NOA, Finance Analyst (For Malaysian only)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP's policy work carried out at HQ, Regional Hubs and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan.

The 2030 Agenda for SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind reflect the interconnectedness of health and sustainable development, including widening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis), the growing burden of non- communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and well-being for all demands innovative partnerships and financing. As affirmed in the Political Declaration of the 2019 High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and others are critical partners for delivering on the health-related goals of the 2030 Agenda. Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All outlines how a dozen multilateral health, development and humanitarian agencies, including UNDP, the Global Fund, Gavi and others will collaborate to be more efficient and effective in supporting countries to deliver UHC and achieve the health- related SDG targets.

UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund, in line with UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2022-2025: Connecting the Dots, makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind.

As a long-standing partner of the Global Fund, UNDP’s value proposition lies in providing an integrated package of development solutions to strengthen institutions to deliver health services. Through its contributions as an interim Principal Recipient (PR) and a provider of technical assistance to Global Fund grants in more than 53 countries since 2003, UNDP’s provision of integrated policy, implementation and capacity development support to countries has yielded significant health and development results in challenging operating environments. Proactive risk management and investing in sustainability are the cornerstones of UNDP’s portfolio management approach in supporting to countries with significant national capacity constraints to manage large-scale health programmes. UNDP has established a comprehensive risk management framework (RMF) to mitigate and manage risks, through specific implementation modalities and other targeted measures to manage risks effectively. Integral components of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) are Sub-recipient (SR) management to allow for prevention and detection of weaknesses and support to safeguarding, maintaining, accounting and reporting on GF financial resources and assets. By providing technical assistance to national counterparts in all phases of implementation, strengthening legislation, policies and regulatory frameworks, and building capacities across key functional areas, including financial management, health information systems, procurement and supply chain management, SR management and asset management, UNDP has been able to deliver results whilst sustainably transitioning health programs to national entities. UNDP’s track record as an interim PR over the last 20 years and capacity to deliver programme in challenging operating environments has been critical for strengthening its positioning as a health programme implementation support partner.

Based on demands from Country Offices, and building on the relationships, expertise, systems, partnerships, including across the UN family, and comparative advantage established through the Global Fund partnership, the GPN/BPPS/Global Fund Partnership and Health Systems Team (GFPHST) is providing support to Country Offices through three overarching modalities: 1) the Global Fund portfolio, 2) health procurement and supply chain management support (PSM), and 3) other health implementation support beyond the Global Fund, including Gavi-funded activities. The GFPHST provides its support through a country team approach in strengthening and integrating the different functional capacities (e.g., programmatic, procurement/PSM, finance, capacity development of country offices and implementing partners, SR management and asset management), leveraging technical assistance and policy support from the HHD Group and other GPN teams and advisory services from the Office of Audit and Investigations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage PowerBI gateway for BPPS/GFHIST portfolio;
• Manage existing SSRS reports;
• Design and develop business intelligent content by identifying report requirements and determining business rules through a structured design process based on the data from Datawarehouse as well as external data sources such as the Global Fund and WHO, and ensure that information and reporting satisfies business and reporting needs;
• Support and contribute to the design and development of integrated dashboard in the context of Global Fund Portfolio in UNDP;
• Support the Finance Specialist to develop the quarterly financial management report for each grant project;
• Manage and transform the existing PowerBI dashboards and facilitate periodic reports of the Global Fund;
• Resolve and improve performance of reports;
• Train the Country office teams on how to use the reporting tools such as reports in PowerBi and Quantum;
• Train the country offices on UNDP’s financial reporting as well as the periodic progress update reporting in compliance with the financial reporting requirements of the Global Fund;
• Prepare business specifications on reporting requirements and coordinate with ITM to develop reports for the Global Fund financed projects in Quantum;
• Provide data mining support to the finance team on regular and ad hoc requests based on SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS);
• Ensure data integrity is maintained, including consistency with UNDP’s financial reports;  
• Reduce system reconciliation issues, through formulating and developing appropriate checks and diagnostics, and the creation of processes to run defined queries and reports on a regular basis; 
• Report discrepancies to the Finance Specialist, and identify solutions to resolve data discrepancies.
   

• Ensure full compliance with UNDP rules, regulations, and policies, financial recording/reporting system, implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system;
• Support Country Offices in setting up initial budget and subsequent budget revisions in Quantum and Hyperion Planning and Budgeting System, leveraging built-in file import inter-face;
• Build and maintain the PowerBi financial management dashboards for regular monitoring of revenue, expenditures against approved budgets by GF and UNDP’s Quantum budget, delivery figures, and advances to implementers and suppliers to ensure timely proactive measures to prevent over-expenditure and material budget deviations from the approved budgets;

• Ensure donor grant agreements and disbursements are recorded accurately to correct projects in a timely manner, by following up with the donors when contribution income is delayed and support global tracking of Global Fund disbursements in line with funding decisions with regular follow up with GSSC revenue team;
• Provide timely, analytical support to finance specialists in the GF's finance team to reconcile the revenue and accounts receivables in a close collaboration with GSSC’s revenue and donor refund team;
• Design and provide oversight reports in revenue and accounts receivable whilst monitoring to ensure that financial transactions are correctly recorded according to the signed donor agreement and the approved budgets and workplans in accordance with UNDP financial rules and regulations;
• Support Country Offices in asset management in financial recognition, recording and donor reporting in close collaboration with GSSC asset management team;
• Support Country offices in grant closings by reviewing the final reports, final refunds and asset transfers, including periodic meetings with GSSC’s project closure team.
• Support the Country Offices during the quarterly and year-end financial closures by preparing financial analytical reports and coordinating with Country Offices to verify outstanding financial and/or administrative issues that require reconciliations;
• Support the Finance Specialist during the financial closure period to ensure that the GF projects revenue, assets and expenses are booked in accordance with UNDP’s financial rules and regulations;
• Analyze and prepare financial oversight and exception reports for Global Fund resources managed by the Country Offices and at the Sub-recipient level in a close cooperation with GSSC’s Accounts Payables Team.
• Prepare and design business analytics tools to eliminate quarterly, bi-annual and ad-hoc reports at the Country Office and corporate levels to track delivery of all Global Fund projects and other health projects for the management and programme teams to assist informed decisions for Country Office and HQ managers on Global, Regional and Country portfolio. 

4. Provide support to Country Offices for accurate and timely financial reporting to donors, and risk management focusing on SR management and audit and               assurances:

• Support the Finance Specialist in advising Country Offices on procedures for reporting to the Global Fund, including but not limited to quarterly reports and disbursement requests, cash balance requests, annual reports, grant renewal applications, concept notes, Sub-recipient financial management and asset management reports through desk support and missions, as needed in coordination with GFPHST;
• Support Country Offices in the analysis of audit and investigation recommendations and findings (OAI, OIG, Sub-recipient audits) with the development of action plans to address recurring issues in the areas of financial management, Sub-recipient management and asset management, including through innovative approaches, developing policies, procedures, guidance materials, and trainings in coordination with Finance Specialist
• Support the Finance Specialist to monitor Country Offices on the operational and financial year-end closures and closure for completed projects within the mandated period in order to meet the reporting requirements of donors and UNDP procedures;

5. Ensure capacity building and knowledge building and sharing for effective financial management of donor funded health programmes and partnership and             resource mobilization efforts, focusing on development of operational policies and guidelines:

• Support the Finance Specialist in the timely development and updating of financial management, Sub-recipient management, enhancement of the financial reports, and asset management related tools, guidance, SOPs and manuals used by Country Offices and Sub-recipients;
• Support the identification of issues and perform knowledge extraction, codification of results/lessons learned in the financial management of Global Fund financed projects, Sub-recipient management and asset management and verify that knowledge sharing, and content management is in line with corporate guidance and tools;
• Capacity building of Sub-recipients and other national partners on overall financial management, Sub- recipient management and asset management in coordination with the Country Team, through trainings, webinars, etc; and
• Support the Finance Specialist on financial management, Sub-recipient management and asset management for Global Fund, and other partners, including (e.g., PAHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, WHO) and resource mobilization efforts.

6. Other related duties

Any other activity as assigned by the Finance Specialist, in support of the followings but not limited to:

• Maintain a database on information and data on Sub-recipients’ audits and develop key management reports on the implementation of Sub-recipients audit process;
• Identify recurring financial resource management issues on time and seek/establish risk mitigation measures to prevent future occurrence.

EXPECTED DEMONSTRATION OF COMPETENCIES

1. 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.

2. Cross Functional and Technical Competencies

• Business Direction and Strategy - Negotiation and Influence

Reach a common understanding/agreement, persuade others, resolve points of difference through a dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions and create ‘win-win’ situations.

• Business Development - Knowledge Facilitation

Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.

• Business Management - Risk Management

Identify and organise action around mitigating and proactively managing risks

• Finance - Accounting (General)

Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

• Finance - Finance Business Partnering

Able to support business units and add value by innovating and providing solutions to financial issues/queries, including through FAQs, financial tools, advisory, etc. Influences and appropriately challenges non-finance colleagues for whom the service is being provided. Understands the operations, opportunities, and challenges of the organization. Holds a commercial outlook, demonstrating accountability towards organizational goals.
 

• Finance - Financial Planning and Budgeting

Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.

• A professional accounting qualification from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy, and/or Advanced (Masters) University Degree in Finance and/or Accounting is required.  Or a first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. 
• Candidates with professional accounting qualifications from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy will have a distinct advantage. 
• Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete the Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited. 
• Candidates satisfying the two above criteria are exempted from undertaking the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT). 
• Candidates with MBA or master's in finance with no accountancy qualification but with relevant experience must successfully undertake the UNDP Advanced Accountancy and Finance Test (AAFT) to be eligible for shortlisting.