Programme Support Unit Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

Our Mission and Vision:
As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.
UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.
Our Development Objectives:
UNDP’s work, adapted to a range of country contexts, is framed through three broad development settings.
1- Eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions
2- Accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development
3- Building resilience to crisis and shocks
Our Strategic Solution
UNDP is implementing six cross-cutting approaches to development, known as Signature Solutions. A robust, integrated way to put our best work – or ‘signature’ skillset – into achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
1. Keeping people out of poverty
2. Governance for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies
3. Crisis prevention and increased resilience
4. Environment: nature-based solutions for development
5. Clean, affordable energy
6. Women’s empowerment and gender equality

Context

The Regional Bureau for Arab States of the United Nations Development Programme has an office located in Beirut (Lebanon) which serves as a platform for operation for the Regional Programme.
The Management Support Unit (MSU) provides various administrative, operational and procurement support services to all UNDP-RBAS’ Regional Programme projects and/or activities that are implemented across the Arab countries; from basic information management and administrative duties to complex business activities.

Task description

Under the general guidance of the Project Management Analyst and the direct supervision of the Management Support Analyst, the UN Volunteer Specialist will:
A. Assist in the implementation of operational, administrational, and financial management strategies focusing on achievement of the following results:
• Full compliance with UN/UNDP rules, regulations and policies;
• Assist in preparing contracts for services required to carry out conferences and meetings on both national and regional levels. This includes:
• Prepare request for quotations, price analysis and comparison, preparation of cost breakdowns and complete documentation needed to request contracts from UNDP;
• Follow up on contract implementation before, during and after the conference and/or meeting;
• Participate in the preparation of annual budgets, and monitoring general expenditures throughout each year of implementation through shadow budgets updated daily, with a view to ensure that budget is being expended as originally projected; Implementation of cost sharing and trust fund agreements;
• Participate in the monitoring of the implementation and performance of signed contracts;
• Responsible for the maintenance, updating and improvement of contractual records.
B. Provide support to RBAS’ Regional Programme focusing on the achievement of the following results:
• Support in developing and implementing business processes for regional projects;
• Responsible for administrative matters relating to official travel of the staff, consultants, and experts and prepare the travel authorizations;
• Liaise and coordinate with Country Office and the RBAS Regional Hub’s HR Unit, to include but not limited to, recruitment, extension, separation, employment certificates, etc.;
• Receipt of applications for internship and long listing of candidates according to UNDP rules.
C. Support procurement processes for RBAS’ Regional Programme:
• Draft official correspondence on procurement related activities when requested;
• Support the organization of procurement processes including the preparation of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their preliminary evaluation;
• Assist in contract management;
• Liaise and coordinate in procurement-related matters with UNDP Country Office and the Regional Hub in Amman when requested;
• Assist in preparing and organizing national and regional meetings and workshops;
• Send all required documentation to the procurement unit in order to issue Purchase Orders (POs).
D. Assist in other processes for RBAS’ Regional Programme:
• Calculate entitlements of participants and process the required payments (per diem and terminals when applicable);
• Verify certification of payments and invoices from travel agents, event organizers, hotels and their suppliers against terms of contracts and actual services rendered; then process payment through UNDP Country Office and the Regional Hub in Amman;
• Process and follow up on the payments of experts and consultants;
• Prepare Travel Claim Forms for reimbursement of expenditures, for submission to the UNDP country office and the Regional Hub in Amman Payments Officer;
• Support in monitoring the proper functioning of equipment;
• Assist in managing office assets, as requested, through keeping up to date inventory list, receipts and other relevant documents and/or lists; perfuming physical check when and if requested;
• Perform stocktaking of expendable office equipment and supplies and replenish stock as needed;
• Assist in managing the Regional Programme office lease contracts, office expansion work, relocation, and process and follow up on relevant payments (if any);
• Conduct work necessary to complete administrative paper work (licenses, government forms, UNLPs …. etc).
E. Ensures proper data clean-up and filing focusing on achievement of the following result:
• Ensure regular data clean up, filing and maintenance of data bases;
• Prepares data reporting upon request;
• Any other task assigned by the Project Management Analyst and Management Support Analyst.