UNDP Jobs - 48785- Team Leader Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF)

Team Leader Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF)

Location :

Bangui, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

14-Aug-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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.

Background

The Common Humanitarian Fund in Central African Republic (CHF-CAR) was established in July 2008 as an expansion of the OCHA led Emergency Response Fund (ERF) in CAR. Building on the experience of similar funds established in Sudan CHF (2006) and the DRC Pooled Fund (2006), it is a pooled funding mechanism under the overall authority of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), that is intended to give the HC greater ability to target funds to the most critical humanitarian needs in CAR, encourage early donor contributions and enable a rapid response to unforeseen circumstances. Humanitarian projects included in the Strategic Response Plan (SRP) for CAR are eligible for CHF-CAR funding during two rounds of allocations each year. Both the SRP and the CHF-CAR help advance humanitarian aid reforms as proposed in the Secretary-General's report, In Larger Freedom (2005), such as strengthened response capacity, more predictable and timely funding to organizations, strengthened coordination, as well as donors' endorsement of Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) principles. Priority programmes and projects of the CHF-CAR are implemented by a range of organizations such as UN Organizations, international and national Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

When the CHF was established, the participating UN Organizations also decided to select UNDP as the Administrative Agent (AA) to act as their donor interface, provide agreed services and facilitate the attainment of desired objectives. Moreover as Managing Agent (MA), UNDP is also eligible to receive money from the CHF, like other UN Agencies and then contact NGOs for implementation.

The political, security and subsequent complex humanitarian emergency that has developed in CAR following the Seleka coup d’etat in March 2013, will likely mean an increase in humanitarian funding and CHF allocations going forward. As such, UNDP is seeking to enhance the capacity of the Management Agent (MA) function to ensure proper financial reporting and accountability of this important funding mechanism. Under the general guidance of the Country Director and the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director – Operations, in collaboration with the Deputy Country Director / Programmer, the Team Leader acts as an advisor to Management on the CHF operations with particular attention to contributions, financial reports, services delivery, evaluation and adjustment to changing operations environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

Ensuring strategic direction of the overall operations of CHF Managing Agent Fund Unit;
Financial resources management and supervision of the CHF Managing team;
Programme support to monitoring and evaluation CHF activities/Financial reporting to UNDP as MA;
Capacity Building for Implementation Partners;
Support to Human Resources and procurement and logistical services related to CHF activities.

As a member of the operations team ensures the strategic direction of operations of CHF, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Full compliance of operations with UNDP rules, regulations and policies, implementation of corporate operational strategies, establishment of management targets (BSC) and monitoring of achievement of results;
Establishment of collaborative arrangements with partners, maintenance of a Client Relationship Management system and appropriate operational partnership arrangements;
Ensuring that UNDP’s accountability as Managing Agent is properly safeguarded and exercised, and UNDP’s role as Managing Agent on behalf of UN agencies is clearly recognized and differentiated from its role as Participating UN Organization by UN partners and donors;
Management of requests for the provision of financial resources by UNDP and monitoring of financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports;
Leadership in overseeing effective provision of services to counterparts, and sound financial management;
Coordination of the NGO partners on NIM/NGOs procedures, including financial transactions and expenditures requirements;
Accuracy and conformity of the payment requests and timely funds transfers within HACT (Harmonized Approach for Cash Transfer) context;
Control and assist NGOs in production of financial reports quality;
Discharge NEX Advances in ATLAS;
Monitoring of the MA budget project;
Participation in partners annual audit;
Support BRSP to strengthening existing MDTF management procedures and development of instrument and tools;
Record all receipt from MDTF as MA in collaboration with HQ Treasury.

Ensures effective and accurate financial resources management focusing on achievement of the following results:

Proper planning, expenditure tracking and audit of financial resources of the CAR CHF in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
Organization of cost-recovery mechanisms : ensure all UNDP’s cost for administering the CHF are provided for in the budgets;
Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions
Provision of information to supervisors and other UNDP staff at HQ of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained;
Management of disbursement of such funds to NGOs (executing/implementing partners) within the limit of authorized allocations by the Humanitarian Coordinator and the signed MOU;
Reviewing of the NGOs related projects budgets to be sent to KK, and ensure cash availability from the MA project;
Complying with the internal expenditures control system, which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas;
Ensure timely corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers;
Timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.

Ensures efficient programme support on monitoring and evaluation focusing on achievement of the following results:

Participation in close collaboration with OCHA in the development of a database to track projects allocations and utilizations (including support costs) submitted by executing/ implementing partners on an ongoing basis;
Ensure proper control of project account;
Ensure an efficient financial flow processes;
Facilitate an annual audit of CHF;
Follow-up on audit reports to ensure that gaps in audit report are closed;
Establishment of a resource plan based on approved projects and received incomes and contribution announcements from the donors (commitments/pledges);
Initiate in consultation with Headquarters any interim and mandatory reports as required;
Periodic financial statements/reports in collaboration with OCHA, and timely dissemination to the donor community and the UN Country Team participants;
Participation in NGO capacity assessments;
Monitoring of the impact of financing received by partners and where applicable in consultation with the Deputy Country Director (Programme) establishment of programmatic links between CHF programming and UNDP early recovery programmes in country.

Ensures effective Capacity Building for implementing Partners focusing on achievement of the following results:

Ensure hands on training and capacity development of Implementing Partners, in close coordination with OCHA;
Preparation of an annual training plan and its implementation on behalf of the NGOs partners;
Support to National NGO’s capacity for the intensification of the capacity and budgetisation and planning;
Ensures human resources management, procurement and logistical service for the Fund focusing on achievement of the following results;
Participation, as requested, in the recruitment processes in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
Preparation of a procurement plan for the Fund in collaboration with the partners;
Active participation in addressing procurement issues including sourcing strategy, supplier selection and evaluation, quality, management, customer relationship management, e-procurement promotion and introduction, performance measurement;
Oversight of logistical services in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
Proper management of UNDP assets, facilities and logistical services.

Impact of results

The position will ensure enhanced management and performance of UNDP in CAR as the Management Agent in CAR ensuring full compliance with UNDP rules, regulations and policies while also establishing and maintaining financial management, monitoring and evaluation and capacity building systems that will facilitate sound performance of the CHF in CAR. The position will also have a role to ensure that where possible programmatic linkages are made between CHF programming and UNDP early recovery programming.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Building Partnerships:
Identifying and building partnerships

Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build alliances;
Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:
Developing tools and mechanisms

Participates in the development of mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:
In-depth knowledge of own discipline

Understands advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines (financial resources and human resources management, contract, asset and procurement, information and communication technology, general administration);
Continues to seek new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit;
Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Continually looking for ways to enhance financial performance in the office.

Promoting Organizational Change and Development:
Assisting the individuals to cope with change:

Performs appropriate work analysis and assists in redesign to establish clear standards for implementation.

Design And Implementation of Management Systems:

Makes recommendations regarding operation of systems within organizational units;
Identifies and recommends remedial measures to address problems in systems design or implementation.

Client Orientation:

Contributing to positive outcomes for the client;
Anticipates client needs;
Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective;
Solicits feedback on service provision and quality.

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management:
Input to the development of standards and policies

Provides inputs to the development of organizational standards for accountability.

Core Competencies:

Building support and political acumen;
Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
Building and promoting effective teams;
Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards;
Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field.

Experience:

5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services and/or managing staff and operational systems and establishing inter-relationships among international organization and national governments;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language:

Fluency in French and English.