Tiered Approach
In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:
- Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
- Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
- Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
- Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates
Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.
Background
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP is supporting the Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability.
Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world3 with per capita income estimated at $360 in 2022, reversing all progress made since 2007. 85% of the population (29 million people) need humanitarian assistance in 2023. As of December 2022, approximately 6.5 million people remain in internal displacement. Almost half of the population - 18.9 million people - face emergency levels of food insecurity. Even prior to August 2021, social protection support only reached 12.5 per cent of the population.
UNDP is currently implementing the Transitional Country Programme Strategy (TCPS) 2024-2027. The Strategy will apply six implementation principles that focus on: (a) applying the triple nexus approach bringing together the humanitarian, development and peace mandates (b) promoting a whole-of-society approach; (c) maximizing a risk managed approach and synergies between programme and operations to facilitate delivery of support; (d) prioritizing the leave no one behind agenda; (e) investing in enhancing gender equality and (f) adhering to the fundamental postulate of ‘do no harm’.
In Afghanistan, UNDP works with international partners, the UN Country Team and national implementing partners to launch and deliver a comprehensive, risk-informed crisis response programme composed of interventions, inter alia, in the areas of socioeconomic resilience and recovery as well as maintenance of key health services.
An adaptive management and risk mitigation system have been put in place to assist the gradual roll-out and implementation of TCPS activities through continuous risk monitoring, learning, and adaptation loop. At the center of this system is envisaged an Integrated Risk Management Unit (IRMU) that continuously assesses and manages risks involved in the implementation of the ABP. This action-oriented capacity is meant not only to ensure a consistent “DO NO HARM” approach to UNDP’s intervention but also to support the agile adaptation of programmes in a continuously changing context.
Position Purpose
The Risk Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Risk Management Specialist/Head of the Integrated Risk Management Unit and will work closely with different sections of the Programme and Operations in the Country Office. The Risk Specialist is responsible for supporting the Head of the IRMU in implementing the risk management regime and strategies in place through the provision of risk analysis and support.
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 in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities
1.) Risk assessment and analysis
• Identify, assess, and manage programme and operations risks. This includes the ability to analyse and interpret complex information, accurately identify issues and trends, make appropriate judgments, and provide relevant recommendations for minimizing the risk.
• Conduct desk review of relevant documentation including profile and other information provided and supplemented, as well as conducts his/her research on due diligence to make specific recommendations to UNDP and UN participating agencies in the implementation of Transitional Country Programme strategy.
• Gather, analyze, or evaluate information from a variety of public sources, investigation reports, law enforcement, geographic information systems and other sources to complete risk profiles.
• Conduct a forensic review of original and PDF documents to identify any red flags on the authenticity of the documents submitted by UNDP counterparties.
• Ensure compliance with sanctions regimes and policies on Anti Money Laundering/Combating Terrorist Financing.
• Provide risk reporting to meet risk assessment analysis needs.
• Communicate risk standards and processes and provide hands-on risk management support to UNDP and its partners.
• Formulate specific recommendations, treatment and mitigation measures to manage identified risks in the due diligence and risk assessments depending on the type of partners (NGOs, single entity or joint ventures, associations, corporations, etc.) and associated risk level that may have implications on UNDP CO’s political, reputational, programme and operational areas with enhanced focus on fraud, corruption, and terrorism financing risk exposure.
2.) Risk-informed programming and programme implementation
• Works in close coordination with the country and regional team to incorporate UNDP’s ERM policy and Social Environmental Standards (SES) and Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMP/CFT) in UNDP’s programmatic initiatives.
• Contribute to review of existing tools, operational guides and mechanisms of partner risk assessment as well business process and advise on their improvement and efficient mainstreaming with the aim to minimize UNDP’s risk exposure.
• Reviews readiness status of the CO on partner capacity assessments and ensuring compliance of such evaluations, including spot checks and financial audits as required.
• Monitors and updates the corporate dashboards on risk management key indicators – Integrated Work Plan (IWP) programme risk register.
• Reviews and monitors project risk dashboard to monitor compliance, advising on the quality of project risk registers and mitigation measures to ensure sound programme implementation.
• Advises on risk assessments and coordinating due diligence of high-risk development partners.
3.) Ensure Audit and Investigation Support
• Review cases of suspected malpractice brought to the attention of the Head of the IRMU and any other problems with the programme implementation, including assessing fraud and corruption risks.
• Provide overall support to partner/programme and country office audit.
• Liaise with internal and external audit and investigation bodies by availing information resulting from risk analysis and assessments.
• Conduct due diligence and verification of documents and processes.
• Contribute to other sensitive risk management activities as deemed necessary on demand basis.
4.) Strong Partnership building
• Build and maintain a partnership with key internal and external stakeholders including the UN, donors and other funds and programmes, including regulatory bodies.
• Liaise with trusted partner sources and build trusted channels amongst key stakeholders on due diligence and vetting of potential vendors/partners while supporting the process of identifying and managing inputs to products on issues relating to risk and partnerships.
• Build, liaise and maintain partnerships with UNDP existing and prospective donors on risk management matters and information sharing.
• Facilitate risk management dialogue and discussions with compliance, programme and operations colleagues in UNDP and other UN system organizations.
• Promote collective risk management and risk-sharing approaches and practices.
• Handle and manage information in compliance with the organization’s policies in place.
5.) Facilitate Learning and knowledge sharing
• In coordination with the IRMU team, contribute to the development and enhancement of the risk management program and other technical assistance products (guidance notes, etc.) to support capacity building.
• Facilitate and deliver risk management learning curricula to the UNDP, NGOs, and other partners.
• Building capacities of CO teams and UNDP partners on industry best practices on organizational risk management in fragile settings.
• Draw lessons and best practices which contribute to the continuous improvement of UNDP CO risk management support.
• Contribute to developing SOPs and protocols of the Unit.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: No supervisory responsibilities
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization
Competencies
- Core Competencies:
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
- Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
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-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 & Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize actions around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
Finance & Due Diligence Management: Ability to conduct a comprehensive appraisal of an organization or opportunity to be undertaken, especially to establish its capacity and evaluate the potential opportunity and its related risks, knowledge of respective methodology and tools.
Finance & Financial Risk Management: Ensures financial resilience through proactive risk assessment, controls implementation, and mitigating action. Understands the risk and rewards of collaborative and commercial projects. Provides a culture of positive risk management.
Finance & Anti-fraud and anti-bribery and corruption: Anti-bribery and corruption: Understand the policy and best practice relating to anti-bribery and corruption controls and ensures these are implemented and widely understood within the organization. Anti-fraud: Understands the fraud risks faced by public bodies and can effectively analyze data to support fraud identification and fraud risk management; understands the fraud risks faced by public bodies and can conduct a fraud risk assessment and response plan.
Partnership Management & Emerging Partnerships: Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Risk Management, Business Administration, Accounting, Statistics, Law, or in another relevant field is required. OR
- A first-level university degree in the areas mentioned above, in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- A minimum of (5) Five years (with master’s degree) or (7) seven years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in risk management, investigation, audit and finance, law enforcement with international/governmental organizations is required.
- Experience and knowledge of international standards on risk management (ISO31000, The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), Enterprise Risk Management) is required.
- Proven experience and knowledge in the design, implementation and evaluation of risk management related training programs and initiatives is required.
- Demonstrated ability in providing high-quality service delivery is required.
- Previous experience in investigation/intelligence, and fraud examination is desirable.
- Knowledge, certifications / qualifications in fraud examination/anti-fraud specialist or anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism is desirable.
- Experience in forensic document examination is desirable.
- Prior UN/UNDP experience and familiarity with its policies and procedures, particularly in the applicable job area, is desirable.
- Previous experience in conflict/post conflict countries is desirable.
Languages:
- Fluency in English is required – both written and oral.
- Familiarity with the local language of duty station Dari and/or Pashto is an asset.
- Working knowledge of another UN language is desired.
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Probation
For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Use of AI by candidates
Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection
Scam alert
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