee the assessment of risk and capacity gaps and identification of appropriate actions in coordination with the third party.
• Provide inputs related to risks in partnerships to project risk register, including advising on mitigation measures, and monitoring of actions taken.

Effective management of project operational systems

• Establish and improve systems for comprehensive management of project finances, ensuring the project can manage partnership finances effectively.
• Ensure that financial support to both state and non-state partners is integrated into overall project finances.
• Advise the Project Manager on sound financial management practice within the project, particularly pertaining to financing agreements, resource allocation, consolidated project budget planning and pipeline management.
• Contribute to the development of project Annual Work Plans, in particular the setting of budget allocations.

Design and lead capacity building initiatives:

• Undertake or commission systematic capacity assessments, including through HACT, PCAT and commissioned organisational capacity assessments, to identify implementing partners’ capacity gaps.
• Negotiate with project partners on follow up actions to address their capacity gaps, and lead on design and implementation of capacity building actions.
• Undertake or supervise  regular visits to the field to oversee or participate in capacity building initiatives and maintain good understanding with project partners on operational aspects of support provided, escalating issues or concerns to the Project Manager as necessary.

Day to day supervision of the project’s operations team

• In coordination with the Project Manager, lead the day-to-day management of the project’s operations team, providing guidance on and oversight of project operations, especially plans, budgeting, procurement, travel and payments.
• Establish processes to address bottlenecks and improve overall efficiency of project operations.
• Act as first line of clearance for project payments.
• Identify knowledge gaps of project personnel relating to operational processes or UNDP rules and regulations, and lead on informal training or briefings in the project to address the gaps.

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

Core competencies:

• 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

People Management competencies:

• UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 

2030 Agenda: Engagement and Effectiveness     

• Effectiveness: Performance and data analysis and sharing lessons 

Business development 

• Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need

Business Management   

• Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results

Business direction and strategy  

• System thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgements 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

Finance

• Financial risk management: Ensures financial resilience through proactive assessment of risk, implementation of controls and taking mitigating action; Understands risk and reward in relation to collaborative and commercial projects. Ensures a culture of positive risk management”
• Due diligence management: Ability to conduct a comprehensive appraisal of an organization or opportunity to be undertaken by a prospective investor or partner, especially to establish its assets and liabilities, as well as evaluate the potential opportunity and its related risks; knowledge of respective methodology and tools
   

Required Skills and Experience: