Regional Programme Analyst – LAC (Home-based)

Office/Unit/Project Description 

Working in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries/territories achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical links between environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and broader efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. Climate change could drive an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030. One of its key priorities for the next 10 years is to support countries/territories accelerate ambitious action on climate change. 

Climate change is the single greatest challenge humanity has ever faced, threatening water and food security, health, livelihoods, and the safety of billions of people together with drastic negative impact on global ecosystem balance. UNDP’s ambitious “Climate Promise” supports over 120 countries/territories to enhance their climate ambitions under the Paris Agreement, with focus on greater emissions reduction and resilience building. The second phase of the Climate Promise, launched in 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow, focuses on NDC implementation, climate advocacy, and long-term planning to ensure inclusive climate action at the speed and scale required to keep global temperature below 1.5°C. 

The Climate Promise Portfolio provides direct financial and technical support to countries on NDC implementation in the context of national development priorities and is comprised of several distinct projects/programmes that require dedicated support.

Scope of Work 

The Regional Programme Analyst will support the Climate Strategies and Policy Team as a part of the operations team. As the Climate Promise evolves and grows, the Regional Programme Analyst for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region will dedicate approximately 50% of his/her time to provide operational support and serve as a bridge across country offices, the regional hub and headquarters on matters related to the Climate Promise implementation. Further, 50% of his/her time will be dedicated to contributing to the overall operations of the Climate Promise portfolio. 

Specific duties include the following:

Regional support

• Provide direct financial functions related to the Climate Portfolio. This will include:

1. Produce national-level delivery reports for designated LAC countries every 2 months.
2. Process fund transfers to LAC countries, including draft of DOA, communication with COs to ensure that the budget is created, raise the zero-dollar invoice to process cash transfer, follow-up on project association in Quantum, etc. 
3. Provide monthly expenditure report on the LAC workplan. 

• Support the LAC team to implement activities listed at the LAC workplan, including attending meetings with the regional focal point and programme management to advise on operational matters.
• With the support of the Global Technical Specialist, monitor delivery and advise as needed. 
• Closely follow up on LAC requests at the Request Portal, ensuring regular communication on status and progress.
• Assist the Operations and Management team with general operations tasks, even when not directly related to the LAC region.
• Provide support to LAC colleagues on travel requests and payments.
• Provide inputs and assist with the logistical organization of events, primarily at LAC regional level but not exclusively.
• Maintain files of LAC countries on the shared drive.
• Ensure that all supporting documents of process to implement the LAC workplan are duly filed in their respective folder at the private ER One Drive. 

Climate Strategies and Policy Team support

• Serve as the main contact for travel-related matters, providing effective administrative support to ensure efficient travel coordination. Focus on achieving the following outcomes:

1. Facilitating support for workshops, conferences, and retreats organized by the organization.
2. Assisting with protocol matters, staff registration, and liaising with local authorities regarding space and other administrative requirements.
3. Coordinating transportation services for staff and visitors.
4. Providing staff with comprehensive information on travel, including entitlements, preferred travel routes, and hotel arrangements.
5. Processing travel authorizations and claims in alignment with travel entitlements for staff, consultants, UN personnel, and visitors, ensuring adherence to UN regulations regarding the most direct and cost-effective travel options.
6. Assisting in streamlining the process of acquiring travel tickets.
7. Ensuring the smooth inclusion of travelers into the Travel module within the UNall system.
8. Conducting insightful research and retrieving statistical data from both internal and external sources, and presenting findings through statistical charts, tables, and reports.

• Provide assistance with various audits in which the Climate Strategies and Policy Team is required to participate.

1. Develop and deliver strategies for conducting these audits.
2. Assist in gathering necessary documents and information as required.

• Act as a focal point for the creation and enhancement of the SOPs that are necessary:

1. Develop the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) accordingly. 
2. Schedule meetings with the relevant departments for each topic. 
3. Formulate and design the SOPs appropriately.
4. Conduct a formal presentation of the SOPs to the entire team.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• The Regional Programme Analyst will report directly to the Operations and Programme Specialist. S/he will be part of the larger BPPS Climate Hub.

Competencies

Core

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Education requirements   

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in administration, business, or project management, international development or a related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree. 

Min. years of relevant work experience 

• Up to 2 years (with Master´s degree) or minimum 2 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of demonstrated progressively responsible experience in project operations/financial management at a regional or international level.

Required skills  

• Experience in monitoring and analysis of project budgets and expenditures at the global level is an asset.
• Previous experience coordinating donor reporting and supporting oversight or a donor-driven project is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to build and read budgets
• Demonstrated experience and proficiency in usage of office software packages, including Word, Excel, Sharedrive, Teams, Google Drive, etc.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section 

• Demonstrated experience in project/program coordination and/or administration and support service (preferably at least 3 previous projects) 
• Previous exposure to Climate Change policy or finance will be highly valued
• Competency in using finance/project management, procurement and travel modules of ATLAS or similar ERP system will be considered an asset
• Experience working in developing countries is desirable
• Knowledge of UN regulations, policies, procedures and practices is desirable
• Previous work in UNDP will be considered an asset

Required Language(s)   

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.