Senior Budget Analyst (FMG/PA 2)

Key Responsibilities

To facilitate a budget that is affordable within the budget ceiling, is linked to the corporate plan and is in line with GoJ priorities

• Liaise with, and coach, the MDAs to build their capacity to produce costed operational plans, analyse affordable options within the budget ceiling and prepare budget submissions within that ceiling, specifically by promoting the use of the costing spreadsheet;
• Liaise between MDAs and CMU to advise of changes to budgetary needs or to the expected ceiling;
• Liaise closely and continuously with the MDAs during the budget period to analyse MDA s’ activities and finances and to identify areas for cost savings and financial improvements;
• Analyse budget submissions to detect omissions, duplications, unrealistic forecasting and to ensure that cost projections are allocated across sub-objects and to resolve these issues with the MDAs;
• Check the completeness, adequacy and accuracy of capital bids and their recurrent cost implications in consultation with the Projects Unitfor the technical dimensions, working with the MDAs to address problems and jointly prepare a summary report to the PSIP Co-ordinator, as the secretariat to the Projects Prioritisation Committee;
• Ensure that the recurrent implications of the capital projects approved for the prioritised PSIP have been integrated into the final budget submission;
• Assist the MDAs in producing supplementary budget submissions;
• Liaise closely and continuously with the MDA to become more conversant with their budgetary needs;
• Advise PX Unit Head and the PX Director on the likely budgetary needs of each Budget Head, and the appropriate priority of these needs;
• Advise the PX Unit Head and other senior officials negotiating, with MDAs on final budget submission;
• Ensure timely entry of budget data (at each stage) into JABIS with assistance from secretarial staff, and produce summary reports as required;
• Produce ‘camera-ready’ estimates and supplementary estimates for review by the PX Unit Head.
• Servicing the various Appropriation Committees of Parliament by providing briefs for the FS, HMOFP, and relevant MDAs as required;

To seek to ensure that MDA funding needs are met through an optimal warrant and cash allocation within the limits set by available resources

• Keep MDAs updated on likely available cashflow, as signalled by CMU;
• Assist MDAs with preparation of cashflow request to ensure that it accurately reflects level and timing of cash needs;
• Compare and analyse cashflow requests with the budgeted provision and operational plan as well as established policy priorities; Advise CMU on MDA’s cashflow needs,recommending appropriate prioritisation;
• Enter cashflow request data and actual expenditure data fromMDAs into the Jamaica Budget Information System (JABIS) and review summary reports generated from the system;
• Advise PX Unit Head , and Senior Director PX on requests, expenditure trends and projection in the light of analysis of JABIS summary report;
• Assist the CMU to produce report on monthly allocations for each MDA i.e. the warrant schedule;
• Recommend the allocation resources across recurrent heads/objects and capital projects, within the ceiling approved by Senior Director CMU;
• Provide the accompanying monthly warrant advice to MDAs;
• Provide cash flow data to CMU on Vote-On account provision;
• Review capital project implementation plans and liaise with Projects Unit on the cash needs of specific capital projects forMDAs, and advise CMU;
• Review requests for supplementary cash advances and make recommendation to PX Unit head for discussion and approval of the CMU and monitor for recovery;
• Advise Unit Head and CMU on cash management concerns of MDAs.

To seek to ensure that the MDAs’ expenditure is within the budgetary provision, and has been applied so as to achieve the desired outcomes and value for money

• Financial performance
  • Undertake a monthly variance analysis of expenditure against budget and against prior period(s), analysing causes for variances and raising issues of concern with the Unit Head and Principal Finance Officers
  • (PFOs), so as to ensure that expenditure is within the Voted provision; Undertake analysis of expenditure with a view to determine potential sources of cost savings and efficiencies, discussing these with the Unit head and PFO and ensuring that future budget reflects savings;
  • Attend multilateral/bilateral funding agency project reviews at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), to assist them to better to understand projects and the status of implementation and funding;
  • Monitor the MDA’s costing of actual outputs, compared with those estimated in the corporate plan, and assisting the entity better to cost its outputs in the future.
• Operational performance against corporate plan
  • Attend and contribute fully to all performance reviews of the MDA;
  • Monitor the MDA’s operational performance against corporate plans;
  • Analyse performance reports to highlight areas for improvement to recognize best practice and overseeing any corrective action that is required;
  • Monitor the MDA’s achievement of its performance targets, clarifying with MDA the reasons for any divergence and seeking to assist where possible in the future achievement of targets;
  • Produce operational parts of joint performance report with Financial
• Analyst from Quarterly review meetings including recommendations on improvements;
  • Provide financial expertise to any assessment of the MDA’s overall operational performance;
  • Provide coaching or training sessions to the MDA as required, in collaboration with the PXPC Units as appropriate.

To ensure that stakeholders have sufficient information about the budgetary affairs of portfolio MDAs in order to assist them in strengthening public expenditure systems.

• Provide advice, assistance and collaboration to colleagues in PX Unit and Projects Unit to promote their understanding of MDA budgetary issues;
• Undertake financial analysis to enable PX Unit Head to endorse comments and make recommendations on Cabinet submissions, draft bills etc;
• Coach colleagues in the PX unit on resource allocation, production of budget and warrant and corporate planning.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

• Knowledge of government accounting;
• Knowledge of costing/budgeting techniques;
• Good knowledge of GoJ budgeting and planning processes;
• Analytical Ability
• Job Knowledge
• Quality of Output
• Job Attitude
• Interpersonal Skills
• Customer Relations Official Conduct

Minimum Required Qualification and Experience

• BSc. in Accounts, Banking and Finance, Public Administration, Management Studies or equivalent qualifications.
• Two (2) years’ experience in related financial management role.
• Public sector experience would be an asset.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF THE JOB

• Pressured working conditions to meet cash flow numerous critical deadlines.

We thank all applicants for the interest expressed; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.