Results-Based Management Analyst

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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.

UNDP Pakistan Country Office has begun implementing its new Country Programme covering the period 2023-2027, striving to deliver programme portfolio that is responsive to the multiple and complex development challenges that Pakistan faces. UNDP works in 4 main programme areas, namely Governance, Community Recovery & Rehabilitation, Resilience, Environment & Climate Change, and Development Policy & SDGs.

The Risk Management and Oversight Support Unit (RMOS) serves as focal point for effective oversight of the programme (CPD) and its contribution to the UNSDF. MSU ensures UNDP policy compliance for projects and programmes, enhances results-based management and evidence-driven practices across the programme, support and strategically monitor decentralized and country programme evaluations/reviews, facilitate conduct of financial audits, ensure effective and transparent utilization of financial resources through compliance with policy on UNDP Enterprise Risk Management including Harmonised Approach to Cash Transfer, Social and Environmental Standards, Risk Management at programme, project and partner level including Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing for Terrorism (AML/CFT) under UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP).

Position Purpose

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the SMSO, the Results-Based Management Analyst & Head Management Support Unit is responsible for managing and leading oversight and compliance activities of the Office and provides advice on quality assurance and oversight work for CO programme and operations activities. S/he will have the overall responsibility and accountability for effective and efficient provision of management and oversight advisory services to the Senior management, Operation Manager and CO programme and Operation units, including on risk management, resource management, monitoring and evaluation processes, donor reporting and overall management performance within the Country Office and organizational learning to enhance the impact and relevance of the country programme.

S/he will act as primary focal point for management performance oversight and support in implementing solutions to identified challenges, including through the development and follow up to improvement plans or remedial actions. The Results-Based Management Analyst & Head MSU promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations and works in close cooperation with all teams.

To be successful in this role, the Results-Based Management Analyst & Head MSU needs to have a strong programme and operations management background, sufficient knowledge of enterprise risk management, results-based management including advanced analytical skills. S/he should have strong teambuilding, interpersonal and communication skills, be client-oriented, and can look at issues from different angles and find creative solutions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure effective oversight of programmes’ and projects’ management for optimization of development initiatives:

• Review internal control mechanisms and ensure compliance of project and programme management actions, at the design, implementation, and closure stages, to ensure that they are implemented consistently and in accordance with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and procedures (POPP).
• Lead processes to set standard operating procedures and business processes for quality of the project formulation and implementation, including high-risk, high complexity and vertical fund projects to enable adequate monitoring and oversight.
• Ensure inputs to project design, pre-appraisal and quality assurance reviews of the draft project documents to improve the quality of programming, including capacity assessments, resource management, strong governance mechanisms and arrangements etc.
• Contribute to the achievement of project objectives and outcomes by carrying out regular oversight review of projects; assess reliability and integrity of information provided in project reports, and the completeness of supporting documents.
• Provide analysis of the quality of evaluations, and audit trends and ensure management actions plans as well as adjustments to business operations and programming approaches.
• Prepares data analysis and reports, with recommendations on control issues requiring CO
• management’s actions and interventions.
• Review of contribution agreements before signature by the CO management, including obtaining of clearances from HQ if necessary; support monitoring of cost-sharing contributions, in liaison with GSSC.
• Provide advice to the Senior Management and perform quality assurance of the design and implementation of internal control frameworks and oversight processes in the office.
• Strengthen transparency and accountability in project implementation and overall programme management and carry out targeted performance reviews to ensure targets are met; and make appropriate recommendations for improvement.
• Ensures the integration of women empowerment and gender mainstreaming in all aspects of programming, including quality assurance of assigned gender markers, as required.

Oversee risk management and assessments, for risk-informed programmes and operations:

• Lead on the implementation of the enterprise risk management policy and procedures, including risk identification, risk assessments, risk analysis for decision making, design and implementation of risk mitigation strategies, actions, risk escalation, etc.
• Ensure effective mechanisms for follow-up to the HACT/DIM and CO audits, analyze audit findings across projects and prepare audit follow up plan, facilitate regular monitoring of audit follow up and preparation of capacity development activities for all projects.
• Ensure quality reviews of the Country Office risk registers and advise programme teams to ensure that the quality of risks is of good quality and adequately assessed and escalated if need be.
• Support implementation of anti-fraud mechanisms and anti-money laundering and countering finance terrorism (AML/CFT) policies and procedures
• Ensure effective application of the Social and Environmental Standards and facilitates oversight of adequate establishment of safeguards at country level.
• Oversee partner risk management mechanisms within the office (Due diligence, vetting, and risk assessments) and determination of residual risks for management.
• Ensure the team performs the function of Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) oversight and coordinates required actions with programme and operations staff, oversee the quality of HACT implementation, including advice on the management of project level cash transfers to Implementing Partners/Responsible Parties.
• Responsible for office business processes mapping and development of risk-informed SOPs; identifies opportunities for converting business processes into web-based systems to enhance efficiency, accountability, and risk management.

Ensure effective resource management, including promoting efficiencies:

• Serve as a performance quality assurance function for resource management.
• Review and advise on programme planning, resource allocation, and consolidated project budget planning, pipeline management and ensure the corporate systems are up to date and reflect accurate data on resources.
• Lead data analysis on management performance indicators of the CO
• Ensure effective coordination mechanism for annual target setting, resource planning and management, delivery/expenditure monitoring, and cost recovery services.
• Oversee the adequate projects set up in line with approved project documents, all ERP/PIMS/Quantum and other platforms attributes are created accordingly and maintained regularly.
• Lead CO’s annual programme delivery target to identify bottlenecks and support the
• implementation of corrective actions, in consultation with CO management, as needed.
• Keep updated knowledge as to changes in UNDP programme and project budgeting and accounting. Provides support to programme and project staff on project budgeting.
• In close collaboration with Operation Manager, conduct periodic and targeted quality assurance and transaction level analyses, including sampling and reviews at project level, of CO operations, programme implementation, and risk management, and making recommendations on improvement to CO management team.

Facilitates the results-based management performance of the country office:

• Coordinate and lead CO level integrated planning, monitoring, and results and donor reporting processes.
• Lead collaborative design and implementation of monitoring plans, including data collection methods and methodologies to measure intervention impact, participatory and evidence- based monitoring, and evaluation (M&E)
• Lead CO evaluation plan and guide project evaluation processes: providing technical guidance during evaluation design, conducts evaluability assessments, and support the use of results for course corrections.
• Ensure guidance to programme and operations teams to proactively identify and address management performance trends against set annual targets and corporate KPIs, recognize root causes and address gaps identified by corporate dashboards, audits, quality assurance reviews and oversight, online performance monitoring tools, Vital signs etc.
• Conduct periodic quality assurance and oversight of programme and operations management, addressing bottlenecks and deficiencies in issues related to programme and operations and make recommendations for improvement to CO management teams.

Capacity development and knowledge facilitation:

• Ensure needs and capacity assessments are conducted on regular basis and capacity development actions are designed in an efficient manner.
• Provide training and facilitates effective knowledge dissemination across the office and projects to ensure colleagues have easy access to resources and tools.
• Conducts analysis of COs’ data and case evidence to distil relevant lessons on programme and project management and implementation.
• In close collaboration with the Regional Bureau staff, contributes to development and delivery of modular training packages to strengthen COs’ and partners’ capacities in the programmatic and operational oversight and implementation of the CO portfolios.
• Contribute to CO capacity building efforts and the planning and delivery of workshops and learning events.
• Participate in, and brings CO perspectives into, the implementation of policy and strategic initiatives at the regional and HQ level in her/his areas of responsibility to support the key results, outcomes, and outputs of the UNDP Strategic Plan.
• Work with Policy and Engagement team to ensure effective implementation of CO Partnerships and Communication Strategy and Action Plan and the linkages to monitoring and reporting.

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: Three direct reports

Competencies

Core 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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

• Business Direction & Strategy – System Thinking:
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement 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
• Business Management – Portfolio Management:
  • Ability to select, prioritize and control the organizations programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment
• 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
• 2030 Agenda: Engagement &Effectiveness – Effectiveness:
  • Project Quality Assurance
• Business Management – Results-based Management:
  • Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results
• Business Management – ResourcesManagement:
  • Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity
• Business Management – Risk Management:
  • Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

People Management 

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

Required Skills and Experience 

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Project Management, International Development, Public Administration, or a related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in Business Administration, Project Management, International Development, Public Administration, or a related field is required.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in areas related to the job functions.
• Certification in programme/project management (e.g., PRINCE, MSP, PMP, etc.) and/or accounting/audit areas will be a distinct advantage.
• Demonstrated experience and ability in people management and working with diverse teams is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in programme/project management or programme finance or operations management is highly advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience and proven ability to deliver under pressure and in short timeframes.
• Work experience within UN or other multi-lateral organizational settings in Pakistan will be an added advantage.
• Knowledge of ERP platforms (PeopleSoft, Oracle Cloud, etc.) is required.
• Knowledge of UNDP /UN Enterprise Risk Management policy, Accountability Framework, programme and project management policies and procedures is desired.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in the national language of the duty station (Urdu) is required for local staff.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Disclaimer

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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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