Risk Management Specialist

UNDP’s presence in the Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) delivers a full range of policy, programme, and operations support to 24 Country Offices (COs) in the Asia-Pacific region. As part of the Country Office Support and Quality Assurance (COSQA) Unit, the Management Advisory Services Team (MAST) provides strategic management oversight and advisory support. 

As a member of the team and on direct supervision of the Management Advisor, with guidance from the Deputy Director of the Bureau, the Risk Management Specialist will function as the lead to develop and implement a comprehensive risk management framework for the COs, applying UNDP´s Enterprise Risk Management policy, tailored to the specificities of each Office. The incumbent will provide expert analysis and reporting on strategic and operational issues and trends related to risk management on overall CO performance and enhance risk management culture.

Position Purpose

The Risk Management Specialist will have focal point responsibility to implement UNDP’s Enterprise Risk Management activities in project management and business operations and assist the COs in the AP region to strengthen integrity; develop root-cause analyses, including corruption and fraud; as well as help develop and implement appropriate measures with a focus on prevention activities. S/he will work closely with HQ teams in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau of Management Services (BMS) to ensure coherent, timely, and appropriately prioritized support to the Offices. 

The Risk Management Specialist facilitates alignment and linkage with regional and corporate strategy and priorities, tracks CO performance against corporate standards and results commitments between the CO and RBAP and escalates CO performance issues to the Bureau management team through internal mechanisms.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Candidates are required to have unrestricted ability and willingness to travel a minimum of 30% of their time, including at short notice.

Duties and Responsibilities

Perform risk monitoring, assessment, analysis, and preparation of risk response plans by:

• As a risk management focal point of the Bureau, review and advise on the regional risk register and propose risk mitigation and monitoring strategies. 
• Informed by the region-wide risk profile and analyses, lead the Country Office risk analysis preparation to facilitate risk-based annual audit planning.
• Working closely with UNDP’s Bureau for Management Services and other corporate units substantively contributes to the development and continuous improvement of a holistic risk management framework for the Asia-Pacific region.
• Actively supports CO managers in performing their functions and providing oversight in line with UNDP’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework.
• Performing data analysis and preparing summary reports, with recommendations to control issues requiring Bureau management’s action and interventions.
• Closely monitor and scan the risk profile in the Asia-Pacific region to inform the regional risk register, and ultimately the corporate risk registers and contribute to the agenda and content for the corporate Risk Committee.
• Coordinate the fraud assessment by a third party where high-risk or potential fraud has been identified, as required.
• Advising the COs and regional teams to identify and address bottlenecks affecting compliance with corporate requirements and providing solutions, discussing with relevant HQ units when needed.
• Contribute to corporate initiatives on risk management as the regional risk management focal point.

Provide oversight and support for enhanced management practice across the Offices in the region by:

• Advising Offices on the overall accountability framework and how to best operationalize it given office context. 
• Performing the Bureau Focal Point function on Internal Control Framework (ICF) and ensuring compliance with ICF by all OfficesConducting periodic reviews of the ICF of the offices, guiding the managers on the segregation of control functions, and advising offices to formalize delegation of authorities in line with corporate frameworks.
• Provide preventive oversight and advisory services to assigned offices to improve management performance and compliance in application of human resource, procurement, finance, risk management, anti-fraud and PPM policies. 
• Advise offices on audit preparation and oversee implementation of their improvement plans to address gaps identified in management performance reviews, CO audits, performance audits, and regional led oversight reviews. 
• Conduct portfolio analysis for offices assigned and advise on how to improve offices’ management performance. 
• Monitor the financial and management performance targets including financial sustainability and IB planning, utilization, and monitoring for assigned offices and provide timely advice on actions to accelerate the progress.
• Contribute to monitoring the delivery and compliance requirements for the programme portfolios with focus on vertical funds, as part of the Regional Bureau oversight function.
• IFD monitoring for preventive actions that target areas with persistent low scores to support offices to achieve/ maintain green IFD rating. 
• Contribute to arrangements with UNDP’s Global Shared Service Centers to ensure Standard Operating Procedures for offshored services are risk informed.
• Identify control and performance issues in the offices by regularly monitoring corporate and regional dashboards and guide offices to take corrective action. 

Advise on risk-informed programming and programme implementation by:

• Working in close coordination with the team, ensure correct application of enterprise risk management (ERM) policy in programme and project management across Offices, through dedicated training and self-learning modules on ERM policy and the quality requirements.
• Support and guide Offices to ensure Social and Environment Standards are incorporated in all the programmatic initiatives by the COs in the region.
• Improve quality and compliance with SES (Social and Environment Screening) policy (including in Construction work) in the region, informed by the corporate and regional tools and platforms and monitoring of CO SES plans’ implementation. 
• Conduct Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) compliance reviews, monitor and guide assigned offices on corrective actions to ensure they maintain/achieve the compliant status. 
• Support the application of Private Sector due diligence standards in coordination with the regional private sector review committee for cases escalated to the regional bureau for approval. 
• Support the continued roll out and application of AML/CFT policy across assigned offices including enhanced vetting as required to increase the use of vetting for all counterparties engaged. 
• Tracking the timeliness and quality of implementation of audit recommendations, flagging recurrent and non-compliant observations, risk rating adjustment guided by the HACT framework. 
• Supporting reviews and monitoring of project risk dashboard to monitor compliance, advising on the quality of project risk registers and mitigation measures to ensure sound programme implementation.

Develop and deliver training on risk management strategies, people management and contribute to knowledge management in specialization, by:

• Providing substantive recommendations for cost-effective solutions to address systemic or recurring issues that could impact Country Office performance, including changes in policies, processes, procedures and/ or systems.
• Continuously advising CO management on key corporate policies and procedures on risk management, audits, internal controls, and other accountability related matters.
• Conducting training for CO management and risk focal points on ERM policy and risk management and the above-mentioned accountability matters.
• Promoting best practices in risk management, compliance, quality, and oversight across the Asia and the Pacific region.
• Content development and delivery of knowledge sessions for the Deputy Resident Representatives, Programme Officers, Procurement Officers and other learning and workshops organized by the Bureau. 
• Prepare learning events and sessions on risk management and SES policy application for the region informed by quality reviews, spot checks and analyses conducted 
• Contribute to content development for improved performance in the region through the RBAP PLUS modules. 
• Contribute to knowledge products and policy improvement at corporate level through various platforms such as Risk Review Committee, VF Hub, global audit recommendations responses, Corporate Performance App, etc. 
• Prepare written analytical reports on the region’s management performance and lessons, including trend and root cause analyses to inform the forward-looking strategies and plans.

Lead the management and oversight (M&O) service line to country offices by: 

• Lead the team of management and oversight specialists, through integrated plans and targeted assignments, manage performance aspects, and assign responsibilities for regional initiatives based on the organizational priorities and needs.
• Define the team’s strategy and approaches to ensure correct and effective support is provided to offices in the region. 
• Facilitate team’s knowledge exchange, peer learning and guide to provide solutions and ensure consistent and correct application of policies. 
• Engage and supervise team members’ work in its flagship initiatives for improved performance of offices. 
• Coordinate planning, monitoring, and reporting on the M&O priorities ensures objectives are met and issues requiring senior management actions are escalated in a preventive manner to avoid missed opportunities and low office performance. 
• Ensure business continuity and backstopping arrangements for constant support provision to Offices.
• Coordinating and enhancing cross-team synergies and efficiencies and learning and knowledge sharing across offices.

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities 

• Supervise and manage assigned staff and personnel, including Management and Oversight Specialists of RBAP.

Competencies

Core:
Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively:

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility:          

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

Act with Determination:                

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical:

Business Management: Portfolio Management  

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Business Management: Resource Management 

• Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity.

Business Direction & Strategy: Strategic Thinking

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks, and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

Business Management: Communication               

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness: Effectiveness            

• Performance and data analysis and sharing lesson.

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: Risk Management           

• Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, International Development, Public Administration, or Risk Management or Project Management or related areas 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.
• Membership / certification in internal audit or risk management e.g., www.theiia.org, www.GARP.org, www.prmia.org or similar is highly advantageous.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in risk/project management or audit or associated advisory services in public or private sector is a requirement.
• Experience in designing and delivering training is highly desirable.
• Experience and excellent knowledge of UNDP’s Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) in general is a key advantage. 
• Experience and knowledge of Programme and Project Management (PPM), Enterprise Risk Management and other relates policies such as the ICF, HACT, AML and SES is highly desirable. 
• Experience in working with data sets, data visualization tools e.g., PowerBi and experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
• Experience with ERP systems e.g., Oracle Cloud, PeopleSoft or similar is required.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of another UN language is desired.