National Programme Associate

Office/Unit/Project Description

Vision 2030 was adopted as a methodology and roadmap for economic and developmental action in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To grant the Kingdom a leading position in all fields, the Vision sought to identify the country’s general directions, policies, goals, and objectives. Accordingly, this requires Saudi Arabia to open up to the external world,  as well as strengthen its positive global image while enhancing regional relations. This, in turn, accentuates the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the realization of Vision 2030. While the Vision requires promoting economic and commercial activities, enhancing public services for citizens, the efficiency of public expenditures and upgrading resource allocation, it also highlights the importance of cooperation with the United Nations System. Particularly, it highlights the potential UNDP has as the UN Agency with the largest presence in the Kingdom. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is UNDP’s chief coordinating agency through which programming in the national context is undertaken with all other partners in the Kingdom. However, UNDP is uniquely positioned to leverage its international name recognition, presence, and networks to support the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fulfil its mandate. Consequently, the Umbrella Programme for Advisory Services to MoFA was developed as a flexible cooperation framework to encourage MoFA to increase its programmatic engagement with UNDP. The extant Project Document was signed on 01 September 2018, with the following pillars: Strengthening the public diplomacy, supporting Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute of Diplomatic Studies, Providing advisory services to the organizational units at MoFA (political-economic, specialized consular, general affairs, planning and development, legal unit and human resources unit) Promoting the international representation of Saudi Arabia, and finally, Supporting recruitment of Saudi nationals in the UN system. 

 

Scope of Work 

The National Programme Associate will be working on the planning, development, implementation and monitoring of programmes and projects. The Associate will coordinate programme activities, liaise with government partners and other stakeholders and support the monitoring and evaluation of programme results. The role will require strong organizational and communication skills, as well as knowledge of development issues and programme management.

 

Support for UNDP-CO Initiatives and assigned projects:

•            Collaborate with Project Management, international SMEs, and counterparts to identify and propose new project activities.

•            Assist the project in balancing reactivity to ongoing counterpart needs and strategic future-facing ideas.

•            Identify the need for international subject matter experts and other project relevant resources, source and recruit them in line with UNDP guidelines.

•            Provide support to a team of international experts, organizing and conducting project activities, and drafting official documents.

•            Propose solutions to administrative issues when relevant.

•            Oversee UNDP’s support on revisions to the Umbrella Programme, particularly in assessment, analysis, budgeting exercises and reform aspects.

•            Develop Concept Notes, project documents, and proposals to support CO advocacy efforts.

•            Ensure effective and efficient project implementation through planning, monitoring, and oversight, including the establishment of project dashboards and an Implementation Support Unit.

•            Lead and advise the project team on achieving specific results detailed in the annual work plan.

•            Support the identification of new project activities in coordination with counterparts.

•            Assist in the development and implementation of programs and projects, including creation of annual work plans and monitoring compliance with indicators.

•            Provide technical assistance and coordination to project stakeholders.

•            Facilitate knowledge sharing and capacity-building activities.

•            Ensure compliance with project management standards and guidelines, conduct research and analysis, and support monitoring and evaluation activities.

•            Maintain project records, prepare reports and communication materials.

•            Liaise with government and non-governmental organizations to foster partnerships.

•            Conduct research, prepare reports and assessments, manage data, and coordinate logistics for workshops, events, and meetings.

•            Foster effective communication and engagement with stakeholders at national and international levels.

•            Curate and manage the project’s budget, ensuring timely revisions and reporting.

•            Organize and lead team status meetings, ensuring accountability for project funds.

•            Represent the project and the CO in various fora.

•            Lead recruitment and management of experts and staff in accordance with UNDP guidelines.

•            Coordinate the work of consultants and subcontractors, ensuring timely delivery of expected results.

•            Document lessons learned and make recommendations to the Project Board for more effective implementation.

•            Support strategic communication and build partnerships for successful project implementation.

•            Maintain close coordination with project partners and contribute to the dissemination and visibility of achievements.

•            Provide constructive advice on inclusion of communications components in program and project formulations.

•            Coordinate project implementation with relevant Government, UN, and other development partners.

•            Contribute to the analysis of key development and sectoral policies, identifying collaboration opportunities for the CO.

•            Lead or take part in initiatives produced by the CO.

 

Monitoring and Evaluation and Reporting:

•            Monitor and follow up on project progress, ensuring adherence to project documents and UNDP procedures.

•            Ensure timely submission of financial and activity reports by implementing partners.

•            Update project risk logs and lessons learned logs regularly.

•            Prepare high-quality and timely donor reporting, including quarterly and annual narrative and financial reports.

•            Apply UNDP programming tools and policies following Results-Based Management principles.

•            Keep abreast of UNDP programming practices through continuous learning.

•            Brief and consult with senior management on project progress, providing information and advice as required.

•            Undertake any other duties as may be required by UNDP.

 

Institutional Arrangement

The National Project Associate will report to the UNDP Programme Analyst, Pillar Head on contractual, performance management, and administrative matters, while also consulting on a regular basis with the National Project Manager (NPM), and working closely with the rest of the program team in the Country Office. 

 

Competencies

Core: 

•            Innovation: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them.

•            Leadership: Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers. 

•            Communication: Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others.

•            Delivery: Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions. 

 

Technical/Functional:

Business Direction & Strategy

Strategic Thinking       

•            Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions;

•            Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

Business Acumen

•            Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.

•            Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks.

Effective Decision Making      

• Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources

Negotiation and Influence      

• Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations

Business Development            

• UNDP Representation Ability to represent UNDP and productively share UNDP knowledge and activities; advocate for UNDP, its values, mission and work with various constituencies

Business Management             

• Project Management  Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Communication           

•            Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. 

•            Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels

Partnership Management      

Relationship Management     

•            Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understanding.

People Management Competencies 

Results-based Management: 

• Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Collaboration and Partnership: 

• Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Knowledge Facilitation:

• Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Core

Achieve Results:          

• LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively:     

• LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously:   

• LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:      

• LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:         

• LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:   

• LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:           

• LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

 

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

• Min. Education requirements A Bachelor’s degree in business administration, law, political science, management information system, IT management with a combination of a minimum of 4 years of qualifying work experience.

Min. years of relevant work experience        

• 4 years of experience associated with a bachelor’s degree.

Required skills              

•            Excellent knowledge of project management principles and best practices. 

•            Ability to network and liaise with relevant counterparts.

•            Has in depth knowledge on the Governmental governance, Saudi Markets, and relevant industry procurement procedures. 

•            Strategic thinking and problem solving.

•            Experience in IT and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of web-based management systems.

 

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section              

•            Work experience with the UN and international organizations would be an asset.

•            Knowledge of the UN Results-based Management, and Monitoring and Evaluation approach would be an asset.

•            Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling UN values and ethical standards.

•            Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

•            Displays cultural, gender, religion and age sensitivity and adaptability.

 

Required Language(s)              

• Fluency in spoken and written Arabic and English.