Programme Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations’ global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It is on the ground in 177 countries, working on solutions to global and national development challenges. UNDP China assists China in developing its own solutions to the country’s development challenges and works to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by reducing poverty, strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance, and by promoting environmental sustainability and South-South Cooperation.

Context

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 targets outlines a grand blueprint for global development to 2030. The UN system fully adopted the SDGs as its compass, advocating and working towards an inclusive, just and green development. Countries have been integrating the SDGs in their national priorities and strategies. China’s recognition of the importance of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is exemplified by its multiple efforts, achievements and commitments, not last the recent pledge to peak emissions by 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2060.
As China strives towards a low carbon path, this project aims to tackle Chinese carbon footprint by advocating and encouraging sustainable procurement, launching a concerted push to align China’s procurement to sustainable best practices. In addition, the project aims to level the playing field for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and women-owned businesses (WOBs), by increasing their access to international organizations procurement including the UN. SMEs and WOBs are particularly hindered in participating in sustainable procurement by capacity and information deficits and limited access to support services.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) of China’s Ministry of Commerce, Shanghai Qingpu District People’s Government, and Shanghai Glorious In-vestment Development Co. Ltd. have thus agreed to jointly launch the “Knowledge Sharing, Capacity Building and Supporting Service Programme on Sustainable Procurement”.
The project will facilitate the establishment of a platform for international procurement services, in-formation sharing and capacity building in Shanghai’s Qingpu District. This will lay the groundwork for a long-term institutionalized arrangement to be put in place with the support of the government, building a cluster for procurement services.
The project will also enhance the capacity enterprises, especially SMEs and WOBs to directly participate in international procurement, embedding a gender-responsive approach across the whole project. Activities will include training, seminars, capacity development sessions and the development of networks for procurement and support services, leveraging UN system’s partnerships and conveyor capacity.
The project is expected to be a pilot for similar initiatives to be scaled up, supporting similar capacity building projects in other countries and regions. Through aligning businesses practices to sustainable ones, this will help achieving the SDGs across the globe by 2030.

Task description

Under the leadership of of the Project Management Office’s Directors and primary supervision of the PMO’s Project Manager, the UN Volunteers will undertake the following tasks:
• Develop and oversee the implementation of detailed annual project plans at PMO level, ensuring that activities align with the project’s expected results and outputs
• Assist in conducting training sessions related to capacity building for the UN agencies/international organizations.
• Assist in organizing the China UN Procurement Conference annually.
• Provide enterprises with introductions, clarification, guidance, and consultancy services regarding United Nations procurement.
• Conduct surveys and follow-ups on business needs within the project, expand the user base of data platforms, and provide customized services.
• Regularly analyze enterprise data to provide rational suggestions and feasible solutions to enhance enterprise satisfaction.
• Coordinate internal institutional and external resource-related connections according to the work plan within the project.
• Prepare and maintain correspondences, event briefs and project progress reports
• Provide administrative and programming support to project implementation
• Provide regular progress reports to project steering committee
• Adhere to the management regulations of the project office and comply with work discipline.
• Complete other tasks assigned by the supervisors of the project office.
Furthermore, UNVs are encouraged to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking an active part in UNV activities (for in-stance, IVD celebration events);
• Get acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking;
• Contribute news and articles on field experiences and submit them to UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UNV volunteers;
• Promote online volunteering and encourage individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering Service whenever technically feasible.
Results/Expected Output:
The following outputs are expected:
1. Timely support provided to tasks related to the project;
2. Facilitation to the smooth implementation and management of project activities;
3. Appropriate data/file management maintained;
4. Ad-hoc duties fulfilled as required.