Global Fund Programme Manager

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance and supports the results of UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan, focusing on seven outcomes including, strengthening institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services (Outcome 3). The HIV, Health and Development Group (HHD Group), within BPPS, is helping to contribute towards this outcome. The HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: ‘Connecting the Dots’ elaborates UNDP's work on HIV and health in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNDP has an important role in supporting health outcomes by supporting countries to address the social, cultural and economic determinants of HIV and health, in partnership with UN entities and other organizations. This is done through UNDP’s core work in reducing inequalities and social exclusion that drive HIV and poor health, promoting effective and inclusive governance for health, and building resilient and sustainable systems for health. UNDP also contributes through its coordinating and convening role in bringing together multiple partners and resources at national and local levels.

As a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multi-sectoral health programmes while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient (PR) in these settings, working with national partners and The Global Fund (GF) to improve management, implementation and oversight, while simultaneously strengthening health institutions and systems for national entities to assume the PR role over time. Within the HHD Group the Global Fund – Health Implementation Support Team (GF/HIST) is a dedicated team providing support to UNDP Country Offices throughout the grant lifecycle.

UNDP is the interim PR for the Belize HIV/TB grant (the Grant, Programme) for the period 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2021.  The goals of the Grant are: (1) new HIV infections among men who have sex with men account for a maximum of 30% of all new infections. (2) 80% of persons living with HIV, who are on ART, remain on ART. (3) To promptly find and completely cure 100% of cases of TB disease, including MDR-TB, while assuring that patients -especially persons living with HIV- benefit from broader preventive care. UNDP employs a rights-based, gender-transformative approach to achieving these goals, and implements the Grant in close coordination with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the Ministry of Health, CSOs, other national partners and other technical agencies. 

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, the Programme Manager will be responsible for managing a team, achieving a high level of programme performance, coordinating and building strategic partnerships, providing policy and strategic technical guidance and engaging with partners to support strengthening of national systems and health institutions. This will be done in accordance with UNDP rules, policies and procedures and corporate agreements with the GF, and working in close coordination with national stakeholders, the National AIDS Committee (NAC)/Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), National Tuberculosis Program (NTP), the GF (including Local Fund Agent), and technical and UN partners, the Regional Bureau, the GF/HIST and other UNDP programmes.

The Programme Manager will promote a collaborative, client-oriented approach, ensuring integration across functional areas within the PMU, the Country Office, and works in close collaboration with the SRs and SSRs to ensure successful implementation and oversight of the GF resources. In addition, the Programme Manager will play the lead role in capacity development of national counterparts and the transition of the Programme.

1. Ensures strategic leadership, programme planning and effective management and oversight of Global Fund programme, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Leads on the strategic planning, oversight and management of the Programme in compliance with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures, the grant agreement and corporate agreements with the Global Fund;
• Leads on the coordination, management, supervision and oversight of the PMU across all functional areas to achieve programme targets, provide quality services and full utilization of GF allocation and the achievement of programme targets;
• Leads on assessing the programmatic impact and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the Programme and proactively leads on reviews for underperformance, bottlenecks and ensures the accountability for the timely implementation of corrective action(s); 
• Develops and maintains an organizational structure to ensure UNDP is resourced to deliver its commitments, leads on the recruitment of PMU staff, fostering diversity, equity and inclusion and builds the technical, management and leadership capacity of staff for promotion of organizational excellence; and
• Ensures strong collaboration with UNDP regional and headquarters, the HHD Group and GF/HIST on all areas of strategic planning, management, oversight implementation and donor communication.
• Leads the close out of the Grant ensuring preparation of all required documentation in line with UNDP and GF rules, regulations, policies and procedures (TBC)
• Supports the CCM to prepare the COVID-19 Response Mechanism funding application and manages implementation of funds (TBC)

2. Ensures proactive financial, asset and health product management and oversight and controls are met and proactively performs risk assessments focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures UNDP’s financial, asset and health product (including quality control, insurance) management policies, procedures, and SOPs are followed and validated by internal reviews;
• Leads on timely preparation and quality submissions of financial and programmatic donor reports and responses to management actions, compliance with grant conditions and revisions to the grant agreement(s);
• Proactively performs risk assessments, develops and implements risk management matrix/plan with the PMU staff and implementing partners and ensures adequate oversight and support is provided, with timely incident reporting;
• Ensures compliance of procedures, systems to ensure safety and security of staff, assets and health products in line with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures;
• Supervises and ensures accountability for Sub-recipient (SR) assessments, contracting, monitoring, with SRs work plan and budgets implemented in compliance with UNDP’s SR grant agreement, and service providers while ensuring quality of the programme and achievement of Programme goals; and
• Leads on programme audits (including SR) and investigations under the guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative and in coordination with the Regional Bureau, Office of Audit and Investigations and GF/HIST and ensures timely follow up on audit recommendations and recovery actions.

3. Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and support the implementation of the resource mobilization:

• Coordinates, build partnerships and maintains strong working relationships with the NAC, NTP, Ministry of Health, other implementing partners, including financial and technical partners, CSOs, UN Agencies, to ensure transparent and effective management and oversight of the programme;
• Supports the national strategic planning processes for the Programme based on evidence gained during implementation of the Programme;
• Maintains close co-ordination between the Programme and other health initiatives in the country, to promote partnership building and avoid duplication of programmatic activities and to exchange critical and technical information and resolve programme implementation issues; and
• Develops funding requests to complement UNDP’s PR role with other health and development activities and the development of project documents.

4. Ensures provision of strategic policy advice and technical guidance focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures harmonization and integration of the Programme into the national strategic documents on disease programmes;
• Provides strategic policy and technical advice to the NAC, NTP, Ministry of Health, and implementing partners and supports work on programme adjustments as necessary;
• Leads meetings of and participates in meetings of the NAC, as required;
• Supports implementation of interventions and policy guidance related to the removal of human rights and gender related barriers to the access to and uptake of HIV and TB services; and
• Coordinates planned studies and programme review(s) with the national programme(s), in collaboration with the NAC, NTP, Ministry of Health, CSOs, UN agencies, financial and technical partners, and the GF.

5. Ensures guidance and capacity building and facilitation of knowledge building and sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Engages with NAC, NTP, Ministry of Health, implementing partners, CSOs, UN agencies and financial and technical partners to strengthen national systems and health institutions, across functional areas including, procurement and supply chain management, financial management and oversight, SR management, risk management, project implementation and monitoring;
• Engages with national partners and oversees the development of capacity development strategies to support national entities to implement and assume the PR role over time, ensuring access to appropriate tools and resources, including with a new PR to transition from UNDP, if and when confirmed;
• Identifies and supports development of communications (print, video) highlighting key programme achievements, best practices, and lessons learnt and contributes to information sharing with the NAC, NTP Ministry of Health, implementing partners, CSOs, UN agencies, financial and technical partners, and the GF; and
• Actively participates in UNDP and other relevant external networks to promote the Programme and UNDP’s health and development work (conferences, community of practice, Yammer, TEAMS) and represents UNDP in relevant technical meetings, working groups at country, regional and global level.  

6. Ensures effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the Programme in line with UNDP’s grant agreement with the Fund and in accordance with UNDP’s rules, policies, procedures and rules and the Global Fund rules, focusing on achieving the following results:

• Ensures that project monitoring arrangements comply with UNDP’s Grant Agreement, both programmatically and financially and that the provisions of the Grant Agreement are fully observed;
• Reviews the management information systems of the SRs and agree on required changes, support and resources to ensure that data quality standards are monitored and met;
• Reviews the quality of existing data sources, the methods of collecting them and the degree to which they will provide good baseline data for end of project evaluations. Based on this review, consult partners to develop approaches to address identified gaps;
• Prepares Terms of Reference (TOR) for on-site verification, baseline, mid-term, and end-line surveys including methodology preparation, sample selection and staff training if needed, and provide overall technical direction for the conduct of the surveys;
• Provides technical support to the SR and Sub-Sub-Recipients (SSRs) to strengthen their monitoring and evaluation systems for HIV/AIDS and TB programmes;
• Together with the M&E Officers of SR and SSRs, strengthens, harmonizes and standardizes the existing HIV/AIDS data collection, analysis and reporting system, in line with the national HMIS Plan and Programme indicators;
• Assists in the development of systems and data collection tools to capture data on HIV/AIDS and TB indicators in the Performance Framework of the Grant Agreement;
• Develops a regular review process with field sites to evaluate the utilization and impact of ongoing monitoring tools in order to measure improvements in programme quality, giving feedback to field sites, SR, SSRs and M&E staff in the NAC;
• Works with the M&E staff of NAC, NTP, SRs and SSRs to collate, analyze and validate data for reporting;
• Coordinates the preparation of reports e.g. quarterly, semester, annually and other programme reports in a timely manner;
• Assists in the identification of potential implementation problems and bottlenecks and takes corrective action;
• Participates in and contributes to the finalization of Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks for the Programme;
• Develops monitoring and evaluation tools and processes for the Grant;
• Provides technical support to the Sub-recipients (SRs) to strengthen their monitoring and evaluation systems for HIV and TB programmes;
• Develops and updates as necessary Monitoring and Evaluation plans for the Grant, consistent with the national M&E framework, in consultation with the NAC and NTP;
• Develops systems and tools, and training materials to train the NAC and NTP, SRs and other implementing partners’ personnel;
• Oversees new assessments (if necessary)/reviews existing assessments and reports of the SRs capacity in the field of M&E, and develops and leads the implementation of a capacity development plan;
• Provides technical guidance for the implementation of the M&E plans, through training and other on-site support; and
• Facilitates review of progress on a quarterly basis; problem solving and development of remedial actions ensuring any disparity between planned and actual outputs are addressed.

Competencies

Innovation:

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Technical/Functional

Primary:

HIV, Health and Development

Understanding and practical experience of issues related to HIV, health and development social determinants of health and the ability to apply them to strategic and/or practical situations

Project Management

Ability to plan, organize and control resources, procedures and protocols and to achieve specific goals

Capacity Development

Ability to strengthen and maintain the capabilities of individuals, societies, organizations and governments to set and achieve development objectives over time

Partnerships

Ability to engage with other agencies, donors and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships

Risk Management

Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them

Development Effectiveness

Knowledge of development effectiveness concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions

Coordination

Ability to manage complex relationships through pathways of knowledge exchange, capacity development, funding relationships and strategic engagement 

Negotiation

Ability to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue

Secondary:

Knowledge Management

Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge

Resource Mobilization

Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources

Representation

Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues)

Education:

• Master’s degree in business, economics, international development, social sciences or public health, or any other relevant field.
• Master’s degree in Public Health is an asset.

Experience:          

• A minimum of 2 years of progressive relevant experience relevant experience in project management.
• Knowledge of routine health information systems, and literacy in management information systems.
• Experience working with Civil Society Organizations, particularly in Belize and/or the Caribbean is an asset.
• Knowledge of UN or UNDP rules, policies and procedures, is an asset.
• Strong knowledge of Global Fund’s rules, policies and procedures, is an asset.
• Experience in the management of health, HIV and/or TB programmes is an asset.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in English both written and oral.
• Working knowledge of Spanish both written and oral, is an asset.

Other Requirements:

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling web-based management systems.

Important applicant information

All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.

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Women are strongly encouraged to apply