UNCDF is bringing its expertise in promoting a green and climate resilient local communities and economies for returnees, youth and women to support job creation in regions of departure, transit and return in Ghana, creating local ecosystems that facilitate the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and enabling the transition of local economies to green and climate resilient development under the “Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana” programme to be funded by the European Union Trust Fund for Africa.
This programme will contribute to addressing the root causes of irregular migration through green and climate resilient local economic development and improving future prospects of beneficiaries, by creating employment and enterprise opportunities in selected sectors and regions (Ashanti and Western). The action aims at supporting job creation in regions of departure, transit and return of Ghana, creating local financial ecosystems that facilitate the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and enabling the transition of local economies to green and climate resilient development.
The programme will use the lessons learnt from UNCDF experiences in (i) Performance-Based Climate Resilience Grants (PBCRGs) which support investments for green and resilient local economies as well as (ii) Youth finance which introduces best practices to advance financial inclusion.
The PBCRG provides a country-based mechanism to increase awareness and response to climate change at the local level, integrate climate change adaptation into local governments’ planning and budgeting systems in a participatory and gender sensitive manner, and increase the amount of finance available to local governments for climate change adaptation. The PBCRG is currently being implemented in the 14 countries around the world called, the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL). This mechanism combines PBCRGs with technical and capacity-building support. It uses a demonstration effect to trigger further flows for local adaptation, including national fiscal transfers and global climate finance for local authorities, through their central governments. Since its global scale up in 2014, LoCAL has engaged 99 local governments in 13 countries, representing over 6 million people. Between 2014 and 2017, it delivered close to USD 14.5 million, with grants and technical assistance to countries totaling USD 9.8 million. During the same period, 507 climate change adaptation interventions were finalized across 11 countries using grants, with another 68 under implementation or being planned. With the use of the PBCRG approach, UNCDF will support the implementation of Result 1 “Local economies are stimulated and short-term job opportunities for youth, women and returnees are created through green and climate resilient investments” under the programme.
UNCDF has also developed great expertise in youth finance by bringing access to financial services to nearly 1,000,000 youth in 8 different countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Financial Services Providers (FSPs) participating in the programme mobilized USD 23M in savings and granted USD 66M in loans to 330,700 young entrepreneurs. UNCDF has also worked in Ghana by supporting FSPs to expand access to savings, and particularly, to link informal savings groups to banks and other formal financial institutions. Simultaneously, UNCDF has expanded its support across countries to develop digital financial services for smallholder farmers, women, families with children, pensioners, and micro, small and medium enterprises. These efforts have led to creative approaches to the development of human-centric services and have fostered an innovation ecosystem around financial services. This UNCDF programme approach will be utilized in implementing Results 3 “Increased access and usage of financial services, leveraging remittances and digital solutions, adapted to the needs of (i) youth, women and returnees benefiting from cash for work schemes and (ii) local communities and MSMEs”.
The programme will be implemented in conjunction with SNV, using their model for youth entrepreneurs ‘Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) programme’, SNV’s most advanced multi-country programme thus far, which targeted 27,000 rural out of school youth in Tanzania, Rwanda and Mozambique. The programme has been implemented in the agriculture and renewable energy sectors. Currently, OYE has become a global SNV product and new OYE projects have started in other countries, such as Mali and Niger, both funded by EUTF.
SNV will support Result 2 “Employability of youth, women and returnees are improved through orientation support and assistance, to transition to skills development, for the benefit of green and climate resilient local economies” and Results 4 “SMEs, offering decent and sustainable jobs to youth, women and returnees, are incubated and/or accelerated and contribute to green and climate resilient local economies” whilst working closely with the two other result areas.
- Support project creation in the ERP system, prepare budget revisions, revision of project award and project status, determine of unutilized funds, support the operational and financial closure of projects
- Support the Programme management team to resolve questions related to budgets, payments, procurement, and resources.
- Analyze and present information for identification of areas for support and Programme implementation.
- Support in drafting Annual Work Plans and Budgets for projects within the Programme office.
- Support implementation of Mid Term and Final Project evaluation
Provision of project finance support
- Review of the Financial Reports and regular monitoring of financial performance
- Regular updates on the disbursement status to project management
- Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas.
- Development of Project Financial Report (quarterly and annually) by providing the information on the project progress, operational issues and disbursement
- Support audit of projects and ensure auditors have access to project documentation, personnel, and institutions involved in the project
- Prepare all payment requests, financial record-keeping and financial reports required in line with both the National Implementation and Direct Implementation of financial rules and procedures.
- Prepare regularly expenditure report to track progress of project
- Process certificates of payment submitted by consultants and prepare payment requests.
- Support in producing project financial reports in line with donor reporting templates.
- Manage travel arrangement, circulate travel related information and support team with Daily supplemental allowance (DSA) processes and travel claims
Provision of support to procurement
- Full compliance of procurement activities with UNDP/UNCDF rules, regulations, policies and strategies;
- Support the preparation of procurement plans for the office and update UNCDF Intranet accordingly
- Comply with the internal control system which ensures that Purchase orders are duly prepared and dispatched. Timely corrective actions on POs with budget check errors and other problems.
- Maintain contract management database for monitoring of contracts
- Maintain LTA management database and monitor ceiling of LTAs
- Support with the drafting of specifications and terms of references for procurement needs of the office
- Organize shipments, customs clearance arrangements, prepare documents for shipments (send and receipt)
- Liaise with FMS and UNDP CO to provide procurement support
Support and monitor the implementation of annual procurement plans
Provision of operation support to the office
- Manage logistics for project meetings, workshops and seminars
- Provide support for common premises and common services maintenance
- Act as custodian for management of office assets and inventory
Provision of administrative support to the office
- Act as a conduit for the necessary synergies between UNDP Ghana administrative units and UNCDF for better field office compliance and performance.
- Supports the management of Project Assets and inventory including keep record and maintenance of Office Assets and supplies and participation in periodic office physical inventory and asset verification exercises as needed
- Acts as liaison between vendors and the agency.
- Provision of logistical support to events, workshops, etc.
- Development and maintenance of the project filing system
- Facilitation of logistical arrangement for delivery and arrival of goods.
- Facilitation of VAT clearance process;
- Proper record and tracking of common services expenditure
- Perform other work-related tasks assigned by the supervisors
Achieve Results:
LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively:
LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously
LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility
LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner
LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion
LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies)
Business Management
Project Management
- Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
Customer Satisfaction/Client Management
- Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs.
- Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
- Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns
Operations Management
- Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms
Administration and Operations
Travel Desk
- Ability to process and approve Travel Requests,
- Travel Claims and Expense Report, knowledge of
- relevant policy and procedures
Events management (including retreats, training and meetings)
- Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
Finance
Budget management
- Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets
Financial reporting and analysis
- Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in
- the public sector.
- Ability to extract, and evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring
Audit Risk Management
- Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved
- 6 years relevant experience with High School diploma; or 4 years relevant work experience with Bachelor, equivalent or higher
- Secondary Education, preferably with specialized certification and/or training in Management, Accounting or Finance or University degree in Finance, Public Administration or Social Science field but not required.
- 6 years of progressively responsible financial resource management or accounting experience or a bachelor’s degree with 4 years of relevant working experience is required. Knowledge of programme or project finance desirable.
- Experience in Project/ Programme Planning and Budgeting, and Coordination of annual audit exercises in line with guidelines is required.
- Experience in providing financial management, Resource Planning and Analysis, Quality assurance oversight and close monitoring of project expenditure per the approved budget.
- Knowledge of and previous experience in UNDP Procurement rules and regulations required.
- Experience with ATLAS project management system is preferred.
