Programme Associate

The Programme and Support Unit works to support achievement of UNDP strategic objectives to create a world where people and planet thrive together, and to help the Country Office act with both ambition and scale to address urgent problems facing the country as well as global climate deteriorating conditions. Programme staff assist the Country Office in formulating and implementing programme strategies that go beyond solving immediate development challenges to create future smart and integrated systemic changes in resilience and capacity building within the country.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the overall guidance of the Programme Support Unit Coordinator, 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 IRH 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.

Support formulation of programme strategies and implementation of the Regional Programme (RP) and projects.

• Provide background information for preparation of RP, preparation of project documentation, work plans, budgets and implementation arrangements and establishment of Baselines, Milestones and Targets (BMT).
• Provide information/evidence to guide future programming and identify implementation arrangements.

Support assigned teams and projects in quality assurance processes 

• Advise teams and projects on timely planning and reporting exercise and supports maintenance of corporate and internal planning and reporting systems for effective and efficient project monitoring.
• Support corporate and regional processes and consolidates various inputs to ensure quality submission of various documents.
• Monitor the maintenance of project data in various platforms; ensures compliance with IATI.
• Support maintaining and monitoring of the Quantum project management module and related tools.
• Provide support to monitoring and evaluation activities, as required.
• Support implementation of audit/evaluation recommendations, as required.

Provide programme support services to the assigned regional teams and assists in implementation of programme portfolio:

• Assist in procurement and contracting processes, compiles contract documentation and prepares documents for the HR/Procurement units
• 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.
• 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.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing. 

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.

Support implementation of the partnership and resource mobilization strategies 

In assigned programme areas, 

• Analyze information on donors and prepare donor profiles.
• Track and report on mobilized resources.
• Review contributions agreements and manage contributions in ERP.

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. Ability to review and edit documents, ability to produce meeting reports identifying key actions.
• Knowledge of UN regulations, rules, and procedures is an asset.
• Experience and knowledge of Quantum is a strong asset.
• Experience of working in global virtual teams is a strong asset.
• Experience in office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.
• Previous experience with international organizations is  asset.

Language:

• Fluency in the UN language of the duty station is required
• Fluency in the national language of the duty station is required for local staff

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions/job/18009