Budget and Programming Consultant at World Food Programme (WFP)

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

• WFP Ghana seeks to recruit a Budget and Programming officer to lead budget and resource analysis; funds programming activities; provide technical support to country office activity managers and other functional units; and partner with senior management to apply best practices that support the efficient, effective; compliant and timely utilization of funds. The job holder will be managing a very small team and is expected to independently carryout the necessary tasks and assignments, using technical knowledge and experience to analyze data, prepare reports, provide advice and solutions to problems, and identify opportunities for improvements.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify opportunities to develop and implement policies and procedures for budget and programming activities, with the aim of achieving objectives in compliance with WFP and functional strategies.
• Advise on budgetary adjustments for optimal resource utilization, coordinating inputs from various units and providing regular feedback to main stakeholders.
• Proactively support the preparation and review of various budgets for accuracy, appropriateness, cost containment/effectiveness and completeness, monitoring ongoing performance against operational budget.
• Review and clear submitted funding proposals, making recommendations, when necessary, in close collaboration with partnership officer, and or the Activity/SO managers.
• Coordinate CSP closure activities following up on outstanding actions with stakeholders enabling the timely receipt and start of potential resource transfers.

Pipeline Management

• Supervise the matching of commodity pipeline requirements with sourcing options including Advance Financing requests in collaboration with stakeholders at the operational level to ensure timely shortfall coverage and efficient utilization of contributions.
• Prepare monthly pipeline report and develop standards around pipeline clearance, discuss resource availability and allocations, and where appropriate make recommendations to manage severe shortfalls and enable decision making at the country office.
• Convene and moderate the monthly, cross-functional, pipeline working group, that proactively discusses resource availability and upcoming shortfalls, while recommending timely mitigation measures.
• Participate in meetings with internal and external stakeholders to discuss the utilization of incoming contributions, as well as support the process of developing funding proposals.

Funds, Performance Management, and Reporting

• Collate inputs for the Country Office Resource Management Committee (RMC) which reviews and prioritizes resources against the Country Portfolio Budget (CPB) implementation plans, as per agreed timelines.
• Advise COs and spending units on complex programming requests and the utilization of funds (appropriateness, timeliness, accuracy, etc.) while proactively engaging fund managers and/or activity managers to implement recommendations and possible corrective actions that enable reporting against original budgets and approved funding proposals.
• Support or coordinate the preparation of interim, progress and final reports as stipulated in various contribution agreements between WFP and specific donors, particularly for those locally negotiated contributions in close collaboration with country office counterparts as required.
• Monitor ongoing performance against budget for WFP operations, including Global Commodity Management Facility or corridor management, through various financial analyses and provide sound advice on budgetary adjustments as necessary to budget owners for optimal resource utilisation and in adherence to available guidance and policies.

Leadership

• Develop and document internal business processes, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and training packages on resource management matters as well as onboarding new colleagues in the team.
• Supervise, guide a small team, coaching and providing/delivering training to build capacity and increase expected level of operational support, acting as point of referral and escalation point on more complex analysis and queries.
• Where needed, co-lead the activation/deactivation and management of Global Commodity Management Facility (GCMF) supply lines, participate in knowledge transfer activities in support of the facility and facilitate decision-making for the allocation of corporate stocks.

Others

• Coordinate data analysis efforts and innovatively develop reports, to meet varying requirements and enable informed decision-making, ensuring consistency of information presented to senior management and external stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to develop and improve systems, techniques, tools, processes and procedures to better monitor, manage and report on WFP budgets and resources.
• Represent the unit at internal meetings/committees/working groups as required, to obtain and provide information from a budget and resource programming perspective.
• Contribute to standard emergency preparedness practices, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitoring the management of financial risks.
• Perform other relevant duties as required.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

 Education:

• Advanced university degree in Business Administration, Statistics, Finance, Economics or another relevant field. Additional professional trainings in project management, statistical analysis and/or operational planning and management is desirable OR  First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses 

Experience: 

• A minimum of five (5) years of professional work experience in resource management, project planning, monitoring, and reporting from an emergency, development, or humanitarian field for holders of an advanced degree. For holders of a first university degree more years of relevant professional work experience in the same field are required.

Languages:   Fluency in English (Level C – reading, writing & speaking). Intermediate knowledge of a second official UN language is desirable.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Adequate experience in working across functions to address identified resource management issues and gaps and influence Country/Regional Directors to make required decisions.
• Proven ability to proactively approach problem solving and generate ideas for optimal team outcomes amidst operational challenges and resource constraints.
• Have managed small to medium-sized operations with moderate complexity, in overseeing project performance against available resources, ensuring adherence to available policies and procedures.
• Have adequate experience in working across functions to address identified resource management issues and gaps and influence Country/Regional Directors to make required decisions.
• Have developed and managed small-sized teams successfully.
• Demonstrated thorough understanding of operational planning and business processes, rules and procedures, and apply them consistently in the implementation and support of programme interventions.
• In-depth knowledge of a programmes’ operational requirements and how those translate into resource management requirements, enabling the proposition of recommendations for improvement in a proactive rather than reactive manner.
• Exhibit specialized knowledge in improving business planning processes and promoting Value-for- Money principles in accordance with WFP policies and strategic mission, as well as national priorities.
• Ability to lead teams in proactively providing resource management solutions that enhance the deliverance of value for money to beneficiaries, aligning staff practices with mission critical priorities, as appropriate
• Ability to consolidate and share resource management information in a way that emphasizes accuracy and consistency in numbers across teams, making relevant conclusions and recommendations to drive management.