Resource Planning Advisor

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Job Description

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

As manager of a team of budget professionals assuring Operations and Client Advisory for UNFPA’s business units in the Field and in Headquarters, the Resource Planning Advisor plays a central role in the Branch’s work of supporting integrated resource planning at UNFPA. The incumbent ensures proper, effective and holistic resource planning and implementation for both core and non-core funds through the following areas of activities:

Budget planning and formulation and integrated funds allocation
Integrated resource management, monitoring and oversight
Capacity building, training, advisory services and technical guidance
Policies and tools for resource planning and management
Support decision-making and UNFPA strategic priorities
Branch management and representation, supervision of direct reports

You would be responsible for:

Budget planning and formulation and integrated funds allocation:

Lead specific processes and work packages related to the preparation and formulation of the Integrated Budget for Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices, aligned with the priorities of the UNFPA Strategic Plan.
Provide input to the Strategic Plan process and other corporate initiatives that have significant resource implications;
Oversee the analysis of individual office budget submissions and facilitate decision-making at senior management level;
Provide substantive inputs for the formulation of programme and management budgets at country, regional and global levels
Oversee the analysis of past/current financial operations, budget utilization and budget proposals and present thoroughly researched recommendations to facilitate budget preparation, planning and approval processes
Oversee and conduct cost analysis of the resource requirements to ensure accuracy of cost estimates received from Headquarters, Regional/Sub Regional and Country Offices, and revise budget submissions as needed
Provide direct support to the Chief of Branch in formulating and developing the Integrated Budget in line with available resources and Executive Board requirements
Oversee preparation and develop selected tables of the Budget document
Prepare background documents and analysis of the Integrated Budget for ACABQ, Executive Board and UNFPA senior management
Oversee allocation decisions for core and non-core funds and provide advice to Senior Management on integrated resource allocation

Integrated resource management, monitoring and oversight:

Provide authoritative advice to offices related to the implementation of budget-related policies, procedures, systems and guidance
Identify operational and financial bottlenecks in budget management and approval and resolve problems and/or recommend solutions, including development of innovative tools
Prepare Regular Resources Distribution Plans and monitoring tools
Establish and manage regular resources programme ceilings in ERP software
Oversee the development and maintenance of the budget ledger and budget allotments. Working with Finance Branch, oversee periodic financial closure activities in the budget management areas. Direct support staff to record, validate, review, analyze and reconcile master and transactional data and balances related to the budget ledger and budget allotments
Issue initial allotments/ceilings and redeployment for both core and non-core funds to Headquarters, Regional and Country Offices based on the respective allocation mechanisms
Monitor overall financial situation of the Organization in the short and medium term and provide advice in usage or resources
Develop scenarios and projections on the basis of the Organization’s financial situation and trends for senior-management decision-making

Manage the allotments to minimize unspent funds:

Develop and implement budgetary control mechanisms to monitor budgetary status versus expenditures within approved allotments
Develop and implement improvements in budget management, through automation of budget revisions and other innovations. Oversee and identify any discrepancies between budget allotments and project budgets, initiate corrective actions if necessary
Provide advisory services to offices in relation to the implementation of financial resources
Provide oversight over positions approved by the Executive Board and coordinate with DHR the establishment and management of those positions

Approve requisitions for designated budget lines, in line with the Internal Control Framework:

Provide authoritative justification of the Branch’s position regarding professional/technical matters related to management and reporting of the integrated budget and resource utilization which become the subject of audit observations

Prepare supporting documentation in the area of budget management for the annual audit and respond to queries; ensure that appropriate audit recommendations on management and reporting in respect of the integrated budget and resource utilization accepted by management are implemented as appropriate and included in the development of new systems

Capacity building, training, advisory services and technical guidance:

Participate in and support advisory services, knowledge management and capacity building of UNFPA offices in the area of resource planning and budget
Provide substantive support to the knowledge sharing on assigned substantive areas through various means (e.g. integrated service desk, trainings, on-line tools, facilitated platforms, etc.)
Train UNFPA staff on resource planning and budget management and monitoring to improve competency of Headquarters, Regional/Sub Regional and Country Office staff
Provide authoritative advice to offices on budgetary matters to ensure compliance with UNFPA Financial Regulations and Rules, as well as budget policies and guidance

Policies and tools for resource planning and management:

Support the Branch’s development of tools and applications for resource planning from an operational perspective
Implement new accounting mechanisms as appropriate
Identify, participate in development and/or recommend enhancement/updates/ improvements in ERP resource planning and budgeting, as well as programme planning modules

Support decision-making and UNFPA strategic priorities:

Support and oversee the Branch’s preparation of periodic financial analysis and reporting on the management of the UNFPA integrated budget and utilization of resources; analyze and interpret the information and its implications; facilitate variance and trend analysis by internal stakeholders and provide advice to the Chief of the Branch on the basis of the analysis
Prepare and oversee periodic expenditure forecast reports based on available funds and expenses
Prepare and oversee staffing and vacancy analyses and trends reports for UNFPA senior management
Perform and oversee operational analysis related to financial planning and management strategies, including cost recovery, financial performance, cost classification and other initiatives as appropriate
Oversee the preparation of financial analysis and reports on the integrated budget which are required for external purposes, including the Executive Director’s Annual Report. Ensure that financial analysis and reporting is presented in compliance as appropriate with external and statutory financial reporting requirements, including IPSAS, and internal UNFPA and UN system financial reporting norms
Provide inputs on various Service Level Agreements (SLA) in the area of cost drivers and efficiency analysis

Branch management and representation, supervision of direct reports:

Support the development and monitoring of work plans and review staff performance to ensure that established goals and objectives are achieved
Represent the Branch at internal and inter-agency groups, providing expertise on resource planning and management for the development of high-impact strategic and change management processes
Act as Deputy to the Chief of Branch in his/her absence
Perform other duties as assigned by the Branch Chief or Divisional Director.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Advanced university degree in financial management, economics, business administration, business statistics, accounting, social science, or similar is required.

Knowledge and Experience:

10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the fields of budgeting / resource planning at national and international level is required.

Other Desirable Skills:

Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English. Knowledge of ERP systems, in particular budgeting systems. Experience with results-based budgeting and activity based-costing techniques, including systems that support them. Strong research and analytical skills.
Familiarity with UN procedures and working methods, policies and procedures, is desirable. Excellent computer and office software skills such as the Microsoft applications and Google Suite products. Knowledge of IPSAS is desirable.

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