The Local Fund Agent (LFA) is a crucial part of the Global Fund's system of oversight and risk management. Its principal role is to provide informed and independent professional advice about the capacity of Principal Recipients (PR) to manage the implementation of activities funded under grants (including a PR’s capacity to oversee implementation of activities by Sub-recipients), to make recommendations concerning periodic disbursement of grant funds, to reviewg rant performance when a grant is being considered for renewal, and to provide the Global Fund Secretariat on an ongoing basis with relevant information on issues or risks which might affect grant performance.
The LFA is expected to have an up-to-date and comprehensive understanding of the diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria), how they are prevented, transmitted and treated and their impact on the country. The LFA assesses the PR’s institutional and health/programmatic capacities and arrangements to ensure adequate health expertise (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and/or malaria) in the implementation of the Global Fund grants. The LFA also determines whether the PR has adequate infrastructure and information systems to support grant implementation, including the monitoring of performance of Sub-recipients and outsourced entities in a timely and accountable manner.
Under the direct supervision of the UNOPS LFA Team Leader, the Financial Management & Systems Specialist will be based in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and is responsible for the financial coordination of the Tajikistan LFA Team and for helping ensure that all LFA work is of high quality and completed within the timeframe set by the GFATM.
1.
Purpose
and Scope of Assignment
Under
the overall supervision of LFA Team Leader (TL), the incumbent is required to
perform the function of financial management specialist for the UNOPS LFA
activities in Tajikistan by carrying out the following activities:
• Review Disbursement
Request/Financial Progress Updates and complete the LFA Progress Review and
Recommendation for Ongoing Disbursement forms;
• Timely and relevant review and
comments to the Global Fund on the PR’s completed Enhanced Financial Reporting
format;
• Review various documents submitted
by Principal Recipient and provide independent opinion/analysis of financial
adequacy for GFATM grants including budgets, their revisions, Concept Notes,
etc;
• Follow data verification
procedures and formats, conduct field visits and using the format given by
GFATM, provide independent opinion and analysis on the financial management by
the PR;
• To conduct any other analysis
requested by the LFA Team Leader from time to time;
• Identify financial weaknesses and
make recommendations with timeframes for necessary follow up by the PR;
• Discuss with the Country Team
Leader any other institutional and financial aspects to be reviewed and take
action;
• Prepare mission reports on the
format required by Global Fund and submit it to the Country TL;
• Mission travel may be required to
support LFA team as and when needed;
• Other activities as per The LFA
Manual and/or as assigned;
• Attend field visits with/ without
the finance team members and debrief the SRs/SSRs on the filed visit outcomes.
• Suggest remedial measures on the
potential weaknesses of the SR Management in the optimum utilization of GFATM
grant money and safeguarding the GF grants against any fraud;
• Red-flagging for the Global Fund
of any potential risk of misuse of the GFATM Grants.
•
Perform other related duties as
required. The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies,
administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management
System and that of UNOPS.
Impact of Results:
•
Reports submitted by the LFA will comply with the deadlines and timescales
agreed upon;
•
Ad hoc queries by GFATM are promptly responded to;
•
LFA clearly demonstrates an understanding of the terms of reference for each
activity and GFATM requirements;
• Appropriate
reporting template and tools are used by LFA;
•
Analysis of data presented in LFA reports is of high quality;
•
The conclusions reached in LFA reports are supported by accurate evidence
gathered;
•
LFA is pro-active in identifying and flagging to the GFATM Fund Portfolio
Manager any major risks to effective management of program implementation and
funds;
•
LFA provides innovative analysis, information, advice, and suggestions for
enhancing the quality of GFATM decisions, work processes, templates, tools etc.