Project Associate (Roster) – NPSA6

Organizational Context

The Global Policy Network (GPN) and Regional Programme at Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) work to support achievement of UNDP strategic objectives to create a world where people and planet thrive together, and to help the Country Offices in Asia and Pacific act with both ambition and scale to address urgent problems facing the country as well as global climate deteriorating conditions. Project staff assist Regional Bureau in Asia Pacific (RBAP) in formulating and implementing regional projects that go beyond solving immediate development challenges to create future smart and integrated systemic changes in resilience and capacity building in the countries that RBAP serve.
 

Position Purpose 

Under the overall guidance of the Regional Programme Management Specialist of Regional Programme Management Support Unit (R-PMSU) and Relevant Team Leader and Regional Project Managers, the Project Associate ensures effective delivery of the Regional Projects by entering and managing data and supporting project implementation consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Project Associate works in close collaboration with Regional Programme Management Support Unit (R-PMSU) and Operations Support Team (OST) at BRH to exchange information and resolve complex management, operations i.e. procurement and finance-related issues.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

• Provide background information from responsible regional projects for the preparation of RPD and establishment of Baselines, Milestones and Targets (BMT) at the design stage.
• Provide information, data and evidence as gathered from responsible regional projects in support of Results-oriented Annual Reporting (ROAR).
• Provide information/evidence to guide future programming and identify implementation arrangements.
   

2.Provide effective support on the management and implementation of Regional Projects.

• Create project in Quantum, prepare required budget revisions, revise project status, determine unutilized funds, and ensure operational and financial closure of a project.
• Provide day-to-day transactional support on the implementation of regional projects 
• Track and monitor the use of financial resources of the responsible regional projects. 
• Contribute to managing digital technology solutions i.e POCOMAS in project implementation towards scalability and sustainability in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
• Contribute to the effective management of data in project implementation, across the data lifecycle. 
• Follow up on programme and project performance indicators/ success criteria, targets and milestones, preparation of reports, and implementation of corporate results-based management mechanisms and tools. 
• Identify project related bottlenecks and propose solutions.
• Make preparations for external and internal programme/project audits, and support implementation of audit recommendations.
• Provide administrative support to the responsible project / GPN thematic areas (as assigned) by maintaining internal expenditure system and performing quality assurance review of technical reports and payments that includes following up with other units and taking timely corrective actions.

3.Support implementation of the RBAP partnership and resource mobilization strategies.

• Provide information on resource mobilization pipeline and prepare donor profiles. 
• Track and report on mobilized resources. 
• Review contributions agreements and manage contributions in Quantum.
• Maintain up to date data on POCOMAS on contributions agreements including amendments.
   

4.Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing in Bangkok Regional Hub.

• In assigned project areas:
• Organize and deliver knowledge sharing sessions for relevant project and operations personnel.
• Compile lessons learned and best practices.
• Provide contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice and digital knowledge platforms.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Regional Programme Management Specialist of Regional Programme Management Support Unit (R-PMSU), the Project Associate works in close collaboration with relevant GPN Team Leaders and Regional Project Managers along with Operations Support Team (OST) at BRH to exchange information and resolve complex project management and project operations i.e. procurement and finance-related issues.

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

Business Management – Project Management

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

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 Development – Knowledge Generation    

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
   

Business Management – Risk Management   

• Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks
   

Business Management – Results-based Management 

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results.
   

Finance – Budget Management     

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.
   

Procurement – Contract Management

• Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

   

• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.

• Experience working on development issues at national and international level is preferable.
• Ability to review and edit documents, ability to produce meeting reports identifying key actions.
• Experience working with international organizations is preferable.

• Fluency in English and Thai.