BACKGROUND

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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.

OFFICE/UNIT/PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 45 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.  The Local Transformative Finance Practice aims to be a centre of excellence and innovation fund for local government finance. Over a 30-year period the Practice has developed deep expertise in intergovernmental fiscal transfers (IGTF), local development funds, public financial management and performance-based grants. LTF supports policy reforms and advocates for a greater appreciation and use of IGTF and performance based local government financing mechanisms in development finance.

On the basis of this experience, LTF designed and manages the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL), which is a mechanism to integrate climate change into local authorities’ planning and budgeting through the regular intergovernmental fiscal transfer system using performance-based grants in a participatory and gender-sensitive manner, increase awareness and capacities to respond to climate change at the local level including through ecosystem-based solutions, and increase the quality and number of local investments that address climate change. LoCAL combines performance-based climate resilience grants (PBCRGs), which ensure the programming and verification of change expenditures at the local level, with technical and capacity-building support. It uses the grants and demonstration effect to trigger further flows for local climate action including global climate finance and national fiscal transfers. LoCAL also aims to support private finance for small and medium businesses and municipal finance and public-private partnerships. LoCAL is presently working with 38 countries across Africa, Asia the Caribbean and the Pacific, and has cumulatively mobilised over US$230m .

https://www.uncdf.org/local/homepage

SCOPE OF WORK 

UNCDF is seeking a Regional Programme Analyst to support implementation of LoCAL Activities in the West African Region.  The Regional Programme Analyst will provide effective support to the management of LoCAL countries in the region, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

1. Ensures administration and implementation of operational and financial management strategies, adapts processes and procedures for the regional portfolio.
2. Manage administration of budgets and ensure optimal programme financial management and financial services for the LOCAL regional and country offices and provides operational finance and administration services to LoCAL Country Offices in the West Africa region.
3. Provides procurement management services and advisory.
4. Implements a structured approach for the organization of conferences and events.
5. Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the LoCAL country offices within the region.

Ensures administration and implementation of operational and financial management strategies, adapts processes and procedures, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Ensure full compliance with UNCDF rules, regulations, and policies in relation to financial activities, financial recording/reporting and follow-up on audit recommendations.
• Implement effective internal controls and the proper functioning of a client-oriented financial management system.
• Analyse finance business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in finance in consultation with office management.
• Implement and manage payments under cost sharing and trust fund agreements, and elaborate conditions of contributions within UNCDF’s resource mobilization efforts.
• Support the financial management of grant agreements.
• Undertake continual analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for development and management projects, monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions.
• Elaborate proposals for and implement cost saving and cost reduction strategies in consultation with office management.

Manage administration of budgets and ensure optimal programme financial management and financial services for the LoCAL regional and country offices and provides operational finance and administration services to LoCAL Country Offices in the Region:

• Coordinate Budget Planning with country teams in the responsible region and coordinate finalization of annual budget for current and new LoCAL projects for countries in the region; determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises, closure of projects for countries in the region.
• Create new quantum projects and awards and prepare and modify project budgets in Quantum.
• Implement the budgetary and financial control mechanism for development projects through monitoring budgets preparation and modifications, budgetary status versus available cash, to ensure sufficient funds for projects implementation, and maintenance of the country and regional financial status report.
• Present thoroughly researched information for planning of financial resources of the LoCAL programme in the responsible region and countries in the region, including prepare reports containing analysis of the financial situation using data from quantum.
• Develop the Project Financial Report (quarterly and annually) by providing information on the project progress, operational issues and disbursement including donor financial report.
• Management LoCAL Donor Database for countries in the responsible region including offline and in Quantum’s contract/award management maintenance, ensuring and implementation of the income tracking system.
• Co-ordinate the projects income for Accounts Receivables with FMS colleagues for LoCAL projects in the region and follow up with partners on contributions.  Timely identification of income received from donors and ensure recording of the income to the correct project for the portfolio in the responsible region.
• Responsible for proper financial closure of program activities for countries in the responsible region.
• Coordinate disbursement for the project and provide regular status updates to project management team. This includes undertaking timely corrective actions on budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved disbursement, timely response to CO/HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Oversee the proper control of and the supporting documents for payments, ensuring the proper filing system in LoCAL Database and electronic/hard copies.
• Manage and ensure proper control of the supporting documents for payments, review of financial reports for projects including financial delivery report from programme partner and audits.
• Ensure proper receipt of goods and services and establishment of accruals.
• Coordinate asset management in the LoCAL Country Offices within the region, lead preparation and submission of periodic inventory reports, coordination of physical verification of inventory items, including keep record and maintenance of Office Assets and supplies and participation in periodic office physical inventory and asset verification exercises.
• Provide quality assurance and review Project’s vehicle daily log and gas consumption filled by Country Office and ensure available of the updates and maintenance of vehicle history report of the country programmes in the region.

Provides procurement supplier services and supplier payment support, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Provide guidance to the project staff on routine implementation of projects.
• Present information for audits, support the implementation of audit recommendations.
• Manage the project procurement plan, and support timely procurement of services and goods.Create requisitions/register of goods receipt in Quantum.
• Complete payment for services and goods rendered.
• Liaise with UNCDF FMS and UNDP COs to provide procurement support.
• Draft specifications and terms of references for procurement needs of the office
• Manage and maintain contract management database for monitoring of contracts.

Implements a structured approach for the organization of conferences and events, focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Plan and coordinate with respective programme/technical staff on the preparation of events, including operational preparatory work such as workshop/event budget, request for cash advance process, event venue and support to meeting participants, ensure timely procurement and payment to suppliers relating to the events
• Schedule and coordinate the planning and delivery of the physical and virtual events in close collaboration with the relevant teams.
• Maintain rosters of LoCAL’s high-level partners, telephone lists, government officials, heads of UN Agencies.
• Manage the operational planning and implementation of events, including the coordination of inputs from stakeholders, invitation and registration, and substantive support in developing the event agendas.
• Provide logistical support to organization of conferences and staff officer travel, workshops and retreats.
• Perform other work-related tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in LoCAL country offices within the region, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Organize trainings for the operations/ project staff on finance and administrative management.
• Synthesize relevant lessons learnt and best practices in the programme.
• Provide guidance to project staff on routine implementation of projects.
• Provision of operational guidance to the office.
• Process and manage travel arrangement, circulate travel-related information and support team with Daily supplemental allowance (DSA) processes and travel claims.
• Process and manage travel arrangement, circulate travel-related information and support team with Daily supplemental allowance (DSA) processes and travel claims.
• Manage logistics for project meetings, workshops and seminars
• Organize shipments, customs clearance arrangements, prepare documents for shipments (send and receipt)

Impact of Results:

The key results have an impact on the overall efficiency of LoCAL countries in the responsible region on program, financial and operational management and success in implementation of operational strategies. Accurate analysis and presentation of financial information enhances UNCDF’s credibility in use of financial resources and proper financial process management. The information provided facilitates decision making of the management.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

The Regional Programme Analyst will have a primary report line to Programme Analyst, P2 (Global Secretariat and secondary reporting line to Programme Management Specialist (P4), based in Abidjan.  The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the operations, programme and project staff in the UNCDF’s country offices in the region, the UNCDF Regional Offices and HQ offices to exchange information and ensure excellent and consistent service delivery and reporting.

COMPETENCIES   

Achieve Results:	LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
Think Innovatively:	LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
Learn Continuously	LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
Adapt with Agility	LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
Act with Determination	LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
Engage and Partner	LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion	LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

People Management Competencies:

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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Thematic Area / Name / Definition

Business Management 

Operations Management:

• Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

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.

Finance

Financial planning and budgeting: 

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning, process, drawing and management of team budgets.
• Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP’s long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.

Procurement

Audit risk management:

• Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved.

Procure-to-Pay:

• Knowledge of purchase-to-pay cycles, concepts, principles and policies, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Contract management:

• Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

Administration and Operations 

Documents and records management: 

• Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SUCCESSFUL NPSA:

Min. Education requirements	· A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (Master’s) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required. Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage. · Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited. · Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT). · Candidates with MBA or masters in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting
Min. years of relevant work experience	Relevant experience (with Masters) or 2 years’ experience (with Bachelors) of progressive responsibility on administrative, financial management or programme experience is required at the national or international level;
Required   skills	Previous experience coordinating donor reporting and supporting oversight or a donor-driven project; Demonstrated ability/experience to build and analyse budgets Experience of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required for external candidates.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section	Experience in providing financial management, Resource Planning and Analysis, Quality assurance oversight and close monitoring of project expenditure for a development project. Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), the handling of web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages. Experience in monitoring and analysis of project budgets and expenditures, preferably at the global level Knowledge and experience of UN/international development sector systems and policies, including ATLAS/Quantum financial/accounting systems and regulations is an asset. Advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages Prior experience arranging financial and operational aspects of travel and events is an asset. Experience in team management is an asset.
Required Language(s)	Fluency in French is a requirement Knowledge of English is desired

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

a) P11 (résumé filled in online), indicating all previous positions held and their main underlying functions, their duration (month/year), qualifications, as well as the candidate’s contact details (e-mail and telephone number), and at least three (3) most recent professional references from previous supervisors. References may also be peers.

b) Managers may request (on an ad hoc basis) any other document that would allow a prior assessment of the relevance of the candidate’s experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other documents.

c) Non-nationals must also include in their application a request for any legal information (residence permit and work permit) relating to work in the country.

DISCLAIMER 

Female candidacies are strongly encouraged.

Important applicant information
All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

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.

Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. We strongly encourage female candidacies.

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