UNDP Jobs - 72970- HACT Consultant, Financial Performance Management

HACT Consultant, Financial Performance Management (FPM)

Location :

New York

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

17-Jul-2017

Application Deadline :

02-Jul-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Three months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance

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 Office of Financial Resource Management (OFRM) supports UNDP in achieving its vision and objectives through maintaining the financial integrity of UNDP through providing financial leadership, supporting the efficient and effective management of its financial resources, promoting financial sustainability and responsible resource allocation. Operating within the Bureau for Management Services (BMS), OFRM’s key clients include UNDP executives, country offices and HQs leaders and managers. The team works closely with colleagues in BMS team to ensure a seamless service to our clients

Financial Performance Management (FPM) is responsible for establishing financial performance framework, policy and parameters (e.g., KPIs, benchmarks, etc.), in line with the corporate goals and Strategic Plan, identifying financial risks, in collaboration with other units within and outside OFRM; designing and maintains tools (e.g. dashboards) for measuring financial performance against these goals and risks. It works in close partnership with teams in OFRM and across BMS to provide a seamless, customer focused service of clients.

UNDP implemented the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer (HACT) Framework that was approved by the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) that lays out the approach for managing cash transfers to implementing partners. Implementing partners, are mainly government counterparts, international and local NGOs, tasked with implementing development projects based on approved project work plans. FPM is looking for a consultant to assist the unit in the updating UNDP internal procedures, guidelines and tools relating to management of cash transfers to implementing partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work

The consultant will be conversant with financial performance management and risk management and possess advanced data analysis skills. In addition to updating HACT guidelines, reviewing and cleaning up existing data, the consultant will work with the Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT) in updating and rolling out tools and solutions for monitoring cash transfers to implementing partners.

The consultant will report to the Manager, FPM unit and work with other unit heads in OFRM.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Manager, FPM the consultant’s key duties and responsibilities will be:

Review and update existing HACT procedures
Develop and roll-out guidelines Assurance Activities
Review existing procedures and data on Implementing Partners and, working with other BMS units, initiate data clean-up
Review existing HACT online monitoring tools and develop specifications for revisions. Assist in the roll-out of new tools.
Enhance user experience of HACT tools. Translate new functionalities into user-friendly, intuitive application interfaces.
Develop specs to link data including implementing partner budgets and cash transfers from the ERP to the HACT monitoring tool and assist in the roll-out.

Expected Deliverables and Timeline

The consultant will be responsible to produce the following deliverables:

1.Review and update HACT procedures, Target Due Date*: TBD

2.Develop guidelines on Assurance Activities, Target Due Date*: TBD

3.Review ERP data on Implementing Partners and initiate data clean-up working with other OFRM units, Target Due Date*: TBD

4.Update HACT monitoring tools, Target Due Date*: TBD

5.Link data including implementing partner project budgets and cash transfers from the ERP system to the HACT monitoring tool, Target Due Date*: TBD

*Target due dates will be discussed and agreed at the start and during the assignment. Deliverables will be reviewed and approved by the Manager, Financial Performance Management Unit.

Duration of the Assignment

The duration of the assignment will be for three months with possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance

Competencies

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge of UNDP Financial Regulations and Rules, policies and procedures.
Knowledge of the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer (HACT) Framework
Understanding of the working of ERP, preferably PeopleSoft
Strong understanding of financial performance and risk management
Strong analytical skills and sound judgment;
Strong IT skills, knowledge of management support software applications.
Strong user design (UX) experience.
Must be able to manage a team of diverse nationalities to respond quickly to areas of concern
Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules

Required Skills and Experience

Qualification Requirements

Education:

Advanced (Masters) University Degree in Business Administration, or Finance/Accounting or a professional accounting qualification certificate from an internationally recognized institute of accountancy

Experience:

At least 3 years of experience in financial performance and risk management is required.
Working knowledge of the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer (HACT) Framework is required.
Expertise in data analysis and visualization using ERP systems, preferably PeopleSoft is desirable.
Previous experience with UN or UNDP field offices and HQ units is desirable

Language:

Proficient in written and spoken English.

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

Online application with brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment; and
Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (based on a 7 hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 21.75 days per month).
The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; cost of travel from the home base to the duty station and vice versa, where required; living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.
In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should 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.
If the Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation process

Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below. Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Being responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (70 points):

Experience in financial performance and risk management. Max 15 Points
Working knowledge of the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer (HACT) Framework Max 15 Points
Experience in data analysis and presentation and in ERP systems, preferably. Max 10 Points
Previous experience with UN or UNDP field offices and HQ units. Max 10 Points
Interview. Max 20 Points

After review of the applications, the top four candidates will be invited for interview. Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 points)

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Contract Award

Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will report to the Manager, Financial Performance Unit and work closely with unit heads in OFRM.

Payment modality

Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager. The consultant will be able to submit one invoice at the end of each month for payment.
The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs

Annex 2 - IC Contract Template

Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions

Annex 4 – RLA Template

Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org

The UNDP Central Procurement Unit will respond by email and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants