Fund Director, Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT)

Background Information – Myanmar

UNOPS Myanmar

Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Access to Health Fund, the Livelihood and Food Security Fund (LIFT) and the Joint Peace Fund (JPF). In addition, UNOPS is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS also provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT)

LIFT is embarking on a new strategic period for 2024 – 2028. The LIFT 2024-2028 Strategy builds on the achievements of LIFT’s experience as well as recent adaptations and learning in the face of a changing and dynamic context. The new Strategy outlines an approach to tackle structural drivers of poverty and vulnerability, while also considering immediate interventions to secure and maintain Myanmar’s previous development gains. LIFT has proven itself as a key delivery partner across Myanmar’s changing contexts – ranging from post-Nargis recovery, a time of political transition, and relief support during COVID-19. LIFT is managed by the United Nations Office for Projects Services (UNOPS) and has received funding from 16 international donors. The current donors are the United Kingdom, the European Union, Switzerland, Australia, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and Denmark.

Background Information – Job-specific

The Fund Director will provide leadership, and strategic direction and promote good practice in the performance and delivery of the LIFT Fund. The Fund Director is the head of the LIFT Fund Management Office, a team of 50 personnel, including technical professionals as well as M&E, policy, knowledge management, and programme support professionals.

This role represents a unique and exciting opportunity to lead a major investment in livelihoods, food security, and nutrition, at a fragile yet dynamic time in Myanmar. He/she will need to demonstrate strong management skills and be an advocate of continued external support to Myanmar’s vulnerable populations. The incumbent must have demonstrated ability to support work in challenging environments, and have experience working in development, humanitarian, and conflict environments. He/she will also need excellent partnership skills, working with a broad range of stakeholders to achieve tangible results for people in need.

*** While the duty station for this position is Yangon, Myanmar, the incumbent is expected to be based in Bangkok, Thailand temporarily until an appropriate Myanmar visa can be obtained.***

Functional Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the UNOPS Myanmar Director & Representative and working closely with the LIFT Fund Board, the Fund Director will be responsible for:

1. Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with the Fund Board, represents LIFT with the private sector, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders (including UN agencies) to promote excellence, good practice, and coordination.
• Manage LIFT communications with stakeholders regarding Fund activities, progress and exceptions, enabling their ability to accept handover of Fund deliverables.
• Advise the partners on issues that may impact the achievement of their outcomes.
• Manage the information flows between the Fund Board, the UNOPS Myanmar Director and Representative and the UNOPS team dedicated to LIFT.
• Represent LIFT and UNOPS at external events and meetings.
• Represent LIFT in the UNOPS Management Group (MG) to ensure coordination, effective delivery and information sharing.
• Support the LIFT Donor Consortium, other potential donors, and UNOPS to explore future platforms to coordinate external investment in Myanmar’s agriculture, rural development, and nutrition sectors.
• Seek new donors for the LIFT if required.

2. Delivery and Performance

• Oversee the implementation of approved programme plans, manage the delivery of the programme’s outputs, and initiate corrective action where necessary.
• Authorize, monitor and control work packages to be delivered by the UNOPS team or by implementing partners.
• Advise the Fund Board on architecture and processes to strengthen LIFT’s engagement at all levels
• Identify and manage risks, advising the Fund Board and UNOPS Myanmar Director and Representative of deviations that have or will exceed set tolerances as approved in the programme plan.
• Ensure principles of gender equity, peace, voice and accountability, ‘doing no harm’, and aid effectiveness in all activities associated with the LIFT.
• Monitor and evaluate performance of service providers.
• Representing UNOPS (The Fund Manager, as reflected in LIFT Joint Collaboration Agreement) vis-à-vis all other stakeholders and in the Fund Board as ex officio, non-voting member.
• Monitor progress of the programme at a strategic level and ensure periodic progress and updates are made to the Fund Board.

3. Procedures

• Ensure compliance with UNOPS organizational policy and UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations, and in line with the Delegation of Authority received from the UNOPS Executive Director.
• Manage the LIFT Fund Management Office to ensure performance of the Fund in the areas of programmatic/technical results delivery, financial management (budget/cash flow/expenditure), work planning and resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), administrative (including regular reporting and audit results) and procurement operations.
• Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations, taking accountability for expenditures against the budget; ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors, grantees/ implementing partners and personnel are received on time.
• Understand and manage UNOPS pricing policy and related corporate charges as they apply to LIFT.
• Ensure implementing partner capacity is commensurate with funding requirements.

4. Knowledge Management

• Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies complete lessons learned as per reporting format.
• Support UNOPS Myanmar’s efforts in being a centre of excellence for programme management.

Impact of Results

The Fund Director will provide strategic guidance and policy advice/dialogue, working in close consultation with the LIFT Fund Board. The incumbent will be responsible for the achievement of the LIFT objectives as found in the LIFT Strategy, Logframe, and Theory of Change.