Budget and Finance Officer

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2596 (2021), the 15-member Council decided to extend the Mission’s mandate until 17 March 2022.

UNAMA’s current mandate comprises the following priorities: the provision of good offices; support for the organization of future elections; strengthening capacity in the protection and promotion of human rights including the protection of children affected by armed conflict and prevention of child recruitment; support for gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment; the coordination and facilitation of humanitarian assistance; and support for Afghanistan’s development and governance priorities, including the rule of law, transitional justice as an essential component of the ongoing peace process, budget execution and the fight against corruption throughout the country;

The Security Council also recognized that the renewed mandate of UNAMA is in support of Afghanistan’s full assumption of leadership and ownership in the security, governance and development areas, consistent with the Transformation Decade (2015–2024) and with the understandings reached between Afghanistan and the international community in the international conferences in Kabul (2010), London (2010 and 2014), Bonn (2011), Tokyo (2012), and Brussels (2016), and the NATO Summits held in Lisbon (2010), Chicago (2012), Wales (2014), Warsaw (2016) and Brussels (2017), Kabul (2018) and Geneva (2018 & 2020). The United Nations has been involved in the region since 1946 when Afghanistan joined the United Nations as a member state of the Organization.

Budget preparation:

• Reviews, analyses and finalizes cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from the various offices of the Mission.
• Provides detailed input with respect to resource requirements for budget submissions.
• Reviews, analyses and finalizes program budget/financial implications to the Security Council statements in light of additional mandates.

Budget administration:

• Ensure allotments, are available for funding the mission-mandated activities.
• Manages and monitors budget implementation and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary.
• Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels.\
• Administers and monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules, and established policies and procedures.
• Prepares budget performance submissions.
• Reviews and finalizes budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.

General

• Provides advice and guidance, including training, to field staff on budgetary and financial policies and procedures,
• Participates in inter-office meetings and/or technical survey missions on matters related to resource requirements, programming, and budgetary issues.
• Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to program and/or regular budgets, ensuring compliance with United Nations policies and procedures.
• Drafts reports for management on budgetary issues, and correspondence.
• Drafts official documentation to troop-contributing countries concerning reimbursements from the United Nations.
• Incumbents may be asked to perform other related duties

Client Orientation Communication Planning and Organizing Professionalism Working in Teams

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in cost management and budget formulation, cost control and monitoring, accounting and financial reporting, or analysis and interpretation of financial results are required. Experience in supporting international operations involving, logistics, infrastructure development, or a similar undertaking is highly desirable

Afghanistan is a hardship duty station with volatile security. Living and working conditions for UN volunteers in UNAMA are similar to the living conditions of all other internationally recruited staff members. UN volunteers are provided with safe accommodation in an extensive compound in Kabul with good infrastructure and amenities. The mission has three compounds in Kabul: Compound Alpha, and UNOCA (UN Operational Complex in Afghanistan) the largest one. UNAMA has three different locations in Kabul, most of the substantive offices, including the SRSG’s are located at the so-called alpha Compound and Palace #7, which is close to the city center, while most of the administrative and technical support offices are located at the UNOCA compound on Jalalabad Road, at some distance from central Kabul.

Generally speaking, stringent security measures are in place throughout the country and UN volunteers as other UN staff, are quite limited to duty stations when it comes to movement. Walking is virtually not allowed. The movement is done inside the “green zone” (only) in armored vehicles driven by national qualified UN drivers.

The single unit accommodation in UNOCA and other field locations is fully furnished; this includes, furniture, washing machine dryer, hot plate, iron and iron stand, microwave, plates, cups, spoons, cooking utensils, electric kettle. One bedsheet and pillow cover are provided. The monthly charge for UN-provided accommodation is USD 300 which is deducted from the monthly Volunteer Living Allowance.

Inside the UNOCA compound are two cafeterias, a restaurant, a Supermarket, and 3 small shops which provide a variety of imported canned and frozen food on offer. There is a Fresh vegetable market daily. There is also a social center, a gym hall, and a small library with books and DVDs, run by the welfare Office, within the same compound. UNOCA has a new minimarket where basic goods can be bought also. There are also a number of UN-cleared supermarkets in Kabul, in Jalalabad, and in Mazar-I-Sharif. The Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own towel and other personal accessories including toiletries and medicines which they may not find easily within the supermarkets inside the UNOCA Compound.

Some degree of medical service is provided in all UNAMA duty stations. There is a UN clinic in UNAMA/UNOCA complex and access is granted in Kabul to other private international clinics (when and if needed). Contact with and outreach to the local community is usually limited. As mentioned, many places are off-limits and the choice of recreational facilities is very poor. For all these reasons, bringing a stock of books, DVDs/VCDs, computer games, etc., is highly recommended.

Summer in Afghanistan is hot and dry but winter is the opposite – cold and wet. Therefore, both summer and winter clothing and comfortable boots with insulation are necessary. Afghanistan is a unique country and UNAMA is a unique UN mission. It requires more stamina, commitment, and flexibility than elsewhere to make life comfortable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in hazardous and harsh conditions involving physical hardship and little comfort is essential.