Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

• Provide portfolio oversight management of Country Offices and implementation support;
• Reviews for exceptions accounts and ensure Country Offices are taken corrective actions in budget, expenditures and deviations;
• Knowledge, Capacity Building, Lessons and Tools Development.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Ensure sound oversight management of the Environmental Finance Unit GEF/GCF/AF portfolio under COs by providing efficient and effective implementation oversight and support:

• Efficient management of key financial and operational milestones from CEO/donor approvals to financial closures of EF funded projects and cost sharing projects;
• Conduct portfolio analysis (project level, CO level and regional level), identify exceptions and implementation issues, and recommend solutions;
• Conduct delivery related analysis, and provide periodic delivery reports to team leads, and to Regional Teaml Leader as needed.
• Review Regional Technical Advisor (RTA)-cleared Annual Work Plans (AWPs) (incl. Multi-year Budget), compare to Atlas KK budgets, verify cumulative expenditure status and project budget balance etc. before approval by MPSU team lead;
• Assist MPSU team lead in monitoring threshold for disbursements for cash-controlled projects and prepare disbursement requests to HQ for approval;
• Assist and backup MPSU team lead in reviewing the proposals, project documents, initiation plans, etc. for financial review for submission to donors and before issuing delegation of authority to country offices;
• Monitoring of projects that have completed Terminal Evaluations and ensure they are marked operationally closed in Atlas on time and follow-up with country offices for financial closure within six months from operational closure. Also monitor and follow-up with country office on closure of old and inactive projects both in atlas and in PIMS+;
• Follow-up with Country Offices on NIM advances. Ensure advances are liquidated on time and old and credit NIM advances are followed up with country for their urgent actions;
• Back up MPSU team lead in providing financial review (or clearance) on project submissions or for DOAs.

Ensure exceptions are reviewed periodically and ensure country offices are taken corrective actions:

• Periodical review of expenditure accounts with exception accounts which are not acceptable to vertical fund donors. Upon identification usage of these accounts, notify country offices for corrective actions within stipulated period;
• Review expenditures against project budgets, including but not limited to project management cost and UNDP support services in the projects, alerting the team lead, and follow up with COs on any non-compliance of spending, budgeting for CO’s attention, and for their actions in resolving relevant issues;
• Monitor deviations in expenditures from the approved budgets and request country office for actions;
• Assist and backup MPSU team lead in review of financial reports to GCF/GEF/AF and other donors after ensuring expenditures are in line with the Project Documents and donor agreement, and after ensuring corrective actions are taken on exceptions, deviations, etc.;
• Review Budgets in Atlas, and review budget dialogues in PIMS+;
• Efficient management of key MPSU financial milestones from CEO/donor approvals to financial closures of GEF funded projects and cost sharing projects;
• Conduct regional portfolio analysis, identify any bottlenecks in the implementations, and recommend solutions;
• Review all exceptions and deviations at project level, between Cash/ASL, budgets, Expense, Commitments, NIM advances, and ensure compliance with multi-year budgeting by COs. Alert MPSU team lead of all deviations and take actions as required;
• Assist MPSU team lead on all audits.

Knowledge management, Capacity Building and learning:

• Identify needs, provide guidance and training to COs on implementation, oversight, exceptions reviews, development of budget for proposals, project documents for GEF (and other donor) funded projects. Assist with preparation of regional community of practice meeting;
• Assist the MPSU team lead to do capacity building of COs relating to GEF/AF/GCF and other vertical fund management and policies;
• Focal point for Atlas training in the financial management, processes, etc.;
• Identify personal learning needs, develop self-learning and ensure knowledge up to date.

Competencies

Core Competencies

Innovation:

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work. Level 4: Adept with complex concepts and challenges convention purposefully.

Leadership:

• Ability to persuade others to follow. Level 4: Generates commitment, excitement and excellence in others.

People Management:

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction. Level 4: Models independent thinking and action.

Communication:

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform. Level 4: Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis

Delivery:

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement. Level 4: Meets goals and quality criteria for delivery of products or services

Technical/Functional Competencies

Operational Efficiency:

• Ability to identify and execute opportunities to improve operational efficiency.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Financial Planning and Budgeting:

• Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise.

Knowledge Management:

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise.

Project and Programme Management:

• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise.

Results-based Management:

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise.

Budget Management:

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise.

Financial Reporting and Analysis:

• Ability to evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful manner.

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise.

Job Requirements

Education:

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, Accounting or closely related field;
• Completion of recognized certification program on project management, accounting, and/or procurement is an asset;

Experience:

• Up to two years of progressive experience at the national or international level in project management and/or managing operational areas focusing on program support and/or budget management, accounting, resource management, and auditing;
• Extensive experience in handling an ERP system;
• Extensive knowledge UNDP policies, procedures and practices;
• Full computer literacy, proven experience using Excel and/or Power BI for data analysis.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Amharic;
• Fluency in or working knowledge of other UN languages, especially French, is an asset.