Senior Programme Officer - Quality Assurance job at Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development

Job Purpose

The primary objective of this assignment is to provide senior-level fiduciary oversight, quality assurance, and financial risk management support to the PIM Plus Secretariat/RCU and participating MDAs, to strengthen financial controls, audit readiness, value-for-money monitoring, and verification of finance-related Disbursement Linked Indicator (DLI).

Key Result Areas

• Regular financial performance and risk assessment reports on selected PIM Plus projects, covering budget absorption, financial–physical alignment, risk profiles, climate resilience and recommended actions.
• Inputs to be consolidated with PIM Plus performance reports, including financial and fiduciary evidence for DLIs/IRI and contributions to OSC/OTC briefings and presentations.
• Audit readiness and audit resolution tracking reports, including status of implementation of audit recommendations and resolution of audit issues.
• Value-for-money assessment reports and recommendations for cost savings, efficiency gains, and improved resource utilisation.
• Risk registers and mitigation plans for selected PIM Plus projects.
• Written technical feedback on fiduciary readiness, financial sustainability, and budget realism of strategic projects.
• Contributions to updated guidance notes, appraisal tools, financial management templates, and checklists on fiduciary readiness, risk management, and value-for-money assessment.
• Training materials, presentations, and technical notes for capacity-building activities with MDAs and implementing agencies.
• Bi-annual progress reports by the 15th day of the month after the end of six months.
• Annual performance reports by the 15th day of the month after the end of the financial year.
• An end of assignment report within two weeks after completion of the activities in the work-plan, or completion of the contract, whichever comes first.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Support to RCU and PIM Plus Operations

• Review financial performance reports and budget execution data, highlighting trends, bottlenecks, and variances.
• Assess alignment between financial disbursements and physical outputs to support value-for-money and flag irregularities.
• Support audit readiness by ensuring proper documentation, compliance with procedures, and follow-up of audit recommendations.
• Review financial management systems and internal controls to identify weaknesses and propose mitigation measures.
• Conduct financial risk assessments, maintain risk registers, and propose mitigation strategies.
• Develop and apply value-for-money assessment approaches and identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency.
• Support verification of finance-related DRIs/IRIs by consolidating financial evidence and coordinating with MDAs and verification agent.
• Coordinate with technical specialists (operations, engineering, safeguards, procurement, finance) to ensure integrated, risk-informed support.

Support to PAP Department and Institutional Coordination

• Provide structured feedback to PAP on financial management and control weaknesses and feed lessons into guidelines and appraisal standards.
• Support strengthening of fiduciary readiness standards, including lifecycle costing, financial sustainability, O&M, and value-for-money.
• Participate in technical reviews of strategic projects, advising on fiduciary readiness, financial sustainability, and risk profiles.
• Institutionalize lessons from financial and audit challenges into PAP tools, guidelines, and training.
• Support development of financial management tools and templates for appraisal, budgeting, reporting, and monitoring.
• Work with safeguards, engineering, procurement, and operations staff to integrate fiduciary considerations into technical and safeguards oversight.
• Support design and delivery of capacity-building on financial management, internal controls, audit readiness, risk, and value-for-money for implementing MDAs.
• Support development and use of standardized checklists, templates, and tools for financial review, risk assessment, audit readiness, and reporting.
• Perform any other related duties as assigned, in line with the PIM Plus mandate.

Education Qualifications

The ideal candidate should have:

• Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Public Financial Management, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field from a recognised University.
• Professional qualifications/certifications in Accounting (e.g. ACCA, CPA, CIMA), Internal Audit (e.g. CIA, CISA), Risk Management, or Project Management (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2) are highly desirable.

Work Experience

• At least eight years of experience in quality assurance, project oversight, compliance monitoring, or delivery assurance roles. Demonstrated experience establishing quality standards, review frameworks, or assurance processes.
• Experience working with Government, the World Bank or other Development Partner financed projects, including familiarity with fiduciary requirements, financial reporting, and results-based approaches, is an added advantage.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Ability to assess operational, financial, and compliance risks, review internal control systems, and recommend practical mitigation measures.
• Practical experience supporting audit readiness, coordinating with auditors, interpreting audit findings, and tracking implementation of audit recommendations.
• Strong understanding of Uganda's PFM framework, including the PFM Act, Treasury Instructions, IFMIS, Programme-Based Budgeting, and Government audit and oversight mechanisms.
• Familiarity with World Bank fiduciary standards, including PforR and IPF financial management requirements, is desirable.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, financial management software, IFMIS, and data analysis tools; familiarity with audit and risk management software is desirable.
• High standards of integrity, ethical conduct, and professionalism, particularly in handling financial and audit information.

• Review financial performance reports and budget execution data, highlighting trends, bottlenecks, and variances.
• Assess alignment between financial disbursements and physical outputs to support value-for-money and flag irregularities.
• Support audit readiness by ensuring proper documentation, compliance with procedures, and follow-up of audit recommendations.
• Review financial management systems and internal controls to identify weaknesses and propose mitigation measures.
• Conduct financial risk assessments, maintain risk registers, and propose mitigation strategies.
• Develop and apply value-for-money assessment approaches and identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency.
• Support verification of finance-related DRIs/IRIs by consolidating financial evidence and coordinating with MDAs and verification agent.
• Coordinate with technical specialists (operations, engineering, safeguards, procurement, finance) to ensure integrated, risk-informed support.
• Provide structured feedback to PAP on financial management and control weaknesses and feed lessons into guidelines and appraisal standards.
• Support strengthening of fiduciary readiness standards, including lifecycle costing, financial sustainability, O&M, and value-for-money.
• Participate in technical reviews of strategic projects, advising on fiduciary readiness, financial sustainability, and risk profiles.
• Institutionalize lessons from financial and audit challenges into PAP tools, guidelines, and training.
• Support development of financial management tools and templates for appraisal, budgeting, reporting, and monitoring.
• Work with safeguards, engineering, procurement, and operations staff to integrate fiduciary considerations into technical and safeguards oversight.
• Support design and delivery of capacity-building on financial management, internal controls, audit readiness, risk, and value-for-money for implementing MDAs.
• Support development and use of standardized checklists, templates, and tools for financial review, risk assessment, audit readiness, and reporting.
• Perform any other related duties as assigned, in line with the PIM Plus mandate.

• Ability to assess operational, financial, and compliance risks, review internal control systems, and recommend practical mitigation measures.
• Practical experience supporting audit readiness, coordinating with auditors, interpreting audit findings, and tracking implementation of audit recommendations.
• Strong understanding of Uganda's PFM framework, including the PFM Act, Treasury Instructions, IFMIS, Programme-Based Budgeting, and Government audit and oversight mechanisms.
• Familiarity with World Bank fiduciary standards, including PforR and IPF financial management requirements, is desirable.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, financial management software, IFMIS, and data analysis tools; familiarity with audit and risk management software is desirable.
• High standards of integrity, ethical conduct, and professionalism, particularly in handling financial and audit information.

• Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Public Financial Management, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field from a recognised University.
• Professional qualifications/certifications in Accounting (e.g. ACCA, CPA, CIMA), Internal Audit (e.g. CIA, CISA), Risk Management, or Project Management (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2) are highly desirable.