Background
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The Latin America and the Caribbean Humanitarian Fund (LAC HF), managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) from its Regional Office in Panama, through a dedicated Regional Humanitarian Financing Unit (RHFU).
The LAC HF has been established in 2024 by the ERC (Emergency Relief Coordinator) to provide a stable and flexible platform for donors addressing emergencies across the region, including sudden-onset disasters, escalating crises, and ongoing humanitarian situations. With current funding mostly coming from a handful of donors, supplemented by a broader range of emergency-specific public and private contributors, LAC HF seeks engagement from non-traditional donors.
Managed from OCHA’s Regional Office in Panama, LAC HF dynamically adjusts its Country Envelopes based on evolving needs, donor interest and partner capacity. Each Envelope is managed by the respective UN Resident Coordinator or Humanitarian Coordinator, with support from an in-country Advisory Board, and working with national coordination mechanisms.
Colombia and Haiti have been prioritized initially and based on their success over time, LAC HF could expand to other countries based on humanitarian needs and donor interest. This means LAC HF could possibly expand to support responses to phenomena like El Niño or hurricanes affecting multiple countries. Additionally, LAC HF and CBPFs (Country-Based Pooled Funds) are complementary to one another, with LAC HF Envelopes potentially evolving into full CBPFs (Country-Based Pooled Funds) as needed, or CBPFs scaling back into LAC HF Envelopes, depending on the context.
Position Purpose
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Pooled Fund Manager and Head of Office (UNOCHA ROLAC), the Associate Finance Officer is responsible for ensuring effective operationalization of financing and administration within the HFU (Humanitarian Financing Unit), for both funding mechanisms led by ROLAC: the LAC HF (with country envelopes in Colombia and Haiti), and CERF (Central Emergency Response Fund). The Associate Finance Officer oversees financial budget revision of project proposals, financial spot checks, financial reporting and audit processes within his/her portfolio; and provides advice services. The Associate Finance Officer also contribute to research, analysis and reporting, particularly on financial-related questions, and participate in knowledge development and knowledge sharing activities with relevant stakeholders about humanitarian funds: LAC HF, (Central Emergency Response Fund). CERF (Central Emergency Response Fund), etc.
The Associate Finance Officer works in close collaboration with other units and field offices within OCHA, programme staff in other UN Agencies, OCHA and CBPF (Country-Based Pooled Funds) section staff in HQ, cluster coordinators, technical advisors/experts, partners and donors to ensure successful financial and administrative processes within the HFU and LAC HF, including the country envelopes in Colombia and Haiti; and CERF when necessary.
Duties and Responsibilities
1) Support day-to-day management of the Regional Humanitarian Financing Unit, under supervision and within the delegated tasks by the Head of HFU (Humanitarian Financing Unit),, ensuring key functions during her / his absence.
- Ensure effective management and smooth functioning of the HFU, particularly in finance-related issues, through efficient coordination with OCHA’s Units and Offices and other stakeholders.
- Ensure stakeholders’ common understanding of the funding guidelines and procedures by providing necessary training (LAC HF, CERF, etc.), particularly budget preparation, financial reporting and audit processes.
- Daily scheduling, preparation of background documents and organization of briefing for meetings, including support to resource mobilization strategies, grant applications and donor relations.
- Liaise with current contributing donors in the countries of concern for regular update of the humanitarian funding information, particularly Financial Tracking System (FTS)-related issues, renewal of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with donors, request and receipt of tranches, etc.
- Contribute, when necessary, on the CERF allocation processes, particularly budget reviews.
2) Ensure effective operationalization of financing and administration of the OCHA-managed pooled funds, particularly the Latin America and the Caribbean Humanitarian Fund (LAC HF) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
- Contribute to the process of Internal Capacity Assessments for new partners following the CBPF Global Guidelines, particularly on the finance elements.
- Oversee the functioning of daily operational and financial processes of the LAC HF including assurance of effective administration in the online Grant Management System (OneGMS) in close collaboration of partners.
- Monitors and records the contributions to LAC HF in compliance with OneGMS and OCHA Contribution Tracking System (OCT), identifies discrepancies concerning contributions to LAC HF and resolves them, and serves as financial focal point for all LAC HF contributions.
- Reviews, analyses and provides inputs to the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals for the HFU.
- Reviews and makes appropriate recommendations with respect to the financial utilization of LAC HF grants, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
- Ensure necessarily follow up on matters and processes concerning the financial management of OCHA-managed pooled funds with relevant OCHA HQ sections, i.e. Country-based Pooled Fund Section (CBPFS), CERF Secretariat, Donor Relations Section (DRS), Operations Support Unit (OSU).
- Support the Head of HFU in overseeing budget and financial related issues of LAC HF allocations and CERF application processes, ensuring necessary coordination with relevant counterparts in line with the CPBF Global Guidelines, the CERF Guidelines, allocation strategies in country, considering the risk management framework globally and in country.
- Ensure compliance with the CPBF Global Guidelines, by supporting the Head of HFU in compilation, analyzing and integration of relevant stakeholders’ inputs, basically in relation to budget preparation and other financial related issues.
- Support to CERF application processes including budget review and request for budget revisions.
- Organize training and workshops related to LAC HF or CERF financial processes, financial budget revision of project proposals, financial spot checks, financial reporting and audit processes, and others programmatic topics.
- Contribute to LAC HF and CERF reporting and follow up processes.
- Keep the Head of HFU informed of trends and/or individual cases that contribute to evidence-based decisions or actions.
3) Primary liaison with partners and other stakeholders.
- Act as a primary liaison person with the partners to provide accurate information and guidance on the established guidelines and criteria to ensure for compliance including budget preparation, budget revisions, financial spot checks, financial reporting and audit process, providing necessary support to recipient organizations of the LAC HF throughout the life cycle of the projects, promoting coherence between humanitarian needs and humanitarian response actions, etc.
- Oversee registration, due diligence and capacity assessment process of new partner organizations to the LAC HF.
4) Oversight of budget implementation and revision, financial spot checks, financial reporting, audit processes and refund processes.
- Ensure compliance of partners with the signed Grant Agreement and CBPF Global Guidelines, by overseeing budget implementation and revision, financial spot checks, financial reporting, audit processes and refund processes conducted to LAC HF funded projects.
- Oversee the update of appropriate financial spot check report templates in accordance with the CBPF Global Guidelines and the risk management framework of the LAC HF.
- Provide necessary support and advice to national staff (Monitoring, Programme and Grant Management Officers) for conducting periodic financial spot checks to promote and support the principled use of the LAC HF as a flexible humanitarian funding mechanism across key actors (i.e. implementing partners, communities), as well as to assess its progress based on evidence, to the extent possible, and within the limitations on the ground.
- Ensure regular information sharing on project financial status to the Head of HFU, the OCHA Country Offices, the UN Resident Coordinators and Humanitarian Coordinators (UN RCs/HCs), donors, and relevant governing bodies of the LAC HF.
- Oversee timely overall funding reporting through high-quality analysis inputs for the LAC HF annual report, quarterly snapshot, quarterly leaflet, regular reporting to contributing donors and OCHA Country Office’s donors, regular tracking of funding contributions from donors to the Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) and other specific emergencies.
5) Research, analysis and reporting, particularly on financial-related questions.
- Contribute to the research, analysis and presentation of humanitarian financing information, in particular funding trends and requirements, gathered from diverse sources.
- Contribute to the pooled funds-related policy implementation, including the review and analysis of funding trends and new financial aspects.
- In collaboration with the OCHA Country Offices in countries of concern, as well as with support from relevant OCHA HQ sections, document and disseminate results, good practices and results of the LAC HF across internal and broader audiences through information and communication products/pieces (i.e. leaflet, bulletins, etc.).
- Contribution to the preparation and ensure quality of various written documents reports, documents and communications e.g. draft correspondence, background papers, official memoranda, mission reports, talking points, presentations, analysis and notes submitted to the Head of HFU and OCHA Head of Office for public dissemination.
6) Ensure knowledge building and knowledge sharing with relevant stakeholders about humanitarian funds: LAC HF, CERF, etc.
- Train the LAC HF Advisory Board members, cluster and sector coordinators and partners on the online Grant Management System (OneGMS), including overview of the system, budget preparation, financial review, due diligence and capacity assessment, financial spot checks, financial reporting, audit and refund etc.
- Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
7) The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Head of HFU.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervises finance staff.
Competencies
Core Competencies
- ACHIEVE RESULTS – LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
- THINK INNOVATEVELY – LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
- LEARN CONTINUOUSLY – LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
- ADAPT WITH AGILITY – LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
- ACT WITH DETERMINATION – LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
- ENGAGE AND PARTNER – LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.
- ENABLE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION – LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.
People Management
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated
site.
Cross-Functional Competencies
- BUSINESS DIRECTION & 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 the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
- PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.
- MONITORING & EVALUATION: Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. • Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. • Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
- WORKING WITH EVIDENCE AND DATA: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.
Technical Competencies
- 2030 AGENDA: ENGAGEMENT & EFFECTIVENESS
- EFFECTIVENESS: Project Quality Assurance.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- An advanced university degree (Master’s, or equivalent) in business administration, finance or related field is required or,
- A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree) in business administration, finance or related field may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- At least two (2) years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in finance, budget, business administration or related areas is required.
- Experience working in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds and programmes) or similar international organization or non-governmental organization in a conflict or post-conflict setting is desirable.
- Experience in use and application of IPSAS in a working environment is desirable.
- Experience in advanced Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Power BI and experience in data analysis and management is required.
- Experience using ERP systems such as SAP is required.
- Experience working in a shared service center providing services to national and/or international clients is desirable.
Languages:
- Fluency in Spanish and English is required.
- Knowledge of Haitian Creole and/or French is desirable.
Disclaimer
Important applicant information
All posts in the NO categories are subject to local recruitment.
Candidates selected pursuant to this vacancy may be subject to UNDP’s policy on Probation upon assignment.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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Level of Education: Bachelor Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: No requirements