Finance Specialist SC10

Finance & Economy

Overview

Provide financial management support and ensure compliance with policies

You have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Financial Management/Accountancy or similar
• 7 years of professional experience in accounting / financial management
• Extensive experience in installing and establishing computer based accounting and financial management systems
• Experienced in preparing and delivering training modules
• Extensive experience in donor-financed projects and programmes
• Good written and spoken English

.

World Food Programme

Vacancy Announcement

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Contract type Service Contract SC10 Post Title Finance Specialist Number of Post One Duty Station Naypyitaw Report To Deputy Team Leader/CDD Specialist Duration of Service 12 months (Extendable) Opening Date for Application 06 November 2020 Closing Date for Application 15 November 2020

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need. In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives. On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 75 countries each year. The organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to nutritious food and contribute to the lasting solutions, especially in many of the world’s most remote and fragile areas. WFP has been presented in Myanmar since 1994 and is now focusing on helping the Government reach its national Zero Hunger Challenge by 2025. WFP’s work in the country is guided by three priorities: emergency preparedness and response; nutrition; and provision of social safety nets. The Myanmar CSP 2018-2022 approved by the WFP Executive Board in November 2017 and it aims to contribute to three Strategic Outcomes that are aligned to four Strategic Results of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for Development). A total of eight Activities are planned to be implemented to achieve the contributions to the three Strategic Outcomes. Under the Integrated Road Map (IRM) WFP has committed to a new way of working, linking not only all activities to the defined Strategic Outcomes but also linking the resources used for implementing the activities to the results achieved. The three strategic outcomes are: SO1: Crisis-affected people in food-insecure areas meet their food and nutrition needs all year round. Lifesaving food and/or cash will be provided to women, men, girls and boys affected by natural disasters, armed conflict and inter-communal violence. SO 2: “Vulnerable people in states and regions with high food insecurity and/or malnutrition have access to food all year round.” WFP will provide food/cash assistance to vulnerable populations while providing technical assistance to support the government in strengthening its social protection programmes, food systems and emergency preparedness capacity. SO 3: “Children under 5 in Myanmar have improved nutrition in line with national targets by 2022.” WFP will contribute to increasing the availability and access to safe and nutritious food for vulnerable and affected populations in crisis and non-crisis situations to enhance their nutrition and resilience. WFP will also support the government in implementing national nutrition.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar has received financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to implement a 6 years project named Resilient Community Development Project (RCDP).The Department of Rural Development (DRD) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI) is the implementing Agency. The Main Implementing Consultant and its team of expert will be contracted to support the implementation of the programme in all its aspects. WFP is bidding to assume the role of the MIC. The advertised position would be part of the team of experts proposed by WFP to assume the role of the MIC.

The main outcome of the project is to improve standard of living and resilience of targeted communities through three outputs: (i) development of climate and disaster resilient community infrastructure; (ii) development of resilient livelihood activities for poor men and women; and (iii) strengthening of institutional and organizational capacity of communities and government. The project will adopt a proven Community-Based Development (CBD) approach to deliver community infrastructure and livelihood subprojects to 17 poor, vulnerable townships covering 791 village tracts and 2,942 villages with a population of about 1.8 million people.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The Finance Specialist (FS) will liaise closely with DRD union level, PMU and PIUs, and SSPs to provide financial management support to RCDP activities. The FS will support the international specialist in the following areas:

• Ensure financial management controls are in place to ensure that generally accepted financial procedures are adhered to and that all project funds are utilized for the purposes that they are intended;
• Prepare quarterly budgets and ensure that sufficient project funds are available for all project activities planned for the months/quarter;
• Prepare and submit withdrawal applications under the project loan/grants;
• Submit Financial Reporting as required under the project loan/grant agreements;
• Financial Control: Implement financial policies, control procedures and financial data management systems that are compliant to ADB and DRD financial management policies and guidelines;
• Budgeting: In consultation with the Team Leader (PM/TL) and the PMU counterparts; prepare annual and quarterly budget projections according to annual and quarterly work plans: (i) analyze project expenditure patterns and prepare budget plans to cover planned activities for each quarter; (ii) ensure that sufficient funds are available for scheduled disbursement of community block grants; (iii) advise to PM/TL of potential/anticipated fund flow problems and recommend measures to address them; and (iv) undertake analyses of budget projections and fund utilization patterns in collaboration with the PM/TL to respond to queries from DRD and/or ADB;
• Disbursements: Verify that disbursement requests are in accordance with approved available budget procurement plan and are processed according to approved project procurement procedures;

• Withdrawal Applications: Work closely with the DRD Finance Team in managing grant disbursement and withdrawal applications and ensuring the project has sufficient funds for planned activities in each cycle: (i) collect and record grant acquittals submitted by village tract committees to the PIUs; (ii) review grant acquittals and ensure that project grants are being utilized in accordance to ADB and DRD policies; (iii) in coordination with the PMU Finance Officer, prepare acquittals and supporting documents for the withdrawal applications; (iv) support DRD in submitting withdrawal applications to ADB and ensure that project funds are available as needed; and (v) respond to ADB queries and instructions on the withdrawal applications and other financial matters;

• Reporting to Government: Ensure that the financial report and other financial records are prepared for the regular audit by the office of the Auditor General:

• Clarify the categories detail for SSPs as per original budget line; (ii) prepare the trial balance, statement of receipts and payments, balance sheet, statement of budget vs actual, statement of withdrawal applications; statement of expenditure, and statement of advance account;
• Reporting to ADB: Ensure that Quarterly Financial Reports for ADB are prepared and submitted to the PM/TL one week after the end of each quarter at the latest: prepare the balance sheet, bank reconciliation, receipts and expenditure, disbursement by expenditure categories, statement of sources and uses of project funds, and statement of project financial position;
• Capacity Building: In collaboration with the PM/TL, develop and implement training activities and capacity building inputs on project and subproject financial management: (i) develop and implement training activities on financial management systems and procedures and to improve the financial management skills of the finance teams of the PMU, PIUs, SSPs; and (ii) in collaboration with the PMU, PIU and SSP finance and procurement teams develop and implement training activities on community procurement and financial management and ensure that the village tract finance and procurement subcommittees have the sufficient knowledge and skills to undertake subproject procurement and financial management in accordance with RCDP policies and procedures:
• QAR: In collaboration with the PMU Finance Officer, lead the conduct of the end of the cycle subproject financial quality assurance reviews (QARs); and consolidate and analyze the findings from the QAR and use them as basis for formulating recommendations for improving project procurement and financial management policies and procedures and for developing training modules for village and village tract committees; and
• Audit: coordinate with and provide information in a timely manner to government and independent auditors to enable a smooth audit process to take place.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Financial Management/Accountancy or similar
• 7 years of professional experience in accounting / financial management
• Preferably having extensive experience in installing and establishing computer based accounting and financial management systems
• Experienced in preparing and delivering training modules
• Preferably having extensive experience in donor-financed projects and programmes
• Good written and spoken English

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This post is opened for Myanmar Nationals Only. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.

.

Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 5 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: wfp.org