Implementing Partnership Management Officer, NO-2, FT, Bucharest, Romania

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Friday 6 May 2022 at 20:55 UTC

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Contract

This is a NO-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-2 contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, deliver.

The war in Ukraine has triggered the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II. By 23 April 2022, more than 774,000 refugees from Ukraine had arrived in Romania. The overwhelming majority of refugees are women and children, often separated from husbands and fathers who remained in Ukraine; older people; and significant numbers of unaccompanied children, including those from state care facilities.

Local and national authorities have established reception facilities at border crossing points to receive new arrivals and are providing life-saving assistance, including accommodation, food, and other basic needs, as well as onward transport for those moving to urban centers. In the reception centers, information is also provided on the asylum process and temporary protection, as well as on the risks of trafficking. Access to basic rights and services, such as health, has been facilitated. Steps have already been taken to foster protection and inclusion into national systems, such as for health and education. Referral services are being scaled up, focusing especially on case management and protection of unaccompanied children and those evacuated from boarding schools, institutions and other alternative care arrangements, survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), victims of trafficking, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups

UNICEF Romania Country Office is involved in the emergency response by supporting the national government and local partners in delivering assistance and protection services.

How can you make a difference?

The Implementing Partnership Management Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programme cycle through the application of theoretical and technical skills in researching, collecting, analyzing and presenting technical information to facilitate the integration of HACT plans in all programming activities and to ensure the application of HACT and related organizational rules, regulations and procedures in the CO. He/she chairs the PSEA working group under the Refugees Response Plan (RRP)

The Implementing Partnership Management Officer is responsible for providing technical and administrative support to ensure quality, effective and efficient management of implementing partnerships in the country office in line with respective operational policies, procedures and mainstreaming of risk based implementing partnership management at the CO level.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Support to the HACT planning during the programming process

  • Participate in HACT planning and discussions and support the development and completion of HACT plans through research, collection, analysis and reporting of related information/data to facilitate planning and priority setting for HACT activities.
  • Provide technical and operational support throughout the process by executing/administering technical, operational and administrative transactions and preparing related materials/documentations to ensure the incorporation of HACT into the country programme.
  • Support the preparation of CO-wide micro assessment and assurance plans in collaboration will other programme staff and relevant operations colleagues
  • Prepare information on shared implementing partners to facilitate joint planning and execution of micro assessments and audits in line with the UNICEF HACT Procedure

Technical support to implementation of HACT activities

  • Serves as help desk for programme and other staff on matters relating to the HACT and its implementation
  • Facilitate the execution of HACT activities undertaken by external service providers through scheduling, arranging briefings and related administrative needs to ensure service providers have appropriate and comprehensive information for effective and efficient completion of assignments.
  • Conduct and/or coordinate spot checks of implementing partners in collaboration with other CO staff and external service providers
  • Support the preparation of HACT implementation status report in InSight through collation of implementation information from relevant CO colleagues and external service providers
  • Contribute to development and monitoring of implementation of CO HACT related SOPs and internal procedures, including for escalation of issues identified through assurance activities
  • Prepare annual HACT implementation and assessment reports

Risk management and quality assurance

  • Support the recording and updating of risk ratings of implementing partners in VISION through review of the Vendor Master and provision of relevant information to appropriate colleagues in the CO.
  • Establish a central repository for HACT decisions, documentation and reports to provide timely and current information to facilitate implementation of HACT in the CO.
  • Review assessments and programme assurance reports to identify areas of weaknesses related to the implementation of HACT and keep supervisor/management, programme staff and partners informed of findings for timely action and/or intervention.
  • Monitors and assesses adequacy of actions taken to ensure the risks are managed.
  • Formulate pragmatic recommendations and secures the agreement of management to mitigate the identified risks
  • Provide a summary of performance of external providers in relation to implemented HACT activities.

Technical support to management of cash transfers / DCTs

  • Communicate and follow up with relevant cost programme sections to ensure timely liquidation of DCTs.
  • Review DCTs reports and support management in ensuring a consistent approach across programme areas in FACE FORM related processes.
  • Coordinate programme inputs for justification of DCT impairments and write offs, as necessary.
  • Conduct periodic quality assurance of cash transfer modalities, review of vendors in the system and DCT ageing as per the office key performance Indicators for DCTs (KPIs).
  • Review DCTs and initiate DCT follow-up correspondence and meetings for DCTs over six months

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

  • Identify, synthesize and share, best practice and lessons learnt from HACT and its implementation for integration into broader knowledge development planning and management efforts.
  • Support the implementation of new office tools, such as eTools, to manage implementing partnerships and HACT activities.
  • Maintain the HACT Assurance Dashboard in line with HACT Framework and Country Office HACT Plans
  • Contribute to design and implementation of capacity development strategy/initiatives for implementing partners which can be supported by UNICEF through identification of common weaknesses in financial and procurement management from review of micro assessment and assurance activity reports of high and significant risk partners
  • Contribute to design and implementation of capacity development strategy/initiatives for CO staff to ensure that staff has knowledge and skills to fulfill their responsibilities under HACT.

Support to implementing partnerships management

  • Serve as secretariat to PCARC committee and ensure support to effectively establish and monitoring of implementing partnerships
  • Review adequacy and completeness of all PCA/SSFA/PD submission and ensure the relevant documentation for the committee’s review are submitted as per CSO Procedure
  • Assist programme staff in reviewing partner proposed budgets to ensure compliance with the CSO Procedure
  • Schedule PCARC meetings and record minutes for filing
  • Ensure submissions and final PCA/SSFA/PDs are filed in central repository and updated in eTools

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

  • A university degree in one of the following fields is required: Accounting, Development studies, International Development, Business Administration, Financial Management, Economics, Auditing, Project/Programme Management or another relevant technical field.
  • A minimum of two years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: programme development/management, financial planning management, Accounting, Financial Management, Audit Management, Risk Management– with hands on experience in undertaking and reporting on financial management assurance activities related to HACT and/or similar grant management oversight systems used by donor and funding agencies.
  • Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
  • Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
  • Fluency in English and Romanian is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

Core Competencies

  • Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
  • Works Collaboratively with others (1)
  • Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
  • Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
  • Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
  • Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
  • Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org