Planning Unit Programme Assistant, Brasília, Brazil

Background & Rationale

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

Since 1950, UNICEF has supported the most important transformation for children and adolescents in Brazil. Currently, UNICEF Brazil is implementing its 2017-2021 Country Programme, which concentrates efforts towards boys and girls most excluded, vulnerable and exposed to extreme forms of violence, mainly in the Amazon and Semiarid regions and the peripheral areas of large cities, through the Municipal Seal of Approval and Platform of Urban Centers initiatives.

Considering the organizational context above, the Planning Programme Assistant will be responsible for providing support on budget monitoring, partnership management, knowledge management and programme planning activities, working in close connection with the different Programme sections of UNICEF Brazil country office. The incumbent shall also support in administrative management in matters related to Programme planning of the Programme Section and daily activities of the Deputy Representative/Planning Unit.

 

Purpose

Under the supervision of the Planning Officer and in close coordination and guidance of the Deputy Representative, the Planning Programme Assistant is responsible for providing support to the Planning Unit by carrying out a range of procedural, administrative, and operational tasks, focused on:

• Budget Monitoring for optimum use of Programme funds,
• Partnership Management through the development, management and update of tools to support quality assurance and oversight in the design, implementation and monitoring of partnership agreements,
• Knowledge Management, including support to the Programme Management Team (PMT) in maintain regular information flows vis-a-vis programme implementation, fund management and other key performance indicators, supporting coherence and intersectoral coordination between areas and zone offices
• Programme planning by supporting office workflows for the coordination of programme planning, including annual work planning and Country Programme (CPD) development.
• Administrative assistance, by supporting the office in the design and implementation of programme planning exercises for the development of the new Country Programme Document (CPD) and daily work of the Planning Unit.

 

Expected results: (measurable results)

All deliverables to be performed along the contract period as requested by supervisor, within agreed deadline

Services of this contract will be delivered continuously, with the same frequency throughout the months as follows:

Result 1: Support to Budget monitoring activities

Deliverables

• Regular monitoring financial allocation, implementation, compliance and reporting of Programme related funds, including budget monitoring and financial expenditures, providing regular reports to ensure that funds are properly utilized, monitored and liquidated
• Gathers and consolidates funding and income forecast information from the different Programme areas and Territories through Funding Forecast Tool and HVP (High Value Partnership Committee) table;
• Supports the Planning Unit on the monitoring of donor reports and grant’ extensions, including actual upload in VISION and Donor Reporting Portal;
• Supports the development of tools and mechanisms to improve the office’s capacity to regularly monitor the implementation of funds against programme results.

Duration: 06 months

Deadline: at the end of every 1-month cycle;

Payment (% of the contract): 20%

 

Result 2: Support to partnership Management of Cooperation Agreements

Deliverables

• Supports the development of adequate tools and mechanisms to ensure effective monitoring of partnerships with CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) and Government counterparts to support the achievement of results for children and safeguard UNICEF resources in line with HACT requirements;
• Support the Planning Unit on HACT (Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers) implementation including following up HACT assurance plan, cash transfer to implementing partners – including aging of Direct Cash Transfers and partner’s risk; to guarantee optimal partnership management and maintaining excellent performance indicators in the different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Platforms available in UNICEF (eg. VISION, INSIGHT);
• Supports the functioning of the Partnership Review Committee (PRC) by following-up processes as per the Committee’s Terms of Reference, including revision of documentation coherence, technical support for the development of mandatory documents and development of Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCA) and Small-Scale Funding Agreements (SSFA) workflows up to agreement’s approval;
• Manages up to date documentation related to UNICEF’s internal guidance and procedures related to Partnership Management and, PCA/PD (Programme Coooperation Agreements/ Programme Documents) and SSFA (Small-Scale Funding Agreement) signed documentation up to agreement’s approval and PRC review in e-tools and Planning Sharepoint.
• Supports implementation of e-tools modules in Brazil, including following up e-tools Task team decisions, preparation of minutes and elaboration of guiding documents and sharing and providing guidance to Programme teams guaranteeing alignment with UNICEF rules and regulations and Partnership Review Committee (PRC) Terms of Reference.

Duration: 06 months

Deadline: at the end of every 1-month cycle;

Payment (% of the contract): 20%

 

Result 3: Support to Programme Planning activities, including Annual Work planning and coordination

Deliverables

• Supports the Planning Unit on providing advice to the Programme Section on the interpretation and application of administrative policies, procedures and regulations related to Programme planning, implementation and monitoring;
• Support the development of knowledge management tools to improve information sharing among the programme team using relevant corporate platforms, including Sharepoint;
• Support the Planning Unit on the design, implementation and reporting of annual-sector review exercises such as: MYR-Mid-year review and AYR – Annual Year Review to support the preparation of quality annual programme reports (COAR – Country Office Annual Reports);
• Collect and share data and reports available on ERP Plataform (VISION, Sharepoint and INSIGHT) to support the knowledge and management function of the office, including presentation of regular inputs to CMT – Country Management Team, PMT – Programme Management Team and other relevant committees;
• Gathers and shares information as needed in support of improving the processes and daily operations of the section.
• Supports information exchange on programme related matters between Brasilia and zonal offices and territories to improve programme coherence, quality implementation and integrated programme strategies.

Duration: 06 months

Deadline: at the end of every 1-month cycle;

Payment (% of the contract): 20%

 

Result 4: Support to knowledge management, including monitoring and reporting

Deliverables

• Provides support in making the necessary logistical arrangements for internal meetings and develop minutes, when necessary (including PMT – Programme Management team Meetings);
• Maintaining hard and electronic files and update data base systems ensuring timely and appropriate recording, safekeeping and disposal of confidential information.
• Carrying out transactions in VISION related to the Planning Unit, including, collecting invoices, requesting creation of VENDORs and the conduction of low-value procurement processes;
• Supporting capacity development activities, meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences by making the logistical arrangements, through engaging with facilitators, caterers and hosts; arranging times through liaising with participants over availability; liaising with budget focal points and section over costs and needs; and preparing background materials for participants.
• Prepares briefing materials for Deputy Representative and Planning Officer use on special meetings and official trips;
• Prepare informal translation from and into Portuguese and English;

Duration: 06 months

Deadline: at the end of every 1-month cycle;

Payment (% of the contract): 20%

 

Result 5: Support in administrative management

Deliverables

• Prepares and maintains records, documents and control plans for the monitoring of annual work planning, including UNICEF’s regulation and procedures.
• Support the Planning Unit in the design and implementation of programme planning exercises for the development of the new Country Programme Document (CPD), more specifically on elaborating minutes, sharing relevant material and guidance and filing documents in a central location for easy access of other Programme sections.

Duration: 06 months

Deadline: at the end of every 1-month cycle;

Payment (% of the contract): 20%

 

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Punctuality in meeting deadlines;
• Quality of the contents, tools and documents elaborated
• Quality of analysis of documentation submitted to PRC;
• Timely provision of the deliverables;

 

Key competences, technical background, and experience required Deadline

Education

• Completion of Secondary education is required, in the fields of Administration, Accounting disciplines, or other Social science related fields;
• PMI (Programme Management Institute) certification for Project Management professionals will be considered an relevant asset, including candidates with ongoing certification.

Experience

• A minimum of 04-05 year of progressively work experience in administrative work;
• A minimum of 01 year of progressively on Project Management
• Knowledge on SAP systems and other PMIrelated tools will be considered an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Portuguese and English is required. Knowledge of Spanish is considered as an asset.

Skills

• Strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• Capacity to work in a high paced environment and to deliver quality and timely results.
• High sense of confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Training and experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other related software
• Experience on using Project Management tools will be considered an asset

 

General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics

• UNICEF will provide the individual contractor all required core equipment and material for fulfilling his duty, including computer
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant or individual Contractor
• No international consultant may travel without a signed travel authorization prior to the commencement of the journey to the duty station.
• Consultants / ICs will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.

 

Financial Proposal

Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.

A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants and individual contractors are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

The payment will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Restrictions

In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government, or unless on leave without pay.

 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious and ethnic backgrounds, representing the diversity of Brazil, such as black and indigenous people, to apply to become a part of our organization. Candidates will be equally considered regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, social and HIV/aids status.