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Project Associate

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

tendersglobal.net

JOB DESCRIPTION

Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
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.

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and the rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP supports the Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship crisis response programme, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power and subsequent early recovery and stabilization.

Energy poverty affects the quality of lives of women and men differently in varying degrees and impacts their health, employment and many basic services. Currently, the demand for energy in the country far exceeds its supply, the transmission and distribution grid are unreliable, and load shedding and outages of electricity supply are common. Many provinces are not connected to the grid and are therefore largely served through local diesel generating units that increase the costs of supply. Thus, lack of access is linked to affordable energy and impedes economic, social and educational opportunities for the poor and rural residents.

The Federal Republic of Germany has made available funds to the project “Sustainable energy services for education and health in Afghanistan (SESEHA)” of UNDP through KfW, Germany’s State-owned Investment and Development Bank.   The key objective of the project SESEHA is adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in public facilities (primarily in health and education sectors) for sustained delivery of essential services for basic human needs in Afghanistan. This proposed project will contribute to better energy access and enables improvements in basic energy supply services in the stated sectors.

The project is aligned with UNDP’s signature solution on Energy and is further conceptualized in the priority area of sustained essential services of the UN’s Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025 that directly contributes to the two outcomes: Outcome 1: By the end of 2025, more people in Afghanistan, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls have their basic human needs progressively met through the sustained delivery of essential services. Outcome 2: By the end of 2025, people in Afghanistan, especially women, youth, and other marginalized groups, and those at risk of being left behind benefit from a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient employment-rich economy and shared economic opportunities with enhanced productive capacities for improved livelihoods and decent work.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Associate will undertake the following tasks in order to ensure the success of the project: 

  • Providing overall administrative support to the project implementation;
  • Support the project in all operational processes including financial management, development of annual work plan, administrative, HR management, IT, and protocol;
  • Verify compliance of project implementation to the UNDP’s (Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP)) and internal control mechanism.

1. Administrative support to the project 

  • Assistance in proper control of the supporting documents for payments and financial reports for SESEHA project;
  • Processing of financial documentation (vouchers, supporting documents, telephone invoices, etc.) and maintaining internal expenditures control system by ensuring that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas; travel claims, monthly payment orders (MPOs) and other entitlements are duly processed;
  • Proper receipting of goods and services and establishment of accruals if delegated to the personnel provision of information for reports on financial status, procedures, exchange rates, costs and expenditures and potential funding problems.

2. Support the project in all operational processes including financial management, development of annual work plan, administrative, HR management, IT, and protocol

  • Arrangements of travel and the reservations for visiting UNDP field offices;
  • Efficient, timely, and accurate project budget preparation and utilization including ensuring the approval of Annual Work Plan (AWP), budget allocation, budget revision;
  • Efficient Human Resource management of project personnel, including contracts and leave management;
  • Reservation of UNDP vehicle/equipment / facilities / services via online reservation tool;
  • Preparation of routine correspondence, faxes, and reports in accordance with the Country Office (CO) Standard Operating procedure;
  • Extracting, inputting, copying, and filing data from various sources.

3. Verify compliance of project implementation to the UNDP’s POPP and internal control mechanism.

  • Working closely with the UNDP CO Procurement Unit, to ensure an efficient, effective, and transparent procurement process for the project in line with UNDP’s procurement rules, regulations, policies, and practices;
  • Verify the procurement specification is well prepared, completed, and agreed with all relevant partners to enable the project to deliver its work in the agreed timeline;
  • Coordination with CO’s Finance team to manage the financial resources of the project and generate financial reports.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Associate will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the SESEHA Project Manager. Further, s/he will work in close collaboration with the CO teams, to support the SESEHA project team.

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 

Project Management:

  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Operations Management:

  • Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner.  Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Effectiveness:

  • Programming principles & standards and development effectiveness principles.

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.

Evaluation:

  • Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks.
  • Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

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.

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. .

Working with Evidence and Data:

  • Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
  • Secondary education is required.
  • University degree in Business Administration, Public Administration will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Experience:
  • A minimum of 7 years (with high school diploma) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience is required;
  • Solid knowledge on result-based management and project implementation is required;
  • Good analytical skills and writing skills is required;
  • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), working knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, and experience in the handling of web-based management systems is required;
  • Experience from previous UN assignments and/or multilateral and bi-lateral aid organizations would be an asset;
  • Prior UNDP experience and familiarity with its policies and procedures, particularly in the applicable job area, is an added advantage.

Required Language(s):

  • Fluency in English is required – both written and oral.
  • Fluency in local language of duty station Farsi/or Pashto is required.

Disclaimer

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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