Under the direct supervision of the Programme Management Office Advisor the Programme Management Senior Officer is responsible for managing assigned grants.
Grant management
Prepare grant awards requests, draft grant agreements and subsequent amendments, using the approved templates ensuring that all agreements and amendments are constructed and issued in line with UNOPS legal and financial rules and regulations;
Review grant budgets, and financial reports against approved budgets, to provide critical feedback to the implementing partners, programme unit, and supervisor;
Monitor budgets in grant proposals and verify their consistency with prevailing market rate; assist in discussion/negotiation of costs/fees as required;
Verify reporting requirements are adhered to and liaise closely with the Program andM&E teams and the supervisor on any delays or other difficulties;
Review payment requests and ensure payments are processed based upon the grant agreement. agreed payment schedules, and fund availability;
Support the Finance Officer in budgeting and forecasting of grant related expenditures; ensure variances are communicated at an early stage;
Communicate with and provide guidance/advice to implementing partners on grant-related and financial matters, in collaboration with the relevant Program unit and the Finance team
Resolve operational and process issues related to grant management, and refer complex issues to the supervisor with recommendations for courses of action;
Coordinate the process of operational and financial closure of grants and projects;
Contributing to the coordination and follow up on the audits of Implementing Partners;
Highlight risks and delays to the supervisor and team as appropriate
2. Capacity assessment and Capacity building
Contribute to the review and update of the financial and operational capacity assessment approach of the Funds, incorporating best practices and assessment tools.
Conduct financial and operational capacity assessments of the IPs, and manage follow-up actions identified in the assessment reports.
Organize and support IP capacity development and training in financial and organisational management. Conduct periodic financial monitoring visits and follow up of action plan.
Provide day-to-day help and guidance to the IPs and coordinate with the Program Unit to ensure IP understanding of, and compliance with operational guidelines, terms and conditions of the grant agreement, and UNOPS requirements.
Actively liaising with other grants teams to align to the extent possible IP capacity development efforts as well as streamlining and harmonizing of practices and tools within UNOPS.
Actively compiling lessons learned and best practices, and sharing knowledge and best practices within the Fund and with IPs, on financial and organizational management.
Provide guidance to and share knowledge with the other members of the Grants and
Contracts team to improve the overall team’s coherence and competency
Contribute to the implementation and success of the PMO Center for Fund Management
3. Documentation
Monitor information related to contractual arrangements – on audits, inventories, utilization and all such elements in the contracts and grants
Ensure that all records are collected and maintained, both hard copies and electronic copies for easy reference and retrieval
Maintain a database/archive of all grant related information and documentation of all the implementing partners.
Keep the supervisor updated on progress and issues, and prepare timely briefing materials and reports as requested.
Other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor
4. Monitoring and Progress Controls
Efficient, timely execution and follow-up of tasks as per the scope of responsibilities detailed above;
Proactive and professional interaction with colleagues at UNOPS to exchange information and feedback on requests in an effective and efficient manner;
Demonstration of UNOPS competencies and behaviors at the expected level when interacting with IPs, stakeholders, and colleagues UNOPS.
