Job Description
Ministry of Agriculture
MITIGATING FRAGILITY THROUGH THE AFRICA DISASTER RISK FINANCING PROGRAMME IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
REQUEST FOR APPLICATION FOR TO FILL VACANCIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS SPECIALIST, INDEX INSURANCE SPECIALIST, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST, PROJECT PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST, AND PROJECT OFFICE ASSISTANT UNDER ADRIFI II PROJECT
1. Background
The Government of Malawi has secured funds from the Prevention Envelope of the Transition Facility of the African Development Bank, amounting to USD 21 million to implement the Multi-National Project “Mitigating Fragility through the Africa Disaster risk Financing Programme (ADRiFi) in Southern Africa: Malawi and Zimbabwe” from 2024 to 2028.
The main objective of the project is to enhance resilience and adaptation to climate disaster risks for vulnerable communities in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
The project which will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs has been designed to contribute towards building national resilience to disasters and address prioritised effects of the 2023 Cyclone-Freddy across sectors and selected local authorities.
The Ministry of Agriculture would like to set up a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in Lilongwe, through the existing Government structures, which will be responsible for undertaking the day to day operational and administrative tasks, procurement, financial management, insurance index, environmental and social safeguards as well as project implementation.
The Ministry, therefore, seeks to use part of the proceeds of the loan/grant package to recruit individual consultants to fill the positions of the Project Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist, Index Insurance Specialist, Project Procurement Specialist, and Project Office Assistant to provide services in the Project Implementation Unit (PIU).
Position Title: Financial Management Specialist
Reporting: Project Coordinator
Reference Number: MOA/ADRiFi/CS/01-4
Publication date: 25th December, 2024
Closing date: 20th January, 2025
Place of duty: Ministry of Agriculture Offices (Capital Hill)
Terms of Appointment: Four (4) year contractual appointment renewable every year following excellent performance.
The Financial Management Specialist (FMS) is part of a larger Project Implementation Unit, which comprises the coordinator and other specialists. Specifically, he/she shall be responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the environmental and social aspects of all project activities, particularly those with potentially adverse environmental and social impacts that will need to be adequately mitigated.
1. Duties and Responsibilities
The FMS will be a competitively recruited individual consultant and will be reporting to the Project Coordinator. She/He will lead the Finance arm of the project and will ensure effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services.
S/He will promote a client-oriented approach consistent with Government of Malawi’s Public Finance rules and regulations. He/ she will analyze and interpret the financial rules and regulations and provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex financial issues. The Project Accountant will work in close collaboration with the Director of Finance in Ministry of Agriculture, Head of Finance AfDB Country Office as well as the Finance Focal points in the sectoral implementing agencies.
- Full compliance with Malawi Public Finance Management rules, regulations, and policies of financial activities, financial recording/ reporting system and follow-up on audit recommendations; implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system.
- Project business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Finance.
- Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for the project to the board and technical committees, monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions.
- Elaboration of proposals for planning of financial resources of the Project, preparation of reports containing analysis of the financial situation.
- Preparation and monitoring of budgets; regular analysis and reporting on the budget approvals and the delivery situation.
- Establishment of the projects’ budgets preparation/modification monitoring system, control of budgetary status versus authorized spending limits and budgets delivery levels.
- Implementation of the control mechanism for the projects through monitoring budgets preparation and modifications, follow up the implementing Partner and Responsible Parties, maintenance of the Project Ledger.
- Analysis and elaboration of proposals for the internal expenditures’ control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and filed;
- Control of accounts closure.
- Timely corrective actions on spot check findings and audit recommendations.
- In collaboration with the Project Coordinator, ensure timely preparation of work plans to secure timely issuance of authorized spending limits to ensure timely disbursement of funds to the responsible parties.
- Timely identification and recording of receipts for income application.
- Timely preparation of monthly cash flow forecast for use by the project.
- Organization and conduct of training for the Finance Focal Points in the IP and SiPs staff on Finance.
- Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in Finance during project implementation.
- Prepare a minimum package for all project partners on the minimum requirements on finance; including timely opening and reconciliation pf project accounts, setting of appropriate signatories to the project accounts, and following up on spot-check recommendations and audit findings.
2. Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or related field, with a bias in financial accounting.
- Appropriate accounting certification will be preferred, and chartered Accountants will have an added advantage.
- Have the basic knowledge of early pointers to require auditing
- Proven track record or attendance to a financial compliance training
- A member of at least one accounting body
- 5 years relevant experience at the national or international level in providing financial management services to projects and/or programmes.
- Experience in MS Office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages
- Experience in handling of web based financial management systems.
- Fluency in English essential
Note: Applicants for the vacancies should submit their applications together with copies of relevant certificates and Curriculum Vitae to:
The Chairperson
Internal Procurement and Disposal Committee
Ministry of Agriculture,
P. O. Box 30134,
LILONGWE 3.
E-mail: adrifii_afdb_malawi@yahoo.com
To reach him not later than 20th January, 2025
You can get the full Terms of Reference from www.afdb.org or by requesting for the document from adrifii_afdb_malawi@yahoo.com