Background

Across Asia and the Pacific, UNDP helps countries build and share their own solutions to urgent development challenges, supporting coalitions for change and connecting individuals and institutions so they can share knowledge, experience and resources. As countries develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of regional and global partners.

The Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) concentrates its efforts on developing the region’s capacity to promote pro-poor growth with social justice and democratic governance as a strategy for accelerating the region’s progress towards achieving the MDGs.

It implements the UNDP Strategic Plan in Asia and the Pacific and delivers on UNDP’s partnerships within the region and with development actors in the region while strengthening its own internal capacity in required substantive and managerial areas. The Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) provides proactive support to country offices (CO) by responding to their demand for policy and programme advice and by ensuring alignment of country programmes with regional and corporate priorities.

Within the context described above, the Regional Policy and Programme Support Division (RPPS) provides policy advice and support to RBAP and to COs. RPPS will also implement the RBAP Regional Programme.

In fulfilling RPPS’s mandate, the Division requires a programme support function in order to effectively deliver on its Regional Programmes.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under the overall guidance of Chief, RPPS, and under daily supervision of the Budget and Finance Specialist, the Programme Resource Management Specialist will perform the following functions:

Efficient management of Regional Programme financial resources, focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Facilitate the planning and monitoring of Regional Programme financial resources to be implemented in Bangkok, both core and non-core, in full compliance with UNDP regulations and rules;
  • Exercise control mechanism for development projects compliance with UNDP financial monitoring requirement, including coordinating and monitoring budget preparations and modifications, budgetary status versus ASL, progress of utilization and expenses on approved annual budgets, etc.;
  • Produce monthly financial reports for the Regional Programme which contain information on approved budgets, available resources, utilisation, commitments, and expenses, as well as a separate analysis on the status of XB resources generated from the Regional Programme;
  • Support preparation of cost-sharing and other funding agreements, monitor their implementation and reporting requirements;
  • Analyse and monitor financial situation of the Regional Programme, present financial forecasts and propose corrective measures if needed;
  • Routinely monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigate anomalies;
  • Analyse the project portfolio from the risk management point of view and propose appropriate mitigation strategies/steps.

Quality control and compliance enforcement of the project management with UNDP financial and operational policies and procedures, focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Develop, implement and follow up on Regional Programme portfolio pipeline in Atlas ensuring it is up-to-date and accurate;
  • In close consultation with relevant Team Leaders and PAs, prepare, monitor and revise Regional Programme budgets;
  • Provide guidance and advice on most effective programming and utilization of the Regional Programme’s financial resources;
  • Monitor Regional Programme/Project activities by reviewing the project workplans and financial utilization and expenses;
  • Monitor the planning, distribution and earnings of GMS generated from the Regional Programme;
  • Analyse requirements and propose improved mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in financial resources management;
  • Carry out regular monitoring of the delivery, analyse potential risks and propose mitigation actions;
  • Provide advice on financial reporting, including donor reports.

Training and knowledge building of RPPS Programme Assistants (PAs) in the area of project finance, monitoring and quality assurance focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Organise/conduct training for the Regional Programme staff on resource and programme life cycle management;
  • Provide guidance to all clients and stakeholders on regional programme resource matters.

Also, provide hand-over training to the person designated for this function before the completion of the detail assignment.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

  • Regional programme planning and budgeting is completed in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
  • Cost recovery is duly finalised;
  • Corporate and in-house reports are delivered on time and to standard;
  • Treasury and contribution management is streamlined;
  • Coaching of programme staff is delivered.

Institutional Arrangement:

  • The consultant will complete his/her tasks together with and under the overall supervision of the Chief, RPPS, and under daily supervision of the Budget and Finance Specialist.

Duration of the Work:

  • 1 September – 31 December 2015 initially.

Duty Station:

  • Bangkok, Thailand.

Expected places of travel:

  • No travel is required.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
  • Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of the UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning:

  • Promotes knowledge sharing and a learning culture in the office;
  • Shares knowledge and experience;
  • Actively works towards continuing personal learning, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

  • Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks related to financial management, with focus on financial planning, monitoring and risk analysis;
  • Good understanding of the cost-recovery policies, donor funding management and reporting;
  • Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioral/attitudinal change;
  • Strong IT skills; excellent knowledge of relevant Atlas modules;
  • Excellent knowledge of UNDP financial rules and regulations and accounting;
  • Good knowledge of the UNDP Programme and Operation Policies and Procedures, Management for Development Results and Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit.

Leadership and Self-Management:

  • Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
  • Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
  • Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Business, Public Administration, Accounting, Finance or related field.

Experience:

  • Experience of seven or more years in the areas of programme support / management support;
  • Experience in the usage of Atlas and UN Reports;
  • Proven advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages;
  • Prior experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Language:

  • Fluency in English.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Monthly Fee.

Consultant shall quote an all-inclusive monthly fee for the contract period. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, etc.) that could be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment are already factored into the monthly fee submitted in the proposal. If applicable, travel or daily allowance cost (if any work is to be done outside the IC’s duty station) should be identified separately. Payments shall be done on a monthly basis based on actual days worked, upon verification of completion of deliverables and approval by the IC’s supervisor of a Time Sheet indicating the days worked in the period.

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative analysis.

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 500 points)

  • Criteria 1: Education : Max -50 points;
  • Criteria 2: Experience in UNDP programme finance : Max 250 points;
  • Criteria 3: Experience with IPSAS : Max 150 points;
  • Criteria 4: Good command of English both written and spoken : 50 points.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 350 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please combine them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

  • Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex 2;
  • Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
  • Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex 2;
  • Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.

Annexes:

 For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to brh.gef.procurement@undp.org.