Programme and Administrative Associate

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. 

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government, and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. In addition, BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. While ensuring that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes, BPPS also assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  Lastly, BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data-driven including in its programme support efforts. 

The newly established UNDP Nature Hub is the arrowhead of UNDP’s commitment to a “Nature Pledge” that aims to establish nature at the heart of sustainable development. UNDP’s Nature Pledge for 2030 focuses on three systemic shift areas that are necessary to trigger accelerated and scaled action for achievement of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Importantly, the Nature Hub leads several global project funds, such as the Biodiversity Finance Initiative, Nature for Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Commodity Systems, the GEF Early Action Support, Umbrella Programme on NBSAP Support, Global Biodiversity Finance Programme. These global projects are linked to country level work and help connect people on the ground to the national, regional, and global decision makers and influencers, as well as, fostering exchange and learning between communities, landscapes, and governments in different countries and continents.

Position Purpose

The Programme and Administrative Associate provides programme and administrative services in support of the hub’s programme responsibilities, deliverables, and operations. This includes programme support in data, financial management, project/programme design, planning, implementation, reporting, and information management.  The Programme and Administrative Associate promotes a client-oriented approach, in the framework of UNDP policies, rules and regulations.

In close collaboration with policy, programme, operations and project teams in the HQs. Regional Hubs, COs, the Programme and Administrative Associate identifies and helps resolve bottlenecks, clarifies, and interprets procedures, and escalates complex programme and administrative issues as needed.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide effective support in formulation, implementation, management and monitoring of the Unit’s programme portfolio:

• Provide programme/project management support to the Unit, such as:
  • Manage required processes in the system in relation to the work plan and budget implementation.
  • Monitor expenditures, and support with preparing budget revisions in the system according to the needs of the programme.
• Provide PTAEO authorizations; create requisitions; raise receipts; implement budget and project award revisions; and project status; determination of unutilized funds, maintain the internal expenditures control system.
• Track, monitor and report on the use of project resources.
• Conduct budget checks for accuracy of Requisitions, Purchase Orders and Payment Vouchers.
• Ensure the compliance of arrangements for project approval, implementation, general operations, and closure of projects with UNDP policies and regulations.
• Generate reports and information on routine implementation of projects and programme/project status. 
• Review, verify and reconcile financial data and reports to ensure accuracy and conformity with UNDP financial and administrative rules and regulations.
• Identify and escalate project related issues, proposing and contributing to the development of solutions. 

Ensure general operational and administrative support to the Unit:

• Organize and prepare agendas and minutes of unit meetings and tracks follow-up actions.
• Coordinate and write sections of briefing materials and reports for meetings and missions for staff, including research work to prepare briefing materials as applicable.
• Process official Unit Mission Travel Requests, including timely follow-up action on medical/security clearance, claims, signatures as appropriate and ensuring preparation of the necessary documents in the system, collaborating with GPN’s Joint Directorate Integrated Operations Team (IOT) as needed.
• Monitor all travel-related payments for the Unit, liaising appropriately with BPPS IOT/ and BPPS staff in the field, as required.
• Provide administrative and logistical support for donor meetings, country/region specific meetings, workshops, trainings, conferences, retreats, and any other special events organized by Unit. 
• Provide inputs into the unit’s administrative business processes mapping and implementation of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Provide support in the project closure through detail reconciliation and analysis of projects expenses.
• Backstop procurement processes, including preparation of CAP and ACP submissions. 
• Backstop unit members on programme management during absences and mission travel. 
• Serve as the Unit’s liaison person for all interactions with IOT (Integrated Operations Team) on all programme and operational support.

Ensure provision of support to manage Unit’s portfolio documentation:

• Prepare information for the audit of projects and follow-up/support to the implementation of audit recommendations.
• Proof-read, edit, and translate reports as necessary for in-house dissemination and/or publication. 
• Collect and disseminate information related to thematic area, including inputs for donor reports and provides information when requested from various sources. 
• Follow the established filing and archiving standards and procedures for the Bureau, organize, update, and maintain all project/programme-related documents. 
• Scan and ensure proper digital filing of all Unit documents that must be retained in support of corporate policies.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the relevant area:

• Prepare reports synthesizing lessons learnt and good practices.
• Contribute to and administer events pertaining to UNDP knowledge networks. 
• Support the development of training, learning materials and activities by developing substantive components.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core: 
Achieve Results:

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively:

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. 

Learn Continuously:

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility:

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 

Act with Determination:               

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination. 

Cross-Functional & Technical: 
Business Management: Customer Satisfaction/Client Management        

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. 
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. 
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. 
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management: Project Management     

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

Business Management: Operations Management             

• Ability to effectively plan, organize and oversee the Organization’s business processes to convert its assets into the best rules in the most efficient manner.
• Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Finance: Planning and Budgeting             

• Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP’s long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing, and reporting.

Finance: Budget Management   

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Procurement: Procure-to-Pay    

• Knowledge of purchase-to-pay cycles, concepts, principles and policies, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Administration & Operations: Travel Desk            

• Ability to process and approve Travel Requests, Travel Claims and Expense Report, 
• Knowledge of policy and procedures.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required. OR
• A first-level university degree in Business or Public Administration, Economics, Political or Social Sciences or related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with secondary education) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in administrative or programme at the national and/or international level is required. 
• Proficiency in IT software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
• Experience with ERP systems is highly desirable (i.e., Oracle Cloud, SAP, Atlas, Quantum, or others). 
• Experience working with UNDP, UN or other international organizations is desired.
• Experience in preparation or review of financial reports is desirable.
• Experience in procurement processes at national/ international organization is desirable.
• Experience in providing administrative and logistical support for donor meetings, country/region specific meetings, workshops, trainings, conferences, retreats, and any other events is desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. 
• Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.