Background
The UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji serves 10 countries (Federated States of Micronesia - FSM, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands - RMI, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu). Focusing on implementing solutions to global and national development challenges under the leadership of the Resident Representative, the country office has three focus areas namely Effective Governance, Inclusive Growth and Resilience and Sustainable Development.
UNDP Joint Operations Centre provides daily operations support to all UNDP Programmes and Projects including the Resident Coordinators Office and other UN agencies. These supports include but are not limited to Administrative, Finance, Procurement and Human Resources. UNDP Pacific Office based in Suva regularly requires operations support to assist the office in operational and transactional tasks.
Under the direct supervision of the Programme Finance and Compliance Analyst and overall guidance of the Operations and Implementation Support Advisor the Programme Finance Associate ensures effective execution of financial services and processes in the Office, accountable and transparent utilization of financial resources. The Programme Finance Associate promotes a client -oriented approach consistent with the UNDP rules and regulations and works in close collaboration with the Operations and Programme staff and Management in the Office and UNDP HQ and the projects’ personnel for resolving finance related issues and exchange of information. The incumbent is to play pivotal role in sharing information and knowledge in area pertaining to his/her portfolio.
Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of Key Functions:
- Administration and Implementation of Programme and financial management strategies;
- Support to Management of the CO Programme, administration of budgets and functioning of the optimal cost recovery.
- Accounting, finance, and administrative supports.
- Effective support to the project portfolio Manager in the unit for the management of the Programme unit;
- Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.
1. Ensure administration and Implementation of Programme financial management strategies, adapts processes and procedures focusing on achievement of the following results: - Full Compliance with UN/ UNDP rules and regulations and other relevant policies on financial recording/ reporting system and provide support in follow-up on audit recommendation; implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of client -oriented financial resources management system.
- Provides input into business process mapping and supports the establishment and regular reviews and updates of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);
- Assist in preparation of cost sharing and trust fund agreements, follow up on contributions within the CO resource mobilization efforts.
- Perform data analysis and presentation of information/reports using STREAM Analytical dashboard, Executive snapshots, and other tools/resources, and preparing bi-weekly/monthly delivery reports.
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2. Provides effective support to management of the CO Programme, administration of budgets and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system focusing on achievement of the following results: - Presentation of information for formulation of country Programme work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities. Entry of data of new grants into Atlas in the form of Annual Work Plans (AWPs), monitoring of their status.
- Provision of guidance to the executing agencies on routine implementation of projects, tracking use of financial resources.
- Verification of Combined Delivery Reports and follow up with Programme units on quarterly uploading in the SharePoint.
- Provision of information for the audit of Nationally Implemented and other Development projects, support in the conduct of audits and assist in implementation of audit recommendations.
- Implementation of the control mechanism for development projects through monitoring of budgets preparation and modifications.
- Tracking and reporting on mobilized resources and management of Pipeline data.
- Preparation and validation of donor and other reports, including donors’ verification reports, data, supporting documents.
- Provision of input for implementation of cost- saving and reduction strategies in consultation with the office management.
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3. Ensures sound planning and monitoring of Programme financial resources:- Periodic monitoring of dashboards and exceptions, and identification of remedial actions.
- Regular review of key indicators of integrated financial dashboard and take prompt preventive measures to avoid defaults during monthly dashboard runs.
- Regular tracking of NIM advances, Project Cash Advances and follow up with their timely liquidation/acquittals with projects and Programme teams.
- Support Programme teams in timely and orderly project closures fulfilling all requirements.
- Tracking and reporting of mobilized resources by performing the following tasks if assigned to the staff:
o Review signed cost-sharing contribution agreements and trust fund agreements.
o Enter Agreement information into Contracts Module.
o Attach copy of the signed agreement in Atlas.
o Maintain contributions/receivables documentation.
o Apply cash receipt to the proper revenue source / fund or project. |
4. Provide effective support to the Project Managers focusing on the achievement of the following results:- Coordinate the preparation of required budget revision (ensuring multiyear budget revision) within the unit at required period, timely securing of ASLs; and detailed record keeping of funds released for projects as well as monthly ASL reporting for non-core/ GEF projects.
- Reviewing of all GLJEs, FACE forms and APJVs process
- Reconciliation of GMS fees collections on yearly basis and ensuring that correct GMS rates are entered in Atlas.
- Provision of guidance to the executing agencies on routine implementation of projects tracking use of financial resources.
- Update project management modules in ATLAS with Prince 2 requirement and regularly report ALTAS information updates and requirements in relation to projects for implementation by units.
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5. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO focusing on achievement of the following results:- Support in Identifying training needs of UNDP staff and implementing partners for the purpose of capacity development in HACT compliance.
- Support in planning and organizing HACT training programs to staff and implementing partners.
- Assist in providing regular training and technical guidance/advice on audit and compliance matters, including implementation of Internal Control Framework (ICF);
- Builds capacity of implementing partners in financial management, HACT & Audit compliance as requested by Project Teams.
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Competencies
Core| 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| Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
| Business Direction & Strategy | Effective Decision Making | - Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources
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| Operations: Administration, Finance, HR, Procurement, IT and Security (Finance) | 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
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| Operations: Administration, Finance, HR, Procurement, IT and Security (Finance) | Audit (General) | - Understands how regulations and professional standards in internal and external audit underpin audit work in the public services.
- Understands the key stages of audit work, including planning, documentation, testing and reporting.
- Ability to examine and verify accounts and records.
- Understands wider mechanisms for assurance and scrutiny.
- Understands the law and best practice relating to antibribery and corruption controls and the fraud risks faced by public bodies.
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| Operations: Administration, Finance, HR, Procurement, IT and Security (Finance) | Accounting
(General) | - Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations
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| Operations: Administration, Finance, HR, Procurement, IT and Security (Finance) | Budget
management | - Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.
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| 2030 Agenda: People | Health | - Global Fund to Fight AIDs, Tuberculosis, Malaria (GFATM)
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Operations:
Administration,
Finance, HR,
Procurement, IT and
Security (Finance) | Financial
reporting and
analysis | - Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector;
- Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring;
- Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance.
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| Operations: Administration, Finance, HR, Procurement, IT and Security (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
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Required Skills and Experience
| Min. Education requirements | - Highschool completion
- Bachelor’s or University Degree in Finance, Business or Public Administration. Certified accountants from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage
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| Min. years of relevant work experience | - 6 years of progressively responsible finance and accounting work experience with Highschool completion.
- 3 years of progressively responsible finance and accounting work experience is required with a Bachelor’s degree.
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| Required skills | - Experience in working with and maintaining good relations with government counterparts and programme beneficiaries (e.g.Government, development partners, CSOs and private sector representatives).
- Full proficiency in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages
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| Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section | - Applicants who have more than 5 years of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience will have an added advantage.
- Experience in conducting audit is desirable.
- Experience of working with UN or other international organisations is an asset
- Experience in Financial reporting and analysis
- Education higher than degree or certified accountants from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage
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| Required Language(s) | Fluency in written and spoken English is required. |
| Professional Certificates | IMPORTANT: Any applicant considered for a UNDP finance position, who does not have degree in accounting or finance, and/or an accounting qualification, such as CA, CPA, ACCA etc., would be required to take and pass the appropriate Test to be considered for the finance position. |
