Background
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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 and Organizational Context>
The International Trade Center (ITC), the joint agency of the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) based in Geneva, Switzerland is committed to fostering international trade and promoting sustainable development.
The ITCs agribusiness work in Ghana, operating under the ITC Alliances for Action (A4A) Programme, has experienced significant growth and impact. This expansion has led to the decision to recruit a dedicated national administrative assistant, based in Accra, Ghana. The purpose of the position is role of the is to contribute to the effective planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects. The responsibilities include assisting in the formulation of project work plans, drafting budgets and proposals, and ensuring compliance with rules and procedures. The position involves supporting project implementation by providing administrative and logistical assistance, coordinating events, managing contracts, and facilitating field visits.
As a UN Organization, ITC aims to uphold the highest standards of efficiency and professionalism in its operations, and this role will be instrumental in achieving that goal.
Duties and Responsibilities
Support the project team to ensure effective project planning and implementation.
- Assist in compiling and summarizing information and data for the formulation of project work plans. In consultation with project team, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and on other specific project related topics or issues.
- Support project implementation in accordance with the project documents, annual work plans and other agreements between UNDP and responsible partners. Review project documents for completeness and compliance with relevant rules and procedures and identify inconsistencies for referral to supervisor. Compile, summarize and present basic information/data on a specific project and related topics or issues;
- Contribute to and support data collection for gender analysis and gender mainstreaming at the project level.
- Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery that includes organization/coordination of project events, procurement and finance-related activities, contract management, recruitment, and coordination of field visits and project-related missions,
Support partnerships and resource mobilization.
- Establish and maintain contacts and cooperation with the relevant UN Agencies, government institutions, and other partners and relevant stakeholders. Provide support in updating database of the relevant public and development partners, and other stakeholders who are counterparts for the project.
- Support regular communication with partners, project counterparts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries.
- Support dissemination of high-quality information and visibility of the project activities among the stakeholders.
- Assist project team in identifying and gathering information on opportunities for resource mobilization.
Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of project implementation.
- Support implementation of the project monitoring system in alignment with its Monitoring and Evaluation framework to facilitate effective information sharing on project status and achievement of targets.
- Collect, analyze and present information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets as well as for audit purposes. Assist team in the design and conduct of internal evaluations and surveys. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners.
- Support the organization of progress meetings, field, and study visits to monitor project implementation and support organization of workshops, roundtables, and conferences within the project.
- Assist in implementation of effective risk management for the project with a well-documented risk mitigation plan in place. Support monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks. Update the status of risks in relevant project risk logs and/or databases.
- Monitor project budget, financial resources, and accounting for effective and transparent use of available resources and to ensure accuracy and reliability of data/information used in financial reports.
- Support the preparation of weekly, quarterly, annual, and other requested project reports in line with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements.
Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing relevant to the assigned project.
- Participate in training on internal procedures for the project staff and provide support to the organization of training and other capacity building activities as needed.
- Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
- Maintain organized records of project data, field activities, case studies, human-interest stories, photographs, and other relevant documents that can be drawn upon in support of knowledge sharing and advocacy.
Project specific tasks
- UMOJA access, the incumbent will be trained by ITC HQ project assistant.
- Facilitate registration of smallholder farmers in the UN system for payments.
- Provide handholding visa application process support to project participants at regional and international events.
- Facilitate SME engagement and also coordinate project-related visits to the companies/farmers. These include visits from project donors, project partners, ITC staff and industry experts.
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
4. Institutional Arrangement
The Project Assistant works under the general supervision of [ACP Project Manager and collaborates closely with project members including officers and project assistants in ITC HQ Geneva and the national officers based in Accra. [ to be inserted]
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 (insert up to 7 competencies) | Thematic Area | Name | Definition | | Business Management | Operations Management | -
- Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to covert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms
| | Business Management | Digital Awareness and Literacy | - Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed
| | 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 | Communication | - Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and
- verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.
| | Business Management | Monitoring | - Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.
| | Business Development | Integration within the UN | -
- Ability to identify, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work, knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations.
| | Administration & Operations | Event Management | - Support projects with event management including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
| |
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Secondary education is required, or
- University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Minimum years of relevant work experience
- Minimum of 5 years (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience is required
Required skills
Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
- Work experience with UN Agencies
- Direct work Experience with MSMEs and knowledge of cocoa and coffee value chain
- Work experience and project administration and operations
- Knowledge in one of the local languages
- Knowledge of procurement procedures of national/international organizations.
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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