Finance Analyst (NPSA-8)

The UNDP Tajikistan Country Office was selected as the Principal Recipient in the implementation of HIV/AIDS and TB grants provided to Tajikistan by the Global Fund since 2003. The overall goal of the Project is to reduce the burden of HIV and TB in the country through addressing challenges related to HIV, drug resistant (“DR”) TB, co-infection of TB/HIV, human rights barriers, and underlying health systems shortcomings calling for urgent actions. The Project is streamlined around five main objectives, aiming at ensuring effective HIV response measures among key populations (KPs), scaling up access for early and quality diagnosis, treatment and care, ensuring integrated care for those affected both by TB and HIV, as well as strengthening national public heath response. The Project will build up on the previous projects’ achievements and results; it will additionally, introduce innovative approaches. Also, the Project will contribute to the national health care reform by building and improving the technical and managerial capacities of health professionals, promoting participation of civil society organizations in the response to the HIV/AIDS and TB epidemics, and enhancing the cooperation of non-governmental organizations with the public health sector.

The Finance Specialist will have three main blocks of responsibilities:

Under the guidance of the of the Administrative & Finance Analyst to ensure effective and efficient financial management and implementation of the project.

Ensure quality of implementation of the projects by sub-recipients and implementing partners against their SR agreements.

Provide financial and technical expertise and guidance to the Sub-recipients’ teams and project staff to ensure timely and quality implementation of the program related activities.

1. Under the guidance of the of the Administrative & Finance Analyst ensure effective and efficient financial management of the project.

• Comprehensive support to the project in the financial management of the Global Fund’s grants funds in accordance with UNDP financial rules, regulations, and donor requirements.
• Maintain internal control environment and budgetary framework is followed as per UNDP rules and regulations.
• Monitor project utilization of funds under the project budget lines for cost-efficiency and consistency with the Project Document and corresponding Annual Work Plan
• Ensure that all transactions are properly reflected in appropriate budget lines based on approved project budget and AWP.
• Monitoring of financial transactions associated to the project activities including recording of expenses of implementing partners in Atlas (ERP- Enterprise resource planning)
• Organize information on performance of accounting systems, monitor performance of accounting functions and provide oversight on delivery of accounting services.
• Prepare budgets and budget revisions in line with UNDP financial rules and regulations and in compliance with IPSAS.
• Contribute to the preparation/revision of Annual Work Plan and Project Document in close collaboration with the Programme Unit.
• Process and/or review the accurate and timely processing submission of payments, journal entries and other financial transactions within scope to the respective units in CO and Global Shared Services Center (GSSC), ensuring compliance with budgetary limits, IPSAS and organizational regulations, rules, policies and procedures and standards of accountability and ethics.
• Routinely monitors financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, unusual transactions. Informs supervisors and other UNDP staff.
• Validates e-requisitions against the available budget, oversight of key performance indicators on recognition of assets and approvals of the transfer the assets. 
• Prepare project budget monitoring report for the respective grants on a quarterly basis. Carry out financial analysis by cost groupings and interventions to ensure an adequate cost distribution of GF funds.

2. Ensure quality of financial management and oversight of sub-recipients against their SR agreements.

• Prepare Sub-recipients’ budgets and budget revisions in line with UNDP financial rules and regulations and in compliance with IPSAS.
• Prepare detailed cost estimates, budget analysis and projections as required.
• In close collaboration with the Programme unit initiates funds transfer to SRs upon verification of SR financial reports to ensure timely disbursement of funds and follow-up with UNDP CO Finance unit on payments processing.
• Conducts monitoring visits to sub-recipients to observe financial documentation management, identifies problems and assists in their solution.
• Conduct and/or coordinate spot checks of implementing partners in collaboration with programme and administrative units.
• Support and facilitate ad-hoc and annual audit exercises; including preparation of necessary documents; participate in the audit process and follow up actions.
• Control and monitoring of financial management of Sub Recipients assigned to his/her portfolio.
• Ensure timeliness and correctness of SR financial reports and timely reconciliation of SR advances and release of subsequent advances based on FACE reports.
• Control, monitor and verify the SRs' financial transactions and financial reports (FACE, Detailed report, Variance Analysis, B2B recon.)  in ERP system.
• Contribute to the establishment or revision of the SR reporting and financial management guidelines and procedures to ensure efficient management of the grant resources by SRs

3. Provide technical expertise and guidance to the Sub-recipient’s teams and PIU Project staff to ensure timely financial reporting.

• Contribute to the preparation of periodic financial reports to the GF, CCM and UNDP in the form and substance satisfactory to the GF and UNDP
• Provide comprehensive support to the project in area of monitoring and forecasting the periodic cash requirements. Provide up-to date information on cash position/forecast to management and make recommendation or take action to ensure sufficient availability of resources.
• Support the relevant project and SRs’ staff in the monitoring of the status of fund utilization and assets distributed to the SRs, including monitoring of utilization and efficiency.
• Play the essential role of asset management oversight. Participate in regularly checks and evaluation of performance indicators in line with asset management responsibilities. Specifically: regularly review the asset register indicators, sign off asset transfers, disposals, write-offs, asset verification reports and ensure that action plans to rectify asset management issues are fully addressed.
• Participate in evaluation of financial part of the offers of potential sub-recipients through a transparent process.
• Participate in development of working plans for the principal recipient’s and sub-recipients’ and monitoring the donor approved budgets.
• Contribute to the establishment or revision of the SR reporting and financial management guidelines and procedures to ensure efficient management of the grant resources by SRs.
• Support to the project relevant staff in regular engagement and joint collaboration with national counterparts, partners, and stakeholders to strengthen sustainable and resilient financial management systems for health.
• Capacity building/on job training of newly hired support staff and SRs in area of administration and finance.
• Contribute to the implementation of Risk Mitigation Plan prepared in response to the SR micro-assessment report (HACT), in particular to address financial risks.
• Lead the financial aspects of the quarterly review, Sub-recipients’ achievements and bottlenecks at the project management level. Facilitates the identification and synthesis of lessons learnt and shares best practices to management and implementers of the program.
• Contribute to concept notes and discussion papers on relevant issues, for consideration of management and donors.
• Efficiently perform any other delegated duties assigned by the supervisor.

Institutional Arrangement

The incumbent will directly report to Admin/Finance Analyst of the Global Fund project.

• Master’s Degree in the field of in accounting, finance or economics
• Bachelor’s Degree with additional two years of experience can be taken into consideration in lieu of Master’s degree.

• Minimum 2 years of relevant accounting/ financial experience/audit work experience in accounting, finances, or audit for bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum 2 years of working knowledge of local tax legislation of Tajikistan.

Languages:

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Russian is required.
• Knowledge of Tajik is an asset.

Required skills:

• Knowledge of UNDP/UN procedures would be an asset.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and expert knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages;

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• Experience in handling of web-based management systems (1C program, Enterprise resource planning, PeopleSoft) is a strong advantage

Professional Certificates:

• International Financial Certification (CAP, ACCA, CIPFA, etc.) will be an advantage.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
3. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.