Project Assistant (Interpreter)

Terms of Reference (TOR) 

for functions under a National Personnel Service Agreement 

1. Position Information 

1. Office/Unit/Project Description 

The UNDP Turkey Country Office positions itself as a development partner that brings global knowledge, through a multi-sectoral approach – the key comparative advantage of UNDP – and concentrates its work on 3 programmatic fields: i) Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, ii) Inclusive and Democratic Governance, iii) Climate Change and Environment. 

ISG Portfolio benefits from the interplay between UNDP global strategic priorities and national priorities and consolidates complementary CO initiatives with a view to bringing further coherence to programmatic work in this area. The emphasis of the ISG Portfolio is on “inclusive growth”. The ISG is positioned to address structural economic problems, such as productivity, the middle-income trap, multi-dimensional poverty, energy security and regional disparities, as well as challenges with both social and economic repercussions, such as urbanization, resource efficiency, health transformation and community-based development. Gender Equality and Women’s empowerment is addressed from an economic perspective (e.g. women entrepreneurship and gender equality in labour force participation), ensuring complementarity but avoiding duplication. Partnerships with private sector targets to build inclusive markets that can advance sustainable development, foster innovation, provide jobs and livelihoods, ensure gender equality, and create businesses that aim at a triple bottom line (profit, environmental responsibility and social value added).

In principle, the ISG Portfolio focuses on productive employment rather than income redistribution, even though both are critical issues. The work on social policies and services will promote equal access to opportunities and therefore, will contribute to equitable growth. Hence the emphasis will be not only on employment growth but also on productivity growth. The two programme areas that ISG covers are a) Competitiveness, Economic Growth and Innovation (CEG+), and b) Public Policies and Inequalities CEG.

The Project Assistant (Interpreter) will be responsible for various projects that are running within the scope of ISG Portfolio including. 

a. Uplands Rural Development Project (URDP) 

b. Göksu Taşeli Watershed Development Project (GTWDP)

Background of Göksu Taşeli Watershed Development Project (GTWDP):

The overall objective of Göksu Taşeli Watershed Development Project (GTWDP) is to reduce rural poverty by supporting economic diversification through value chain development and sustainable natural resource management. The Project targets to increase farmers’ income from improved agricultural production and marketing activities in the targeted area with strengthened resilience to climate shocks. The Project would also contribute to improving the standards of living of the nomadic Yörük tribes in the highlands of the Taurus Mountains, through capacity building that would assist them to organize for improved management of the common natural resources. The project outcomes include:

i. sustainably increased farm productivity,

ii. higher product prices received by smallholder producers.

The GTWDP is being implemented in selected villages of 11 districts of Konya and Karaman provinces of Central Anatolia. These districts are in the Göksu sub-catchment, one of the four in the East Mediterranean Watershed. The Project area includes 238 villages that are situated in the mountainous parts of the 11 districts where the elevation varies between 600 m and 1 800 m.

Background of Uplands Rural Development Project (URDP):

The overall objective of the Upland Rural Development Project (URDP), on the other hand, is to enhance the welfare and socio-economic resilience of small farmers in highlands. This objective can be attained by making the use of natural resources sustainable and improving the resilience and economic opportunities of poor people in rural areas based on farms and agribusinesses linked to more profitable economic clusters. The key strategy of the Project includes developing rural production, encouraging sustainable use of soil and water, and enhancing the adaptation capacity of smallholding farmers to climate change. This strategy depends on two basic complementary outcomes (outputs): (i) Development of critical agribusinesses through better natural resource management and high added value for rural.

3.      Scope of Work (5 to 7 items only) 

Under the supervision of the Rural Development Projects Coordinator and the Head of Department of Surveys and Projects Department (SPD) of General Directorate of Agrarian Reform, the Project Assistant (Interpreter) will provide translation services, necessary assistance and will support the day-to-day implementation of the project making. Specific Duties include the below shared responsibilities: 

•             Provide general administrative support to ensure the smooth running of the project activities.

•             Organize meetings, help drafting the business correspondence with the Project Team and other communication with the project partner

•             Support the project outreach and PR activities in general, including keeping of the project website up to date. 

•             Keep files with project documents.

•             Control the usage of non-expendable equipment (record keeping, drawing up regular inventories);

•             Draft correspondence and documents; support the finalization of correspondence of administrative nature. 

•             Act on telephone inquiries, fax, post and e-mail transmissions, and co-ordinate appointments.

•             Provide interpretation during project related meetings and events.

•             Translate documents into English to Turkish or from Turkish to English as deemed necessary by the Project Manager.

•             Perform any other administrative/financial duties as requested by the Project Manager.

•             Provide support to preparation administrative documents such as tender documents.

•             Follow up UNDP administrative procedures in terms of procurement and/or finance. 

•             Provide support to PR activities project website, social media accounts and e-mail system of project.

1. Institutional Arrangement 

The Project Assistant (Interpreter) will report to the Rural Development Projects Coordinator and the Head of Department of Surveys and Projects Department (SPD). The incumbent reports to UNDP and MoAF, specific reporting lines will be communicated to the incumbent upon signature of the contract. He /She will work in coordination with the Regional and Provincial Project Staff, Provincial Project Officers, PPMU and CPMU employees.

1. Competencies

1. Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA