General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDFs vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity.

UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031.

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector.  By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders.  UNCDF’s work is focused on six priority areas, including:

• Sub-national and local infrastructure financing
• Women owned enterprise financing
• Nature and climate financing
• Energy and decarbonization finance
•  Sustainable food systems financing
•  Inclusive digital finance

Following a recent restructuring, UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by the Executive Board of United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and performs the function of the Executive Board of UNCDF.UNCDF’s Inclusive Digital Economies in Asia:

Since 2012, UNCDF has been supporting digital finance in Asia with significant success, with digital finance currently the largest part of its inclusive finance portfolio. This includes digital innovations linked to on an off-grid energy, agriculture, employment, health, and transport.  Through its current “Leaving no one behind in the digital era” strategy, UNCDF is supporting, the emergence of Inclusive Digital Economies in Asia as well as globally. The strategy recognizes that reaching the full potential of Digital Financial Inclusion (DFS) in support of the SDGs aligns with the vision of promoting digital economies for the following reasons:

• The value of DFS is not obvious, especially to poor and vulnerable populations, as it is not closely linked to their ability to respond to their specific constraints and needs around agriculture, education, health, energy, and other key aspects of their daily lives.
• New innovative services should be developed to address these unmet needs. Innovation will not come from traditional providers but mainly from a range of new players (entrepreneurs, start-ups in various sectors, and digital platforms).

The ‘Leaving no one behind in the digital era’ strategy, to move from digital finance to digital economies builds upon and constitutes a logical integration of UNCDF interventions in financial inclusion and digital, developed over many years. For further info please refer to www.uncdf.org.

UNCDF in Afghanistan

UNCDF, in collaboration with UNDP, has been supporting the deployment of financial instruments and approaches in the Afghan banking and financial system to avoid its collapse since 2022. One of the activities aims to support digitization of aid disbursements.

Up to 2023, this project successfully completed pilots with International non-governmental organizations (INGOs), tested 6 different digital payment solutions from 6 different financial services providers. Building on the success of this collaboration, UNDP and UNCDF are launching a new collaboration to achieve the following results:

• Increased access to client-centric digital payment solutions in the last mile, targeting in particular women and cash transfer beneficiaries
• Enhanced knowledge, skills attitudes and agency of beneficiaries of cash-based interventions, in particular women and those in the last mile, so that they can fully and safely access and use digital payments to increase resilience and economic opportunities
• Increased uptake and usage of digital payment solutions by key development partners for their interventions to enable solid demand for services

• Develop in-depth understanding of the UNCDF and UNDP rules and regulations
• Strictly follow the UNCDF’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and map project team finance business processes to the SOPs
• Ensure that all activities are undertaken in full compliance with UNCDF and UNDP rules, regulations and policies including but not limited to financial processes, financial records/reports and audit follow up;
• Establish and manage smooth administrative process in official financial payments, official travel arrangements, good and service procurements including consultants’ contracts process, payments for consultants and vendors, official HR-related activities, office workspace and equipment, UNLP, working visa and stay permit;
• Support project team with timely procurement of services and goods including 1) contracting for International/National Consultants, 2) Internship, 3) institutional contract and 4) and other goods and services;
• lead preparation and organize events, meetings, workshops, and conferences, including logistics management for the project team in Afghanistan and abroad. etc.;
• Performs a role of Originator (travel arranger) and Travel Processor (certifying officer) to facilitate official travel according to UNCDF Rules and Regulations;
• Present data and documents for  audit, and support implementation of audit recommendations.
• Maintain an up-to-date procurement and HR plans for IDE Afghanistan and coordinate with UNDP and UNCDF procurement and HR teams to ensure meeting quarterly and annual procurement and HR objectives;
• Leads maintenance of the inventory of programme/project assets/equipment and programme/project correspondence and files;
• Other relevant operational tasks as requested by IDE Afghanistan team.

Ensure proper financial planning and management for the projects focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Plan, execute and manage all the finance related tasks in a timely manner with minimal guidance
• Prepare financial projections on a regular basis to track delivery and flag potential spending issues to the management
• Ensure project staff is properly charged to the projects and budget spending remains in-line with the project financial plan
• Ensure timely operational and financial closure of projects, while also ensuring all necessary documentation is complete and in order.
• Ensure timely creation of projects and awards in Quantum upon securing new funds, and coordinate with the Regional office to ensure accurate fund allocation.
• Check projects balance, cash availability and other financial details on a regular basis and initiate timely actions as necessary
• Run various financial reports in Quantum i.e. AAA, Project Transaction Report, Project Budget Balance Report and etc., to ensure proper financial planning
• Prepare analysis on fundraising requirements to sustain the CO structure.
• Prepare project budget, budget revisions, and budget submission for approval to Project Manager Digital Finance  and regional office.
• Prepare all types of vouchers; and execute timely payments.
• Maintain proper control over the supporting documents for payments and financial reports and store all the supporting documents for audit purposes;
• Maintain the internal expenditures controls to ensure vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum.
• Follow up and timely corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, and unapproved vouchers.
• Creation of requisitions/register of goods receipt in Quantum
• Timely corrective actions on erroneous data in Quantum. Preparation of financial reports as required by the project management standards and project board

Support the team’s donors management, workplan development and implementation, resource management as well as support the team’s advisory service in Afghanistan focusing on the achievement of the following results;

• Smooth development of projects’ workplan at all levels of activities in close collaboration with Project Manager Digital Finance, this includes daily operations, budget planning and management at country level
• Ensure timely implementation of workplans items by monitoring actual vs planned, project budget utilization, and project expenditures, to make necessary corrections or budget revisions. This includes regular use of Quantum for tasks such as expenditure monitoring and other essential functions.
• Ensure that any new contribution is promptly accounted for and accurately reflected in Quantum by creating the respective project and award.
• Track key project milestones for Afghanistan Digital Prosperity and ensure comprehensive financial and progress reports to donors and other stakeholders using raw data from the Quantum system.
• Provide management with regular updates on donor agreements, funds requests and prepare the needed documentation as requested
• Facilitate seamless collaboration and ensure effective communication among the UNCDF project team, IDE regional team, and headquarters.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

• Achieve Results: Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Administration & Operations

• Documents and records management. Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving
• Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings). Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc

Finance

• Financial planning and budgeting. Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP’s long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting
• Budget management. Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets

Procurement

• Contract management. Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

Digital & Innovation

• Digital inclusion. Knowledge of how digital inclusion works, opportunities and challenges for governments and society

Business Management

• Operations Management. Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanism