Public Finance Adviser at Danish Embassy (DANIDA) in Uganda

Job Title: Senior Adviser (N2) – Public Finance Adviser

Job Ref: DK-50989-2013/UGA.01-W

Cmopany: Danish Embassy (DANIDA)

Job Location: Kampala, Uganda


Duties and Responsibilities:

The Public Finance Adviser’s scope of work will focus primarily on improving capacity in areas controllable within MWE. Expanding on the areas listed above this will include the following:

• Support the Planning Department of MWE in the analysis of performance against policy objectives;
• Assist the Planning Department of MWE in the creation of a report on policy  performance for presentation to Top Management and the Sector and Sub Sector  Working Groups.
• Sector governance and the delivery of public services
• Work with the Director / Directorate of Water Development (DWD) and Commissioners
• (Rural Water Division (RWD), Water for Production (WfP), and Urban Water and Sanitation
• Division (UWSD)) in the MWE service delivery departments to improve: Linkages with the Ministry of Agriculture particularly to ensure that final outputs and  outcomes resulting from infrastructure associated with farm irrigation schemes are  realised;
• Linkages with the Ministry of Education & Sport and Ministry of Health to clarify  mandates and responsibilities for the supply of clean water and sanitation facilities in  educational and health institutions respectively;
• Linkages with the private sector to ensure that environmental issues are fully  considered during the planning and feasibility stage of any venture that requires an  Environmental and Impact Assessment (taken as including Climate Change);
• Initiation and follow-up of results of value for money and tracking studies.
• Improving financial management and accountability
• Support the Principal Accountant and the Joint Partnership Fund (JPF) Accounts Unit  as necessary including:
• Review and where necessary update JPF procedures to keep them in accordance  with Government of Uganda procedures to facilitate continued alignment;
• Assist the JPF Accounts Unit in preparation of financial and audit reports on JPF  donor funds;
• Support as necessary in preparing the annual JPF work plans and budgets including  the allocation of JPF funds to the components within the Ministry;
• Support to the JWESSP Component Managers in the preparation of quarterly progress  reports for presentation and discussion in the sector working group meetings;
• Support the GoU Finance Department in the improvement of document flow to manage payments to suppliers more efficiently;
• Support the Internal Audit Department in the development of an annual audit  programme in compliance with the Government Internal Audit Manual;
• Support the strengthening of monitoring and reporting on decentralized (conditional  grants) implementation for water and sanitation in particular transmitted to district local  governments.

Key Performance Areas:
• The work of the Public Finance Adviser is expected to improve existing processes, documents and relationships. As such the precise method of measurement of impact will be agreed as part of the inception report process. The following areas will be expected to demonstrate the impact of the adviser:
• Regular risk assessment reports;
• Improved quality of quarterly reporting;
• Improved quality and raised profile of internal audit reporting;
• Absence of perceived corruption under the control of the sector;
• Regular policy analysis reporting.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
• The applicant should hold a Masters degree (or equivalent level of academic or professional experience) in political science, international relations, public administration, accounting or finance, law or development studies;
• Extensive experience working in the area of public finance, good governance or financial management;
• Experience working with basket funding;
• Extensive experience working in developing countries, preferably East Africa/Uganda;
• Experience of supporting inter-ministerial collaboration particularly in developing economies will be an added advantage;
• Knowledge of and experience working with bilateral and multilateral donors will be an added advantage;
• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Pro-active and confident;
• Analytical, outgoing and robust;
• Pragmatic with an appreciation for the dynamics in a politically managed organisation;
• Strong inter-personal skills;
• Persuasive communicator;
• Ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team with relations to different ministries  and stakeholder.

Terms of employment:
The contract period is three years, with the third year pending budgetary approval.  Attractive remuneration package reflecting family status. Contribution to a pension scheme,  health insurance and reimbursement of school fees. Free housing. Grant for relocation.

How to Apply:

Information about the mandatory application procedure can be found at: www.danidajob.dk. Reference number DK-50989-2013/UGA.01-W should be stated in the application.

Preliminary interviews and personal evaluation: week 47 (18-19 November 2013). Mercuri Urval will conduct a personal evaluation of selected candidates.
Language test: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided that all candidates called in for interview - except for those to whom the relevant language is mother tongue - shall be language tested in Denmark in the working languages of the duty station (i.e. English).

Presentation to the appointments committee: 20 November 2013.
Decision: A decision is expected shortly after 20 November 2013.

Application Deadline: 30th Oct 2013