HACT & RISK Officer

Support Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) and implement related activities.

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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Application deadline 18 days ago: Thursday 16 Jul 2026 at 00:00 UTC

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Overview

Support Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) and implement related activities.

You have:

  • A minimum of 3 (three) years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: programme development/management, financial planning and management, or another related area.
  • Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
  • Relevant experience in a United Nations (UN) system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
  • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office (MS) Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

The fundamental mission of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. UNICEF has adopted the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) as an approach for obtaining assurance that results have been achieved in line with resource utilization. It aims at managing risk related to cash transfers made to implementing partners in support of programme implementation, reducing partner transaction costs and allowing progressive use of national systems for management and accountability of results and resources.

Purpose for the job: The Programme Officer (HACT) reports to the Implementing Partnership and Risk Management for close guidance and supervision. This position is an entry professional level and should therefore be normally used as a trainee level for acquiring organizational knowledge of rules, regulations and processes to supplement academic and theoretical knowledge of the profession for upward mobility to higher responsibilities. The Programme Officer (HACT) provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programme cycle through the application of theoretical and technical skills in researching, collecting, analysing and presenting technical information to facilitate the integration of Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) plans in all programming activities and to ensure the application of HACT and related organizational rules, regulations and procedures in the country office (CO).

In addition to duty station specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Under the direct supervision of the Implementing Partnership and Risk Management Officer, the national United Nations Volunteer will perform the following tasks:

  1. Support to Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) planning during the programming process
  2. Support implementation of HACT activities
  3. Review and use of HACT reports
  4. Networking and inter-agency partnership
  5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

  6. Support to HACT planning during the programming process  Participate in discussions, collection, analysis, verification, and synthesis of HACT-related information/documentation to gain good knowledge of HACT and programme planning and implementation.  Participate in the preparation of HACT-related materials/documentation to ensure incorporation of HACT in the country programming process.

  7. Support to implementation of HACT activities  Serve as the reference person on HACT implementation in the office.  Participate in and assist with the preparation and regular updating of country office (CO) micro-assessment and assurance plans.  Together with qualified and experienced CO colleagues, undertake spot checks of implementing partners to gain knowledge and experience.  Provide technical and administrative support to external service providers in the execution of HACT activities to ensure timely and efficient delivery of results.  Assist with maintenance of records of relevant HACT-related documentation, including CO decisions related to HACT.

  8. Review and use of HACT reports  Assist with recording and update of risk ratings of implementing partners in VISION through regular review of the Vendor Master and provision of information to relevant colleagues in the CO.  Share with implementing partners and CO staff HACT related reports, especially reports of assurance activities, to ensure adequate awareness and follow-up of identified issues.  Participate in the review of micro-assessment reports of implementing partners to identify common weaknesses in financial and procurement management and propose capacity development actions that can be supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Participate in the review of assurance activity reports of implementing partners to identify issues that need follow-up and common weaknesses in financial and procurement management and propose capacity development actions that can be supported by UNICEF.

  9. Networking and inter-agency partnership  Exchange information and/or operational support to implementing partners, UN system partners, and other stakeholders in the CO on the implementation of HACT to reinforce UN/CO harmonization and coordination.  Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of HACT information and knowledge to facilitate and build their capacity for implementing HACT.  Participate in appropriate inter-agency meetings/events to facilitate and promote sharing of information, knowledge, experiences, and best practices. Interact regularly with other country offices and the regional office on HACT.

  10. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building • Identify, capture, synthesize, and share lessons learned from HACT and its implementation for integration into broader knowledge development planning, and management efforts. • Participate in the design, planning and implementation of capacity development strategies/initiatives for implementing partners which can be supported by UNICEF through participation in review of reports of micro-assessments and assurance activities of significant and high-risk partners. • Participate in the design and implementation of capacity development strategies/initiatives for CO staff to ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to fulfill their responsibilities related to HACT.

The effective support provided by the Programme Officer (HACT) to the careful planning and effective implementation of the HACT activities directly impacts on programme execution, delivery of sustainable results, and promote national ownership and accountability for programme resources.

• Core Values: o Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability • Core Competencies: o Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1) o Works Collaboratively with others (1) o Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1) o Innovates and Embraces Change (1) o Thinks and Acts Strategically (1) o Drive to achieve impactful results (1) o Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

• A minimum of 3 (three) years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: programme development/management, financial planning and management, or another related area. • Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset. • Relevant experience in a United Nations (UN) system agency or organization is considered as an asset. • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office (MS) Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in Abidjan. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.

Conditions of Service for national UN Volunteers

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents - except for UN Community Volunteers), as well as final repatriation (if applicable). You can check full entitlements at https://app.unv.org/calculator .

Furthermore, in non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, a Well-Being Differential (WBD) will be provided monthly

Potential interview questions

Can you describe your experience with programme development and how it relates to applying the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers? This question evaluates your understanding and practical experience in programme development and its relevance to HACT. Discuss specific projects you've worked on, elaborating on your role in developing and implementing programmes.
Tell us about a time when you had to analyze complex data related to financial planning or management. This question aims to assess your analytical skills and experience in handling financial data. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you approach capacity building for implementing partners in the context of HACT? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Explain a situation where you had to build partnerships with governmental or non-governmental organizations. How did you ensure effective collaboration? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Discuss a project in which you had to manage risks related to cash transfers. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies would you use to promote innovation and knowledge management within your team? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe how you would handle ambiguity and complexity in project management. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple projects? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 1 month ago - Updated 18 days ago - Source: unv.org