Program Finance Associate, Women's Political Empowerment (WPE) at UN Women

Post Level: SB-3
Type of Contract: Service Contract
Additional Category: Gender Equality
Languages Required: English
Duration of Initial Contract: 1 year.

Background

• UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. In Nigeria, UN Women works to support the Government’s national development agenda, which prioritizes the empowerment of women and girls and their contribution to all areas of economic, political, and social development.
• Women’s leadership and political participation is one of UN Women’s primary areas of work as mandated in its inception, recognizing the integral role of women in strong and stable democratic processes. Through its Leadership and Governance pillar, UN Women’s programmes are guided by a history of international commitments to women’s representation. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women upholds women’s right to participate in public life, while the Beijing Platform for Action calls for removing barriers to equal participation. The Millennium Development Goals measure progress towards gender equality in part by the proportion of women in parliamentary seats.
• In the area of Women’s Political Empowerment, Nigeria has ratified most of the international and regional instruments on women’s rights. However, critical challenges remain in the application and domestication of these frameworks, causing Nigerian women to be underrepresented and marginalised from political decision-making processes. Currently, women’s political representation in Nigeria is abysmally low in the legislative, executive, and judicial powers due to different gendered social norms. Young women in particular experience a double jeopardy because of gender and because young people are equally marginalized in politics. 
• Under the funding of the Government of Canada, UN Women will implement a programme to the women’s political leadership and participation, as well as gender-sensitive reforms to ensure that affected communities, especially marginalized women and persons with disabilities are fully engaged to advocate and participate in the development of policies/legislations, in elections and other political processes affecting them. Priority areas of the programme include:
  • Legal Frameworks/Policies and Institutional Reform with a view to influence gender-responsive legislations that will create an enabling environment for women aspiring for political offices.
  • Women’s Participation and Leadership through supporting capacity-building trainings for women candidates to boost their campaign strategies, including training and mentoring young women
  • Coordination among partners and engagement with key stakeholders by building on the Working Group on Women’s Political Empowerment and engaging communities on advocacy for gender transformation as well as preventing violence among women in politics.
• UN Women seeks to recruit a Programme Finance Associate to support the implementation of the next phase of the WPE programme in Nigeria. Reporting to the WPE Programme Manager, and in close cooperation with the Operations Manager in the Country Office, the Programme Finance Associate works with and provides support to the members of the WPE and other programme teams in the development and implementation of effective programmes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations.  She/he contributes to the research, financial management, and programme implementation including providing necessary operational, administrative, and programmatic support.
• The Programme Finance Associate will also support activities of the wider CO operations and programme teams as required.

Duties and Responsibilities
Provide financial support to the management of the Programme in full compliance of UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems:

• Review and verify financial transactions, activities, and documentation; taking corrective actions as needed and reporting any unusual activities;
• Monitor financial exceptions reports for unusual activities or transactions, investigate anomalies and report to the supervisor conclusions and/or present recommendations for actions/decisions;
• Create project in Atlas, prepare budget revisions, revise project awards and status; and determine unutilized funds and the operational and financial closure of projects;
• Provide administrative support in monitoring the preparation of programmes/projects budgets and finances; including the finalization of FACE forms;
• Review financial reports
• Prepare information for the audit of programmes and support the implementation of audit recommendations.

Prepare and administer Programme budgets in full compliance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems:

• Formulate the budget, control allotments, monitor expenditures, and prepare revisions according to the needs of the programme;
• Track the appropriate and timely use of financial resources; implement and maintain control mechanisms for the programme through monitoring budgets preparation and modifications and budgetary status;
• Collect, verify and present information and data for use in the planning of financial resources and the formulation of the programme work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities;
• Provide assistance in Annual Work Plan entry in the Results Management System (RMS) as required;
• Undertake corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers. Respond to RO/HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.

Provide administrative and logistical support to the formulation and management of the programme:

• Provide administrative support in the preparation of programme work plans, budgets, and proposals on programme implementation arrangements;
• Provide technical guidance to the CO and executing agencies on routine delivery and reporting of programme supported activities and finances;
• Undertake all logistical, administrative, and financial arrangements for organizing meetings, workshops, events and missions;
• Make travel arrangements for the Programme Team, including travel requisitions and claims;
• Prepare public information materials and briefing packets;
• Assemble briefing materials and prepare power-point and other presentations;
• Identify sources. gather and compile data and information for the preparation of documents, guidelines, speeches and position papers. 

Provide administrative support to Resource Mobilization:

• Compile and process information from donors, CO, and programme team, as inputs to various databases and documents;
• Prepare drafts for cost sharing agreements including conditions of contributions within resource mobilization efforts, adhering to standard agreements where possible. Follow up on contributions within the CO resource mobilization efforts;

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Provide administrative support synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices related to programme management and finance;
• Collect and compile lessons learned and best practices in financial management and services;
• Conduct training and/or helping organize training events and activities; as well as participate in trainings;
• Contribute to financial business operational practices and management innovations;
• Disseminate to clients and stakeholders as appropriate to build capacity and knowledge

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely and accurate support to events, workshops, and missions;
• Full compliance of administrative activities with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and procedures;
• Timely recording of the WPS Programme finances;
• Timely and accurate tracking of data for CO management and donor purposes;
• Quality maintenance of internal systems.

Required Skills and Experience
Education and certification:

• Completion of Secondary Education required;
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Public Administration is an asset

Experience:

• At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in administration or programme management/support; 
• Experience in working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages;
• Experience in the use of ATLAS is an asset;
• Experience in supporting programme teams

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

Competencies
Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example.

Functional Competencies:

• Good knowledge of programme management;
• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions;
• Ability to create, edit and present information in clear and presentable formats;
• Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence and reports information and workflow;
• Strong financial and budgeting skills;
• Strong IT skills.