Project Associate

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, working in more than 170 countries and territories. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNDP is committed to helping the country through strengthened national and local capacities to carry out political, economic, and social reforms and promote development. In the programmatic period 2021-2025, UNDP BiH supports the following programme priorities: (a) access to justice and increased human security; (b) reduction of regional, economic, and social disparities; (c) sustainable management of environmental and energy resources, and green jobs creation; and (d) access to services and employment opportunities for the most vulnerable. In all areas, there will be an emphasis on conflict-sensitive, integrated, and innovative programme design complementing country priorities and tailored to the post-floods recovery needs. 

The Energy and Environment Sector (EE) of the UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina implements projects in the field of Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction and Environmental Development geared towards decreasing economic, social and territorial disparities and sustainable management of environmental and energy resources, and green jobs creation through coordinated approach by national and subnational actors. All interventions are realised in close collaboration with relevant government stakeholders, other UN agencies, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors, private sector and civil society.

Under the supervision of the Project Manager/Principal Technical Coordinator (PM) the Project Associate will work on the Project “Development of the First Biennial Transparency Report of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Fifth National Communication and Second Biennial Transparency Report as combined report under the UNFCCC (BTR1 – NC5/BTR2)”.

The Project Associate is expected to establish and maintain close cooperation with UNFCCC Focal Point for BIH, namely the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Ecology of Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka.

The Project will enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to prepare and submit its First Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) as stand-alone report and Fifth National Communication and Second Biennial Transparency Report (NC5/BTR2) as combined report, to meet its reporting obligations under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement in line with the Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines (MPGs) for the transparency framework for action and support referred to in Article 13 of the Paris Agreement (Decision 18/CMA.1) and the guidance on operationalizing the MPGs as per Decision 5/CMA.3. In addition, the project will also enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to prepare and submit its Adaptation Communication to the UNFCCC as a component of the BTR1 and NC5/BTR2 in line with Article 7 of the PA and Decision 9/CMA.1. The project will further strengthen technical and institutional capacity to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina mainstream climate change concerns into sectoral and national development priorities and to enable the Entity and State Level Governments to respond to international environmental obligations by strengthening and giving continuity to the institutional and technical capacity development that has been initiated and sustained by the National Communications, Biennial Update Reports and CBIT project/processes to date. 

The Project has been financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is directly implemented by UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Office.

Support to project implementation, ensuring quality of business processes

• Ensure business processes are in line with the UNDP regulations and rules and the UNDP internal control framework;
• Supports Project Manager in preparation and implementation of procurement plans from the financial aspect;
• Assists in the organization of field visits, missions, workshops, training, roundtables, conferences and study visits within the project; 
• Maintains and updates all administrative, personnel and financial files and records as well as general office files related to the project; 
• Assists in the preparation of draft job descriptions, requests for recruitments, interview minutes and requests for contracts as well as support;
• Assists staff by processing requests for personnel-related documents in accordance with requirements of the organization; 
• Maintains the inventory of project assets/equipment and project correspondence and files;
• Ensures completion of  attendance records of project staff; 
• Organize travel and other logistics arrangements, in line with the project’s work plan. 

Support to financial monitoring and management 

• Processes all financial transactions on the UNDP online Corporate Planning System, such as non-PO vouchers/ invoices, receipts, requisitions, customer/supplier  info updates, project budget revisions, etc.;
• Maintains the internal expenditures control system that ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed; transactions are correctly recorded and posted in the online system; 
• Takes timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers;
• Supports periodic and ad-hoc financial reporting to UNDP and other parties;
• Regularly monitor expenditures and commitments against the Project budget and relevant plans, and provides finance-related information to support Project implementation and planning and recommend corrective actions when necessary; 
• Draft various correspondence concerning finance, operations and budgetary issues as required;
• Assist team members, experts and consultants in liaison with UNDP Operations on financial and other operational matters;
• Prepares information for evaluations or audit purposes.

Support to project planning

• Collects, analyses and presents information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets;
• Compiles background information for the formulation of project work plans, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and drafts of quarterly project reports; 
• Support in the monitoring of the quality of delivery inputs provided by the consultants, beneficiaries and contracted companies and communicates findings to the supervisor;
• Maintains timetables for the Project Board meetings and provides support to organizing and holding the meetings, including the preparation and dissemination of information and follow-up.

Support to knowledge building and knowledge sharing 

• Participates in the trainings for the operations/projects staff on Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures and organize briefings for the project staff where necessary on new internal procedures;
• When necessary, provides guidance to project staff in business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures;
• Support the Project Manager in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Support in mainstreaming of gender equality

• Support the Project Manager in mainstreaming gender equality in the Project implementation; 
• Support the Project Manager in preparing gender equality background materials for use in discussion, correspondence and briefing sessions;
• Ensure that all the data, when collecting and compiling inputs relating to programme, are gender disaggregated; 

In the preparation of meetings/consultations/trainings/commissions ensure a minimum of 30% participation of the other gender.