Project Finance Analyst

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The UNDP Pacific Office (PO) in Fiji, as part of its Inclusive Governance and Economic Growth programme delivered across the region, supports the institutional building of legislative assemblies to fulfil their constitutional mandate of law making, oversight and representation. Specifically, it provides country (national) programming support for 9 PICs (Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, FSM, and Palau. The Pacific Office in Fiji also provides regional programming support across the whole of the Pacific encompassing the 9 PICS, plus Cook Islands, Niue, and the Territory of Tokelau. Through its parliamentary portfolio the UNDP PO is currently implementing four parliamentary development projects in the Pacific:

• The Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiatives Project – Phase 2, 2019 – 2024
• The Nauru Accountable and Inclusive Governance Project, 2021 – 2024
• Strengthening Legislatures’ Capacity in Pacific Island Countries Project – Phase 2, 2023-2026
• Fiji Parliament Support Project – Ph ase 3, 2022-2025

The Project Finance Officer will report to the Project Manager (Parliamentary Development).

Summary of Functions:

• Ensures effective and accurate financial resources management and oversight, focusing on smooth functioning of the project.
• Performs account reconciliations, oversight reports and provide support in certification, reporting and closures.
• Support efficient and effective administrative operations. 
• Facilitates knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results.
• Support in procurement of services and goods in compliance with the UNDP policies and procedures. 

The detailed scope of work is outlines below.

Ensures effective and accurate financial resources management and oversight, focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Leads on financial analysis and oversight for all resources managed by the Parliament Portfolio Projects and provision of high-quality technical financial advice to the Programme Manager and other PMU staff members and Country Office senior management. 
• Formulation and design of the programme and preparation and revision of project Annual Work Plans (AWPs), including preparation of budget estimates and budget revisions.
• Ensure timely updating of UNDP’s results-management systems including the Quantum project management module. 
• Pro-actively contribute to day-to-day project implementation and ensure conformity to expected results and project work-plans; 
• Full compliance with ICF and UNDP Financial Rules and Regulations. 
• Ensures implementation of operational strategies, adapts processes and procedures focusing on achievement full compliance with UN/UNDP rules and regulations of financial processes. 
• Follow-up on timely disbursements and ensure that adequate financial controls are in place to maintain proper accountability of expenditures. 
• Ensure that all project transactions are in compliance with POPP guidelines. 
• Ensure the financial transactions are properly authorized, recorded, and supported with adequate documentation. 
• Establish a computer-based monitoring system for expenditures. 
• Proper control of the supporting documents for all payments and new vendors forms. 
• Liaise with UNDP Pacific Finance Officers to ensure compatibility of the project financial management. 
• Provide and interprete financial information. 
• Analyse changes and advise accordingly. 
• In case required, provide assistance with internal or external audit requirements. 
• Maintains a document management system for UNDP, including Sub-recipients, contractors, service providers, and technical assistance providers records. 
• Carry out any other financial assignments as requested by the Project Manager. 

 Performs account reconciliations, oversight reports and provide support in certification, reporting and closures. 

• Ongoing monitoring of project resource balances, expenditures and accurate use of funds, including ensuring income is allocated to the project and fully budgeted, and forthcoming expenditure can be met by available resources. 
• Monitor budgets and expenditures and contribute to preparation of budget revision and maintain a proper record of approved project budgets and their revisions. 
• Preparation and analysis of monthly financial oversight reports for the project expenditure.   
• Provide justification on quarterly closure and certification for CO, including support in certifying receipt accruals and prepayments and other accounts including micro capital grants, sundry, hospitality and other open item and GL accounts. 
• Facilitate audit and spot check exercises, including by preparing documentation, liaising with auditors, providing clarification and ensuring the implementation of audit recommendations.
• Resolve any issues relating to transactional and T&E processing including any exceptions identified in PowerBI reports, CO Finance dashboards and other reporting tools. 
• Timely follow up and action (correction/reversals) of all oversight queries. 
• Act as focal point for project partners' financial and operational issues.  Oversee advances and liquidations through the HACT system, monitoring aging advances and taking action where necessary.
• Record findings from audits and spot checks of implementing partners, monitoring and updating action taken on the findings.
• Advising the Project Manager of any concerns regarding implementing partners' financial and operational management.
• Lead on the preparation of the donor reports, monthly Cash Flow and annual Cash Flow Forecasts, statement of sources and uses of funds in compliance with the donor requirements.
• Lead on the preparation of other financial reports to be submitted to the donor, acting as the Focal Point for financial management information for the donor. 

  Facilitate efficient and effective administrative operations. 

• Facilitate and provide the appropriate trainings for financial and administrative, as well as to programme staff as required, to ensure compliance with UNDP financial procedures.
• Process and review official Project Mission Travel Requests, including timely follow-up action on medical/security clearance, claims, signatures as appropriate and ensuring preparation of the necessary documents in Quantum and UNAll; 
• Monitor all travel-related payments for the Project, liaising appropriately with Out-posted staff, as required. 
• Provide administrative and logistical support for donor meetings, country/region specific meetings, workshops, trainings, conferences, retreats and any other special events organized by the Project. 

Facilitates knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results.

• Identifies and synthetizes lessons learnt and best practices in the area of work. 
• Actively promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture within the project. 
• Systematically builds capacities of national staff and train project staff in all areas of responsibility. 
• Identifies and supports development of communications (print, video) highlighting key financial management achievements, best practices, and lessons learnt and contributes to information sharing with the responsible parties, UN entities, financial and technical partners.   
• Assist the project team in development of communication materials such as Press Releases, social media posts etc. 

Facilitate in procurement of services and goods in compliance with the UNDP policies and procedures. 

• Preparation of procurement plans against project budgets and work plans.
• Prepare payments requests for operational expenses, services provision, purchases, etc.
• Coordinate with GSSU in processing financial transactions as per SLA timelines. 

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

• 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 Direction and Strategy       

• System Thinking: Ability to conduct 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.

Finance  

• Budget management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.  
• 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, analysing and reporting.
• Financial reporting and analysis: Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance.

Administration & Operations           

• Documents and records management: Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving. 
• Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings): Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc. 
• Travel contract management: Knowledge of policy and procedures related to contract management, incl. oversight of the Long-Term Agreement (LTA) with the Travel Management Services (TMS) provider; UN airline agreement management covering all major and rail providers; ability to negotiate airline discounts.