Fiscal Decentralization and Performance-Based Grants Advisor, IPSA 12 -UNCDF - LTF at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Scope of Work

• The Fiscal Decentralization and Performance Based-Grants Advisor will have a major impact on the overall effectiveness and growth of UNCDF’s role as a hub for Sub-national finance to support local development finance in LDCs and other developing countries. The position will strengthen quality assurance and oversight of UNCDF programmes in this area. This is measured through achieving LTFP Business Plan objectives. These include the policy impact, leveraging of additional resources for local development, and the positive impact of the projects themselves. Success in engaging key actors, in strategic partnerships and in joint programming of local development and public finance projects will contribute to the development goals of partner countries. Results will also have a significant impact on resource mobilization for UNCDF and its capacity to expand coverage to other LDCs and provide advisory services to non-LDCs.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and policy advice in the area of fiscal decentralization and performance-based grants, including Public Financial Management, Local development finance – in particular in relation to local infrastructure & service provision and the development of productive capacity in Least Developed Countries
• Maintain close working relationships and high levels of trust and support with government stakeholders in UNCDF’s countries of operation based on UNCDF’s mandate and a client-based approach – led by country demand.
• Support to the development of national policies in the areas of local development finance, drawing on the latest research and ideas, lessons of policy pilots and substantive dialogue with key practitioners and major international institutions.
• Apply UNCDF’s local Transformative finance diagnostic tools, instruments and approaches to constructively inform and contribute to national strategies and policies, in a way that leverages UNCDF support to promote the interventions and finance of others.
• Contribute to high-level debates and consultation processes at regional and country level related to UNCDF’s programmes and UNCDF’s work in local transformative finance.
• Advise UNCDF in LDCs and non LDCs on issues of fiscal decentralization, Own Source Revenues (OSR) and local development finance.
• Provide technical guidance to UNCDF country teams on engagement with government, the UN Country Teams, and with other stakeholders in the area of fiscal decentralization, Public Financial Management (PFM), OSR and Asset Management.
• Provides global leadership in implementing LTFP business plan, tools, and intelligence, to build and maintain technical partnerships, capitalize on business opportunities, and enhance resource mobilization for local development finance and transformation
• Identify and follow up on investment opportunities that can be leveraged within LDCs and selected non-LDCs.
• Negotiate and implement agreements on provision of technical services at global, regional, and country level in relation to fiscal decentralization.
• Dialogue and outreach to key internal and external constituencies and partners, to increase visibility and awareness of UNCDF’s comparative advantages and strategic niches in fiscal decentralization including with DeLOG, LPSA, Malaga Policy Agenda (in particular IGFTs and OSR) and the Observatory.
• Provides technical oversight, and quality control for LTF programmes/projects – contributing to the achievement of, corporate and project objectives
• Provide technical support globally to a portfolio of programmes and projects that engage local governments (urban and rural) as partners of choice and build on the platform and reputation of UNCDF’s support to fiscal decentralization in LDCs. This includes piloting and testing improved mechanisms, instruments, and tools for fiscal transfers from central to local government institutions, improvements in local taxation and fees, asset management and PFM.
• Exercise oversight and accountability for the contributions to, and measurement of, LTFP business plan output and outcome indicators.
• Provides technical leadership in policy development and knowledge management in the areas of fiscal decentralization, performance-based grants, local development finance and associated thematic areas
• Technical leadership in identifying, documenting, and incorporating lessons learned from UNCDF and LDC experience with the objective of contributing to scaling up, policy influence and mainstreaming of the models developed.
• Inputs to global, regional, and national level publications, seminars, and conferences to highlight UNCDF support to fiscal decentralization and local development.
• Production and contribution to papers and other documentation of evidence and results of UNCDF interventions.
• Collaboration with key partners and local development practitioners globally for research and development of innovative strategies and approaches to build the reputation of UNCDF as a UN hub for sub national finance and sharpen delivery of local development projects in order to better achieve UNCDF Strategic Plan objectives and LDC’s SDG goals.
• Develops and contributes to knowledge-sharing networks on local development initiatives globally including with DeLOG, LPSA, and the observatory.
• provides technical support and advice to the LTFP director and to UNCDF senior management on UNCDF corporate initiatives and activities related to fiscal decentralization and performance-based grants.

About
This includes leadership in the active acquisition and sharing of business-sensitive knowledge in Fiscal decentralization and performance-based grants. This is about supporting the leadership of the LTFP and UNCDF senior management with technical and other contributions on fiscal decentralization. The functions include:

• Technical support from global, regional and national perspectives to the development of substantive inputs into the LTFP Business Plan and its implementation.
• Active participation in retreats, LTFP Practice meetings and teleconferences.
• Advice to the LTFP Director and providing inputs into corporate presentations and reports.
• Exploration of synergies with the other UNCDF practices.
• Preparation of substantive inputs into the Results-Oriented Annual Report.
• Provides technical support and advice to the local facility on the roll out of the ISO 14093 as a standard for supporting climate change adaptation at the local level.
• Ensure alignment with international agreements and frameworks.
• Contribute to increasing national government and donor confidence in LoCAL mechanism and channeling resources to the local level through IGFT.
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• Under the guidance and supervision of the Director, LTFP, based in New York, the Fiscal Decentralization and Performance Based Grants Advisor will provide technical advice and guidance to UNCDF programmes managed by the LTF team while ensuring cross practice collaboration within UNCDF. He/she will backstop, monitor, and advise on various initiatives on Fiscal decentralization (including performance-based grants, own source revenue), Public Financial Management and the LoCAL ISO 14093. She/he will maintain strong linkages across the various financing instruments and co-ordinate UNCDF’s policy engagement on fiscal decentralization and local government finance including at international fora including DeLOG, Malaga Policy Agenda (IGFTs and OSR) and the Observatory.

This position is mainly office-based with flexibility for alternative work arrangements as per the corporate requirements.
Competencies
Core

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 4: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

• Thematic Area Name Definition

Business Direction & Strategy - Strategic Thinking

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNCDF objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions;
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNCDF.

Business Direction & Strategy - System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Development - Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

Business Management - Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.

Business Management - Project Management
Ability to plan, organize, prioritise and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
Partnership management - Relationship management

• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.

2030 Agenda: Partnerships - SDG Finance

• Responsive investment and impact measurement.

Education Requirements
Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Economics, Business Administration, Public Finance, Public Administration, Law or related field is required. or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum Years Of Relevant Work Experience

• Minimum of 10 years (with master’s degree) or 12 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant, practical working experience in the field of fiscal decentralization, OSR, PFM, Asset management and local development finance, preferably in least developed countries (LDCs) both at field level as well as at senior management positions and across more than one country.

Required Skills

• Proven experience in the Performance Base Grant Management system for intergovernmental transfers.
• Proven experience and deep technical knowledge of local development planning and capital investment programming in urban or rural areas
• Experience with similar assignments in LDCs and developing countries.
• Proven resource mobilization experience and record of success in building partnerships, negotiating financing, reporting and managing grants from development partners.
• Results based management experience including monitoring, evaluation and incorporating lessons learned.
• Experience in strong financial analysis and business project appraisal

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Demonstrated experience of familiarity with UNCDF/UNDP rules and procedures
• Experience in developing project documents and start-up of new projects.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Another UN official language is an asset.