Background
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been operating in Egypt for more than a decade as a trusted and credible partner, supporting the government through policy advice and programme management, leading nationwide initiatives and programmes, and playing an important role in strengthening national institutional capacities to address poverty reduction, job creation, and business promotion. The overarching approach for UNDP in Egypt is to support Egypt’s vision for sustainable development for all and meet Egypt’s strategic and national development priorities.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
Job Purpose
Under the overall guidance of the ARR(P) and Program Analyst, the Programme Associate ensures effective delivery of the CO programme by entering and managing data and supporting programme implementation consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.
The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects’ staff in the CO and UNDP HQ, and UN Agencies to exchange information and resolve complex finance-related issues.
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 in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities
Support formulation of programme strategies and implementation of the Country Programme Documents (CPDs).
- Provide background information for preparation of CPDs and establishment of Baselines, Milestones and Targets (BMT).
- Provide information/evidence to guide future programming and identify implementation arrangements.
- Compile information, development, and presentation of background information for formulation of the country programme, draft project documents, work plans, budgets, proposals on project pipelines, and implementation arrangements within the assigned portfolio.
- Analyze data for programme development, research studies, and reports and provide input to relevant research or reports on issues related to social protection, urban development, local development, community resilience, as well as other related areas.
Provide effective support to management of the Country Office programme.
- Create project in ERP, prepare required budget revisions, revise project status, determine unutilized funds, and ensure operational and financial closure of a project.
- Provide day-to-day guidance to implementing partners on implementation of projects, and track use of financial resources. Contribute to managing digital technology solutions in programme implementation towards scalability and sustainability in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
- Contribute to the effective management of data in programme implementation, across the data lifecycle. Follow up on programme and project performance indicators/ success criteria, targets and milestones, preparation of reports, and implementation of corporate results-based management mechanisms and tools.
- Support planning, monitoring and reporting of programmes and projects pertaining to budget and resource management, and ensures support in quality control of financial resource management, flagging any deviations or bottlenecks, entailing assessing and reviewing submitted payments for portfolio’s projects against agreed workplans, frameworks, and UNDP guidelines.
- Identify programme related bottlenecks and propose solutions.
- Make preparations for external and internal programme/project audits, and support implementation of audit recommendations.
- Provide administrative support to the Programme unit by maintaining internal expenditure system and performing quality assurance review of technical reports and payments that includes following up with other units and taking timely corrective actions.
- Prepare and/or consolidate comprehensive reports, documentation, correspondence, briefing notes, etc. and conduct research in the area of work.
- Support the initiation of new projects through engaging in the formulation of project documents and, finalization of contribution agreement.
- Support and provide technical backstopping in project planning, implementation, evaluation and monitoring, as required, and day-to-day project management, including project communication and technical advice to Implementing Partners and counterparts, developing project-related documentation, and reporting, as required, to ensure efficient project execution and delivery.
- Draft and prepare quarterly and annual progress reports, project implementation reports, and assessment reports for the portfolio’s projects, when required, in compliance with planned workplans and financial reporting systems, UNDP and donors’ (if applicable) rules, regulations, and policies.
- Provision of technical and financial advice and guidance to the executing partners, agencies, or counterparts on routine implementation of projects. Act as a point of contact for timely and accurate resolution of a range of technical, operational, and financial queries and problems, specifically from respective counterparts and partner.
- Develop written communication material that complement the portfolio/programme’s larger communication and advocacy plans and strategic priorities, including reports, briefs, concept notes, etc.
- Presentation of information for audit of NEX/NIM projects, compile information for audit of NEX projects, and support implementation of audit recommendations.
- Research, tracking and monitoring of programme data on the respective portfolio.
- Efficient co-ordination of team workflows and key deliverables.
Support implementation of the CO partnership and resource mobilization strategies.
- Analyze information on donors and prepare donor profiles.
- Track and report on mobilized resources.
- Review contributions agreements and manage contributions in ERP.
- Engage in stakeholder meetings and dialogues and regularly liaise, coordinate, and communicate with counterparts form the Government, donors, and other pertinent stakeholders, ensuring effective collaboration and implementation of respective project activities, and robust monitoring and reporting on portfolio/projects’ implementation.
- Support the identification of areas for support and interventions within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned; through participating in interagency fora and meetings, with a view to identify areas of common interest.
- Contribute to development of project/programme pipeline proposals and new partnerships, identifying opportunities and areas for support and intervention within the assigned thematic/sectoral areas, through contributing with comprehensive research data and preparing concept notes, project proposals, funding proposals, aligned with UNDP’s strategic priorities, and the Country Programme Document, supporting the overall office effort in resource mobilization. This entails analysis and research of information on donors and preparation of donor’s profile.
- Ensure and/or perform accurate, timely recording of data and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Country Office.
- In assigned programme areas:
- Organize and deliver programme related training for relevant programme and operations personnel.
- Compile lessons learned and best practices.
- Provide contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice and digital knowledge platforms.
- Provide inputs to support the portfolio/programme’s knowledge management and communication activities.
- Best practices and lessons learned proposed in technical, operational, and financial project/programme support for dissemination.
- Support the programme in capturing, codifying, synthesizing lessons from evaluations and assessments and helps in sharing and accumulating best practices and experience across teams and the region.
- 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
LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
Think Innovatively
LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
Learn Continuously
LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
Adapt with Agility
LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
Act with Determination
LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
Engage and Partner
LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
Enable Diversity and Inclusion
LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Business Management
Project Management:
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
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 Development
Knowledge Generation:
• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
Business Management
Risk Management
Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
Business Management
Results-based Management:
• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results.
Finance
Budget Management:
• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.
Procurement
Contract Management:
• Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Secondary education is required.
- A university degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Experience:
- A minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant progressively responsible administrative/management or programme experience is required at the national and/or international level.
- Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP is required.
- Fluency in Arabic and English is required.
- Ability to review and edit documents, ability to produce meeting reports identifying key actions is desired.
- Previous UN experience or International Organization is desired.
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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