Financial Management Specialist

Description

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VPU Context: 

The Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan Region serves twenty two countries across different income groups, of which fourteen are active/potentially active IBRD/IDA borrowers (Afghanistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria, West Bank and Gaza, Tunisia, and Yemen), with a total of 251 projects and over $51 bn in total commitment. Eight are users of the Region's non-lending services, mostly on a reimbursable basis (Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Malta, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates).  The mission of the region is to foster sustainable growth with a focus on job creation and poverty reduction, economic and social inclusion, and good governance. The region attaches importance to creating a supportive work environment based on the values of teamwork, transparency, trust, and client service, underlined by professional excellence. The region places high value on diversity. The region is organized into seven Country Departments (CMUs), the Office of the Regional Chief Economist, and the Development Effectiveness Unit (MNADE).

With an expanded regional strategy, the World Bank aims to help the region weather the current crises, move from stabilization to transformation, unlock its vast economic potential of youth and women, develop its human capital to adapt to global megatrends, and foster innovation (https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/mena).

Unit Context: 
 
About MENAAP Institutions Practice:

The World Bank’s engagement in Afghanistan operates in an exceptionally constrained and high-risk environment, with delivery of development outcomes relying heavily on United Nations agencies, third-party implementers, and alternative service delivery mechanisms. Ensuring robust financial management (FM) and fiduciary assurance is therefore critical to safeguarding resources, maintaining donor confidence, and achieving intended results.

In response to these operational realities, the World Bank applies exceptional fiduciary frameworks, including the Financial Management Framework Agreement (FMFA) and the Fiduciary Principles Accord (FPA), alongside enhanced assurance mechanisms such as Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) and innovative payment solutions for last-mile delivery to beneficiaries.

The Governance Practice seeks to recruit a Financial Management Specialist (GF grade) based in Kabul to provide hands-on FM technical leadership, fiduciary oversight, and operational support across the Afghanistan portfolio.

Objectives of the Assignment

The objective of the assignment is to ensure that World Bank–financed activities in Afghanistan are implemented with sound, risk-based, and context-appropriate financial management arrangements, while maintaining high standards of transparency, accountability, and fiduciary assurance.

The FMS will support operations by:

• Strengthening FM supervision and advisory support;

• Applying UN fiduciary frameworks (FMFA and FPA) effectively;

• Designing and overseeing Third-Party Monitoring arrangements; and

• Supporting efficient, transparent, and accountable last-mile payment mechanisms.

Reporting and Supervision

The Financial Management Specialist will report to the Practice Manager – Governance and will work closely with Task Team Leaders, Country Office management, and external partners, including UN agencies and third-party monitoring providers.

Duties and accountabilities:
  
Under the overall supervision of the Practice Manager – Governance, the Financial Management Specialist will perform the following duties:

A. Financial Management Assessments and Supervision

• Lead and contribute to financial management assessments (FMAs) during project preparation and throughout implementation, ensuring FM arrangements are proportionate to risk and aligned with World Bank policies and exceptional Afghanistan-specific frameworks.

• Provide ongoing FM implementation support and supervision, including desk reviews and field-based follow-up where feasible.

• Review, analyze, and clear Interim Unaudited Financial Reports (IFRs), fund utilization reports, and other financial deliverables submitted by implementing partners.

• Assess internal control systems, accounting practices, and financial reporting arrangements, and recommend corrective actions where weaknesses are identified.

• Contribute FM inputs to Project Appraisal Documents (PADs), restructuring papers, Implementation Status and Results Reports (ISRs), and management briefings.

B. UN Agency–Implemented Operations and Exceptional Fiduciary Frameworks

• Serve as the primary FM focal point for World Bank–financed activities implemented by United Nations agencies in Afghanistan.

• Apply and interpret the Financial Management Framework Agreement (FMFA) and the Fiduciary Principles Accord (FPA) in the design, supervision, and troubleshooting of UN-implemented operations.

• Review UN financial reports, audit opinions, management letters, and assurance statements in line with FMFA/FPA requirements.

• Identify fiduciary risks associated with UN implementation modalities and advise on risk mitigation measures, escalation protocols, and management decisions.

• Maintain close coordination with UN finance, audit, and compliance teams to ensure timely resolution of FM issues.

C. Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) and Enhanced Fiduciary Assurance

• Design, implement, and oversee Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) arrangements to strengthen fiduciary assurance in the absence of direct World Bank supervision.

• Contribute to the preparation of TPM scopes of work, including financial verification, physical progress validation, beneficiary verification, and compliance testing.

• Define monitoring methodologies, sampling approaches, reporting formats, and assurance thresholds for TPM providers.

• Review TPM reports, assess findings, and integrate results into fiduciary risk assessments, supervision strategies, and management decision-making.

• Track and follow up on agreed corrective actions arising from TPM findings and audits.

D. Payments, Banking, and Last-Mile Delivery Solutions

• Provide technical expertise on Afghanistan’s financial and banking system, including licensed banks, payment service providers, digital payment platforms, and alternative delivery mechanisms.

• Design and assess innovative last-mile payment solutions for beneficiaries that are:
o Efficient and operationally feasible;
o Transparent, traceable, and auditable; and
o Compliant with World Bank fiduciary standards and applicable sanctions regimes.

• Advise on beneficiary verification, reconciliation processes, and fraud prevention controls.

• Work with implementing partners, UN agencies, and payment service providers to operationalize payment solutions and address implementation challenges.

• Monitor payment performance and identify risks related to leakage, delays, exclusion, or misuse.

E. Fiduciary Risk Management and Advisory Support

• Provide timely fiduciary advice to Task Team Leaders (TTLs), the Country Management Unit (CMU), and Practice Management on FM risks, trade-offs, and mitigation options.

• Prepare fiduciary notes, briefing materials, and decision memos for management, including inputs to Board-facing documents where required.

• Support risk-based decision-making in exceptional contexts by balancing fiduciary assurance with operational feasibility.

• Coordinate closely with procurement, safeguards, operations, and legal colleagues on cross-cutting fiduciary issues.

F. Capacity Building, Knowledge Management, and Collaboration

• Support capacity building of implementing partners and internal teams on FM requirements, TPM processes, and reporting expectations.

• Document lessons learned and good practices from Afghanistan operations to inform future engagement in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

• Contribute to internal knowledge products, guidance notes, and communities of practice related to fiduciary operations, TPM, and UN-implemented programs.

• Foster effective collaboration across the Governance Practice, EFI, and other Global Practices.

G. Ethics, Integrity, and Professional Standards

• Uphold the highest standards of professional integrity, confidentiality, and independence, consistent with World Bank values.

• Exercise sound judgment in sensitive fiduciary situations, including allegations, compliance issues, or operational constraints.

• Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, and risk awareness in all assigned activities.

H. Funds Chain Design, Implementation, and Oversight

• Support the design, operationalization, and supervision of Funds Chain arrangements for World Bank–financed activities in Afghanistan, ensuring end-to-end traceability of funds from disbursement to final use or beneficiary.

• Work with Task Team Leaders, UN agencies, implementing partners, and fiduciary teams to map and document the full funds flow, including:
o Bank disbursements;
o Transfers to implementing partners;
o Payments to service providers; and
o Final payments or benefits delivered to beneficiaries.

• Review and validate Funds Chain documentation, including payment instructions, bank confirmations, beneficiary payment records, and reconciliation statements.

• Support the integration of Funds Chain verification into Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) arrangements, including the design of verification protocols linking financial records with physical delivery and beneficiary evidence.

• Contribute to the use of digital platforms and tools (e.g., Funds Chain systems, payment platforms, dashboards) to enhance transparency, audit trails, and real-time monitoring.

• Analyze Funds Chain data and TPM findings to identify bottlenecks, fiduciary risks, and control gaps, and recommend corrective actions.

• Support management in exceptional or legacy payment situations, including ex-post verification, settlement of outstanding liabilities, and documentation required for direct payments or alternative delivery mechanisms.

• Prepare concise Funds Chain analytical notes and dashboards for management, donors, and internal decision-making, as required.

• Ensure Funds Chain arrangements remain compliant with FMFA, FPA, World Bank FM policies, and applicable sanctions regimes.

Deliverables

Key deliverables include:

• FM assessment and supervision inputs for assigned operations;

• Timely and high-quality reviews of IFRs and financial reports;

• TPM design documents and analytical summaries of monitoring results;

• Fiduciary advisory notes on FMFA/FPA application and risk mitigation;

• Technical inputs on payment systems and last-mile delivery mechanisms;

• Knowledge notes capturing lessons learned from Afghanistan operations.

• Periodic Funds Chain analytical summaries, including reconciliation of disbursements, partner financial reports, and payment records, to support fiduciary assurance and management decision-making.

Selection Criteria

Education

• Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Public Financial Management, Economics, or a closely related field.

• Professional certification (CPA, ACCA, CA, CIA, CFE, or equivalent) is an advantage.

Experience

• At least 5yrs or minimum 8yrs of relevant post-qualification experience in financial management, with significant public sector exposure and hands-on work with development partner–financed operations. I suggest 8yrs for both ToRs to ensure consistency.

• Extensive experience working with United Nations agencies and international NGOs, including financial reporting, audit arrangements, and assurance frameworks.

• Demonstrated in-depth understanding and hands-on experience applying the Financial Management Framework Agreement (FMFA) and the Fiduciary Principles Accord (FPA).

• Proven experience designing and implementing Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) arrangements for enhanced fiduciary assurance.

• Extensive knowledge of Afghanistan’s financial and banking system, with demonstrated experience in designing innovative, transparent, and accountable last-mile payment solutions.

• Experience working in fragile and conflict-affected settings is strongly preferred.

Competencies

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and judgment skills;

• Ability to translate policy frameworks into practical, operational solutions;

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (local language skills are an asset);

• Strong stakeholder engagement and coordination skills;

• Ability to work independently under pressure and as part of multidisciplinary teams;

• Commitment to the World Bank Group’s values and ethical standards.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

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