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South Sudan has a population of about 12 million majority of whom are young and rural with 72 percent below the age of 30 and 83 percent living in rural areas. Conflicts disrupted the country’s development and restricted the population’s ability to engage in socioeconomic activities as access to valuable resources and basic services have been impacted. Furthermore, the aggregate effects of years of conflict displaced approximately 4.3 million people from their homes and resulted to acute food insecurity. This is compounded by the the crisis that began in April 2023 in Sudan which has had consequences on South Sudan with more returnees and refugees coming to the country.
Beyond the high vulnerability to conflict (inter-communal violence) that has resulted in the dire humanitarian crisis, South Sudan is also affected by a wide range of concurrent climate-induced shocks and disasters like floods, drought, and locust infestations. Floods have worsened over the past years and have been affecting between 750,000 and more than one million people, forcing half of them to leave their homeland to higher grounds. The country’s fragility has resulted in the lack of infrastructures; roads, ITC, electricity, water and Irrigation infrastructure.
The global economic backlash from the COVID-19 pandemic resulted to more than 50 percent of businesses closing and a reduction of 28-65 percent in the work force. About 68 percent of those affected are women. Small business owners in South Sudan bore the brunt of COVID-19 as livelihoods shrunk especially in the informal sector where women constitute majority of the workforce. Furthermore, 40-94 percent of businesses (depending on the sector) experienced a decrease in production/sales that impacted on trade and economic recovery.
The main problem in South Sudan’s business environment is the weak institution and state structures that has resulted to unstable institutions and a weak private sector. MSEs as has been revealed in other African countries like Kenya are a key engine for job creation and are therefore essential for South Sudan’s growth and development. Over 99 percent of firms in South Sudan fall under the MSME category and 70 percent of MSMEs are classified in the microenterprise category (firms whose size ranges between one to four employees)[1]. One of the major obstacles for MSME growth in the country is access to finance. South Sudan currently has 26 commercial banks operating, all lending less than 50 percent of their deposits as loans. Only about 10 percent of the total loans provided by the South Sudan banking sector go to MSEs and lack of collateral is cited as one of the main reasons that banks do not extend credit to the MSEs.
According to Findex 2021, only 5 percent of South Sudanese adults (age 15+) have a financial account – a decline from the 9% registered in 2017. Access to credit and finance is very low with only 2.63% of the population able to borrow money from a financial institution or using a mobile money account. Savings is very minimal with only 1.5% of people being able to have some form of saving in a financial institution. Financing, savings and mobile money services are still in their infancy with the latter having been introduced only in 2019 and are therefore still in developing stage, although there is potential for growth.
South Sudan has a remarkable potential for sustainable growth through agriculture. The agricultural sector plays a major role in South Sudan’s economy, accounting for 36 percent of its non-oil gross domestic production with 80 percent of households depending on cultivation as their primary source of livelihood (FAO, 2015). Of the country’s 64.7 million hectares of land, around 75 percent is suitable for agriculture and 50 percent for cultivation. Only 4 percent of the land is currently cultivated by smallholder subsistence farmers (FAO, 2015).
Although the country has a huge agricultural potential, it continues to be food insecure, import-dependent, and low in productivity. South Sudan’s agricultural sector has mostly been subsistence-based and over 95 percent of the agricultural production is rainfed. Fisheries and aquaculture resources are abundant and underutilized with fisheries production potential estimated at between 100,000 to 300,000 metric tons per year. The country is also rich in livestock, with 85 percent of South Sudanese households estimated to own one or more animals. South Sudan has a livestock population of 12 million cattle, 14 million goats, and 13 million sheep.
At least 85 percent of the country’s population live in rural areas and derive their livelihoods from agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors. Close to 80 percent of farm labor in the country is provided by women who combine this activity with their other domestic chores. The agriculture sector employs 78 percent of the population, with 70 percent of the cooperatives in South Sudan currently engaged in the sector (cropping activities, fishery, non-timber forestry products, dairy, and agro-processing). However, there is a huge need for value addition for primary products from the agriculture sector to avoid wastage, meet the in-country demand and reduce the number of imports coming into the country.
IFAD in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and UNDP has developed the Rural Enterprises for Agriculture Development (READ) project, a seven-year project (2023-2029) designed to respond to critical growth and development challenges confronted by smallholders in six states in South Sudan. The project will focus on supporting the development of Rural Producers’ Organizations (RPOs), Village Saving and Loans Associations (VSLAs), Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) and micro and small enterprises (MSEs).
There are three interlinked and complementary components of the READ project, which will be implemented through a conflict-sensitive lens, whilst ensuring inclusion and empowerment of youth and women. The three components include: (i) Rural Producers’ Organizations’ Development; (ii) Inclusive Rural Financial Services; (iii) Policy and Regulatory Framework Development. The READ project will foster the development of the selected RPOs by promoting good governance and accountability systems vis-à-vis their constituencies; enhancing their sustainable business models and economic initiatives; and strengthening their capacity to provide services to farmers including facilitating access to financial services, technology, inputs, and markets. The project targets to improve food security, income, and resilience among approximately 27,511 households, or 162,315 people, with a focus on women, youth, and people of vulnerable groups, (mainly returnees and persons with disabilities). It will work through RPOs and RFIs, across six counties in six states, including – Northern Bahr el Ghazal (Aweil), Upper Nile (Renk), Western Equatoria (Nzara, Yambio, Maridi), Central Equatoria (Terekeka), and Eastern Equatoria (Magwi).
As the Implementing Organization of the READ Project, UNDP is seeking to engage a Technical Officer - Finance Management/Rural Finance to be based in Juba, South Sudan. S/he will be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of Component Two of the READ project which focuses on the provision of inclusive rural financial services. The Technical Officer will also concurrently perform the role of Finance and Budget Management Officer of the READ Project. Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and matrix reporting arrangement to the Chief Programme Advisor and the Team Leader, STARR unit, the Technical Officer will work in close collaboration with Technical Officers, the STARR unit, UNDP country office programme units, MAFS-PCU, and national and state level partners.
1) Strategic planning, financial resource management and implementation of component two of the project, focusing on the achievement of the following results:
Effectively participate in the annual work plan and in consultation with the team, prepares annual budget ensuring proper costing in line with the procurement plan and project objectives; Prepare cash forecast and ensure availability of funds to carry out project activities on timely manner; Prepare and ensure that withdrawal applications are timely submitted to MAFS for timely disbursement and for availability of fund for project activities; Ensure implementation of project activities is in line with the projects annual workplans, priorities, timelines, targets, and standards for monitoring results; Coordinate component 2 of the project by providing overall guidance and innovative solutions to improve project financial management; Track expenditure of financial resources in accordance with the agreed UNDP, Government and donor rules and regulations; Conduct financial analysis and oversight of project resources; Ensure an effective information flow between finance and non-finance actors (UNDP Programme unit); Follow-up on audits reports to ensure that gaps in audit reports are addressed; Monitor the financial performance of the project; Prepare finance projections for different project activities; Work in close collaboration with other teams in the office to ensure successful project implementation; Develop, track and report project financial performance to management for decision making; Enhance capacity of field coordinators and implementing partners by providing technical guidance.2) Timely and effective project financial performance reporting:
Provide strategic advice on the project financial performance and component two of the project; Manage and monitor the utilization of resources, in consultation with the Project manager and StaRR Team Leader; Timely prepare progress reports, including monthly and annual financial forecasts and statements in compliance as appropriate for clearance and submission to CO management, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, donors; Routinely monitor financial expenditures, transactions, and investigate anomalies or unusual transactions for decision making; Preparation and submission of quality monthly, quarterly, and annual project financial management reports through UNDP to MAFS and maintaining accurate records of all the financial transactions; Monthly/periodically generates budget against actual expenditures and advise UNDP leadership on the budget absorption and trend of expenditure; Ensure monthly bank reconciliation statements are prepared in timely manner, accurately reflect the balances in the bank accounts for each of the projects and are filed accordingly.3) Manage the project budget and organize an optimal cost-recovery system:
Manage all financial resources through planning, guiding, monitoring, and controlling in accordance with UNDP, and IFAD rules and regulations; Prepare and monitor project budget in Atlas/Quantum; Ensure that advance payments and direct payments for SR’s and SSR’s vendors are properly reviewed and made on a timely basis; Ensure that contributions from the donors are properly transferred to UNDP on a timely basis; Submission of quality financial reports to MAFS on a timely basis.4) Ensure close monitoring of the sub-recipients and other implementing partners:
Assess financial management capacities of sub recipients and develop an action plan to address any gap related to financial management; Ensure sub-recipients timely prepare and submission financial; Harmonize reporting and accounting practices of sub-recipients; Review sub-recipients’ financial information and safeguard to eliminate fraud; Organize and support annual audits of sub-recipients; Identify and maintain strong and credible working relations with Governments and partners; Perform any other responsibilities that could be delegated to him/her by the supervisor. Institutional Arrangement The Technical Officer – Finance Management/Rural Finance will be based mainly in the project office in Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, providing support to the Project Manager, Implementing Partners (IPs), target states and communities. S/he will be under direct supervision of the READ Project Manager with matrix reporting to the UNDP Chief Programme Advisor and the Team Leader of StaRR Unit.Competencies Core Competencies
Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work. Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking. Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning. Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process. Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously. Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership. Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.Functional/Technical competencies
Business Direction & Strategy
System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.Business Management
Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.Business Management
Partnership Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.Business Management
Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.Planet
Nature, Climate and Energy: Climate Change Adaptation: agriculture/food security.Business Direction & Strategy: Strategic Thinking
Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions. Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.Business Direction & Strategy
Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources. Required Skills and Experience Education: Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or related fields from a recognized institution is required. A first level university degree (bachelor's degree) in the above mentioned fields in combination with 2 (two) additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in project management, providing financial management advisory services and/or managing staff and operational systems or relevant related field is required.Required skills:
Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP. Desired skills: Experience in working with UN agencies and national government; Experience working in South Sudan, an advantage; Proven supervisory experience, experience working in teams and engaging and coordinating multiple stakeholders and relevant institutions especially in South Sudan; Advance knowledge of spreadsheets and database packages; Good background and understanding of the local environment and social issues surrounding natural resource management in South Sudan, particularly major policies and strategies; Experience in recovery and stabilization of conflict/disaster-affected populations and areas is highly desirable. Languages: Excellent writing and oral communication skills in English. Disclaimer