Background

Since the onset of the Ukrainian crisis, the Ukraine Country Office has gone through a dramatic growth process in terms of scope and size of the Country Programme. With the growth of the Country Programme comes the necessary growth of the administrative structures necessary to handle the exponentially grown financial throughputs, the increase in human resources, the ever increasing supply and contracting component, travel, asset and IT management etc.

The fact that a certain percentage of the Country Programme is realized remotely in Field Offices adds to the complexity of the operation, as does the fact that enhanced and specific requirements for personnel and operational security are in place for parts of the country.

The overall Country Programme planning figure as per the AWP stands at just under USD 70m. The expectation to pass the USD 50m mark of programmable amount available for the programme in 2016 is realistic.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of the Contract with expected results/outcome/products/sub products/outputs:

In order to rejuvenate the Country’s Risk assessment, profiling and mitigation mechanisms, the Country Management Team has decided to invite a qualified consultant to review the country office’s structures, mechanisms, workflows, procedures and rules to ensure that the office is best equipped and enabled to ensure and be compliant with the related rules and regulations with:

The adequacy and effectiveness of the UNICEF Ukraine’s governance processes to support management of its country programme and operations:

  • Office priorities and performance management (AMP – annual key priorities indicated, monitored and reviewed, linkage to CPMP, linkage between key priorities in the AMP and the major programme outcomes in the annual work plan, reflection of the priorities in the EPAS/PAS, established set of management and programme indicators and targets and progress towards achievement of priorities through supervisory bodies such as the CMT and annual management reviews);
  • Risk Management (identifying, assessing, monitoring and reporting on 5-10 most significant risks for UNICEF Ukraine; defining mitigating activities and the respective action plan, determining risks to be escalated; inclusion of significant change initiatives and their impact on office operations, such as VISION and GSSC; application of the ERM principles and tools in its day-to-day activities including programmatic and managerial planning and decision-making; updating the work processes on a periodic basis to reflect changes in policies and procedures and in alignment with its risk management processes, Business Continuity Plan update and applying it to field offices);
  • Management Structures and Delegating of Authorities (office statutory and advisory committees and their updated ToRs, and assessing their relevance and effectiveness; checking alignment between the approved and actual staffing structure with the needs of UNICEF Ukraine to deliver programme results under the current CP; consistency between the latest organogram with the approved organizational structure as per the Country Programme Management Plan/Integrated Budget (CPMP/IB) and the correctness of the actual reporting lines and funding of posts in accordance with the PBR approval; for field offices - assess the effectiveness of their management and identify key risks and challenges in achievement of their objectives; assessing the existence and adequacy of the governance arrangements for common premises; reviewing the table of authority to assess the appropriateness, completeness of delegation of authority and consistency between the TOA and the actual authorities given to staff in VISION;
  • Human Resources Management (recruitment, competences gaps development, EPAS/PAS status, maintenance of staff - mechanisms involved in contracting, renewal, review of entitlements, visas);
  • Ethics (reviewing country office’s processes and management action to promote ethical behavior including training, sharing policy documents, materials and briefing staff on ethical standards and core UNICEF values, ensuring the financial disclosure policy, LSA and PSV reporting on ethical issues if any);
  • UN Coherence (application of the UN Coherence principles in planning and managing the country programme – for non-DaO country: existing controls to assess the understanding and application of the key basic UN coherence principles – UNDAF, joint programming, harmonized planning, monitoring and reporting instruments; common services, UNCT and OMT participation/leadership).

The adequacy and effectiveness of controls and processes in operations functions (including ICT) established to support programme implementation:

  • Financial Management (programme budget, institutional budget, budget monitoring, bank/cash management, cash transfer financial management (DCT and HACT), payroll, financial reporting);
  • Transition to GSSC – CO preparation, preparedness and readiness for GSSC transition;
  • Procurement and Contracting (Consultant and individual contractor procurement – workflow, planning selection and contracting, contract management and evaluation; goods and services procurement – planning, solicitation, identification and vendor management; tendering/bidding and evaluation of bids, CRC, institutional contract management, contract closures, evaluations);
  • Logistics and Inventory Management (physical count, reconciling, asset records and management, PSB, damages and losses; logistics chain, in-country logistics, transportation; warehouse management; vehicle management).
  • Premises Management (lease agreements and MoUs where appropriate, relevant documentation and approvals, premises management);
  • Travel Management (including travel of consultants and counterparts);
  • Safety and Security (SMT minutes, MOSS compliance, staff security training and certification, security clearance, security warden system and evacuation plans; security resources and structures, security risk management);
  • ICT (policies, risks, strategy implementation, User Access Control, accounts validity, e-saf management, IT applications infrastructure and its management/maintenance; data control, external parties access management; anti-virus software, security patches, local website management, core ICT equipment and communication equipment, servers administrations, back-up procedures, ICT documentation management, asset records, DRP).

Deliverables based on the work plan

The consultancy will be realized through:

  • On-site conversations with individuals or in group-settings;
  • Desk-review of existing information concerning established procedures, workflows documented and stored documentation including, but not limited to CPMP, AMP and CMT, AMR minutes;
  • Review of VISION applications and documentation;
  • Interaction with statutory bodies such as the CMT, CRC, LSA, etc.

Details of how the work should be delivered

The consultant is to hand-in a report that:

Identifies:

  • Best practices the office has established;
  • Capacity gaps in terms of office, managerial and staff capacity;
  • Breaches of existing rules and regulations.

Provides:

  • Specific and precise recommendations to enhance office compliance with the overall UNICEF regulatory framework referred to;
  • Reference to best practices established in UNICEF elsewhere.

The report is to be treated as a confidential document with the sole purpose to enhance the office’s managerial performance.

Performance indicators for evaluation of results:

  • Quantity of work (addressing all the areas of the current ToR);
  • Quality of work (Quality of the report and documents developed);
  • Responsibility (timeliness of submission and accuracy of reports and information requested by UNICEF; consistency in reporting);
  • Feedback from UNICEF Country Office Management.

Competencies

  • Proven excellent communication skills;
  • Strategic and analytical skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • An advanced University degree (Master's) in Audit, Business Administration, Economics, Accounting, Finance, Information Systems and/or another directly-related technical field is required;
  • A valid professional certification (i.e. CIA, CA; CPA; etc.) from an internationally recognized auditing body such as the Institute of Internal Auditors or equivalent, or an accredited chartered accountancy institution, in conjunction with a relevant first-level (Bachelor's) university degree in a directly-related technical field (as identified above), may be taken in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

  • A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant work experience in operational and management auditing/audit participation;
  • Prior work experience in UNICEF programmes and/or similar operations in programme and/or similar operations activities;
  • Good knowledge of UNICEF programme and/or operations procedures and systems including VISION.

Language:

  • Excellent command of English;
  • Russian or Ukrainian is an asset.

Definition of supervision arrangements

The Consultant is to be supervised by the Operations Manager in close collaboration with the Deputy Representative and oversight by the Representative.

Description of official travel involved

The consultancy requires travelling to Ukraine. No Travel Authorization is to be issued, as travel costs are included into the contract. Travel allowance will be negotiated due to the long-term duration of the consultancy. Travel will be authorised upon completion of the UNICEF’s “Basic Security in the Field” Course, “Advanced Security in the Field” Course, and “Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Safety Training” (if travelling to the East of Ukraine is planned; the consultant may travel to field offices to stay up to 3 days in each – travel costs are to be a part of the whole contract lumpsum).

The consultant is to be responsible for insurance costs on his or her own, except MAIP insurance, which is added into the contract.

Support provided by UNICEF

Day-to-day support for the assignment will be provided by the Operations Manager in collaboration with the rest of the Management and will include the monitoring guidance, assessment of key information and informants; relevant information sharing via e-mail; de-briefing sessions; and facilitation of the consultant’s meetings with UNICEF counterparts when necessary.

The deadline for submission of applications is 22 May 2016.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Applicants that fulfil the above requirements are requested to complete and submit the following:

  • United Nations Personal History Form (P. 11), which is available at a web-site http://www.unicef.org/ukraine/overview_10566.html;
  • Curriculum vitae/resume;
  • Expected fee for the consultancy service;
  • Names and contact details of professional or academic referees;
  • Cover letter describing your professional interests in working for UNICEF.

Important: Applications should contain all requested information including information on the expected fee for the consultancy otherwise will not be further considered.

Please, indicate "Management Review Consultant" in the subject of the email.

Applications can be submitted by:

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.