Background

UNCDF makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries. 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.

UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: 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. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.

UNCDF provides investment capital and technical support to both the public and the private sector. It provides capital financing -- in the forms of grants, soft loans and credit enhancement – and the technical expertise in preparing portfolios of sustainable and resilient capacity building and infrastructure projects.

UNCDF has proven its ability to deliver true leverage on smaller and more risky investments and interventions within its core areas of expertise: Inclusive Finance and Local Development Finance. The concept- proven pilot projects and programmes are replicated and brought to scale with the help and the add-on financing of other development partners with different and complementary mandates.

UNCDF’s work on inclusive finance

UNCDF’s work on inclusive finance seeks to develop inclusive financial systems and ensure that a range of financial products is available to all segments of society, at a reasonable cost, and on a sustainable basis. UNCDF supports a wide range of providers (e.g. microfinance institutions, banks, cooperatives, money transfer companies) and a variety of financial products and services (e.g. savings, credit, insurance, payments, and remittances). UNCDF also supports newer delivery channels (e.g. mobile phone networks) that offer tremendous potential for scale.

Expanding Financial Access (EFA) Programme: To support the government of Myanmar in the implementation process of the Financial Inclusion Roadmap, UNCDF developed the programme “Expanding Financial Access (EFA) that focuses on priority areas of the Financial Inclusion Roadmap. Started in 2015, EFA is the core programme in Myanmar and works hand in hand at the country level with other regional and global UNCDF.

The EFA programme intends, by 2021, to increase the percentage of the adult population which are financially included from 30% in 2015 to 40%, and those which use more than one financial product from 6% to 15%. Moreover, EFA aims to have 830,000 low income direct beneficiaries and 3 million indirect ones by providing a full range of affordable, quality, effective and responsible financial services to MSME, small-scale farmers, women-led enterprises, youth, poor and low-income clients by encouraging stakeholders to work together in an integrated manner.

A core component of EFA is the Market Development Facility which seeks to address systemic market failures in a number of thematic areas through targeted funding solutions. It functions as a catalytic wholesale financial agent able to take-on risk and leverage outside sources of capital to boost funding to undercapitalized MFIs operating in Myanmar. Digital Financial Services and Women's Economic Empowerment are also critical cross-cutting themes and form the basis for a number of UNCDF Myanmar interventions, and the CleanStart programme provides funding to institutions working in renewables and clean energy. EFA also works in partnership with the innovative regional Shaping Inclusive Finance Transformations (SHIFT) funding facility which aims to accelerate financial inclusion across the ASEAN region.

Another component recently added to the EFA Programme is the Women’s Economic and Financial Inclusion Initiative aims at increasing 200,000 women and girls’ awareness of, access to, and use of agency over appropriate financial products and services responsibly provided by diverse and sustainable service providers in a well-regulated environment with a focus on conflict-affected areas of Myanmar. As a result, FSPs will have an enhanced capacity to collect, analyse and use sex-disaggregated financial inclusion data. They will be able to recognize the importance of serving diverse segments of women and girls leading to an expertise to design and pilot financial products and services customized to their needs. At the institutional level, FSPs will be able to implement policies and practices to enhance the gender diversity of their workforce as well as promote leadership programmes for women at staff and management levels. 

On the demand-side, women and girls will have greater access to financial information and services offering the potential for an enhanced quality of life and expanded livelihood and development opportunities.

UNCDF is looking to hire a Project Associate to provide support for the EFA Programme.

The Project Associate will report to the UNCDF Myanmar Country Coordinator and is expected to work closely with the rest of country team. 

This position will be based in Yangon, Myanmar.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

1. Support implementation of operational and financial management focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Creation of project in financial system (Atlas), preparation of budget revisions, revision of project award and project status, determination of unutilized funds, operational and financial closure of a project;
• Support in preparation of information for audit of projects and implementation of audit recommendations;
• Coordination of payment to suppliers and service providers including vendor profile creation, requision , purchase orders, and quality control of data and records;
• Preparation and monitoring of budget forecast, cost allocations, and expenses reporting;
• Cost control management such as utilization of office supplies and stationeries, tracking of administrative expenses, record of office vehicle maintenance and fuel expense, and preparation of inventory report;
• Travel arrangement such as quarterly travel plan, TA request, UNDSS request, Accommodation, Transportations(flight/taxi/bus);
• Travel Expense Claims(TEC) such as preparations and collections of all supporting document, ATLAS voucher transactions, DSA calculation, Approvals obtainment;
• Coordination of new personnel arrangement such as request of organizational email account, ID card, Vendor, workstation, MFTB bank account, Issuance of visiting cards;
• Coordination of Visa approvals and travel authorizations issued by the government counterpart in close collaboration with UNDP Visa Unit;
• Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ATLAS;
• Preparation of logistics for programme meetings, workshops and seminars;
• Full compliance with UN/UNDP/UNCDF rules, regulations, and policies of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and follow-up on audit recommendations;
• Regular monitoring of the Myanmar programme delivery rate;
• Provide administrative support to missions, consultancies, meetings and conferences;
• Making budget check for requisitions, POs and vouchers;
• Preparation of non-PO vouchers for projects;
• Translation and preparation of official documents as necessary.

2. Manage and guide procurement processes focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Involved in the management of the Myanmar-Programme Plan and coordination of timely procurement of services and goods;
• Coordination of procurement and recruitment processes including ToRs and contracts drafted in collaboration with HQ Management Support Team, UNDP Procurement Office, and UNDP HR office;
• Management of contracts such as monitoring contract expiration, on-time renewal of contracts, or tracking of deliverables; 
• Supporting requisitioning units and recipient entities on the full range of procurement issues, providing support and guidance at all stage of the procurement cycle;
• Formulation of strategies and design of innovative solutions to resolve issues/conflicts for complex procurement projects;
• Preparation of a variety of procurement-related documents, contracts, communications, guidelines, instructions, etc.
• Establishing and maintaining work program and schedule for ongoing contracts and newly-planned ones;
• Preparation of Evaluation report, Inter-office memorandums, Justification notes, and other supporting documents as necessary for procurement matters;
• Implementation of proper monitoring and control of procurement processes including organization of RFQ, ITB or RFP, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation, negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNDP/UNCDF rules and regulation; 
• Preparation of supporting documents for contract approval and submissions of cases to the Contract, Asset and Procurement Committee (CAP) and Advisory Committee on Procurement (ACP);
• Support in the development and management of the rosters of suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, quality and performance measurement mechanisms;
• Timely payment for services and goods rendered.

3. Ensure implementation of the resources mobilization strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Support in the process of data collection, analysis and presentation of information for identification of priority areas and programme formulation/ implementation. 
• Analysis of information on donors, preparation of donor’s profile
• Track and reporting on mobilized resources
• Review of contributions agreements, managing and monitoring contributions in ATLAS
• Advice to Programme staff on different donor reporting requirements; monitoring of financial reports to be submitted to donors
• Tracing and careful monitoring of funds received in ATLAS;
• Monitoring closely the delivery;
• Contributing to donor reporting through financial reports.

4. Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Development and maintenance of the Myanmar-programme filing system
• Organization/conduct of training for the Operations/Myanmar-Programme Staff on financial management and RBM
• Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in the Myanmar-programme and Myanmar-programme finance
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNCDF;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:   

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Research best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things
• Documents innovative strategies and new approaches
• Identifies and communicates opportunities to promote learning and knowledge sharing

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks
• Identifies new and better approaches to work processes and incorporates same in own work
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Design and Implementation of Management Systems

• Uses information/databases/other management systems
• Provides inputs to the development of simple system components
• Makes recommendations related to work procedures and implementation of management systems

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management

• Gathers and disseminates information on best practice in accountability and results-based management systems
• Prepares timely inputs to reports
• Maintains databases

UNDP Accounting and Finance Training and Certification

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

• First University degree in Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Social Science, Development Studies, or other relevant fields. 

Experience:

• At least 3 years’ hands-on experience in similar role is required
• Hands-on experience with international development organizations is desirable.
• Hands-on experience with UN ATLAS system and UN Procurement process and Policy is preferred.
• Prior work experience with any UN agency is an asset.
• Comprehensive knowledge of UNCDF programs and Myanmar financial sectors is an asset.
• Advance knowledge of Microsoft Office package such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Skype as well as experience in using online database systems.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Burmese.

Nationality

• This position is for Myanmar Nationals only