Programme Policy Officer (Governance and Public Finance Management Specialist)

Career Opportunities: Programme Policy Officer (Governance and Public Finance Management Specialist) (829132)

WFP encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply.

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis. We are committed to promoting diversity and the principle of equal employment opportunity for all our employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of religion or belief, ethnic or social background, gender, gender identity and disability.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

BACKGROUND

The Government of Nepal and the British Embassy, Kathmandu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 16 March 2023 for the implementation of the Local Infrastructure Support Programme (LISP) in Nepal. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will provide up to £90 million grant support to Nepal under LISP and the local governments of Nepal will invest up to £40 million to co-finance the capital and resilience component in the programme during the period of 2023 to 2029. It is anticipated that LISP will be a three-phased programme:) a design, learning and preparatory pilot phase until July 2023 and LISP transition/initial implementation phase to avoid the gap between the main implementation and pilot phases, (b) a first phase of full implementation starting in Nepal financial year 24/25 with preparatory work/scaling-up starting in 2023/24, and (c) a second phase of implementation after mid-term review. Out of £90 million, up to £45 million will be allocated for phases (a) and (b), and further up to £45 million will be allocated for phase (c).

The FCDO is currently in the process of procurement of the technical service provider for the main delivery of the LISP. Hence, according to the phase-based scaling-up approach mentioned in the approved LISP Project Design Document (PDD), the LISP in-depth scaling-up in the 15 Local Governments of Karnali Province has been planned (August 2023 to July 2024). The LISP Pilot and transition/initial implementation is being delivered by United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP) as a TA service provider including the management of TA and incentive grants in the form of co-financing to the Local Governments (LGs). The LISP transition/initial implementation aims to enrich the learning and innovation of the LISP Pilot to support inclusive planning and delivery of resilient local infrastructure and green recovery job creation and to test incentive mechanisms for better performance, capacity building of local governments and the use of government monitoring and financing instruments.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The incumbent will provide technical and operational support to resilience building, and country capacity strengthening efforts of WFP in Nepal in line with WFP Nepal Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and Government policies and programmes. The job holder will work under the supervision of the Deputy Head of Programme and Team Leader of the Local Infrastructure Support Programme (LISP). The incumbent will work closely with the LISP Technical Assistance (TA), the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) a focal ministry for the LISP and the Provincial and Local Government Support Programme (PLGSP). The incumbent will be an important member of the multi-disciplinary core team in LISP TA for the delivery of the initial implementation of the LISP.

JOB PURPOSE

The Programme Policy Officer (Governance and Public Finance Management Specialist) shall be responsible for providing strategic advice on Public Finance Management (PFM) and local infrastructure governance-related issues and leading the LISP initiatives on PFM and infrastructure governance and providing technical inputs and backstopping support to PG and LG TA team and LGs to have strong administrative systems and accountable public financial management system.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Position Title: Programme Policy Officer (Governance and Public Finance Management Specialist)
Contract Type: Service Contract (SC)
Level: SC-8 (Equiv. to NOA)
Contract Duration: 12 months (With possible renewal)
Duty Station: Kathmandu, Nepal
Vacancy Number: 829132

WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary, social security, leave plus a medical insurance (Medical Insurance Death and Disability Plan (MIDD) | WFPgo).

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Provide high-quality, reliable, timely and relevant local infrastructure governance support to the LISP team leader and other team members.
• Contribute towards strategic analysis and guidance to the LISP TA team on the issues of local governance, anti-corruption, public financial management, and local infrastructure governance including planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting and accountability-related matters.
• Provide incentive grant/co-financing management support and serve as the focal point for LISP in relation to the local infrastructure governance, planning, PFM and incentive grants/co-financing management, its legal/procedural compliance, accountability, and financial reporting.
• Review incentive grant/co-financing-related reports received from LGs including financial audit-related information/reports and provide necessary inputs.
• Apply core governance skills and political economy analysis to assess the risks and challenges in the programme and provide advisory support on mitigation measures to the LISP team accordingly.
• Lead the overall governance and PFM aspects of the programme and support team to assess the public finance planning, expenditure, and reporting.
• Support team and local governments in the implementation of the financial management system, in particular SuTRA, budgeting, accounting, and reporting the local infrastructure expenditures at the local level.
• Provide project management support and direction on strategic and policy issues to strengthen the PFM systems in LGs. Take stock of actions on PFM-related issues based on findings of the Fiduciary Risk Assessment (FRA) and the Local Institutional Self-Assessment tool (LISA) and provide necessary inputs to the LGs and TA team on areas related to PFM and local infrastructure governance.
• Contribute towards the review and implementation of the initiatives, knowledge products, and training packages created for various stakeholders on PFM and local infrastructure governance.
• Provide the necessary guidance, support, technical inputs and backstopping support to the TA team and LGs to have strong administrative systems and an accountable public financial management system.
• Provide support in piloting/implementation of Fiduciary Risk Management Actions (FRMA) recommended by FCDO-commissioned Fiduciary Risk Assessment (FRA) and Construction Sector Transparency (CoST) initiatives in participating LGs.
• Meet regularly with technical specialists/experts of the PLGSP at the national and provincial level for collaboration and complementarity between LISP and PLGSP on infrastructure governance, planning, capacity building and PFM.
• Regularly monitor the risks and issues pertaining to PFM and the mitigation measures in discussion with the TA team and provide inputs to the overall risk log of the Programme.
• Support in enhancing coordination with MoFAGA, PLGSP and other relevant stakeholders for strengthening governance and PFM systems at the local government level.
• Participate in field visits to the provincial and local governments, as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University (Masters) degree or equivalent in Finance, Accounting, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics, Public Policy, or any other related field. Or First University degree (Bachelor) in the above areas with additional years of related work experience.

Language: Excellent proficiency in both oral and written English and Nepali languages.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• At least one year of relevant post graduate professional experience is required. Additional four years of experience in the area of PFM and governance in a government agency (at the federal or sub-national level) or with a well-recognized national institution and/or international agency in Nepal is beneficial.
• Experience of working with the Government, UN and international agencies will be an advantage.
• Experience in grant management is an advantage.
• At least two of the following governance and PFM-related technical competencies will be advantageous: federalism & local governance, law & human rights, and public financial management and anti-corruption.
• Ability to perform well in cross-disciplinary teams.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the PFM systems and procedures of the Government of Nepal and that of the province and local governments.
• Sound understanding of Nepal’s planning, budgeting, financial management and overall local infrastructure governance.
• Demonstrated social skills in coordinating with different stakeholders and facilitating discussions.
• Strong analytical networking, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Must be familiar with MS office;
• Nepali Typing skill is an asset;
• Driving skills with valid license is an advantage.This section is optional to describe additional responsibilities & knowledge required for the specific job.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: COMMON STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR

• Leads by example with Integrity
• Drives results and Delivers on commitments
• Fosters inclusive and collaborative teamwork.
• Applies strategic thinking
• Builds and maintains sustainable partnerships

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered, interested candidates are invited to apply via (https://www.wfp.org/careers/job-openings). Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Request for Disability related Reasonable Accommodations: 

It is important to WFP to create an accessible and inclusive workplace for everyone.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.  If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection and hiring process, please direct your request and inquiries to nepal.hr@wfp.org. A member of the HR team responsible for reasonable accommodation will contact you to confidentially discuss your needs.

This email is only to be used for any disability related accessibility requirements and not for sending the application itself. Due to the volume of applications, any applications or CVs sent through this email address will not be considered a formal application and will not receive a reply from WFP.

WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

Deadline of Application: 4 September 2023

Tagged as: Finance Specialist, Kathmandu, NGO INGO, Program Officer, World Food Programme