Project Associate

UNDP works with the Government and people of Pakistan to develop local solutions to development challenges. In an evolving development context, we support Pakistan’s efforts to build a more equitable, prosperous, peaceful and resilient society, and to achieve its SDGs and COP25 targets. UNDP promotes transformational change by fostering strategic partnerships with national counterparts in the federal, provincial and regional governments, civil society, the private sector and the local and international community. UNDP supports transformational change by providing technical assistance focusing on developing capacity within national and local authorities, providing solutions with strong monitoring and evaluation tools, and delivering programmes with maximum efficiency, transparency and accountability.

UNDP’s ultimate goal is to improve the lives of the people of Pakistan through keeping people out of poverty; governance for peaceful, just and inclusive societies; crisis prevention and increased resilience; nature-based solutions for development; clean affordable energy; and women's empowerment and gender equality.

UNDP's country programme document for Pakistan envisions that all Pakistani people are educated and healthy, their well-being promoted and protected through economic opportunities, jobs and a climate-resilient future in a country where women and girls are safe and able to exercise their rights and to put their trust in and benefit from improved governance.

Resilience, Environment and Climate Change Unit (RECCU) is supporting projects across the country to respond to the growing threat of climate change, to mainstream environmental concerns into national development planning processes, and to expand access to environmental and energy services for the poor. In particular, UNDP has sought to ensure that the poor have stronger capacities to manage, adapt, and monitor climate change. Climate Change is a huge development challenge as well as a huge environmental challenge. It is a growing problem and is now hitting the poorest and the most vulnerable first and hardest.

The 2022 floods in Pakistan affected 33 million people, resulted in the loss of more than 1,700 lives, displaced around 9 million men, women, and children, and inundated almost one-third of productive agricultural land in Pakistan. These downstream challenges are compounded with institutional issues whereby the Government of Pakistan requires support for developing overarching frameworks to structure its flood response activities and technical expertise to set up and develop bankable projects, establish standardized mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation, and enhance strategic communications for public outreach.

UNDP has responded to the challenge by developing and launching a flagship Flood Recovery Programme (FRP) to support the Government of Pakistan’s flood recovery and rehabilitation efforts. The Programme has four key objectives dealing with the following thematic areas:

• Restoration of housing and access to/revival of essential community services.
• Strengthening/catalysing of livelihoods and income-generating capabilities.
• Restoration of governance and improvement of service delivery.
• Strengthening Capacities for disaster preparedness and climate resilience

Against this background, FRP is looking for a Project Associate who will support the FRP team in managing the day-to-day project implementation. The incumbent will assist in the design and implementation of project activities, while ensuring high quality, accuracy, and consistency of work. The Project Associate will demonstrate a client-oriented approach, tact, and ability to work with people of different cultural backgrounds. S/he will work in close collaboration with other project colleagues of the FRP team, as well as with other UNDP Pakistan CO units, government officials, technical advisors and experts, donors and civil society to successfully implement the activities.

The Project Associate will be directly responsible for successfully completing the below set of tasks within allotted, agreed-upon time frames:

I. Coordinate effective project planning and implementation
- Works with the FRP team in the identification, preparation, implementation, review and adjustments in the overall programme implementation strategies.
- Develops assigned sections of Annual Work and Financial Plans, Monitoring and Evaluation Plans, and Communications Plans.
- Participates in the analysis and summarizing of proposals on the assigned thematic areas.
- Ensures oversight of project activities in the field and produces monthly implementation progress reports with specific attention to the assigned priority areas.
- Supports preparation of various reports.
- Carries out implementation of assigned tasks and activities and submits specific deliverables assigned by the Programme Manager and/or line manager

II. Provide effective support and contributes to the efficient management and monitoring of the project
- Contributes in preparation of programme document drafts, work plans, budgets, low-value agreements, proposals on implementing arrangements.
- Contributes in preparation of required budget revisions.
- Supports tracking of financial resources; follow-up on performance indicators / success criteria, targets and milestones, preparation of reports in close cooperation with FRP M&E team.
- Prepares quarterly progress reports with analysis of financial implications and impact on programme delivery targets
- Monitor implementation and progress in achieving goals and targets in accordance with the established quality criteria and UNDP rules, regulations, and standards.
- Identify, analyze, and take adequate measures to manage emerging issues, problems, and risks.
- Conduct field visits to project location sites.

III. Provision of administrative guidance to the project and establish strategic partnerships

- Provide guidance in the elaboration of proper control of the supporting documents for payments, initial review of financial reports and project implementation deliverables.
- Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system, which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed.
- Management of logistical /travel support for events, workshops, trainings, etc.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships and strategic linkages with implementing and development partners, government officials, businesses, NGOs, other national stakeholders, and beneficiaries to support key objectives and ensure inclusive implementation and participation of key stakeholders in assigned programme/project

IV. Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the project focusing on achievement of the following results:

- Organization and facilitation of trainings for the programme / project personnel and project counterparts.
- Synthesis of Lessons Learnt and Best Practices from the Project’s implementation.
- Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
- Uphold the non-discriminatory behaviour and ensure that:
• Human rights and gender equality is prioritized as an ethical principle within all actions.
• Activities are designed and implemented in accordance with “Social and Environmental Standards of UN”.
• All forms of diversities based on ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, class, gender are respected within all implementations including data production.
• Differentiated needs of women, men and persons with non-binary gender identities are considered.
• Inclusive approach is reflected within all actions and implementations, in that sense an enabling and accessible setup in various senses such as disability gender language barrier is created.
• Necessary arrangements to provide gender parity within all committees, meetings, trainings, etc.

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