Risk and Compliance Officer

Function prerequisite

Experience and knowledge:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, international relations, data management/information systems, business, economics, and finance or in a related area. Additional years of qualifying experience may compensate for a master’s degree.
• At least 5 years of compliance and risk management experience in relevant regional context.
• Experience and knowledge of the humanitarian and development context and situation in the region.
• Knowledge of internal and external control processes, best practices, and familiarity with standard risk and compliance mechanisms and effective monitoring systems for risk and compliance management.
• Extensive knowledge of programme management cycle, donor regulations, and INGO internal compliance mechanisms.
• Experience and enthusiasm for working within the partnership model, organizational development of partners, and capacity development of local actors (NGOs, CBOs, movements).
• Extensive experience and knowledge of effective financial and budgetary control and grant management.
• Extensive knowledge of the political situation as well as the regional and cultural differences multiple countries with the region.
• Experience working in a multi-cultural and/or international work environment.
• Extensive experience working with a diverse donor base such as Norad, Sida, EU,etc…

Skills and special aptitudes:

• Fluency in oral and written English and Arabic is required. Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
• Excellent analytical reporting skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, cooperation, and networking skills.
• Excellent people and team management skills.
• Strong training and facilitation skills.
• Ability to advise, analyze and integrate feedback from diverse teams and partners.
• Ability to develop monitoring and reporting tools, protocols, and capacity development plans.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative
• Multicultural understanding
• Great analytical skills
• Strong ICT skill

Responsibilities

General Description

Reporting to the Country Director , the Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring  that all programmes are carried out in accordance with the laws, regulations, internal rules and contractual obligations that apply to NPA as an organization and the projects NPA is involved in. The work includes advising, training, monitoring and ensuring that NPA’s work and the work of NPA’s partners is compliant with internal and donor regulations and best practices in achieving compliance. The Compliance Officer shall provide assistance and participate in the negotiation of new contracts with donors and the writing of partner contracts to ensure compliance The Compliance Officer is expected to work effectively with NPA staff and NPA partners and to provide timely advice and capacity development.

Donor and NPA Risk and Compliance

• Advise Program Teams on donor rules and regulations as they concern procurement, financial compliance, environmental compliance, gender compliance, branding and marketing policy, and sub-contracting.
• Ensure that the finance department is following each specific donor regulations during the audit process.
• Develop tools to help Program Teams track adherence to NPA/donor policies, procedures, and standards and monitor the implementation of tools for quality assurance.
• Develop compliance frameworks for projects including compliance checklists and other tools.
• Proactively identify compliance risks throughout the programs and advise the Programs Teams on necessary actions to ensure compliance; monitor the implementation of such actions.
• Lead the development of internal risk matrices in line with the Country Strategies.
• Maintain a broad and deep understanding of relevant donor policies, regulations, and procedures, as well as an updated tracker of donor requirements.
• Review funding opportunities and provide input on contractual requirements to inform decision making by Program Managers.
• Provide support in review of all legal documents to ensure NPA’s adherence to compliance mechanisms.
• Liaise with  Head Office Risk and Compliance Advisor on contract reviews and reporting on compliance.

Partner Compliance

• Coordinate with Program Managers and Coordinators to ensure that partners contracts properly reflect NPA and specific donor compliance standards.
• Develop compliance frameworks for partners including compliance checklists.
• Monitor partner compliance and document any weaknesses and their impacts and make recommendations for improvement
• Carry out necessary compliance and risk capacity development for partners
• As required, participate in the  development of risk matrices for all NPA partners/projects

Internal Mechanisms

• Lead and support the development and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures and guidelines related to NPA and its donors to ensure quality, consistency, and compliance in grant management.
• Control and oversee the contract development, approval, implementation, and close out processes.
• Work closely with the Project Managers to track the progress of all ongoing projects
• Identify gaps in existing internal control systems and provide recommendations to strengthen them; as required, lead on actioning recommendations.
• Monitor and follow up on recommendations from internal and external auditors and advise the Program Manager on implementing recommendations.
• Ensure that NPA staff receive the necessary capacity development needed to understand compliance and risk management.
• Support the Programs Teams in due diligence procedures as needed, including screening of partners, suppliers, and consultants.
• Ensure that the Program Teams have the necessary information and documentation management with special focus on SharePoint and archiving.
• Develop and deliver a monthly action plan and monitoring report on compliance encompassing all aspects and projects of NPA’s operations.
• Liaise with the Head Office Risk and Compliance Advisor to stay abreast of internal policies and best practices in risk and compliance management.