Project Control Officer

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Project Control Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The primary functions of project control are to complement programme management and provide support for oversight of projects including the formulation of a monitoring plan, quality assurance, and verification. Other activities of project control include: review of project agreements, project audit, monitoring that there is synchrony between financial and operational performance, participation in multi-functional monitoring activities and reviews, tracking project risk management, and supporting project closure. It is essential to maintain segregation of duties between project control and programme functions for effective accountability and oversight. Therefore, the incumbent should report directly to the same senior management level as programme, i.e. Country Representative, Deputy Representative, Head of Office. The incumbent may supervise national and international staff.

Project Control Officers play a very important role in maintaining harmonious and effective partnerships, and often interact with implementing partners. As a result, incumbents need to be very mindful of all dimensions of partnerships in their interaction with partners (in accordance with the Principles of Partnership, the Code of Conduct and other relevant documents).

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- Quality assurance of project agreements is provided in accordance with applicable UNHCR rules and regulations.
- A project monitoring plan is in place and implemented in collaboration with multi-functional teams (MFT).
- Assurance of project implementation and delivery of expected results within budget/resources, timeframe, and in accordance with project agreements is provided.
- Resources transferred to implementing partners are utilized for the intended purposes and in accordance with project agreements.
- Performance delivery and financial expenditure reported by implementing partners are accurate and consistent.
- Sufficient and adequate internal controls are in place for the management of projects and activities.
- Programme and senior management are promptly informed of major variances and risks in the execution of projects (budgets, finance, implementation or timeframe).
- Project audit certificates are of good quality, timely obtained, and recommendations are implemented.

Responsibility

- Participate in the operation's annual assessment and planning cycle.
- Support the selection and retention processes of implementing partners in accordance with UNHCR's rules, policies and procedures.
- Review that project agreements are in conformity with Country Operation Plans and UNHCR's rules, policies and procedures.
- Formulate and implement a project monitoring plan in collaboration with the programme unit and MFT.
- Track the management of project risks in collaboration with the programme unit, and report major risks to senior management.
- Review, analyze and verify Financial and Performance Implementing Partner Reports (Part I-IPFR and Part II-IPR), and check accuracy and consistency between IPFR and IPR, in accordance with project agreements.
- Undertake missions within the geographical area of responsibility.
- Monitor, track and verify that expenditure for direct implementation by UNHCR is in line with the approved budget.
- Conduct reviews of the internal control systems of implementing partners and provide advice as required.
- Provide feedback and recommendations of identified variants, risks and issues to the partner, programme unit and escalate to management as required.
- Prepare project control reports with the current status of programme implementation and financial status.
- Inform management of cases where UNHCR may not adhere to its obligations under project agreements.
- Manage the selection and engagement process of audit providers for projects, and the execution of the audits, including obtaining reports, reviewing outcomes and following-up with recommendations.
- Carry out timely project closure in coordination with the programme unit.
- Participate in country-level programme training for implementing partners and UNHCR staff as necessary, as well as brief staff and implementing partners on project control and risk management.
- Provide input to the mid- and end-year programme review process on issues related to project control and risk management.
- Maintain professional relationships with implementing partners.
- Keep up-to-date with all UNHCR rules, regulations and procedures necessary to perform these duties.
- Perform other duties as required.

Authority

- Report on financial and operational performance and risks related to projects, and escalate issues to senior management.
- Recommend acceptance or non-acceptance of IPRs and payment of instalments.
- Advise on improvements related to project management and internal controls.
- Contact implementing partners for project related matters.
- Have unlimited access to financial and operational records relating to projects

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Accounting, Finance, Public or Business Administration, Economics or related field, OR undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in another field combined with a professional qualification in accounting, auditing or finance (CPA/CIA or equivalent) plus minimum 6 years of previous job experience in the field of accounting/finance, project management, business analysis, quality assurance and/or risk management, of which at least 2 years in an intergovernmental organization (United Nations or similar). Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's) plus 5 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 4 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- Excellent knowledge of international auditing standards, with a minimum of 2 years of practical experience in auditing.
- Good understanding of project and resource management.
- Excellent computer skills, in particular in MS Office applications
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
- Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

***For National Officer positions, very good knowledge of local language and local institutions is essential.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Professional qualification in accounting, auditing or finance (CPA/CIA or equivalent).
- Project management accreditation highly desirable.
- Risk management certification.
- Good knowledge of UNHCR systems (such as Focus and MSRP).
- Excellent knowledge of United Nations financial rules and procedures.
- Good understanding of the workflows of major Entreprise Resource Planning financial modules (such as PeopleSoft, SAP or Oracle).
- Working experience with accrual accounting (such as IPSAS or IFRS).
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Project Control Officer positions. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates. C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M001L3 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X003L3 - Technological Awareness Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3 <p>The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.</p>
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
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For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage colleagues to read the country specific security and welfare profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). These profiles have been specifically designed to answer some of the key questions (on security conditions, medical provisions, staff welfare, living and working conditions) potential applicants might have before deciding to apply. Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care. This project is still in the pilot phase, and as such some of the information leaflets are being produced as we speak and might not be available yet. They will be soon, so keep checking. 

The incumbent should have a good knowledge of UNHCR financial rules and the Financial and Accountability Framework, and should be conversant with the international accounting standards.  Preferably, the candidate should hold a certified account title.  Apart from excellent functional competencies, the incumbent is also expected to possess proven analytical skills and political awareness.  

The incumbent must also be conversant with MSRP and FOCUS.
The incumbent must be able to conduct is a regular manner Audit exercise in the whole Kasai operation, to make UNHCR operation compliant to rules and regulations. 

The incumbent may be the focal point for all audit and inspection exercises.

Fluency in French is essential. Good working knowledge in English is also required as more and more reports, internal as well as external, are requested in English. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hosts 534,108 refugees as of 31 May 2018 countrywide (including 218,873 Rwandan refugees, 176,232 CAR refugees, 44,958 Burundian refugees and 92,700 South Sudanese refugees). 
DRC also hosts more than 3 million IDPs located as follows: 1.4 million in Kasai provinces, 1.1 million in North Kivu province, 545,273 in South Kivu province, 603,000 in Tanganyika province, 210,000 in Ituri province, 147,000 in Maniema province, 96,000 in Haut-Katanga province, 64,000 in Haut-Lomami province and 16,000 in Lualaba province.
On 20 October 2017, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator activated an IASC system-wide L3 Emergency Response in DRC, with a focus on the Kasai region, Tanganyika and South Kivu Provinces for six months.  The systems-wide L3 was de-activated on 20 April 2018.  In DRC, UNHCR is leading the Protection Cluster to ensure the robust operational delivery of protection priorities.  UNICEF will continue leading the Shelter/NFI cluster while UNHCR will continue leading and strengthening its leadership of the Shelter Working Group. 
In Kasaï, political violence related to the nomination of the traditional leader Kamunia N¿Sapu erupted in August 2016, in the territory of Dibaya within Kasai Central province.  According to human rights and humanitarian sources, 3,000 people have been killed, 1, 4 million women, girls, boys and men have been displaced, including former Rwandan refugees, while their properties have been looted or destroyed. 90/% of schools have been burned down as well as government facilities. Primary health care facilities have been destroyed or looted and people living with HIV and TB are facing serious problems of medical treatment. About 33,000 Congolese have found refuge in Angola. Despite a gradual improvement in the security environment, protection issues remain a major concern and there are new reports of tension and volatile situation in some territories. 
In Tanganyika, the number of incidents related to armed conflict starts to decrease.  In 2017, the Protection Monitoring reported 12,831 protection incidents among which 398 cases of VSS attributed to the bearers of arms (May-May, Twa militia, Bantou militia etc.).. The massive population displacements are marked by the destruction of more than 300 villages. The needs in the reception areas are increased especially in terms of health, nutrition, education, shelter (especially during this rainy season), NFIs, peaceful coexistence, etc.  The security situation remains volatile and needs to be closely monitored in the North-East part of Tanganyika Province where tension between FARDC (Forces Armees de la RDC) and armed groups remains perceptible.
The North and South Kivus have seen an escalation in conflict in the course of 2017, due to the presence of armed groups fighting for control of territory and natural resources, resulting in almost 545,000 new displacements, of which 112,000 in the course of 2017.
The South Kivu province is rich in minerals and control of territory and of the mines is an underlying factor in most fighting. However, the various armed groups in the province have increasingly entered into alliances and claim to be politically motivated against the government of President Kabila.  Armed fighting is widespread and ongoing all along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Local population lives in fear of reprisals from both armed groups and the national army and displacement is particularly frequent when a territory changes hands.  There are consistent reports of protection incidents, including sexual violence, forced recruitment and arbitrary killings. South Kivu is also home to some 50,000 Burundian refugees, of which some 8,000 live in communities and a similar number of Rwandan refugees, who live in communities.North Kivu is the province with the highest number of IDPs  in DRC, with some 1.1 million displaced, of which 385,000 were forced to flee their homes in the course of 2017 (122,000 between July-September only) as a result of armed conflict, human rights violations and generalised instability. The root causes of forced displacement in North Kivu go back more than three decades. There is heavy presence throughout of armed groups vying for control of territory in a province that is rich in natural resources. Armed conflict, land-grabbing, sexual violence and exploitation, risk of forced recruitment all contribute to forced displacement. In such a context, ethnic tensions are also on the rise.  Military operations are ongoing on several axes between the national army ¿ FARDC ¿ and various armed groups that often enter opportunistic alliances. As well as long-established, relatively well-organised armed groups, a myriad of smaller militia are operating and persecuting the civilian population. The province records the highest number of reported cases of SGBV ¿ 50% of all reported cases are minors.  North Kivu is also home to an estimated 200,000 Rwandan refugees, who are often caught up in the conflict and inter-ethnic tensions. Many refugees are forced to displace repeatedly and are at risk of forced recruitment.
In the ex-Province Orientale (Ituri and Haut-Uele), the security situation is worsening and in spite of the DRC authorities¿ instructions to relocate refugees living in the border villages to deeper into the country, refugees are reluctant to do so. Furthermore, the Ituri region has been confronted to new inter-ethnic violence and to serious human rights violations that civilians reportedly are subject to by the various rebel and militia groups.  In Bunia town, two IDP sites have recently been set up.  A large number of IDPs are also staying with local communities around Bunia. 
181,917 Central African refugees are registered in the Equateur province.  Most of them arrived in 2013, after fleeing the deteriorating situation in their country of origin.  They benefit from protection and multi-sectorial assistance in camps and host communities.  The current strategy applied for this group focuses mainly on reducing dependency on food aid (as WFP has already reduced rations and has announced further cuts), through promoting self-reliance and livelihood activities.
Political tensions are very high in Kinshasa and it is feared that the Presidential elections, which are now planned in December 2018 after having been postponed several times, will bring a lot of insecurity in the big towns of Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi, Kalemie, etc¿ where UNHCR is present.
The Regional Office in Kinshasa supervises and provides support to 5 sub-offices and 13 field offices/units within the Country.  It also oversees operations in Gabon, Sao & Principe and the Republic of Congo which provides support to more than 58,000 people of concern.
The Project Control Officer reports directly to the Senior Regional Project Control Officer. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the third largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse.  Living conditions therefore vary between UNHCR duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water.  Accommodation is very expensive in Kinshasa. There are several Supermarkets in town but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative.  Kinshasa is considered family duty station since 1 January 2015, despite the fact that most facilities and amenities are still basic. UN international personnel are only allowed to reside within an established Residential Security Perimeter. 

The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may be impossible to exchange traveller¿s checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), it is recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and payments will be processed in cash.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili. Kinshasa is currently a security level 3 duty station.  Security threats in Kinshasa are mainly from crime and potential civil unrest.  UN personnel are not specifically targeted but criminals focus attacks on those perceived to have money and valuables.  Crimes are primarily committed by street children locally called ¿Shegues¿, more organized gangs and unemployed youth called ¿Kulunas¿ and sometimes uncontrolled elements of the national security forces (police, soldiers, etc.) Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the Add.4 to March 2018 Compendium is Wednesday 5 Septembe 2018 (midnight Geneva time).