Background

Founded by the UN General Assembly resolution in 1966, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDF’s vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity.

UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031.

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders. UNCDF assists countries with advancing economic growth and poverty reduction with a focus on the following areas to unlock finance:

• MSME Finance
• Sub-national finance
• Digital finance

Following a recent restructuring, UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), led by the Chief Investment Officer, Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by the Executive Board of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and performs the function of the Executive Board of UNCDF.

Position Purpose

The Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU) serves the management team, operational units, regional support teams, and project teams, as well as the broader public, on data management and analyses related to UNCDF’s development impact and finance. In addition, the team provides quality assurance and control of UNCDF’s development and financial data from project design to the financial closure to ensure alignment with UNCDFs strategy, policy and procedures, and wider global agendas.

Reporting directly to the Head of Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU), the Strategic Monitoring and Reporting Analyst (P2) collaborates with all projects and related units. Their responsibilities include meticulously verifying reports, conducting results-based monitoring, and developing innovative tools to enhance the measurement and communication of UNCDF’s impact. This role combines qualitative and qualitative results reporting, data monitoring, process management, and innovation for improved project management.

The Strategic Monitoring and Reporting Analyst provides comprehensive support to the Performance and Monitoring Support Unit (PMSU) in ensuring the strategic and operational effectiveness of UNCDF’s project progress and donor reporting functions.

This role combines high-level coordination of reporting processes with results-based management (RBM) oversight, quality assurance, and digital innovation to strengthen institutional accountability and performance monitoring. Reporting directly to the Head of PMSU, the Analyst serves as a central anchor for reporting oversight by implementing reporting SOPs, tools, and workflows that align with POPP guidelines and donor requirements. The role also supports the integration of reporting data into Quantum+ and contributes to the development of AI-driven tools and dashboards that enhance project oversight and strategic impact analysis.

This role requires exceptional organizational and analytical skills, the ability to manage complex reporting workflows across global teams, and a strong command of data visualization, compliance, narrative reporting, and results monitoring. The Analyst plays a key role in facilitating the clearance of project progress and donor reports, leading capacity-building efforts, and ensuring alignment with organizational frameworks. The Analyst also supports RBM functions, including results framework migration, dashboard development, and quarterly outcome/output monitoring. In addition, the role contributes to UNCDF’s AI Sprint by co-developing AI tools for project management.

UNCDF adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate evolving business needs and leverage synergies across interventions. Therefore, personnel are expected to work across units, functions, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance horizontal collaboration and institutional learning.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Ensure Project Progress and Donor Reporting Management

Reporting Oversight: Draft and implement the project progress and donor reporting process SOPs, ensuring all microprocesses, templates, tools, and expectations are compliant with POPP guidelines and donor requirements.  

• Draft SOPs for UNCDF’s project progress and donor reporting process
• Draft the Quantum-generated project progress reporting template and guidance
• Draft the POPP-compliant donor reporting template and guidance
• Collaborate with the Finance Unit and RBM Specialist to coordinate reviews
• Establish workflow microprocesses for efficient coordination across country, regional, and global review focal points and project teams

Reporting Capacity Building: Lead reporting trainings detailing processes, templates, tools, and expectations to enhance capacity at the regional- and country-level.

• Update processes, templates, and tools as expectations are refined
• Issue regular guidance on microprocess refinements
• Prepare training materials, including PPTs, templates, and tools, as needed
• Host regular trainings to review process, template, and tool updates
• Remain available to project teams in need of further reporting support

Reporting Quality Assurance: Facilitate the clearance of all project reports prepared for donors, project boards, POPP-mandated annual progress reporting, and operational closure.

• Review, issue comments, and revise all project progress reports and donor reports
• Conduct a quality assurance review of report content
• Enforce connections between the project and the UNCDF SF, SDGs, and other applicable frameworks to comply with audit recommendations
• Ensure reports align with their Project Document, Contribution Agreement, and corresponding AWP to comply with donor and project board commitments
• Connect directly with project teams when misalignments with contractual commitments are flagged
• Coordinate with project teams and RBM Focal Points to confirm data verification
• Work directly with project teams to ensure comments are adequately addressed
• Coordinate with the RTL to maintain a smooth workflow for final clearance
• Maintain a record of all reports, PMSU comments, and clearances

Reporting Monitoring: Map all project progress and donor reporting contractual and programmatic details and oversee the development of data collection in Quantum+.

• Collect all donor codes and award codes and map to ongoing projects and child projects accordingly
• Collect and verify all contractual reporting details, including but not limited to reporting deadlines, requirements, templates, signatures, and forms of submission
• Collaborate with the Digital Agility and Innovation Lead to capture all reporting data in Quantum+ to strengthen oversight

Reporting Quality Assurance: Facilitate the clearance of all project reports prepared for donors, project boards, POPP-mandated annual progress reporting, and operational closure.

• Review, issue comments, and revise all project progress reports and donor reports
• Conduct a quality assurance review of report content
• Enforce connections between the project and the UNCDF SF, SDGs, and other applicable frameworks to comply with audit recommendations
• Ensure reports align with their Project Document, Contribution Agreement, and corresponding AWP to comply with donor and project board commitments
• Connect directly with project teams when misalignments with contractual commitments are flagged
• Coordinate with project teams and RBM Focal Points to confirm data verification
• Work directly with project teams to ensure comments are adequately addressed
• Coordinate with the RTL to maintain a smooth workflow for final clearance
• Maintain a record of all reports, PMSU comments, and clearances

Reporting Monitoring: Map all project progress and donor reporting contractual and programmatic details and oversee the development of data collection in Quantum+.

• Collect all donor codes and award codes and map to ongoing projects and child projects accordingly
• Collect and verify all contractual reporting details, including but not limited to reporting deadlines, requirements, templates, signatures, and forms of submission
• Collaborate with the Digital Agility and Innovation Lead to capture all reporting data in Quantum+ to strengthen oversight

2. Provision of RBM Support

RBM Support: Support the RBM Specialist in all results monitoring and oversight.

• Support includes, but is not limited to, ensuring all key project details and documents are reflected in Quantum and associated dashboards, overseeing quarterly data monitoring of outcomes and outputs; monitoring IWP narratives across all projects, supporting project mapping revisions, co-conducting RBM trainings, serving as alternate chair of the RBM Focal Points Group, etc.

Results Framework Migration: Support the replication of the results frameworks of all ongoing projects in Quantum+.

• Coordinate with Digital Agility and Innovation Lead to build the log frame for the project results framework in Quantum+
• Train and manage the UNV personnel who will populate each project’s disaggregated results framework in Quantum+

Project Dashboard Development: Ensure all ongoing project and RBM monitoring dashboards are refined and built out to amplify project oversight and monitoring.

• Refine dashboard content, structure, and connection with Quantum
• Meet with the Data Analytics and Business Intelligence Specialist on a weekly basis to refine the Ongoing Projects Dashboard and RBM Monitoring Dashboard

3. Provision of AI Sprint Support

AI PM Tool Development: Develop and test AI-driven tools that enhance project ideation, facilitation, monitoring, reporting, and closure processes and support project management workflows. 

• Participate in biweekly UNCDF AI Taskforce Meetings
• Collaborating with the Digital Agility and Innovation Lead to build customized UNCDF AI tools using Copilot Studio
• Coordinate with colleagues at UNDP’s CDO, particularly the Head of Data and Technology and Data Engineering Specialist, to unlock the capabilities of customized AI tools

Project Classification Framework Design: Design and implement a comprehensive project classification framework to better monitor and evaluate strategic impacts, allowing for more advanced analysis. 

• Draft a comprehensive project tagging taxonomy in line with the UNCDF SF
• Classify all projects using the taxonomy developed

4. Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing,

• Identify capacity building needs and opportunities. Ensure appropriate training, project workshops and other relevant activities are organized and implemented in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia.
• Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned and good practices for possible wider application.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-functional & Technical competencies:

Business Management: Portfolio Management    

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization”s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management

Business Direction and Strategy: System 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.

Business 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.

Business Management: Digital Awareness and Literacy    

• Ability to monitor new and emerging technologies, as well as understand their usage, potential, limitations, impact, and added value. Ability to rapidly and readily adopt and use new technologies in professional activities, and to empower others to UNDP jobs-near-me.org People for 2030 – Competency Framework – Cross-functional Competencies (2024) use them as needed. Knowledge of the usage of digital technologies and emerging trends.

Digital: Data Analysis

• Ability to extract, analyse and visualize data to form meaningful insights and aid effective business decision making

Digital: Collective Intelligence Design    

• Ability to design, lead or manage processes that help a collective to become smarter together by bringing together diverse groups of people, data, and technology. Ability to define and articulate why and how collective intelligence can add value to development programming (understanding problems; finding solutions; decision making and mobilizing action; monitoring progress in real time, learning and adapting)
• Being able to integrate different types of data (real- time, ‘ground truth’ and novel data) to unlock fresh insights.
• Understand guidelines and principles around data privacy, ethics and protection. Increase diversity of inputs – and look beyond the ”usual suspects’, ability to navigate and manage a variety of actors, appreciate the diversity in perspectives, opinions, expertise. Ability to facilitate platforms or sessions where people can contribute by providing their views and ideas independently and freely. Being people-centered: ensure people understand and can determine how their data is used. Feed back inputs and insights to empower people, don”t extract data.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master”s degree or equivalent) in Public Policy, Economics, Statistics, or other fields related to data analytics and related work or related field is required or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree)in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree

Experience:

• A minimum of two (2) years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience in data analytics and narrative reporting in the context of development work or in international organizations involved in development work is required.
• Experience in programme/project/portfolio management and administrative support for Senior Management is required.
• Experience in data analysis, data visualization, presentation of results and impact, analysis and database development is required.
• Strong track record of analytical, writing and communication skills is required. Experience in synthesizing dense information into narrative reports that are supported by robust data is a distinct advantage.
• Expert Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint skills, familiarity with e-presentation techniques and ability to operate with online web-based applications is required.
• Familiarity with contractual obligations, financing agreements, and organizational compliance is an advantage.
• Experience with digital innovation for international development, particularly to enhance project management and data monitoring is a distinct advantage.
• Prior experience and pre-existing knowledge of the UN, UNDP, and/or UNCDF Rules and Regulations, Policies and Procedures, and corporate systems is a great asset.
• Experience with ERP tools such as Quantum and Quantum Plus is an advantage.
• Experience in data extraction and analysis of information from various digital platforms and ERP systems is an advantage.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in English language, spoken, written, and presentation is required. Working knowledge or Fluency in the French language is an advantage.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

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