Technical Associate, PRM - Roster

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Division of Programme Management ensures the technical excellence of WHO/Europe’s work. It coordinates and ensures coherence across WHO/Europe's health programmes, country support and the Special Initiative on Primary Health Care (PHC).

The division also leads planning and budgeting, resource mobilization and partnerships, communications and publications, governance and external relations, and language services.

As part of the Division of Programme Management, the Programme Budget, Resources Management and Evaluations unit (PRM) is responsible for WHO/Europe’s strategic and operational planning, budgeting, and performance management. This includes aligning bottom-up country priorities with WHO’s second European Programme of Work (EPW2) and fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14), leading the operational planning and HR planning processes, managing programme budgets and reserves, and ensuring quality assurance and evaluation across all programmatic work.

The purpose of the Programme and Resource Management (PRM) unit is to (1) promote results-based management concepts and philosophies for effectiveness and efficiency across the EU Region, (2) ensure the smooth conduct of the entire biennial planning process from strategic planning, through operational planning, resource and budget allocation and monitoring and final reporting, (3) develop tools/mechanisms and a quality assurance framework for the above process, (4) support implementation including integrated Help Desk, technical monitoring, and capacity building, (5) statutory and ad hoc reporting to regional and global governing bodies, (6) ensure the technical coherence across EURO programmes to avoid duplication and to enhance synergies, and (7) to give evidence-based support to senior management to ensure optimal delivery of planned products and services.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

As part of the integrated Help Desk, the purpose of the post is to implement integrated planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting systems in the WHO Regional Office for Europe, fostering results-based management through direct support to countries and regional technical divisions for improved programme management and adherence to relevant WHO guidelines and procedures.

Key duties:

1. Support and help implement the global and regional planning processes through: contributing to the development of biennial programme budgets, assisting with high level budget costing and analysis; preparation, adaptation and dissemination of planning guidance, ensuring it is understood by staff; support for bottom-up planning, regional consolidation and prioritization; and support for development of regional inputs to the global programme budget under the guidance of the supervisor and according to the established standards. Support and facilitate operational planning in countries and regional divisions: workplan development, workforce plan and human resource plan establishment; workplan review and compliance checks in connection with the upload and approval of workplans at the start of each biennium. Prepare hands-on guidance and other training materials for operational planning to ensure quality control and reduce risk.

2. Conduct monthly monitoring exercises using WHO’s ERP system, including monitoring of Programme Budget allocations, planned costs, donor and resource projections, resource allocations and award management, technical reporting completeness and compliance, reconciliation of salary expenses; monitoring of human resource plans and workforce plans for correctness; action on any deviations or inconsistencies; and consolidation of data in user-friendly format. Coordinate timely regional response to payroll cost reconciliation. Conduct award and workplan budget management by processing award distribution requests, workplan funding requests and award budgeting, including quality assurance of award data and funding gaps.

3. Provide workplan management monitoring and support to programmes/units, including: dissemination and advice on approved operating procedures; preparation of guidelines and training materials; organization and conduct of training and ad hoc clinics / briefings; ensuring data on staff assignments is correctly recorded; provision of individual support for workplan management; and support to divisions and country offices for quality assurance. Support and facilitate global and regional performance assessment, including organization-wide reviews (mid-term, end-of-biennium, etc.) and regional technical and peer reviews by providing relevant data, analytical support and documentation.

4. Support resource planning through provision of advice on the resource planning exercise as per agreed guidelines; ensure completeness, data quality and reliability of the plans. Ongoing monitoring and analysis of resource plans, including appropriate follow-up with technical units/country offices. Implement senior management decisions regarding the allocation of corporate resources by consolidation and review of monthly allocation requests, preparing award distribution requests and budget revision requests for budget allocation, budget revision requests reconciliation to holding accounts, workplan funding requests and establishment of award budgets.

5. Support workforce and position management through the review and clearance of Position Action memos processed through corporate workflow tools; assess financial sustainability, availability of funding, and alignment with approved HR plans. Ensure that proposed actions including establishment of posts, extensions, and other contract changes) are adequately costed, justified where deviations occur, and compliant with applicable policies and rules. Provide follow-up with technical units and country offices as needed and support the implementation of approved position actions in line with senior management decisions.

6. Assist supervisor in periodic analysis and reports for senior management, including budget implementation, highlighting issues of concern. Analyse EURO budget implementation data in the global organizational context and provide background information and support as required. Undertake comprehensive planning, resourcing overviews and statistics; provide support for relevant managerial and programmatic meetings.

7. Prepare and conduct training and briefing sessions to help ensure that results-based management principles and reporting systems are understood and applied. Develop and update guidelines and training material for dissemination. Provide helpdesk support and guidance to Regional Office and country staff in the areas of planning, workplan management and resource management as per established guidelines.

8. Participate in and contribute to global planning/budget network meetings. As regular user of the programme management module of WHO ERP system, identify and propose to the supervisor improvements to meet operational requirements including participation in User Acceptance Testing and design of business intelligence reports; maintain databases with up-to-date information on clearance of requests related to budget and staffing as well as training and briefings.

9. Provide support to resource mobilization activities, specifically by preparing data and undertaking preliminary analysis of funding gaps and programmatic implementation for the attention of the supervisor.

10. Support implementation of WHO's programmatic reform activities in the areas of programme and resource management: bottom-up strategic planning to align country priorities and corporate results, programmatic evaluation, and performance assessment.

11. Support audit responses.

12. Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Functional Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent computer skills: ERP as well as standard software, language and communication skills.

• Proven understanding of WHO and/or UN policies and procedures.

• Ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as helping others to do the same.
  

WHO Competencies:

WHO global Competencies model at http://www.who.int/employment/WHO_competencies_EN.pdf?ua=1

1. Teamwork

2. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

3. Communication

4. Knowing and Managing Yourself

5. Producing Results
   

Education:

Essential: Completion of secondary school or equivalent.

Desirable: Bachelor’s or master’s degree or equivalent in public administration, business, public health or a related field.

Training:

Desirable: Advanced MS Office skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, etc.). Training in the use of ERP systems for programme and resource management.

Experience:

Essential: At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience in the area of programme planning, monitoring and reporting, resource and budget management.

Desirable: Experience in an international environment or institution. Relevant experience in WHO or in the UN.

USE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS

Essential: Mother tongue / Advanced knowledge of English (reading, writing, and speaking)

Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French, Russian or German

REMUNERATION

WHO offers staff in the General Services category an attractive remuneration package, which for the above position includes an annual net base salary starting at USD 26,976 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and E-Manual.

• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
  The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce . Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.
  Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int

• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.

• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.

• In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click this link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates