1. Office/Unit/Project Description 

UNDP in Viet Nam programme portfolios consist of a mix of national implementation and direct agency implementation. UNDP in Viet Nam continues providing critical support in the areas of democratic governance and participation; inclusive and equitable growth; and sustainable development, climate change and disaster risk reduction. Efforts to support Viet Nam’s development agenda are firmly grounded in the context of the One UN Initiative and the One Plan III, the consolidated programme of work of all UN agencies working in Viet Nam.

Programme governance, management, and administration will therefore require a high degree of flexibility and agility, with a focus on contribution to offering high quality policy advisory and project implementation services.

Within the context of increased demand and response related to Outcome 4.1 under The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 – Participatory decision-making and responsive institutions, Goal 16 in SDGs and UNDP CPD 2022-2026 – Output 3.2. Improved mechanisms for promoting transparency, public participation, integrity, adaptability and accountability, including participation of women and other vulnerable group as well as CPD Output 3.4. Capacities strengthened to undertake legal, policy and institutional reforms to address structural barriers to gender equality and inclusion of persons with disability, the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) continues playing a critical role in delivering the voice of citizens from different demographic backgrounds about policy making, policy implementation and implementation monitoring at all government levels. Moreover, PAPI is an effective tool for citizens to engage in overseeing the performance of the state apparatus and public administration system at the provincial level, and from there, it provides in-depth findings and policy considerations through thematic discussions on important governance areas for better law enforcement.

2. Scope of Work 

The Project Associate has the following functions:

• Provide effective support to management and implementation of CO projects.
• Supports formulation of new projects and resource mobilization.
• Provides financial and administrative support to the Participation and Governance Team (GPT) wide activities.

He/She would be responsible for:

• Providing effective supports to operational management of the project accordingto the project document and the UNDP’s DIM procedures:
• Provide supports to effective Procurement and Recruitment and Contract management process.
• Support Project Officers in periodic review of project workplan and advise Project Officers and implementing partners on the progress and workplan’s conformity to agreed results and outputs for finalization.
• Provide supports in direct implementation of project events as per approved workplan, including recruitment of international and national consultants, organizing technical workshops, meetings and trainings, travel arrangements and procurement of good and services.
• Coordinate dispatch and contact with donors, government agencies and other partners.
• Support the organization of overseas study tours and monitoring visits, including DSA entitlement calculation and transportation.
• Create requisitions in Quantum for development projects, register of goods receipt in Quantum. Create the request for procurement through UnAll platform and closely follow-up the procurement process.
• Perform budget check for requisitions, purchase orders and vouchers.

• Providing efficient supports to financial management of the project according to UN regulations:
• Track and control program/project expenditures/disbursement rate against commitments to ensure the conformity with approved Annual workplans and Budget, determining gaps between budgets and expenditures, committed and actual allocated funds to advise Project Officers for taking actions.
• Liaise closely with Finance Unit and Operation Unit for tracking overall expenditures in relation to commitments and report on delivery status to Project Officer.
• Periodically check and determine any discrepancy between numbers recorded in system and actual project expenditures and advise finance colleagues for adjustment where needed.
• Quarterly review of (DIM) Project Advance and Financial Reports (FACE) forms with the approved annual workplan, quarterly workplan, corresponding activities as well as expenditure accounts.
• Take timely corrective actions and unposted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers.
• Support timely operational and financial closure of project, determination of unutilized funds and processing operational/financial closure of projects in Quantum.
• Maintain the internal expenditures control system to ensure that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum.
• Maintain, physically verify and certify projects’ assets and inventories.
• Provide supports to all mandatory and rephasing exercises. Initiate budget revisions, in line with available resources. Make necessary adjustments at the requests of project authorities.
• Track and manage contributions in Quantum, timely address related issue to Programme officer if any. Assist liaison and partnership activities with funding partners.

• Quality Assurance:
• Support Project Officers and Implementing Partners in day-to-day monitoring and implementation of project activities to ensure the project progress achievement of results and outputs as planned.
• Prepare checklist for FACE advance and liquidation, LOA, RPA and other modalities where required. Ensure the latest templates are used.
• Provide advice, guidance and support to DIM project personnel to ensure the applicable policies and procedures (UN Harmonized Program and Project Management Guidelines-HPPMG, Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer-HACT, Cost Norms).
• Provide inputs to the auditing of DIM projects, support programme officers and implementing partners in follows-up on timely implementation of audit recommendation.
• Provide supports to HACT compliance, consists of micro assessment, financial spot-checks, documentation of programme meetings/visits/meetings.
• Arrange storage and systematize project document in accordance with the regulations.
• Provide support for spot-check, audit preparation as well as mid-term reviews and final evaluation including recruitment or consultants, arrangement of working missions/interviews and other support where needed.

• Supports formulation of new projects and resource mobilization:
• Support Programme Officers/experts in collection, analysis and presentation of financial background information for preparation of UN and UNDP documents such as UN One Strategic Plan, Country Programme Document, etc.
• Contribution to (i) the planning/budgeting of the project formulation process, (ii) preparation of project document and (iii) appraisal processes, ensuring effective liaison with partners in this regard;
• Supports to effective procurement and recruitment and contract management process for project idea/proposal development;
• Support to financial management of the grants/facilities for the formulation of project ideas and proposals;
• Entering approved project proposal into the UNDP online management system – called QUANTUM – for project award generation; creation of projects including project activities and budgets in QUANTUM, revision of project award and project status when required and delegated.
• Tracking and reporting on mobilized resources. Review of contributions agreement, managing contributions in QUANTUM.
• Assist liaison and partnership activities with funding partners.

• Provides financial and administrative support to the GPT wide activities:

Overall budget and Finance (as required and arrangement among PAs)

• Support Unit Head in planning and managing the direct project costing (DPC) and tracking incomes and expenditure relating to staff costs of the Unit;
• Analyze and monitor overall program financial situation in consultation with Unit Head, Programme Officers and project staff. Report on program/project financial expenditures and alert Unit Head and Programme Officers on shortfalls and over-expenditures;
• Liaise closely with Finance Unit and Programme Support Unit for tracking overall expenditures in relation to commitments and report on delivery status to Unit Head.
• Maintain and update the GPT pipeline project in the system.
• Serve as the focal point for financial, administrative, operation or substantive matters within the unit or for the Country Office, as needed; this includes Spot Check, M&E, Audit preparation, retreat, trainings, project profiles, etc., as required.

Initiation Plans (as required and arrangement among Programme Assistants)

• Support project formulation, planning, budgeting, management and implementation of these specific projects.
• Co-ordinate all mandatory and rephasing exercises. Initiate budget revisions, in line with available resources. Make necessary adjustments at the requests of project authorities.
• Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that voucher processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in QUANTUM.
• Timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers.
• Creation of requisitions in QUANTUM for development projects, register of goods receipt in QUANTUM.

Serve as the Compliance (M&E) Focal Point: (as required and arrangement among PAs)

• Support to timely monitoring and actions towards satisfactory scorecard performance for the office
• Play a role of M&E focal point (Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating);
• Provide support for Pre-PAC & LPAC in conformity with CO’s SOPs/guideline.
• Follow and update the Project Risk log, SES.
• Timely reminding PO/PA on project ending date and support procedures for closure if needed.

Serve as the HACT focal point (as required and arrangement among PAs)

• HACT compliance consists of micro assessment, financial spot-checks, documentation of programme meetings/visits/meetings.
• Vertical Fund compliance includes checklists of new projects, time sheets- allocation of time to GEF, GCF projects by senior management and related staff.
• Provide support for Audit preparation.

GPT Admin and other relevant work (as required and arrangement among PAs)

• Support to timely monitoring and actions towards satisfactory scorecard performance for the office.
• Contact and liaise with counterparts for meetings, workshop, partnership development, etc.
• Support to timely monitoring and actions towards satisfactory scorecard performance for the office.
• Serve as the focal point for financial, administrative, operation or substantive matters within the unit or for the Country Office, as needed; this includes Spot Check, M&E, Audit preparation, retreat, trainings, project profiles, etc.
• Support in organization and facilitation of Unit events and activities.
• Support documentation and dissemination of lessons learnt.

– Perform other tasks as assigned by Unit Head and/or PAPI project manager, consists of field monitoring for PAPI survey following the project’s internal quality control procedure.

– Carry out other duties if required to support the implementation of other project(s) in time of need.

3. Institutional Arrangement

Report: Matrix management reporting to UNDP Viet Nam, the Governance and Participation Unit and the PAPI Project

Direct Reports: the PAPI Project Manager, Governance and Participation Policy Analyst, the Governance and Participation Unit, UNDP Viet Nam
4. Competencies

5. Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA