Project Assistant

As the development arm of the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the leading organization working to end the injustice of poverty, inequality and cli-mate change, as well as the technical lead in the UN System's socio-economic response to COVID-19. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, UNDP helps nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.

UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

Since 1967, UNDP has worked in close partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for over five decades, providing strategic support in crisis prevention and recovery, governance, poverty reduction, environment, and sustainable development. UNDP together with the GoSL work towards a sustainable Sri Lanka, building up institutional, legal and individual capacities to respond to the effects of climate change and natural and man-made disasters.

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

Sri Lanka is significantly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and UNDP has been supporting the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) since 1967 to achieve sustainable human development in economic, social and environmental fronts. Working closely with GoSL at national, regional and local levels, the Climate and Environment Team (CET) of UNDP carries out projects that deal with promoting environmental sustainability, renewable energy, climate resilience and managing risks posed by disasters.

As per the need for the collective actions to limit the GHGs emissions within the safe standards, Sri Lanka ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1993 and the Paris Agreement in 2016. As a non-annex 1 Party to the Convention, Sri Lanka is obligated to implement decisions of the Conference of Parties (COP) and also report their progress to the UNFCCC. The Climate and Environment Team cluster supports the Government of Sri Lanka with their international obligations related to environmental conservation and climate change.

In the climate space, UNDP is supporting the Government with its reporting obligations to the UNFCCC, the “Development of the First Biennial Transparency Report, the Second Biennial Transparency Report and Fourth National Communication of Sri Lanka to UNFCCC” (Sri Lanka: BTR1, BTR2 and NC4) project aims to strengthen technical and institutional capacity to assist Sri Lanka to mainstream climate change concerns into sectoral and national development priorities.

Against this backdrop, a Project Assistant, guided by the National Project Coordinator – Climate Action of CET, UNDP, is required to support the day-to-day administrative, financial, and procurement-related project activities of the project components 1, 2 and 4 of the BTR-FNC project to achieve stated outcomes and outputs in accordance with UNDP/GoSL Guidelines for Nationally Implemented Programmes and the UNDP’s Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP). The Assistant will also support with logistical and administrative-related activities for component 3 of the BTR-FNC project in consultation with the Project Management Unit (PMU) while ensuring full alignment with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Project Assistant is expected to provide their time towards the BTR-FNC project, their scope of work would include:

Project administration, implementation and operational support
• Support the Project Director/ Manager and the technical team of Climate Change Secretariat (CCS) of the Ministry of Environment and Project
Coordinator in implementing activities of the project;
• Support planning and delivering project implementation under components 1, 2 & 4 of the project by liaising with the Country Office’s Finance,
Procurement, Human Resources and IT teams. In consultation with CCS and the PMU, support with logistical and administrative activities
related to component 3 of the project;
• Support the Project Coordinator with planning, monitoring and evaluation activities for the projects;
• Support preparation and updating of project work plans, budgets, briefs, reports and other documents as necessary;
• Support organisation and coordination of meetings, training sessions, workshops, project events and prepare minutes as required;
• Ensure timely and smooth implementation of all project logistics including following up with contractors;
• Maintain communication with stakeholders within the relevant government institutions pertaining to the projects’ scope of work;
• Maintain a forward schedule of deadlines, meetings, and workshops and proactively work towards that schedule;
• Assist with travel and logistic matters for the project team;
• Perform other tasks and duties as assigned by the supervisor to support overall CET portfolio tasks related to operations and administration
implemented with the Ministry of Environment as assigned by the supervisor;

Finance and procurement support
• Support overall finance management activities of the project including preparation and disbursement of payments following mandated
processes;
• Assist in procurement processes; assist the PMU in preparation of Terms of Reference (ToRs) for consultants, service provider contracts and
ensure full compliance of procurement activities with UNDP and Government of Sri Lanka procurement guidelines;
• Support the procurement processes of goods and services and management of the inventory of assets and custodian items;
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.