Programme / Administrative Associate

Within the GPN, the Crisis Bureau (CB) guides UNDP’s corporate crisis-related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response and recovery. The Bureau has the responsibility for support to prevention, crisis response, resilience and recovery work under the auspices of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. On the other hand, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. As part of the Global Policy Network (GPN), the Crisis Bureau works in an integrated manner with UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) ensuring that issues are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes.

In this context and to prepare for, respond to, and support recovery from major crises, UNDP Country Offices (COs) have often to meet multiple demands and pressures in addition to their usual workload. Under these circumstances, COs often have a critical need for additional capacity to help them meet these demands and facilitate essential roles in these areas. UNDP has through the Country Support Management Team (CSMT) of the CB, several deployable capacities that can be drawn upon, including SURGE Advisors, and external experts from the GPN/ExpRes roster and Stand-by Partners. UNDP periodically commissions reviews of its SURGE support and deployments mechanism to ensure systems remain up to date and new technology and ideas are brought on board. Declared crises have been increasing in number, so have response mechanisms in complexity. In certain situations where COs are heavily impacted by sudden onset crisis, CSMT has to step in and substitute operational capacity and support to the entire crisis response.

Position Purpose:

To support these deployments of expertise and respond directly to crises in the form of direct operational support, as well as other crisis response/recovery related operational requirements of UNDP COs on an urgent basis the Programme/Administrative Associate will work under the direct supervision of the Programme Analyst (Crisis Operations) and is entrusted with providing administrative operational support to the management, monitoring and improvement of the programme.
 

• Provides programme/project management support to the Unit, such as:
• Creating and managing budgets in Quantum.
• Providing distribution combination authorizations; creating requisitions, processing invoices; implementing budget and award revisions; and project status; determination of unutilized funds, maintaining the internal expenditures control system.
• Tracking, monitoring, and reporting on the use of project resources.
• Conducting budget checks for accuracy of Requisitions, Purchase Orders and payments.
• Ensures the compliance of arrangements for project approval, implementation, general operations, and closure of projects with UNDP policies and regulations.
• Generates reports and information on routine implementation of projects and programme/project status; Reviews, verifies and reconciles financial data and reports to ensure accuracy and conformity with UNDP financial and administrative rules and regulations; and
• Identifies and escalates project related issues, proposing and contributing to the development of solutions.

General operational and administrative support to the Unit:

• Facilitate IC processes through both GPN Roster and CPU cases.
• Initiate CPU requests in the case management system, support document elaboration/flow and processing information in the operation side (each contract or amendment requires at least 5 documents to be developed, with the additional load from processing signatures, clearing processes, etc.)
• Once procurement process is finalized, maintain contract management - including issuing amendments, clearances processes, etc.
• Process and maintain supplier profiles on Quantum, raise requisitions, and follow up on PO approval and reconciliation processes
• Process requests for payments in the system: COPs, invoices and payment processing
• Support other procurement processes (direct contracts, credit card or micro purchasing processing when needed): document development, communication with vendors on admin issues, payments to vendors, etc.
• Perform market research and find the best option for the procurement of goods and services; Advise on best solutions for these procurement processes.
• Process official Unit Mission Travel Requests, including timely follow-up action on medical/security clearance, claims, signatures as appropriate, and ensuring preparation of the necessary documents Quantum.
• Monitor all travel-related payments for the Unit, liaising appropriately with the relevant staff members, as required; as well as facilitating SURGE-related travel as and when required
• Provide administrative and logistical support for donor meetings, country/region specific meetings, workshops, trainings, conferences, retreats and any other special events.
• Provide inputs into the unit’s administrative business processes mapping and implementation of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Support the HR recruitment process.
• Backstop procurement processes, including preparation of CAP and ACP submissions.
• Backstop unit members on programme management during absences and mission travel

Manages the Unit’s portfolio documentation:

• Prepares information for the audit of projects and follow-up/support to the implementation of audit recommendations;
• Proof-reads, edits and translates reports  as necessary for in-house dissemination and/or publication;
• Collects and disseminates information related to thematic area, including inputs for donor reports and provides information when requested from various sources;
• Following the established filing and archiving standards and procedures for the Bureau, organizes, updates and maintains all project/programme-related documents; and
• Scans and ensures proper digital filing of all Unit documents that must be retained in support of corporate policies.

Promotes knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the relevant area:

• Prepares reports synthesizing lessons learnt and good practices;
• Contributes to and administers events pertaining to  UNDP knowledge networks; and
• Supports the development of training, learning materials and activities by developing substantive components
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Achieve Results:

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively:

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously:

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility:

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination:

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner:

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical:

Administration & Operations - Travel policy and procedures:

• Knowledge of travel policy and procedures; ability to interpret travel policy, the Staff Rules, administrative circulars and financial regulations and rules on travel-related matters

Finance - Audit (General):

• Understands how regulations and professional standards in internal and external audit underpin audit work in the public services.
• Understands the key stages of audit work, including planning, documentation, testing and reporting. Ability to examine and verify accounts and records.
• Understands wider mechanisms for assurance and scrutiny.
• Understands the law and best practice relating to antibribery and corruption controls and the fraud risks faced by public bodies.

Finance - Budget Management:

• Finance Budget management Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets

Procurement - Contract management:

• Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

Procurement - Procurement management:

• The ability to acquire goods, services and works from an outside external source

Business Management - Results-based Management:

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Business Direction and Strategy - Strategic Thinking:

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP