Lead Specialist - Governance

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s 48 least developed countries (LDCs). With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. This last mile is where available resources for development are scarcest; where market failures are most pronounced; and where benefits from national growth tend to leave people excluded.

UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: savings-led financial inclusion that expands the opportunities

for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they

need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments — through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance — can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. UNCDF financing models are applied in thematic areas where addressing barriers to finance at the local level can have a transformational effect for poor and excluded people and communities.

By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty with a focus on reaching the last mile and addressing exclusion and inequalities of access. At the same time, UNCDF deploys its capital finance mandate in line with SDG 17 on the means of implementation, to unlock public and private finance for the poor at the local level. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs and currently to 28 of 169 targets.

UNCDF in partnership with the European Union under the 11th EDF is implementing a five year Programme referred to as the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU). The general objective of the programme is to consolidate stability in Northern Uganda, eradicate poverty and under-nutrition and strengthen the foundations for sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development. The programme aims to steer a paradigm shift from a sector-oriented support to an integrated territorial approach, and 'connect the dots' between key sectors and areas for an inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development of the region. UNCDF contributes to the programme in three areas:

• Food Security and Agriculture: UNCDF will design and implement a mechanism for providing Business Development Services and seed capital in the form of loans, grants and reimbursable grants to promising projects. Women and youth will be deliberately targeted, and project that aim at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities (green economy) will be promoted. To support implementation of this component, UNCDF will establish and manage START Facility (Support to Agricultural Revitalization and Transformation in Northern Uganda) designed to finance small and medium agribusinesses.
• Transport Infrastructure: UNCDF will support rehabilitation and upgrading of selected numbers of priority districts and community access roads within four priority districts (Amudat, Adjumani, Abim, Moyo) to enable implementation of roads rehabilitation programs by districts. To this effect, UNCDF will establish and manage a District Road Rehabilitation Fund. UNCDF will also support districts and communities in road maintenance by providing support to district authorities to improve their capacities to plan investment and maintenance programmes, identify and implement appropriate technologies and approaches such as low cost sealing and labour based methods, draft appropriate technical specifications and prepare designs and manage road assets.
• Good Governance: UNCDF will use local public financial management systems as the entry point to enhance capacities of local authorities to better fulfil their core and broad mandates (notably in relation to the other sectors targeted by this programme) and better respond to local needs and deliver quality services to its citizens, improving upwards accountability mechanisms. This component includes two funding facilities: Local Government Excellence Fund (LGEF) and District Revenue Mobilization Fund.   

Local authorities are expected to play a key role in planning and overseeing the implementation of programme activities, through the formulation of jurisdiction-specific territorial development strategies, developing both vertical and horizontal partnerships, and leveraging place-specific resources. This will be complemented by activities aimed at unlocking trade within the region, within the country, and with neighbouring countries through the improvement of transport infrastructures. The project focuses on Karamoja, West Nile, Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions. 

Under the guidance and supervision of the National Programme Manager, the Lead Specialist, Governance will perform the following tasks which are grouped into five functional areas:

• Ensures the strategic alignment of the Output with the other project components and DINU programmatic activities and provides high-level policy advice focusing on achievement of the following results:
• Continuous monitoring of other project and programme activities and identification of the areas where coordination and alignment is necessary and/or desirable;
• Design and suggest to the implementing partners (responsible parties) and the Programme Manager specific actions for better alignment of project activities, thematically and geographically;
• Provide high-level policy advice to the participating government agencies and non-government partners (including private sector partners) on the area of local governance, PFM, revenue mobilization and decentralized service delivery;
• Constant monitoring and analysis of the operating environment, quick readjustment of the operations, advice on legal considerations and risk assessment;
• Monitoring and analysis of key developments in the country that are likely to impact on  output intervention areas, identification of development needs and potential solutions relevant to output activities.

Ensures effective and accurate overall management of the relevant activities focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Prepare and submit for approval inputs for the Project annual plans and budgets;
• Support and advise the central and local governments as well as non-government institutions participating in the programme in preparation and implementation of their medium-term and annual plans and budgets and execution of specific programmatic interventions;
• Prepare, manage and oversee contracts for dedicated technical assistance and capacity building for the participating government and non-government partners;
• Overall guidance and monitoring of implementation of the Local Government Excellence Fund (LGEF) including support to identification and development of LGEF projects in a participatory and inclusive way; preparation and structuring of the projects and provision of technical support and advisory services for co-financing arrangements; reviewing implementation progress and achievement of the LGEF results; providing support for implementation issues as well as institutional capacity building; ensuring timely implementation of all Fund’s operations and following up with MoFPED and MoLG on timely disbursements and consolidated reporting; application of performance measures to the grant allocation formula.
• Overall guidance and monitoring of implementation of the District Revenue Mobilization Fund (DRMF) including advice on development of revenue mobilization action plans and programmes; setting specific revenue mobilization targets; development of medium-term and annual revenue mobilization actions and allocation of matching grants; monitoring of grant application and implementation of the revenue mobilization programmes.
• Day-to-day management of the output implementation including effective financial, administrative and logistical processes to enable implementation of output activities to ensure coherence between the partners and delivery towards the stated common objectives;
• Prepare and issue in a timely manner the memoranda of understanding, letters of agreement with the partners and other legal instruments to enable their engagement and implementation of the activities for which they are responsible;
• Ensure timely publication and public access to all relevant information pertaining to the output activities;
• Prepare inputs on output activities for the DINU quarterly and annual reports in accordance with the EU and other donor requirements;
• Participate in communication and media activities; ensure project web-site updates; coordinate distribution of the project related information;
• Ensure visibility of the Donor and Implementing Partners in all output activities.

Ensures efficient support to tasks related to advocacy, output monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and representation focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Support gathering of quarterly and annual data/information from the implementing partners (responsible parties) for project monitoring and evaluation processes ensuring compliance with EU and UNCDF M&E requirements in reporting on project results and progress towards outcomes;
• Ensure proper monitoring and evaluation procedures are instituted in all project activities;
• Ensure proper monitoring of project progress against annual and quarterly work plans and budgets;
• Develop in collaboration with the partners and implement the output monitoring and evaluation plan, compliance and accordingly utilize the findings as to justify adjustment of the funds disbursement schedules and to introduce corrective measures in the case of deviation;
• Regularly update the risk log for the output and conduct appropriate budget and operation risk management, mitigation and responses;
• Analyze and monitor the financial situation, present forecasts for the output (DRRF), and monitor for unusual activities and transactions;
• Support the design, preparation and implementation of regular independent audits of the project; prepare inputs to management responses and follow up on the audit recommendations as appropriate;
• Support field verification and inspection visits by OPM and MoLG officials and other stakeholders.

Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and implements the resource mobilization strategy for the project focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Establish and maintain dialogue with government officials, NGOs, partners, donors and communities to provide knowledge and understanding, ensuring accurate interpretation of the project’s mission;
• Identify areas of cooperation and coordination with other UN agencies for the implementation of joint activities related to the project;
• Identify opportunities for the implementation of the project making specific recommendations on actions needed;
• Support resource mobilization efforts.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Prepare knowledge products, related to the output activities, particularly on the role of local governments in maintaining and developing road assets;
• Facilitate learning and experience sharing for government officials, private sector representatives, local community leaders and experts;
• Contribute to national, corporate and global knowledge networks;
• Represent UNCDF in meetings that are relevant to the project;
• Contribute to UNCDF cross-practice synergies with the development finance interventions at country level.

Advocacy/Advancing a policy-oriented agenda

Analysis and creation of messages and strategies. Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for advocacy work

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

Contributes into results through primary research and analysis. Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work; researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration; monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation

Building strategic partnerships

Identifying and building partnerships; identifies needs and interventions for capacity building counterparts, clients and potential partners; displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments; takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved; innovation and marketing new approaches.

Developing new approaches, looks at experience critically, drawing lessons, and building them into the design of the new approaches; identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations; documents successes and uses them to project a positive image; creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking; makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor.

Promoting organizational learning and knowledge sharing.

Developing tools and mechanisms. Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches; identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.

Client orientation

Contributing to positive outcomes for the client; anticipates client needs; works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider, demonstrates understanding of client`s perspective.

Job Knowledge/Technical expertise

In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter

Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;

Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff;

Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;

Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;

Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments;

Master’s degree or equivalent in Development Studies, Economics, Public Administration, Political/Social Science or other development-related field.

• At least five years of relevant experience at the national and/or international level with the UN and/or national or international organizations in the area of advising and managing local governance and local development programmes;
• Experience in managing staff and operational systems in accordance with the government and/or EU/UN procedures and standards and establishing interrelationships with international organization and national governments in the area of governance and development;
• Knowledge and experience of UN system policies and programming is desirable;
• Experience in design and implementation of programmes for local government capacity development focusing on PFM processes including resource mobilization planning, budgeting, implementation and reporting for results;
• Knowledge of the government policies, rules and regulations in the area of local government and public administration, particularly in public financial management and decentralised service delivery;
• Knowledge of government/UNDP financial/accounting systems and regulations is an asset. 

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