Grant Support Management Specialist (Retainer, multiple positions), Multiple positions

Grant Support is defined in UNOPS policies as “a UNOPS project activity, which is outside the framework of procurement activities, and is undertaken by way of grants, credits or loans carried out through an implementing partner." UNOPS financial management services include managing grants/funding (including selecting implementing partners, monitoring and exercising due diligence), managing pooled funds and providing advice and oversight. UNOPS plays different roles in financial management services provision including executing small and large grant support programmes, selecting grantees through a range of various methodologies, disbursing and monitoring grants/funding in a variety of contexts, including peace and security, and ensuring funds are spent in a transparent and efficient manner, in line with partners' objectives; as well as building UNOPS implementing partners' capacity towards efficient and responsible use of grant funding. This retainer position will focus on strengthening the implementation of UNOPS grant support and implementing partner requirements. 

This retainer position falls under the UNOPS CRP, and the Standards team will be responsible for the technical onboarding and supervision of the Grant Support Management Advisors (Retainer). All corporate retainers are invited to participate to a one-hour induction session (or two 30 minutes sessions) where they are guided through the UNOPS retainer management tool, the retainer contract modality and their expertise area in the UNOPS context.

The functions/responsibilities/key results of this job description are generic and may not always be applicable, nor be comprehensive, for all missions under this job title. The specific tasks and deliverables for each retainer assignment may vary and will be detailed in the terms of reference developed for each assignment by the requesting office/unit, while the Standards team will exercise an oversight function. Under this contract type, the assignments will vary in scope and duration - ranging from short term assignments of a few hours at a time to longer blocks of time (e.g. several weeks or months full time, and up to a year). Work may also vary with regards to the time zone / location. Whilst most assignments can be delivered working from home, some may require presence in HQ and/or international travel on occasion, including to remote or post-conflict environments. Whilst the successful incumbent can be based in different time-zones, s/he should be able and willing to ensure a degree of time overlap with the teams ordering the retainer’s services. 

While the contract modality for this Vacancy Announcement is an ICA retainer contract on project or assignment basis, UNOPS may offer on a need basis a full-time employment for a specified consecutive period of time (up to one year maximum) - with the possibility to go back and forth between the two contract modalities, pending acceptance of the incumbent of the assignments proposed to him/her.

All retainer assignments will be managed via the UNOPS online retainer management tool managed by Portfolio Support (PS), including the request for the retainer’s services and the provision of feedback for each assignment.

The Grant Support Management Specialist (Retainer) specific tasks will include, though not limited to, the following:

Grants Support Policy and Guidance

• Provide technical support in the revision and/or development of grant support policy, process requirements, tools, templates and guidance content. 

• Support the analysis of results, risks and needs for corporate controls and oversight in the area of grant support management and fund management, particularly in fragile states and/or humanitarian contexts.

• Provide technical support to UNOPS Offices to implement and document UNOPS Capacity Assessment of Implementing Partners Requirements, including implementation of the Implementing Partner Protocol on Protection of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

• Conduct local context analysis/situational analysis for grant support activities,  develop proposals and the project initiation document. 

• Develop standard operating procedures, calls for proposals, results frameworks, capacity building plans for implementing partners and other grant support related documents, materials, tools and templates.   

• Act as a member of proposal evaluation/review committees, and/or conduct capacity assessments. 

• Conduct quality assurance of grant support documents, reports and data.  

• Provide technical advice on the routine monitoring of implementing partners, develop monitoring tools and systems, review implementing partner progress reports including the narrative reports, monitoring and evaluation reports etc.

Grant Support and Implementing Partner Capacity Building

• Develop content for online and in-person corporate training activities in grant support and implementing partner management.

• Mentor UNOPS Offices to document and analyse compliance with grants support policy requirements and review the documentation of exceptions prior to submission to HQ. With UNOPS offices, develop an action plan to address gaps in compliance.

• At the request of UNOPS Offices, and dependent upon budget availability, train UNOPS personnel and/or implementing partners on UNOPS grant support policies and procedures at country and local levels.  

• Provide technical assistance and mentor UNOPS personnel in developing results’ frameworks and indicator guidelines, results-based management approaches, data quality assurance and managing mid-term and final evaluations. 

Communications and Knowledge Management  

• In consultation with respective business units, support in documenting business processes and systems requirements for digital solutions to grants management. Develop tools that align with UNOPS requirements, UNOPS grants management system and enterprise resource planning (ERP). 

• Support UNOPS grants support projects and programmes in organising documentation for evaluations and audits. 

• In collaboration with respective colleagues, provide inputs in documenting  UNOPS emerging/promising and good practices in grants support and implementing partner management.  

• Collaborate with communications colleagues to produce grants support and implementing partner profiles, stories and social media content. 

• Provide inputs to develop grants support documents, materials, tools and templates that are accessible to persons with disabilities. 

• Contribute in developing internal communications products on grants support and implementing partner management.

• Support as requested with other knowledge management initiatives across the organisation related to grants support.

Education

• An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Science, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Accounting, Project Management, Community Management, Communications or in any relevant area is required.

• A university degree (Bachelor's degree level) with a combination of 2 years of relevant professional experience in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Science, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Accounting, Project Management, Community Management, Communications may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

Required Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in grant support management is required. The experience must include: 
  - Experience in report writing or policy/process/template/manual content development is required
  - Experience in stakeholder capacity assessment and capacity building is required
  - Experience in training and developing training resources is required. 

Desired Experience:

• Previous work experience applied to grants with the UN system, international NGOs or International Donors is desirable.

• Knowledge and understanding of UNOPS Rules and regulations is an asset.

• Knowledge of business processes and systems design is strongly preferred. 

• Advisory or consultancy experience is an asset.

• Experience in multi-donor or multi-agency grants and projects is an asset.

• Experience working with civil society and community based organisations is an asset. 

• Experience working in fragile states and/or humanitarian contexts is strongly preferred. 

Languages

• Fluency and proficiency in English is required. 

• Proficiency in another UN language, such as French or Spanish is highly desirable.
  
  

Other

• Please attach a cover letter highlighting the experience, knowledge and qualifications relevant for the position.

Additional information (general)

• Qualified female candidates and candidates from the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply.

• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.

• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types.

• This is a home-based retainer contract. The functions/responsibilities/key results of this job description are generic and may not always be applicable, nor be comprehensive, for all missions/assignments under this job title. The specific tasks and deliverables for each retainer assignment may vary and will be detailed in the terms of reference developed for each assignment by the requesting office/unit. 

• Under this contract type, the assignments will vary in scope and duration - ranging from short term assignments of a few hours at a time to longer blocks of time (e.g. several weeks or months full time, and up to a year).

• Work may also vary with regards to the time zone / location. Whilst most assignments can be delivered working from home, some may require presence in Copenhagen and/or international travel on occasion.

• Whilst the successful incumbent can be based in different time-zones, s/he should be able and willing to ensure a degree of time overlap with the team based in our HQ in Copenhagen.

• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

• All retainer assignments will be handled via the UNOPS online retainer management tool, including the request for the retainer’s services and the provision of feedback for each assignment. 

Additional information (contract modality)

More information on retainer contracts:

• A retainer ICA does not accord any exclusivity to the Individual Contractor with respect to the Services listed in the job description. UNOPS shall have no limitation on its right to obtain Services of the same kind from any other source at any time.

• A retainer Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) is issued for a period of time during which the services of the individual contractor may be required intermittently.

• A retainer ICA will specify a unit price (e.g. amount per day actually worked). For budgetary purposes, a monetary limit will be specified at the time the ICA is awarded and issued.

• UNOPS shall have no obligation to obtain any minimum quantity of Services from the Individual Contractor during the duration of the retainer ICA.

• Payment will be made only after completion of work (if any) or reaching agreed milestones.

• UNOPS Individual Contractors must comply with the standards of conduct required of a UN civil servant, when carrying out their official UNOPS responsibilities and also all other times. This includes the standards of conduct set forth in the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin of 9 October 2003 entitled “Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse” (ST/SGB/2003/13) and the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin of 18 June 2002 entitled "Regulations Governing the Status, Basic Rights and Duties of Officials other than Secretariat Officials, and Experts on Mission" (ST/SGB/2002/9) as they may be amended from time to time.

• UNOPS Individual Contractors must comply with all applicable UNOPS policies and instructions. This includes the obligation to declare any outside activity that could result in an actual or perceived conflict with the interests of the UN; as well as to refrain from using information gained through the UNOPS Individual Contractor Agreement contract for the Individual Contractor’s own purposes or to help a third party (unless the information is already in the public domain), in particular but not only in relation to procurement of works, goods and services.

• UNOPS Individual Contractors must abide by UN safety and security policies, instructions, directives, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

• The standard terms and conditions of the UNOPS ICA as of the present date can be found at https://content.unops.org/HR-Documents/ICA_contract/Annex-A-ENGLISH.pdf

• Given the nature of this position, particular attention should be given to section 11 on Confidentiality.