The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations organization tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. Headquartered in New York City, it is the largest UN development aid agency, with offices in 170 countries.

Organizational Context

This position is located within the Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU) for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ethiopia. The HFU currently oversees and manages the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The post is based in Addis Ababa, with constant travel to project locations in all regions.
Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Head of HFU, the National Humanitarian Program Officer provides substantial support and oversight to the overall project cycle management, administration, and execution of varied and inter-related operational activities. In this role, the incumbent will ensure high quality, accuracy and accountability of the work performed. The National Humanitarian Program Officer promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach. The National Humanitarian Program Officer will also work in close collaboration with colleagues in various units and sub-offices of OCHA Ethiopia, as well as in other UN agencies staff to exchange information and ensure consistent and quality service delivery.

Summary of Key Functions:

Under the overall supervision of the OCHA Head of the Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU), the National Humanitarian Program Officer is expected to perform the following tasks:

• Ensure effective humanitarian programming cycle support to EHF partners, focusing on the achievement of the following results:
• Provide substantial assistance throughout the humanitarian programming cycle and support to implementing partners in the management of grants under the EHF, including tracking project progress reporting, conducting project revisions and monitoring.
• Conduct programmatic spot-check of projects to monitor implementation of EHF-funded projects, ensuring that implementation is in line with the project proposal and the grant agreement.
• Lead the review of the project proposals submitted to the EHF and give guidance to implementing partners on the Grant Management System (GMS).
• Prepare periodic monitoring plan; undertake field monitoring visits to EHF project sites; and brief partners on key monitoring findings and the actions points.
• Prepare the monitoring reports and ensure findings and results of monitoring visits are shared with appropriate stakeholders and partners in a timely manner; upload the report and recommendations/follow up action points on the appropriate GMS monitoring module.
• Set the reporting requirements of individual projects based on the EHF operational modalities and identify and set appropriate reporting timelines on GMS.
• Ensure creation and maintenance of strategic partnerships with humanitarian partners, focusing on achievement of the following results:
• Support the establishment of new and strategic partnerships with humanitarian partners, to plan and implement effective programming.
• Participate in the review of documents submitted under the eligibility process by organizations and drafting reports on the partner’s capacity, following up with the partner on additional documents or information required and responding to queries as necessary.
• Attend cluster and other humanitarian coordination fora as required to support awareness-raising and training on the EHF’s goals and objectives, grant management and eligibility procedures, monitoring and reporting, and Grants Management System (GMS).
• Conduct regular follow up with partners to ensure timely submission of narrative reports pertaining to EHF-funded projects and provides clear and consistent feedback to partners on implementation and progress.
  Ensure effective coordination support to the relevant stakeholders, focusing on achievements of the following results:
• Support the HFU with the review and revision process of project proposals through consultation with cluster leads and other technical partners and advise partners on recommended revisions, and if needed, assist partners in revision drafting.
• Lead on the collection of information and preparation of information products on the HFU such as dashboards, newsletters and/or interim and annual reports by preparing and analysing available project data as required.
• Support organization of the trainings / workshops / technical review and Advisory Board meetings by ensuring operational excellence in all HFU related events, including drafting minutes.
• Organize and lead the capacity building efforts for national NGOs, including organizing relevant trainings and information sessions.
• Provide support to the Fund Manager in the preparations of the Advisory Board meetings by ensuring operational excellence in all HFU related events, including drafting minutes.
• Support to the HFU and other team members on urgent tasks, as determined by the supervisor.
• Assist OCHA Ethiopia HFU in identifying significant humanitarian issues and developing suggestions and approaches to problem solving and help meet organizational objectives and provide sound analytical inputs and support to the coordination of humanitarian action.

Impact of Results

• The Office has determined that the function is essential to contribute towards expanding partnerships of the EHF. Capacity Assessment of partners for funding eligibility is a key requirement. The complex emergency situation – unprecedented inter-communal conflicts and displacement emergencies coupled with recurrent and severe drought in Ethiopia significantly increased the EHF pot, with new donors contributing to the Fund. This further increased the project management requirement of the Fund, including due diligence processes and project delivery quality. Additionally, CERF is increasingly investing in the response effort, which is the assigned task of the Unit.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates commitment to UNOCHA’s mission, vision, values.
• Displays cultural, gender, religious, racial and nationality sensitivity, and adaptability.

Functional competencies:

• Analytical and Conceptual Thinking
• Communication and networking
• Teamwork
•  Planning, organizing, and Monitoring work

Job Requirement

Education: Advanced University degree or bachelor’s degree in the area of social science or a related field are required

Experience:

• Two years of relevant experience at the national or international level in humanitarian affairs, emergency relief management or development work with advanced degree and four years with a bachelor’s degree.
• Proficiency in the use of web-based grants management system is desirable
• Experience working with humanitarian financing is highly desirable
• Experience project design, management, implementation or monitoring and evaluation is desirable
• Experience with the United Nations is preferable
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Proven experience in report writing;
• Knowledge and/or experience in Humanitarian Program Cycle (HPC) programming and cluster experience is desirable
• Excellent computer literacy and skills (word, excel, lotus notes, outlook, databases and internet);
• Availability for travel in-country;
• Ability to work with moderate supervision, with efficiency, competence, and integrity with people of different backgrounds

Language Requirements: Proficiency in written and oral English and language of the duty station is required

Duty Station:  Addis Ababa