Quality Assurance Specialist for Investigations – P4  

The Position:

The Quality Assurance Specialist for Investigations reviews, analyses and conducts quality assessments of critical written work products of the Investigation Branch of the Office of Audit and Investigation Services (OAIS). The Quality Assurance Specialist for Investigations helps ensure that OAIS’ investigative deliverables are of the highest quality, thereby contributing to the effective oversight of UNFPA operations and programs. 

You will report directly to the Chief, Investigations Unit 1 and Chief, Investigations Unit 2. 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

OAIS is an operationally independent office at UNFPA and reports to the Executive Director of UNFPA. The Office is responsible for supporting the achievement of the objectives of UNFPA by contributing to the improvement of its operations, risk management and results through its internal audit, investigation, and advisory services. OAIS is composed of the Office of the Director, an Internal Audit Branch and an Investigation Branch, composed of two Investigations Units. The Investigations Branch is the sole office authorized to perform, manage or authorize investigations at UNFPA.  

OAIS operates a quality assurance function to ensure that Investigations Branch’s work products are of the highest quality and that investigations are conducted in full accordance with applicable policies, United Nations Dispute Tribunal and United Nations Appeals Tribunal jurisprudence, and international investigation standards. The Quality Assurance Specialist for Investigations helps manage the review, improvement, finalization, and issuance of key investigative reports and other investigative work products.  The position constitutes an integral part of the investigation team and supports the successful delivery of OAIS’ investigation services. 

You would be responsible for:

A. Key Outcome: OAIS investigative work products systematically receive full quality assurance reviews. 

• Undertake timely and detailed quality assurance examination of Investigation Reports, Investigation Closure Reports, Case Closure Notes (as needed), and other relevant investigative work products identified by the Investigation Unit Chiefs of the Investigations Branch and the Director, OAIS.
• Ensure that OAIS’ work products have considered all available avenues of inquiry, explored pertinent evidentiary sources, and identified all relevant investigation stakeholders. 
• Analyze completed investigative work products to ensure all supporting documents/exhibits are provided and made available by individual investigators in electronic OAIS case files. 
• Review OAIS’ investigative work products for accuracy, sufficiency of language and drafting, conformance with internal reporting writing procedures. 
• Monitor OAIS’ investigative work with UNDT/UNAT judgements and evolving jurisprudence, and alert OAIS leadership.  
• Identify any areas of improvement in OAIS’ investigative work with regard to complaint assessment, investigation planning, evidence collection, interviewing, and report writing.

Expected result: OAIS investigations and investigative work products are consistently of the highest quality, contributing to OAIS’ overall ability to respond rapidly and efficiently to reports of wrongdoing and misconduct; thereby improving the detection of, response to and prevention of proscribed practices, sexual misconduct, and other forms of misconduct at UNFPA. 

B.  Key outcome: The quality assurance review process is fully established and supports continuous improvement of OAIS investigative work products. 

• Develop and maintain systems to ensure rapid submission of investigation work products and quality assurance reviews. 
• Promote the use of investigation best practices with relation to evidence identification and gathering, report writing, finding analysis, and recommendations. 
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) as well as the OAIS Case Work Manual to ensure consistency and quality in investigative practice. 
• Review OAIS’ investigative work templates for relevance and utility, ensuring that these continuously improve the quality of final OAIS’ investigative work products and support investigators in conducting rigorous investigations.  
• Attend, as needed, OAIS in inter-agency working groups on issues of investigative methodologies and tools. 
• Identify needed changes in OAIS’ investigative policy and practice to ensure adherence to latest best practice, legal developments, or other changes across the investigations sector. 

Expected result: OAIS operates a well-defined and efficient quality assurance review processes with OAIS investigators supported in the production and issuance of high-quality investigative work products.  

C.  Operational: Manage investigation case recommendation and referral follow-up processes. 

• Liaise as needed with UNFPA’s Legal Unit to on actions taken further to OAIS’ investigations, recommendations made by the Legal Unit, or other areas of collaboration between the OAIS’ Investigations Branch and the UNFPA Legal Unit. 
• Maintain a system to monitor the disposition of investigation cases as undertaken by the UNFPA Legal Unit, Division of Human Resources (DHR) and UNFPA Management. 
• Work with OAIS’ investigators on follow-up to cases where UNFPA Legal Unit has identified additional investigative steps or actions to be taken in support of the disciplinary process or decision-making. 

Expected result: OAIS monitors and incorporates into investigation activities and strategy the outcomes and disposition of cases with specialist attention to the decisions or actions taken by the Office of the Executive Director, Legal Unit, Ethics Office and Division for Human Resources (DHR). 

D.   Perform any other duties as assigned by the Director, OAIS or the Investigation Unit Chiefs.

• Assist the other Chiefs of the Branch and the Director in addressing issues raised by clients and other stakeholders. 
• Undertake, as needed, the investigative activities for specific cases in support of the cases investigated by OAIS investigators or as assigned specifically to the Head of Section themselves. 
• Perform special reviews and other tasks assigned by the Director, OAIS.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Advanced university degree in law, criminology or closely related fields. (A first level university degree with a combination of significant relevant education, professional certification(s), training and experience in the field of investigations may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree). 
• Formal training and/or certification in law enforcement methodologies, an asset. Admission to the Bar or Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), highly desirable.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible, relevant professional experience in complex criminal and/or administrative investigations, with a proven track record in investigations and at least two (2) years of experience in reviewing, analyzing and assessing investigative reports or findings. 
• Proven ability to assess investigative reports, and accurately analyze, assess and verify findings, observations and make investigation-related recommendations.
• Good knowledge of international civil service law, as it relates to UN policies, procedures and jurisprudence relevant to administrative investigations and decisions and rulings of the relevant tribunals highly desirable. 
• Experience in an International Organization (UN system or multilateral context) highly desirable. 
• Experience in the international or public legal sector highly desirable.

Languages: 

• Fluency in English required, with proven ability to express well verbally and in writing. 
• Good knowledge of other UN official languages (French, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish or Russian), highly desirable.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
• Communicating for impact

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent knowledge of investigation principles and their application,
• Excellent attention to detail,
• Excellent writing, drafting, formatting  and report writing skills,
• Excellent research, analytical and problem-solving skills,
• Excellent communication skills, notably in conveying suggestions and advice on improvement to other team members,
• Ability to respond effectively to stress, situations of ambiguity, and difficult situations; as well as to manage conflicts, negotiate and resolve disagreements

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

Disclaimer: 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.

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