The UN Joint Programme on Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery in Somalia (UN JPLG) is a five-year joint programme comprising of ILO, UNCDF, UNDP, UN-HABITAT and UNICEF. 

The Programme’s overall goal is “creating an enabling environment for improved service delivery and greater stability, through improved legal, policy and system frameworks – building the knowledge of those working in and with local governments.” JPLG commenced in April 2008 and has now entered its third phase (2018-2023). It expanded geographically with average annual work plans and budgets of USD 25 - 32M / year. JPLG works with the Federal Government of Somalia, the State Governments of Puntland, Somaliland, Southwest, Jubbaland, HirShabelle, and Galmudug, local governments, communities, and non-state actors.

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s 48 least developed countries (LDCs). 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. This last mile is where available resources for development are scarcest; where market failures are most pronounced; and where benefits from national growth tend to leave people excluded. UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: savings-led financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments — through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance — can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. UNCDF financing models are applied in thematic areas where addressing barriers to finance at the local level can have a transformational effect for poor and excluded people and communities.

Under the JPLG projects, UNCDF among others is specifically responsible for providing technical assistance on fiscal decentralization, local revenue mobilization and implementation of a discretionary Local Development Fund(LDF) modality for enhancing locally prioritized service delivery and improving capacities for sub-national Public Financial Management (PFM)

UNCDF supports the review and development of policy, legal and regulatory frameworks for fiscal decentralization and local revenue mobilization including innovative approaches for resource mobilization that leverage the private sector, diaspora and financial institutions. UNCDF also focuses on drafting proposals for upgrading the Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfer(IGFT) systems in Puntland and Somaliland and preparing the design for a state-level IGFT system for the new Federal Member States(FMS). In coordination with Somali government counterparts, UNCDF will also support design and establishment of Local Government Finance Commissions in Puntland and Somaliland; drafting and validating of financing strategies and a dedicated financing vehicle for Mogadishu; development of Capital Investment Plans (CIP) and LG Financing Strategies; and research on a mobile platform for diaspora funds mobilization. 

Within this context, UNCDF seeks to hire a Local Government Finance Specialist who will report to UNCDF/JPLG Programme Manager. The Local Government Finance Specialist will support the Programme Manager in the overall management of the project, including liaising closely with Government counterparts in Somaliland.

Ensure compliance with the strategic direction of project operations focusing on the achievements of the following result:

• Ensures compliance of operations with UNCDF and UNDP rules, regulations and policies, implementing project operational strategies and monitoring achievement of results.
• Provides advice on strategies, policies and plans affecting project operation and implementation, knowledge and learning services in general, and provides extensive input to review and amendment of guidelines and documents pertaining to local authorities with a focus on planning, financial management and reporting, monitoring, evaluation and audits.
• Contributes to the design of longer-term strategies and approaches to local governance and local development financing mechanisms.
• Contributes to enhancing the synergies and links between UNCDF activities on local finance activities and other approaches to local public expenditure management and financing of other agencies.
• Establishes collaborative arrangements with other potential project partners and appropriate operational partnership arrangements
• Provide constant monitoring and analysis of the operating environment, quick readjustment of the operations, advice on legal considerations and risk assessments.
• Provide input to knowledge building and sharing with regards to the management and operations of the project
• Ensures proper project-filling system of documents.
• Ensures timely follow up of routine actions and deadlines.

Support to finance management and administration at the district level focusing on achievements of the following results:

• In collaboration with other JPLG staff, assist in managing the delivery of inputs and outputs in line with the project’s approved work plan in the context of JPLG activities in target districts.
• In collaboration with other JPLG staff, provides capacity support and guidance to partners in general and to target districts, for the implementation of UNCDF’s contribution to the JPLG workplan.

Support to the set-up and management of the Local Development Fund:

• In collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Interior, other government agencies, and UN partners provide support and leadership in the area of fiscal decentralization, for sustainable financing of public service and infrastructure delivery at the local level.
• Ensure support to the set-up of the Local Development Fund, through close collaboration and dialogue with all relevant stakeholders.
• Support the management of the Local Development Fund i.e. ensure all the disbursement happens in compliance with set rules, regulations and guidelines;
• Oversees the use of the Local Development Fund and keeps a record of risk factors and supports any risk mitigation actions to be undertaken by UNCDF.
• Ensures that funds managed by the Local Development Fund are subject to regular audits.
• Support the Chief Technical Advisor in communicating regularly to relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the fund.
• Prepares exact financial and narrative reports on the use of the Local Development Fund.
• Ensures planning and reporting on activities related to the operation of the Local Development Fund, as appropriate.
• For all the tasks mentioned above, ensures a transfer of skills to relevant national actors involved in the management of the Local Development Fund.
• In collaboration with other JPLG staff, maintains regular contact with key partners as well as with UNCDF Chief Technical Advisor for information sharing and problem-solving. This includes undertaking regular monitoring visits to project sites, regular follow up with partner institutions, and ensuring that project implementation is in line with UNCDF and UNDP policies and procedures.
• Carries out any other duties as requested by the Programme Manager.

Ensuring effective and efficient procurement and logistical services in all partner agencies and in UNCDF:

• Provides support and oversight to all procurement and logistical activities involving the use of UNCDF-managed funds in the framework of JPLG.
• In close coordination with ILO, helps unsure that partner institutes have the capacity needed to carry out responsibilities related to procurement and logistical services as indicated in agreements and project documents.
• Carries out any other relevant duties as requested by the Programme Manager;

Ensuring efficient support to tasks related to advocacy, programming, monitoring and evaluation, and representation:

• Enhancing the Synergies and links between UNCDF/JPLG activities on fiscal decentralization and other approaches to local development and public financial management of other agencies.
• Promotes identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned from the project for organizational sharing and learning
• Supports information sharing to ensure that all partners are familiar with technical and logistical issues.
• Support capacity-building of national counterparts.
• Ensure appropriate representation of UNCDF and commitment to UN rules, regulations and values.
• Provide support to monitoring and evaluation activities in general and at the district level in particular.

Core Competency

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work
• Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow
• Plans and acts transparently, actively works to removes barriers

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
• Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
• Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others

Delivery

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement
• Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Result-based management

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results

Strategic thinking

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNCDF’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNCDF.

Education:

• Advanced (Master’s) degree in Public Finance, Accounting, Public Administration, Political Science, Economics, Business Administration, or related discipline;
• A first University degree in a relevant field with 7 years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree

 Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Minimum 5 years (if holding an advanced university degree) or 7 years of relevant experience (if holding a first-level university degree) work experience in the area of finance, administration and project/operations management in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization in a multicultural setting;
• Experience with local governance and/or public financial management is desirable.
• Understanding the current economic, social and political dynamics of Somalia is desirable;
• Experience in the usage of ATLAS is desirable;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Strong written and spoken English;
• Knowledge of the Somali language is a requirement
• Expected Demonstration of Competencies