Portfolio Planning and Finance Analyst

Over the last years, the Republic of Serbia has stepped up its efforts at closing the digital divide separating it from more advanced EU member states, both through prioritizing the ICT industry as a source of economic growth and through investing more substantial energy into developing a functioning and citizen-oriented system of e-government. The Government of Serbia set digitalization as one of its foremost priorities – a process that should be “the most important catalyst of innovations, competitiveness and growth” for Serbia in the coming years.

With digital transformation of the national economy and public administration high on the government agenda, Serbia has a good chance for future-proofing its administration's capabilities for rapid deployment of cost-effective, secure and citizen-focused e-services, coordinated implementation of ICT policies, and strategic digital transformation of the economy and society. The trajectory has been set with the establishment of the central Office for IT and e-Government (ITE), strengthening of the Ministerial Council for IT and Innovative Entrepreneurship, launch of the national Center for the 4th Industrial Revolution, establishment of the national AI Institute, as well as significant strides in the digitalization of education, health, and multiple other key areas. 

UNDP Serbia is well equipped to help the Government address the existing development challenges by leveraging cutting-edge global and national expertise, applying digital technologies and solutions, bringing innovation in delivery models, co-creation, collaboration, and advocacy journeys. Globally, UNDP has significant record of achievements in these areas - digital dialogue platforms, personalized communications and engagement at scale solutions. UNDP set out in 2019 to build the world’s largest and fastest learning network on sustainable development challenges, the Accelerator Labs. Serbia was the first country office to host such a lab and today they are present in over 90 countries, creating actionable intelligence and testing solutions with national partners.

UNDP’s portfolio of projects and programs supporting digitalization has likewise grown. The Digital Innovation Portfolio currently includes projects addressing the following areas: 

• Support and capacity development of the Office for IT and e-Government, including support for development of digital services as well as strategic infrastructure such as the National Data Center
• Digital skills development, including the national IT retraining program, future skills in education, and multiple initiatives aimed at closing the digital divide for vulnerable groups
• Governance of emerging technology, including support to the Center for the 4th Industrial Revolution, as well as capacity development of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence
• The national open data initiative and data for development
• Components of various other UNDP projects and pipeline where digital technology plays a strategic role, such as e-health, post-Covid recovery, etc. 

The current portfolio team is seeking to expand with new Portfolio Planning and Finance Analyst who will oversee Portfolio Projects under the guidance of the Portfolio Analyst – Digital Innovation.

Oversee and support Digital Innovations Portfolio projects planning:

• Prepare inputs for formulation of annual and quarterly work plans and budgets in consultation with portfolio managers and national partners. Provide support to portfolio and project managers for their presentation to the National Project Directors/Project Board for review/approval.
• Prepare AWPs for new projects in the initiation phase, and monitor the development of pipeline initiatives by developing project budgets.
• Preparation and monitoring of budgets within the Digital Innovations Portfolio. 
• Work plans and budgets updated to consider changes in circumstances.
• In cooperation with the Portfolio Analyst  and Business Management Analyst for Digital Innovations  prepare and develop project budgets, work plans, and pipeline development.
• Support the project managers in determining the best modalities for implementing activities.
• Together with the Portfolio Analyst performs quality assurance over projects and ensures recommendations are followed up in further planning phases.
• Proper planning and expenditure tracking including extra-budgetary income in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. 
• Delivery, cash, and resource mobilization planning.
• Ensure follow-up to audit recommendations.
• Compile required internal reports related to delivery projections.

Make sure that effective project budgeting is conducted in accordance with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures and UNDP Serbia Standard Operating Procedures:

• Ensure full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow-up with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies, and strategies. implementation of effective internal control, proper design and functioning of the financial resources management system.
• Follow up on activities and monitor advances balances and verify availability of funds for Digital Innovations  portfolio activities.
• All financial transactions are identified, recorded, and verified in compliance with IPSAS as outlined in the corporate policies and procedures.
• Assess delivery issues and work with national counterparts on the financial aspect of project activities.
• Elaboration of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas; payrolls are duly prepared; travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed, receipting of goods and services, and establishment of accruals are properly done in compliance with UNDP policies and procedures.
• Prepare and follow through with program necessary steps for ensuring tax exemption of projects.

Partnership building and knowledge sharing and learning: 

• Coordinate with Digital Innovations Portfolio Analyst and support the Business Management Analyst with facilitation and coordination of all partnership management processes related to budget issues.
• Coordinate finance reporting processes, including reviews and feedback.
• Involve in and coordinate cross-cluster collaboration for the projects implemented across the office and coordinated by Digital Innovations Portfolio. 
• Provide onboarding for new people and supervise supporting staff in regards to finance-related issues and procedures and planning.
• Knowledge building and sharing with regard to management and operations, organization of training, synthesis of lessons learned/best practices, and sound contributions to UNDP knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Institutional Arrangement

The Portfolio Planning and Finance Analyst will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Portfolio Analyst (Manager) – Digital Innovation. 

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
• Think Innovatively: 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 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

• 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
• Digital & Innovation       
  • Ability to extract, analyse and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making
• Financial communication and impact  
  • Understands how to clearly communicate sometimes complex financial information to others using easy-to-understand media and language
• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management      
  • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 
  • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add Value beyond clients' immediate requests. 
  • Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns