Compliance Officer

Role PURPOSE and background

The conflict in Ukraine is resulting in a major humanitarian crisis with over 4 million people having fled to neighbouring countries, and millions displaced within Ukraine. Plan International is responding to the crisis and working in partnership with civil society organisations in Poland, Romania, and Moldova to meet the key needs of those affected by the crisis as well as host communities.

Plan International has been present in Ukraine since July 2022 and has established partnerships with civil society organisations, ensuring national actors are equipped with technical support, best practices and flexible resources, with a primary thematic focus on Child Protection, Education and Mental Health & Psychosocial Support.

The Compliance Officer will focus on general grant management support and advice on donor compliance.

Dimensions of the Role

The Compliance Officer will focus on general grant management support and advice on donor compliance. The post-holder contributes to project start-up, project activity monitoring, reporting, partnership monitoring for one specific project.

The projects are funded by Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).

Accountabilities

Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, the Compliance Officer will perform the below main activities:

• Ensure that grants and contracts are well administered, and program/support teams and partners are fully informed of relevant donor compliance regulations, Plan International procedures and compliance manuals are well understood.
• Make frequent monitoring trips to the project areas to monitor project activities, identify opportunities and constraints and make any necessary adjustments, including capacity strengthening on compliance requirements.
• Support the proactive identification of compliance risks within the project and advise support teams and senior management on necessary mitigation actions. 
• Support Programme Manager and Grants and Funds expert in all necessary issues of the project.
• Support program staff in grant revisions, budget realignment and other actions as required.
• Monitoring and evaluation of tenders, support the partners with procurement requirements and procedures, checking of new and current counterparties and suppliers for cooperation, procurement, and SAP needs.
• Financial accordance of budget line and control of partners and Plan expenditures and supporting documents (invoices, agreements, bid quotation and evaluation, etc.) 
• Regularly update the progress, priorities, and constraints of project implementation, focusing on proper donor compliance rules and regulations, ensuring that documentation is provided to support activity spending.
• Represent Plan in internal/external meetings, hold weekly meetings with partners and GNO.
• Donor and Plan visibility conformity check.  
• Ensure that Plan’s child protection and safeguarding policy is respected, and all cases of abuse are reported.
• Know and share with PIU and partners of Plan/Donor compliance manuals and relevant policies (Anti-Fraud, Bribery, Corruption, Risk Management, Safety, Security, Data Privacy, Anti-Terrorism, etc.)
• Implement the project according to Plan’s and donor’s project cycle procedures and standards.
• Ensure planning, implementation and recording processes within Funding Agreement Document and Partnership Agreements (incl. implementation plans, risk assessment, procurement plans).
• Ensure that agreed roles and responsibilities between program stakeholders are fulfilled as per contractual obligations.
• Work together with the programs and finance staff to ensure timely delivery of high-quality reports that meet donor and Plan International standards and requirements.
• Chek Narrative reports (monthly, quarterly, annual).
• Check content of financial reports on conformity with required purchases/tenders.
• Informational support, planning and conduction of capacity building for national and partner staff on compliance rules.
• Translation of correspondence and any other documents in/from Ukrainian/English.

Key relationships

Country Director, Programmes Director, Technical Specialists, Grants and Finance Specialist, and support staff (Finance and logistics); Local project partners; Ukraine Response Hub and Global Hub relevant teams; relevant colleagues in Plan Germany.

Technical expertise, skills, and knowledge

Essential Knowledge

• University degree (Master) in relevant field: accounting; finance; management; audit; financial planning and analysis etc.
• Proven experience with an International or local NGO
• Proven experience with projects funded by international donors (experience with German institutional donors GFFO or BMZ will be an asset)
• Good knowledge and understanding of humanitarian principles and established.
• Knowledge of relevant Ukrainian legislation

Essential Skills

• Strong strategic decision-making and communication skills including reporting and presentation
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Ukrainian
• Demonstrated ability of teamwork, coordination, and planning
• Knowledge of usual office software (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and regular communication channels (Teams, email, Skype).
• Solution focused; able to co-ordinate and plan work efficiently to meet deadlines and prioritise effectively; deliver on time and scope with ambiguity.
• Strong financial systems expertise.
• Fluency with complex financial systems including multi-currency accounting packages / ERP.
• Knowledge and experience in using SAP and Microsoft D365 MS Excel proficiency

Essential Behaviours

• Committed to Plan International’s strategy and values
• Experienced with working in collaboration with Senior Management
• Team player and relationship builder
• Able to work calmly under pressure, volatile & insecure environment and at unpredictable (long) hours during emergency response
• Comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, values diversity
• Communicator;  Promotes innovation and learning; Communicates clearly and effectively; Strong team building and motivational skills;  Demonstrates clear respect to all and especially children and women without discrimination
• Demonstrates honesty and transparency in holding self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and Plan’s standards of behaviour

ACCOUNTABILITY TO AFFECTED POPULATIONS (AAP)

Plan International is committed to ensuring accountability to affected population and ensuring that programmes and operations are driven by the needs, priorities, and preferences of affect populations including men, women, boys, girls, and any marginalized groups. This is achieved by an all staff commitment to the ensuring the integration of participatory approaches, open, honest communication, and mechanisms to listen and act on feedback.

Ensure the programme and/or emergency response is driven by the needs, priorities, and preferences of the people it aims to serve, through the integration of participatory approaches, open, honest communication, and mechanisms to listen and act on feedback.

SAFEGUARDING, GENDER EQUALITY AND INCLUSION 

Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest, and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together

We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.