Senior Public Financial Management (PFM) & Fiduciary Risk Assessment Adviser, DOS LEAP Global - Uganda

ZemiTek LLC•Washington, DC

25d

About The Position

The United States Government and the Government of Uganda recently signed a five-year bilateral health cooperation memorandum of understanding to advance health systems and combat infectious diseases. This agreement is part of the America First Global Health Strategy, which emphasizes direct partnerships with sovereign nations through government to government (G2G) awards rather than through NGOs, promotes national ownership of health systems, prioritizes on-budget financing, and requires recipient countries to increase their domestic health investments alongside U.S. assistance. Below is a summary of some of the process metrics that the MOU will track. HIV outcomes focus on the number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART), new HIV diagnoses among infants (with age definitions shifting from 0-18 months to 0-12 months), new diagnoses among older children and adults (12+ months), and the percentage of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV who receive ART. Maternal and Child Health (MCH) outcomes include the percentage of surviving infants receiving at least one dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV1), the percentage of children aged 12-23 months with at least one measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) and tracking of antenatal care (ANC) visits shifting from measuring average number of visits to the percentage of pregnant women with at least 4 ANC visits. Malaria outcomes measure the percentage of confirmed malaria cases receiving first-line antimalarial treatment and the number of insecticide-treated nets distributed (with distribution targets expanding from women and children to all populations at risk). TB outcomes track the number of notified tuberculosis patients (both bacteriologically confirmed and clinically diagnosed) and the percentage of notified TB patients who successfully completed treatment, including disaggregation for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). The first step for the Embassy in Kampala in designing the G2G agreements architecture, is to conduct a risk assessment. This Adviser will support the risk assessment process and risk mitigation planning to unlock the Embassy’s ability to achieve its public health objectives related to the MOU across HIV, TB, malaria, maternal/child health, and health security. This Technical Adviser will provide technical services to the GOU in carrying out life-saving humanitarian assistance (LHA) service delivery in full alignment with the new Presidential Executive Order (EO) directives and simultaneously support the U.S. Embassy Kampala, Department of State (DoS), in administering and overseeing Government-to-Government (G2G) awards to the Government of Uganda by assessing fiduciary risks, strengthening public financial management systems, and ensuring compliance with U.S. Government and Government of Uganda financial and contracting requirements under the rubric of attainment of the disease and health element specific MOU objectives. The Adviser will not conduct the risk assessments but will provide expert services to the Department of State and the GOU to support oversight of the G2G risk assessments which will be carried out by another party (TIFA). The expected outputs are completion of the mandatory assessments and development of mitigation plans required to enable G2G funding through GOU systems to pay for the achievement of HIV, TB, MCH, and malaria specific outcomes.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Public Financial Management, Public Health, or a closely related field.
At least 10 years of progressive experience in a public financial management role, with demonstrated expertise in financial oversight, risk assessment, and compliance within government or donor-funded health programs.
Strong knowledge of U.S. Government rules, regulations, and compliance requirements governing financial management and awards, including performance-based, milestone-based, and cost-reimbursement funding mechanisms.
Proven ability to provide technical assistance, training, and capacity-building support to government institutions, particularly in the context of public financial management and fiduciary oversight.
Familiarity with the Government of Uganda’s public financial management systems, policies, and procedures, especially within the health sector.
Excellent communication, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-cultural and multi-institutional environments.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience managing or supporting U.S. Government awards and contracting mechanisms, with particular emphasis on Government-to-Government (G2G) awards, is an added advantage.

Responsibilities

Integration of technical aspects in the development of the G2G architecture
Ensure strong alignment and incorporation of the health and disease specific outcomes and MOU performance measurements in the G2G design, starting with the initial step of risk assessment.
Provide technical expertise across the health elements and ensure full alignment with the MOU agreement.
Identify gaps in financial management capacity, such as staff skills or system limitations, and recommend targeted training, technical assistance, or system enhancements.
Support the development and implementation of policies and procedures that strengthen financial governance, accountability, and compliance for all G2G awards.
Facilitate coordination and communication between U.S. Government and Ugandan counterparts to align financial management practices and expectations, including those specific to performance-based, milestone-based, and cost-reimbursement awards.
Prepare clear, actionable reports and presentations for Embassy leadership, summarizing findings, recommendations, and progress on financial management improvements.
Provide substantial input in review of the inception report, methodology, tools, and draft risk assessment reports submitted by the contracting firm hired to conduct the risk assessment and ensure that the proposed approach is robust enough to:
Identify and assess fiduciary, operational, and compliance risks associated with U.S. Government-funded G2G awards and considers the unique risk profiles of performance-based, milestone-based, and cost-reimbursement mechanisms where applicable.
Evaluate the capacity of government entities to manage and mitigate risks related to the achievement of performance targets, milestones, and allowable costs.
Review the effectiveness of existing risk mitigation strategies, such as monitoring, reporting, and corrective action procedures, and recommend enhancements tailored to the specific requirements of each award type.
Facilitate the process of developing comprehensive risk mitigation and corrective action plans tailored to address identified weaknesses in financial management, internal controls, and compliance processes.
Recommend contingency plans and escalation procedures for addressing significant risks or compliance issues that may arise under any of the three award types.
Support the development and maintenance of risk registers and tracking tools to monitor ongoing and emerging risks throughout the award lifecycle.
Advise on the establishment of oversight mechanisms, including independent audits, spot checks, and third-party verification, to strengthen accountability and transparency
Analyze compliance with U.S. Government regulations, Government of Uganda laws, and award-specific terms and conditions, highlighting areas of potential vulnerability.
Provide regular updates to Embassy leadership on risk assessment findings, mitigation progress, and any critical issues requiring immediate attention.
Ensure integration of the disease specific aspects in the risk assessment
Based on assessment findings, the Consultant shall support targeted capacity strengthening to improve government financial management systems, including:
Supporting the implementation of these plans by working closely with government counterparts to ensure practical, sustainable improvements.
Providing technical assistance and hands-on training to government staff to enhance their understanding and application of financial controls, accurate financial reporting, and audit readiness, with a focus on the requirements of U.S. Government-funded G2G awards.
Propose solutions to address risks that are identified in the financial management systems to ensure they are robust, transparent, and capable of supporting performance-based, milestone-based, and cost-reimbursement award mechanisms.
Provide technical advice and support to resolve any policy, procedural, and or documentation issues that are identified as part of the risk assessment. to ensure ongoing compliance with U.S. Government and Government of Uganda financial management standards.
Facilitating knowledge transfer and capacity-building workshops to promote best practices in financial management, risk mitigation, and compliance.
Monitoring progress on capacity strengthening initiatives and providing regular feedback and recommendations for continuous improvement.
Ensuring that all financial management practices, systems, and documentation are fully aligned with U.S. Government rules, regulations, and Department of State (DoS) requirements, including those specific to performance-based, milestone-based, and cost-reimbursement awards.
Coordinating closely with the U.S. Embassy, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), Ministry of Health (MoH), and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate effective fiduciary and financial oversight.
Supporting the harmonization of planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting processes across government entities to promote consistency, transparency, and accountability in the management of G2G awards.
Serving as a liaison between U.S. Government and Ugandan counterparts to address compliance issues, resolve challenges, and ensure timely communication of requirements and expectations.
Assisting in the preparation and review of financial reports, audit documentation, and compliance submissions to meet U.S. Government standards.
Providing guidance on the interpretation and application of U.S. Government financial management policies and procedures within the Ugandan context.