Finance & Budget Executive

Background Viet Nam is particularly vulnerable to climate change and already impacted by more irregular and intense climate variability and change. Two of the regions most vulnerable to climate risks affecting smallholder farmers are the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast. Changes in precipitation are leading to increasing deficits in surface and ground water availability for agricultural production with longer periods of severe water scarcity during the dry season and increased frequency and intensity of droughts. Overall agricultural productivity is falling, with corresponding declines in yields and incomes particularly harmful to small-scale farmers vulnerable to reduced water availability on rain fed lands and within this group, poor and near-poor, ethnic minority and women farmers. UNDP is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI, as the GCF National Designated Authority), and the five participating provinces of Dak Lak, Dak, Nong, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa to implement the project “Strengthening the resilience of smallholder agriculture to climate change-induced water insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions of Vietnam” (herein after referred to as “the Project”), financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The objective of this project is to empower vulnerable smallholders in five provinces of the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions of Vietnam – particularly women and ethnic minority farmers – to manage increasing climate risks to agricultural production. To achieve its objective, the project will enable smallholder farmers to adapt to climate-driven rainfall variability and drought through implementation of two linked Outputs integrating GCF and co-financing resources from the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Vietnam (GoV):

Improved access to water for vulnerable smallholder farmers for climate-resilient agricultural production in the face of climate-induced rainfall variability and droughts, and
Strengthened capacities of smallholder farmers to apply climate and market information, technologies, and practices for climate-resilient water and agricultural management.

The project was developed as part of an integrated programme funded through multiple sources, as envisaged by the GoV, that was aimed at enhancing water security and building the climate change resilience of the agriculture sector focusing on Vietnam’s Central Highland and South-Central Coastal Regions. In alignment with this programme, the project will enable the GoV to adopt a paradigm shift in the way smallholder agricultural development is envisioned and supported through an integrated approach to agricultural resilience starting with planning for climate risks based on identification and analysis of agroecosystem vulnerabilities; enhancing water security and guaranteeing access; scaling up adoption and application of climate-resilient agricultural practices and cropping systems; and creating partnerships among value chain stakeholders to ensure access to market and credit. This approach directly addresses climate risks while also establishing or strengthening institutional capacities for long-term multi-stakeholder support to vulnerable smallholders. Under the supervision of the Programme Management Specialist (PMS), the Finance and Budget Executive (FBE) is responsible for execution of all financial processes and services for effective management and implementation of the Project. The FBE promotes a client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the Project. The FBE works in close collaboration with human resource, finance, procurement, and operation staff in the UNDP Viet Nam Country Office, and Project Manager, accountants, procurement officers, other project staff in central Project Management Unit (CPMU), and provincial PMUs (PPMU). Duties and Responsibilities The Finance and Budget Executive has two functions:

Effective support and contribution to the planning, budgeting, financial management, procurement, and implementation of the Project, in accordance with UN/UNDP’s established rules and regulations and practices;
Contribution to the management and operation of the UNDP’s Climate Change and Environment programme in Viet Nam.

Performance of the FBE will be evaluated in accordance with the following indicators: 1. Effective support to planning, budgeting, financial management, procurement and implementation of the Project, aiming to achieve the following results (85%):

Support the Programme Management Specialist in charge of the “Strengthening the resilience of smallholder agriculture to climate change-induced water insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions of Vietnam” Project, in planning, management, and implementation of the Project;
Support the Government counterparts in setting up CPMU and PPMUs and support CPMU, PPMUs in setting up proper financial and accounting systems for budgeting and financial management of the Project;
Quality guidance and support to the concerned staff at CPMU, PPMUs on routine financial and accounting work, including coordination of financial data from participating partners and make timely inputs to the preparation and approval of the Project’s work-plans and reports;
Ensure sufficient resources for the project activities, including timely transfer of advance, and regular monitoring; Ensure conformity of project disbursement with work-plan and procedures and accuracy of payments made;
Analyze and monitor overall programme financial situation in consultation, and report on project financial expenditures and timely alert PMS on shortfalls and over-expenditures or any exceptions to facilitate timely actions and informed decisions;
Creation of a project in Atlas, support to preparation of required budget revisions, revision of project award and project status, determination of unutilized funds, operational and financial close of a project;
Review of the regular financial reports; HACT Forms;
Conduct spot-checks, document and share project lessons learnt from spot-checks to continuously improve the overall financial management of executing agencies;
Presentation of information for audit of NIM projects, supports implementation of audit recommendations;
Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas system;
Timely corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers;
Creation of requisitions in Atlas for the project, register of goods receipt in Atlas, preparation of payment requests.

2. Contribution to the management and operation of the UNDP’s Climate Change and Environment programme in Viet Nam, focusing on achievement of the following results (15%):

Timely tracking and reporting on mobilized resources, especially under the Funded Activity Agreement (FAA) signed between UNDP and GCF;
Effective support to the organization of policy dialogues and other events on climate change, resilient agriculture, water security, etc., organized or hosted by UNDP;
Support other relevant services relating to finance and administration of the UNDP’s Climate Change and Environment Programme.
Professional growth through active learning.

Required Skills and Experience Education: University degree in accounting, business or public administration, economics, social sciences, or related fields. Experience:

At least 6 years of progressively responsible administrative or programme/project implementation support experience is required;
Basic understanding of climate change, disaster risk reduction and environment;
Knowledge of UNDP programme practices is an asset.

Language: Full fluency in English and Vietnamese. Other requirements:

Vietnamese national;
Ability to work with colleagues and collaborators of different national and cultural backgrounds;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.);
Advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages;
Experience in handling of web-based management systems.

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