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Finance & Administrative Assistant - Climate Resilient Agriculture for Integrated Landscape Management - Grenada

St. George's

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: St. George's
  • Grade: Consultancy - SB-3 (SC6/SC7), Service Contract, Local Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Administrative support
    • Banking and Finance
    • Environment
    • Meteorology, Geology and Geography
    • Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
    • Agriculture and Forestry
    • Urban Development, planning and design
    • Resilience and Climate Change
    • Climate Change
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

Grenada’s biodiversity is being threatened by unsafe agricultural practices and encroachment from human settlements, resulting in habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation of biological resources, and pollution. The presence of invasive alien species and climate change are also drivers of biodiversity loss in the country. Land degradation has affected approximately 50% of land resources in Grenada; deforestation and fragmentation of forests in the form of forest clearance to allow for residential and commercial development, non-sustainable agriculture, forest fires, and coastal tourism development are the main forces behind land degradation in Grenada. Integrated agroecosystem management, which incorporates sustainable land management (SLM) and biodiversity conservation into production landscapes, may provide a solution to biodiversity loss and land degradation in the country. SLM and biodiversity conservation objectives need to be mainstreamed into national land use planning, sectoral policies, and legal frameworks. Incorporated into SLM are climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices that can contribute to ensuring the long-term sustainability of agricultural production at the community and producer levels.

The threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services in both terrestrial landscapes and marine seascapes are characteristic of small volcanic islands with steep hillsides and Marine Island shelves adjacent to the deep of the ocean. Threats include: loss of indigenous forms, degradation of ecosystems, fragmentation of habitats, overexploitation of terrestrial wildlife, over-exploitation of marine stocks and habitat, forest fires, and multiple climate change impacts, including variation in seasonal marine and land-based water quality. 
 
SLM and biodiversity conservation objectives need to be mainstreamed into national land use planning, sectoral policies, and legal frameworks. Incorporated into SLM are climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices that can contribute to ensuring the long-term sustainability of agricultural production at the community and producer levels. Further, a “ridge to reef” approach that increases Protected Areas management effectiveness and applies targeted SLM practices that engage civil society with Government competent authorities in innovative co-management arrangements can support the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems functions. However, there are several barriers that stand in the way of advancing this long-term solution of the effective implementation of SLM and CSA practices and the mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation into landscapes in Grenada. These include: 
 
a)insufficient systemic and institutional capacity for integrated SLM and biodiversity conservation landscape-level planning; 
b)lack of a systemic approach and mechanisms for Protected Areas management and insufficient geographic coverage of TPAs and MPAs
c)lack of access to financial mechanisms and technical and information services, thereby limiting investment in sustainable agricultural planning and practices; and 
d)limited awareness, understanding, and knowledge of CSA and SLM techniques and practices integrated with biodiversity conservation.
 
To tackle these and other challenges, UNDP supports the government of Grenada through a portfolio of national projects within its thematic cluster on Nature-Based Solutions for a Sustainable Planet and Closing the Energy Gap.
 
UNDP wishes to engage an experienced project administrator, with a strong background in sustainable development. The ideal candidate will have an understanding of interconnected environmental, social and economic issues related to national priorities, and can quickly and effectively provide technical expertise to advance project objectives of enhanced climate change adaptation and sustainable resource use in Grenada.
 
As projects using a nationally implemented modality (NIM), the main responsibility for execution rests with the Government of Grenada. Under this arrangement, the Implementing Partner (IP) assumes full responsibility for the effective use of UNDP-administered resources and the delivery of outputs. It will the responsibility of the Finance and Administrative Assistant (FAA) to liaise and work closely with the IPs, under the guidance and review of the Project Coordinator. This will include robust regular reporting on project progress against agreed work plans, and maintaining documentation evidencing the proper use of project resources in conformity to the Project Document and in accordance with applicable regulations and procedures. A National Project Director (NPD) will be appointed for each project who will provide guidance to the Project Coordinator during implementation in terms of national policy priorities, liaising with and establishing relationships with stakeholders, etc. The NPD typically chairs the Project Steering Committee (PSC).
 
Under a NIM, UNDP is accountable to the GEF for the effective and efficient use of resources for the achievement of programmatic results. UNDP therefore serves in a monitoring and quality assurance role, as well as providing any support services as articulated in the Letter of Agreement (e.g. recruitment of staff, procurement, travel).
 
Under the guidance of the UNDP Multi-Country Office in Barbados and the NPD in-country, the project team will implement the project on a day-to-day basis on behalf of the Project Board (PB)/Steering Committee (PSC) within the constraints laid down by the PSC. It is anticipated that the NPD will provide support in terms of national policy direction and executing annual work plans (AWPs), liaising with and establishing relationships with stakeholders, etc.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Project Coordinator (PC), the FAA will be primarily responsible for providing high quality project and administrative, coordination and monitoring support for the implementation of the projects. S/he will work with the Project Coordinator to maintain key strategic and monitoring functions with the UNDP offices, government, and communities in line with the objective and outcomes of the projects.
 
The Project Coordination Unit (PCU) will work to ensure a human-rights based, gender-responsive and interdisciplinary approach to the project that maximises sustainable development gains and minimises negative environmental and social impacts, delivering results in a manner that is cost-effective, efficient, transparent and demonstrates the added value of the work to the country. 
 
The FAA will be expected to deliver results in the areas of:
 
Partnership building
•Support the PC in developing and maintaining relationships with main counterparts within country in line with the stakeholder engagement plan (e.g. with government departments, NGOs, community leaders) to ensure buy-in and successful implementation
 
Administration, coordination and document management
•Set up and maintain all project files, including contracts, asset registry, inventory and financial records, in line with UNDP or national policies, as relevant  
•Update work plans and budgets in UNDP’s corporate financial system (Atlas), supported by the Programme Associate 
•Collect project related information and data and ensure all relevant documents uploaded in Atlas database
•Administer the corporate quality review process
•Administer project budget revision control
•Establish document control procedures
•Support the preparation, organisation and distribution as relevant of all project-related documents, inclusive of correspondence, contracts, financial statements and other documents
•Ensure project files in order for all audit and evaluation processes 
 
Project implementation
•Support the PC to ensure timely preparation and endorsement of Annual Work Plans
•Assist in the financial management tasks under the responsibility of the Project Coordinator, including preparation of timely requests for financial advances and direct payments, processing approved payments with all supporting documentation
•Provide coordination support to consultations and capacity building activities in-country and regionally, including logistics and travel
•Support the Project Coordinator in procurement, recruitment and contract management, including verifying application of government or UNDP procedures as relevant
•Facilitate the activities of consultants e.g. identifying and coordinating with relevant stakeholders
•Coordinate and provide logistics support for field visits and project-related missions
•Maintain comprehensive project records, assets and inventory in line with Government and UNDP processes, as relevant
•Support the development and operationalisation of a sustainability plan for the project
 
Project monitoring and reporting
•Support Project Coordinator in budget planning and monitoring of ongoing activities against the projects’ Results and Resources Framework
•Monitor and analyse project delivery for corporate and donor reporting
•Support Project Coordinator in using Atlas and the Corporate Reporting Platform to update project progress, achievement of targets, risk logs, etc. on a quarterly basis
•Ensure monthly reconciliation between project financial records and IP cash book, especially for submission of quarterly financial reports (FACE forms) to UNDP
•Monitor financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports and oversees the overall financial processes for the project in collaboration with the Project Coordinator 
•Coordinate Project Steering Committee meetings, including logistics and document management
•Support the PC in managing and monitoring project risks as initially identified; support the submission of new risks to the PSC for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; and update the status of these risks by maintaining the Project Risk Logs 
•Monitor financial resources for effective and transparent utilisation of available resources, in collaboration with the Project Coordinator
•Support preparation of quarterly and annual progress reports and other stipulated reports for submission to UNDP, the GEF and the PSC as relevant, including the annual Project Implementation Report (PIR); identify risks, challenges and causes of potential bottlenecks to implementation and action mitigation measures, including modification to activities where appropriate
•Participate in periodic project evaluations and audits, including developing, implementing and updating management responses and key actions
•Support the monitoring of previously identified/emerging social and environmental risks
 
 
Project closure
•Support the Project Coordinator to:
oPrepare Final Project Review Reports for submission to the PSC  
oIdentify follow-on actions and submit for consideration to the PSC
oEnsure the completion of tasks in the project closure checklist, including preparation of reports and other documentation as required
oManage the transfer of project deliverables, documents, files, assets, etc to beneficiaries as appropriate
oSupport coordination, including logistics and travel, for the independent Terminal Evaluation
 
Other activities 
•Undertake such travel as may be required in connection with project execution and monitoring
•Undertake any other activities required for the fulfilment of the mandate of the post
 
 

Competencies

Core Competencies

Leadership
Ability to persuade others to follow 
Level 2: Proactively identifies new opportunities and challenges


Communication
Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform 
Level 3: Expresses information and views with adaptive reasoning and appreciation for complexity and variation


Innovation
Ability to make new and useful ideas work 
Level 3: Adapts deliverables to meet client needs


People Management
Ability to improve performance and satisfaction Level 2: Takes ownership of responsibilities


Delivery
Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement 
Level 4: Meets goals and quality criteria for delivery of products or services 

Technical/Functional

Financial management
Knowledge of financial management concepts, frameworks, risk management, and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations 
Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise


Monitoring and compliance
Knowledge of monitoring and results management concepts, accountability frameworks, risk management, and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations 
Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise


Change Management
Ability to apply a systematic approach to adapt, control and effect change
Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work


Stakeholders Management
Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and balance often contradictory expectations, building and maintaining relationships 
Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise


Team Building
Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of professionals towards common goals 
Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Specialized education preferably with specialized certification in business administration, management, economics, accounting or related field.

Undergraduate degree in business administration, management, economics, accounting is an asset but not a requirement.
Procurement certification or experience is an asset.

Experience:

At least 3 years of professional experience in project or business administration, including budget planning and monitoring, logistics coordination/event planning and procurement


Experience working in a sustainable development context is a distinct asset

Professional work experience with a UN Agency is desired, especially UNDP/GEF, preferably with knowledge of Atlas

Excellent report writing skills and strong interpersonal communication skills

Data processing skills would be an asset

Demonstrable computer proficiency with Microsoft Office suite

Language: 

Fluency in written and spoken English

Legal status to work in Grenada e.g. CARICOM Graduate/Skilled National Certificate

 

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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This vacancy is now closed.
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