Risk and Compliance Specialist

Mission and objectives

UNICEF Ethiopia is implementing a 5-year country programme 2020-2025 which is fully aligned with the UNSDCF. UNICEF will work collaboratively within the UNSDCF on a joint strategy to strengthen national systems for data collection, analysis, monitoring and applying adjustments to promote equity. Evidence will be used to monitor the situation of children, tracking progress towards equity and scale, and to inform advocacy to adjust policies, strategies and budgets. Monitoring and corrective actions will be undertaken through UNICEF staff, partners and third-party monitoring, and through mechanisms for community feedback and accountability to affected populations.

Context

Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent with a population of approximately 121 million, 46 percent of which are children under the age of 18. The population is projected to reach 145 million by 2030. Ethiopia borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures, with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people. Although the country has made progress toward several Sustainable Development Goals, Ethiopia still faces major development challenges, including widespread poverty. The country faces security issues because of internal conflicts.

It is also highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the effects of climate change, including severe drought and flooding, which lead to greater food insecurity, health risks, and poverty. These vulnerabilities threaten overall child well-being, since children may be exposed to violence, exploitation and abuse, child marriage, child labor, and very low birth registration rates. UNICEF Ethiopia’s 2025-2030 Country Programme has an indicative budget of US$806.5 million and encompasses interventions in Health, Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, Climate, Energy and Environment, WASH, Social Policy, and Programme Effectiveness. The UNICEF Country Office is based in Addis Ababa, and there are eight zone offices in Semera, Bahir Dar, Gambella, Awasa, Jijiga, Mekelle, Oromiya, and Afar, and three satellite offices in Shire, Gode, and Nekemte.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, misuse, and fraud. In this challenging context, the need for robust risk and compliance management support to the UNICEF ECO programme and operations units and the field offices in the areas of emergency response management and coordination has never been more pressing. To address this need, the Risk and Compliance Unit (RCU), under the leadership of the Deputy Representative for Operations, is recruiting a National UN Volunteer Expert to be based in Addis Ababa and will provide essential support to ECO’s Field Operations, Programme, and Operations in risk management and compliance support, fraud risk management support, oversight, and awareness creation/capacity building.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Risk and Compliance Manager, the National UNV Expert will undertake the following tasks:

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

(i) Risk management support:

• Provide support the office in the annual risk assessment process and support the monitoring, reliability of reports and their compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

• Provide support in the monitoring of risk mitigation action plans including a mid-term review.

• Provide support during the office peer reviews process, provide support to office management team in ensuring the risk management approach is embedded in any project/proposal, in office governance committees’ review of submissions and in any major decision made by the management.

(ii) Compliance support:

• Provide support in the review of the office systems, procedures and processes for compliance with organizational rules and regulations.

• Support the office in enforcing and strengthening internal controls to ensure that systems are in place to prevent, detect and report non-compliance. Support the process for the preparation of the annual Statement of Internal Control (SIC) by the office;

• Review internal work processes in Programme and Operations to ensure that accountabilities are clear and placed at the adequate levels as per global policies and/or best practices;

• Support the office to ensure smooth preparedness of internal and external audit, conduct a quality assurance and follow-up on the implementation of the recommendations and provides feedback to the management.

• Support in the review the conformity of statutory and non-statutory committees, assess committee members have been trained/oriented on their roles and responsibility.

(iii) Fraud risk Management support

• Support the management of the office in collecting evidence to respond to OIAI’s queries when initially assessing allegations of fraud and misconduct or during actual investigations;

• Support the office, under the leadership of the Deputy Representative Operations, to ensure the implementation of the global anti-fraud strategy, suggest internal fraud prevention mechanisms and alert the management on any fraudulent issues as well as unethical behaviors detected.

(iv) Create awareness/capacity building

• Support the implementation of a continuous learning and development plan for the Risk and Compliance function.

• Support management in providing staff with access to relevant training and that staff and other personnel understand key UNICEF policies including PSEA, Fraud and Ethics. (v) Any support needed from the regional office

• On request, support the Regional Office in conducting reviews exercises in countries where Risk and Compliance positions are not established, or in supporting any other review in the area of expertise (Peer reviews, assessment…);

• Participate to a network/community of risk and compliance specialists at both regional and global level for experience sharing, updated working documents as well as office rules and policies.

Assignment requirements