Job Identification 5782
Apply Before 09/29/2022, 09:00 PM
Job Schedule Full time
Grade P4
Vacancy Type Fixed Term
Rotational/Non Rotational Non-Rotational
Contract Duration 1 Year with Possibility for extension
Education & Work Experience Master's Degree - 7 year(s) experience
Required Languages English
Desired Languages French
Vacancy Timeline 3 Weeks
Job Category Humanitarian & Emergency Response

Job Description
The Position:

The Programme Management and Oversight Specialist ensures proper resources management through prudent budget planning and allocation for WCARO and its Country Offices, with continuous preventative oversight for optimal results, transparency and accountability. S/he monitors and reports on their performance and results; and ensures quality assurance and compliance with corporate strategic plans, programming policies and procedures, and reporting requirements.

S/he contributes to the planning and implementation of thematic and other evaluation activities in the region, and within the framework of an enhanced integrated technical, operational and programmatic support to COs; coordinates WCARO response to requests for support from country offices and monitors their effective completion and results. S/he is responsible for the planning and smooth running of the annual NEX audits in WCARO and oversees the implementation of the audit recommendations for WCARO and COs in close coordination with the other Units and COs concerned for timely follow-up actions.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Programme Management and Oversight Specialist provides quality assurance to programmes and CO performance under the purview of WCARO; produces management information analysis to guide new policies, programmatic interventions, and/or any remedial actions required. S/he ensures that Cos are provided with rapid and effective GPS support services in the programming process to ensure that country programmes are implemented in the context of the ICPD Programme of Action and UNFPA Strategic Plan, national development processes, and the process of UN reform and in line with UNFPA policies and procedures.

Key Results Expected of the Specialist:
• Enhanced programme performance and accountability at WCARO and Country Office levels through effective monitoring and oversight;
• WCARO AWPs and OMPs timely prepared and effectively implemented and monitored;
• Enhanced capacity of COs through timely GPS services to provide leadership and high-quality technical advice on the formulation of innovative programme strategies and projects;
• Improved monitoring and implementation of annual evaluation and NEX audit plans in WCARO region;

Primary Activities of the Specialist:
• Close monitoring of resources allocated and programme performance of COs and Regional Programmes;
• Overall programme development and management support to WCARO;
• Provision of inputs to the planning, coordination, monitoring of annual evaluation exercise and NEX audits in WCARO region, and close follow-up of the implementation of their recommendations;

You would be responsible for:
The Programme Management and Oversight Specialist works directly with the Team Leader of the Quality Assurance and Broker unit of the Regional Office.
• Monitoring and Oversight of WCARO Resources and Programme Performance in the Region:
• Ensure coherence of regional and country programmes with corporate strategic plans, regional priorities, National Development Plans, CPD and UNSDCF;
• Ensure WCARO resource planning and allocations are aligned with regional priorities and annual workplans in the region;
• Undertake active scanning of the programming, implementation and reporting environment at the regional and country levels to identify gaps and weaknesses with a view to developing proactive and effective follow-up and remedial actions;
• Develop/maintain a comprehensive Programme Database Management Information System and produce regular updated Country Profiles;
• Systematize collection of information and results from the implementation of regional and country programmes, including annual situation assessments;
• Document and maintain the socio-demographic and health indicators for WCARO region, including indicators related to the ICPD and SDG;
• Assist the development of procedures to address internal control and Programme weaknesses;
• Monitoring of the implementation of the programme management plans and annual work plans and produce regular management information reports to WCARO Management on programme implementation status in the region and achievement of AWPs and OMPs, including delivery;
• Troubleshoot and resolve all PMIS-related issues identified;
• Organize and facilitate all WCARO capacity building activities regarding PMIS issues;
• Promote partnerships with regional and country level programme implementers to exchange experience, harmonize methodologies and systems;
• Any other assignments as required;

Programme Development and Management Support to WCARO Country Offices:
• Support WCARO Management in the oversight of the substantive and technical content of Country Programme Documents, and coordinate the preparation of an overall WCARO development assistance strategy and plan of action;
• Sound inputs to support development of strategic plans and CO programming processes;
• Development of a strategy for data collection to document and analyze programme performance indicators;
• Prepare and coordinate WCARO AWP and OMP in close coordination with other teams;
• Manage the overall WCARO resources and monitor their effective utilizations;
• Monitoring of various corporate dashboards and follow-up actions as required with units and Cos concerned;
• Initiate evidence-based advocacy and policy dialogue with relevant regional authorities, pertinent institutions and agencies, and advance UNFPA’s policy-oriented agenda, ICPD and SDG issues;
• Effective technical and substantive inputs to support implementation of regional programmes and the concerned implementing partners;
• Continuous monitoring and analysis of the substantive, administrative and financial aspects of regional programmes/projects;
• Documentation of best practices and approaches for deepening the UNFPA knowledge base for internal and external dissemination;
• Support to Annual Evaluation Exercise in WCARO Region:
• Support to the smooth and timely preparation of the annual evaluation plans, and sound advice to WCARO • Management on the programme of work, including identification of sectoral, thematic areas and projects/programme to be evaluated, and organization and coordination of desk evaluations/studies on selected sectors, themes and cross-cutting evaluations;
• Setting of minimum monitoring and evaluation requirements for all Country Programme and projects;
• Effective support to implementation and management of the annual evaluation plans for WCARO region, ensuring adherence to UNFPA evaluation methodology, policies and procedures and evaluations, ensuring that evaluations are designed and managed to assess the country programmes and/or programs’ relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of results, and are carried out in a credible and systematic manner;
• Management of the evaluation process, including preparation of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for evaluation consultants, participation in the selection of evaluation teams, and provision of technical feedback on evaluations and budget oversight;
• Guidance on UNFPA evaluation policies, procedures and practices to programme managers, CO staff concerned with evaluation, consultants and/or members of evaluation teams;
• Follow up on implementation of evaluation recommendations, ensuring the optimal use of evaluations by providing guidance in preparation of timely management response to all mandatory evaluations and by developing a communication plan;
• Provision of evaluation feedback into policy/project/programme design, including comments on various documents;
• Support to Annual NEX Audits Exercise in WCARO Region:
• Coordination, monitoring and follow-up of the preparation and implementation of the annual NEX audit plans in WCARO region and for regional programmes/projects;
• Close monitoring of COs’ follow-up and implementation of audit recommendations through Team Central and provision of support services to COs concerned as required;
• Liaise with and support to IPs as required to prepare for NEX audits;
• Liaise with concerned HQ units as required;
• Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Regional office management.

Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
• Advanced university degree in public health, medicine, sociology, demography, gender, economics, international relations, international development, public administration, management or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience:
• Seven years of increasingly responsible professional experience in developmental work, of which five years must be at international level;
• Substantive knowledge and practical experience in population, sexual and reproductive health, and gender programming;
• Strong communications and writing skills in English and French;
• Field experience is required;
• Excellent knowledge of issues pertaining to multi-donors funding, related reporting systems, especially within the context of large fiduciary funds administered by the United Nations system;
• Excellent knowledge of computer standard applications (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint);
• Ability to handle effectively multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit and positive working relationships;
• Cultural sensitivity, inter-personal skills and ability to work smoothly under pressure;

Languages:
• Fluency in English is required and French is desirable to enable effective communication with English speaking and • French speaking country coordination groups and local organizations (West and Central Africa region).

Required Competencies:

Values:
• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change,

Core Competencies:
• Achieving results and ensuring programme quality and impact,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
• Communicating for impact,
• Adapting and coping,

Functional Competencies:
• Advocacy/Advancing a policy-oriented agenda,
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships,
• Delivering results-based programme,
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization,
• Strengthening the program capacity of Country offices,
• Strategically Positioning UNFPA Programmes,