• Country: Mogadichu, Somalia
• No of vacancies: N/A
  
• Salary: N/A 
• Organization: UNDP
• Gender: Both
• Deadline: 2024-01-19

Position Purpose

The objective of the position of Programme Specialist and Head of Programme Oversight and Quality Assurance (POQA) unit is to lead the unit in ensuring programme implementation and management is in line with the Programme and Project Management (PPM) provisions of the POPP manual. This objective is embedded in 3 features of quality, coherence and compliance. The unit performs internal oversight while building capacity for both internal staff and external partners to ensure agility, compliance, quality and coherence is maintained across the 4 portfolios and the whole programme in general. Thus, the scope of the responsibility’s spans across PPM, harmonized, collaborative programming, flexible decision-making, and Risk management approaches through application of HACT framework including HACT and DIM audits, capacity development, monitoring, learning and evaluation, and People management through leadership and supervision of the staff within the unit.

• Ensure projects are formulated in alignment with the CPD and UNDP Strategic Plan, guided by the POPP, UNDG Guidelines for Joint Programmes and other locally approved guidelines /SOP, including the Operations Manual of the Somalia Development and Reconstruction Facility (SDRF);
• Support the Integrated Work Plan process and ensure compliance in all corporate planning system platforms. Coordinate support needs from programme with the regional hub as necessary
• In consultation with portfolio managers and project managers with clearance from DRR-Programme, develop programme resource and budget projections, to inform delivery targets, resources mobilization targets and revenue for the CO, to be populated in the Integrated Work Plan (IWP) annually and monitored through the integrated financial dashboard;
• Support the programme team with review for agility and quality assurance of draft project documents, initiation plans, concept notes, calls for proposals; promote cross-portfolio inputs and facilitate presentation of the projects for internal review and to Local Project Appraisal Committee (LPAC) before final endorsement by Senior Management;
• Reviews and clears projects’ Annual Work Plans (AWPs) and AWP amendments ensuring necessary approvals by governance bodies (Project Boards) are documented and observed, clearing any exceptions by Senior Management as applicable;
• Contribute to the preparation and/or participation in the Project Board and Technical Committee meetings in line with the CO approved practice and corporate policy provisions;
• Advise senior management on mainstreaming UNDP corporate portfolio approach across organizational processes and projects, to enhance system responses in project design and management.
• Review and clear Letters of Agreement (LOAs) and Responsible Party Agreements (RPAs) before these are submitted to Senior Management for signature;
• Ensures harmonization and consistency of UNDP programme and project instruments (project document templates, LOAs, RPAs, LVGs, etc.); ensure programme instruments are consistent with requirements under the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) framework, notably on use of cash transfer modalities in line with risk level of the assessed Responsible Parties. Any exceptions noted should be cleared by and in consultation with Senior Management.
• Support formulation of all donor agreements in line with existing corporate templates and procedures, using correct financing agreement templates and application of correct cost recovery policies; securing necessary clearances, before these are submitted to Senior Management, ensures that donors’ contributions are properly transferred to UNDP in a timely manner, donor narrative and financial reports are submitted in compliance with the contribution agreements.
• Support the programme team to ensure compliance to all necessary operational procedures and policies under the PPM and other relevant sections of the POPP and HACT frameworks including but not limited to the use of Partner Capacity Assessment Tool (PCAT), the Social and Environment Screening Procedure (SESP), Enterprise Risk Management (ERM policy), Vertical Funds policy guidance, Project Board guidance, and others as applicable.
• Guides portfolio managers and project managers on initiating Joint Programmes including providing and ensuring correct use of available templates; advise on MPTF procedures, including the MPTF and SDRF Operations Manual; liaises with MPTF Fund Administrator on issues related to programmable resources and budget for UNDP and facilitate mid-year and annual MPTF reporting in coordination with the MPTF Secretariat in the Integrated Office of the Resident Coordinator
• Participate in the inter-agency Programme Management Team (PMT) meetings to represent UNDP when assigned by the DRR-Programme; coordinate submissions from UNDP to the PMT as required, under the guidance and clearance of DRR-Programme for joint reporting to the UNSDCF.

Ensure POQA unit management, leadership and supervisory function.

• Manages the overall POQA roles and responsibilities in an effective and efficient manner, working closely with other relevant UNDP Portfolio teams, Units, and UNDP Senior Management, as well as other partners as required.
• Leads the staff in the POQA unit to ensure workloads are evenly distributed and the team functions effectively at peak seasons to deliver on its mandate.
• Leads the formulation of the POQA AWP, is accountable for its implementation and ensures appropriate prioritization of resources at all times.
• Formulates Terms of References for all POQA team members and leads Unit recruitments’ processes, as necessary.
• Ensures appropriate supervision, reporting and performance management mechanisms for all staff recruited under POQA.
• Ensures establishment of an enabling training/working environment of all POQA team members.
• Coordinate the bi-weekly Programme Meetings under the guidance from DRR-Programme; maintaining the meeting roster, keeping minutes and action points from the meetings.

•  Lead the development of internal Monitoring and Evaluation tools and ensures their regular implementation, to measure impact of UNDP programmes and projects and to advise Portfolio and Project Managers on corrective actions;
• Lead the Country Office in preparation of the Results-Oriented Annual Report (ROAR) through role assignment, coordination of inputs from programme team, operations team and Senior Management, ensuring quality results reporting supported by evidence and clear linkage to the CPD, UNCF and SP;
• Coordinate design and content of trainings on results-based management, programming principles to enhance capacity of project and counterpart staff in RBM, monitoring and quality reporting;
• Coordinate programme monitoring for activity verification and data collection to generate evidence for programme reporting to the CPD and Strategic Plan;
• Guide POQA team in formulating CO evaluation plans, and commissioning projects’ mid-term and end evaluations in line with UNDP Evaluation Guidelines;
• Lead implementation of Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) arrangements;
• Reviews and clears Programme’s and projects’ semi-annual and annual reports before submission to Senior Management and/or MPTF.

Ensure internal control and oversight in line with HACT policy/framework

• Advise portfolio and projects teams on financial regulations and rules, including ATLAS (or Quantum) budgeting and ensure consistent application of policies across portfolios;
• Ensure Annual Work Plans (AWPs) are in accordance with project budgets prior to committing Country Office resources; ensure correct cost recovery policies are applied including GMS and DPC (now termed Delivering Enabling Services);
• With support from Programme Finance Specialist, reviews General Ledger Journal Entries (GLJEs) for correction, reversal and adjustment entries of expenditures between projects, donors and/or funds;
• Actively participate in the Risk Management Unit (RMU) monthly meetings and use the information to improve on risk management and mitigation; share relevant information as required by RMU for collective UN efforts in mitigating against programmatic and operational risks;
• Coordinate implementation of HACT Micro-Capacity Assessments of Implementing Partners/ Responsible Parties; implementation of HACT assurance plan (audits, spot checks and programme monitoring) and use the recommendations to strengthen capacities of Responsible Parties, CO staff and perform risk rating adjustment in line with HACT policy
• Coordinate the CO preparation for HACT and DIM audits and ensures follow up and implementation of audits recommendations;
• Support portfolios/project in timely implementation of HACT assurance recommendations to ensure the CO meets the HACT Certification requirements;
• Support portfolios on project operational and financial closures; tracking the programme financial management indicators in the integrated financial dashboard and take necessary action including advising Senior Management on corrective measures, or seeking their approval on proposed actions.
• With support from Programme Finance Specialist, monitor and track programme financial delivery and identify bottlenecks that need to be addressed to improve performance, the same with performance in resources mobilization targets and revenue which are monitored in IWP and Stream;
• Reviews and verifies projects financial reports for timely submission to donors and partners;
• Review and approve Funding Authorization and Certification of Expenditure (FACE) forms and payment vouchers on direct payments, reimbursement and cash advances;
• Approves accounts payable requests up to USD 50,000 for further submission to GSSU   as Manager Level 2 in the Internal Control Framework, as well as reviews and clears payments requests above USD 50,000 before approval by Senior Management;
• Works closely with the CO Operations team to identify solutions for operational and financial management problems;
• Coordinate the formulation and delivery of training curricula for project staff on financial issues and reporting, including FACE forms in collaboration with CO Operations.
• Any other tasks and responsibilities as requested by the Supervisor.

Coordinate and lead in capacity development for UNDP staff and national counterparts

• Lead the development of training and capacity development strategies and approaches and ensure correct implementation principles are maintained at UNDP and Responsible Parties’ level; the training curricula should cover all areas that are under the unit’s functions and to be tailored to the respective audience;
• Regularly review the impact of the training and other capacity development efforts on quality in programming, project implementation, corporate dashboards as well as satisfaction of Responsible Parties of the cooperation with UNDP;
• Promotes a consistent one-UN approach in building capacity of Implementing Partners/Responsible Parties in line with the HACT framework.
• Ensures that gradual and increasing alignment is realized with the use of National Systems in UNDP cooperation management arrangements as and when appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place and functioning effectively.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: 

The Programme Specialist and Head of POQA supervises a team of 7 national and 2 international staff at professional and general service levels.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
• Act with Determination LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 
Business Direction and Strategy

• Systems Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management

• Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus to improved performance and demonstrable results.
• Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
• Engagement & Effectiveness: Programming (PPM) policies and procedure.
• Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
• Client Management:
  • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs.
  • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
  • Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
  • Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
• Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

Experience:

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