Programme Associate – UNDP

BACKGROUND

The Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) Country Oversight and Support Team (COST) is decentralized and currently based in both New York UNDP RBA HQ and within Africa. The Africa-based COST is co-located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia within the UNDP Regional Service Center for Africa (RSCA) and Dakar, Senegal within the Regional Hub for West and Central Africa. The COST team comprises two sub-clusters covering: (i) East and Southern Africa (ESA) and (ii) West and Central Africa (WACA). The Team provides strategic oversight and responsive support to 45 Country Offices (COs) in 46 African countries under RBA jurisdiction, including providing inputs on strategy setting, policy monitoring, programme and operational performance, and adherence to corporate policies. The Team also advocates for consideration of CO realities to inform corporate policies and processes.

Located in Addis Ababa/Ethiopia UNDP RSC and under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Regional Advisor or his/her delegated Regional Specialist(s), the Programme Associate performs functions that support the East and Southern Africa countries (ESA) of the COST. The Programme Associate promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. S/He works in close collaboration with other regional and central units in Addis, Dakar, Nairobi and HQ New York to respond to CO needs, that is, in resolving  proqramme-related issues and information delivery.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Summary of Key Functions:

• Provides effective support to the team’s proactive and targeted representation & coordination function
• Ensures targeted and aligned CO portfolio management support, including crisis
• Provides support to CO planning,  evaluation,  monitoring and reporting activities
• Provides programme and administrative support to the Country Support Team and  Regional Hub Directorate
• Provides support  in the creation of strategic partnerships and   facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

 Provides  effective support to the team’s  proactive and targeted representation and coordination function

• Support in conduct of desk research,  tracking and analyzing emerging and evolving crisis and complex development situations, identifying critical issues for UNDP programming;
• Assistance in CO and sub-regional level research by engaging with the internal team, external stakeholders and policy teams;
• Support in the preparation of briefing notes on all CO, sub-regional and regional aspects, particularly ahead of crisis coordination meetings.  Helps coordinate preparatory activities and liaison with stakeholders in advance.  Support in the preparation of  minutes from the meetings and follow-up on action points with all relevant stakeholders;
• Helps collect required information and inputs into internal briefings, position options and corporate internal papers;

Ensures effective support to targeted and aligned CO portfolio management, including crisis

• Support to improved alignment of CO programmes with corporate and regional priorities, offering by collecting and providing knowledge from other country programmes, evaluations, performance analytics, and other available sources of lessons learned;
• Support in providing monitoring data on country programme and project performance to inform RBx management decision in preparing for or responding to crisis situations and for inputs to briefing notes on the country-level crisis with up to date information for HQ meetings;
• Presentation of thoroughly researched information for formulation of regional/country programme;
• Follow up on performance indicators/success criteria, targets and milestones, preparation of reports.
• Analysis of the situation in programme, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions;
• Programmatic and operational support to the team during the preparation and implementation of programme cycles;
• Undertakes detailed financial monitoring of country office core and non-core resources, developing and updating databases and producing reports on the current and projected financial status and liaising with the respective HQ units as necessary;
• Advises the country offices on finance, programming and other issues by providing proactive recommendations, information, and follow-up support;
• Liaison with the COs and other HQ Units and preparation of analysis reports on aggregate databases on ROARs, CPAP/AWP, GLOC status and host country contributions, cost recovery, programme advance authorizations, and administrative issues for the division;
• Analysis of country office performance through monitoring of management performance indicators/tools

Provides support to CO planning,  evaluation,  monitoring and reporting activities

• Effective support to the Country Oversight and Support Team in its CO programming function;
• Assistance in sharing the Bureau’s newly developed policies and priorities with the CO leadership, disseminating corporate analysis on sub-regional trends, and providing first level of oversight of compliance with corporate programme management standards;
• In close coordination with the Operations Team, ensures monitoring of CO operational, financial performance and efficiency, and timely implementation of audit recommendations, identifying issues and/or delays and escalating concerns to Country Advisor;
• Assistance in consolidating all CO managerial performance information to facilitate effective and efficient corporate oversight functions.

Provides programme and administrative support to the Country Oversight and Support Team [COST] and  Regional Hub Directorate

• Research and preparation of thematic reports, meeting briefs, and financial data on countries of the region for the analysis and reporting requirements of the Country Support Team and Regional Hub Directorate;
• Serves as a focal point for knowledge management and best practices in the team, maintains, disseminates and advises on the corporate programme and operational policies and procedures;
• Supports team’s activities, at the programmatic, operational and logistical level in organizing conferences on behalf of the Country Support Team;
• Maintaining contacts with other UNDP/UN HQ units, other UN Agencies, government offices, and donors about country programmes and activities, cost-sharing, trust funds, and reporting, to assist in fulfilling the “one-stop-shop” function of the division;
• Consolidation and dissemination of country office publications and reports and maintaining and disseminating a record of country office publishing plans and achievements;
• Provides support for visits to country offices by Regional Hub Directorate and Country Support Team staff;
• Serves as back-up for the other support staff in the Regional Hub  when they are out of office on leave;
• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments, review of NEX projects Financial Reports;
• Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas;
• Timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers.

Provides support  in the creation of strategic partnerships and  facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Analysis of information on partners /donors, preparation of partners/donor’s profile and database, establishment of contacts with donor counterparts;

• Organization of trainings for the operations/projects staff on programme;
• Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in programme;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade, and transform

Delivery

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgment

Technical / Functional Competencies

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Shares knowledge and experience; Actively works towards continuing personal learning, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills

Teamwork

• Excellent ability to work efficiently, independently in a team environment and under pressure; Displays team spirit, demonstrates team-based participation, information sharing, collaboration and cooperation

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to perform a broad range of specialized activities aimed at effective and efficient functioning of a Regional Bureau Headquarters Division, including data/schedule management, maintenance of protocol, information flow; confidentiality; ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, elaboration, and implementation of new data management systems; Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Leadership and Self-Management

• Focusses on results for the client and responds positively to feedback; Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude; Remains calm, in control, and good humor even under pressure; Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Completion of Secondary Education with at least six (6) years relevant experience or Undergraduate University Degree in Business or Public Administration with relevant experience of at least three (3) years will be given due consideration.

Experience

• Secondary Education with at least six (6) years relevant experience, OR Bachelor’s degree with relevant experience of at least three (3) years will be given due consideration
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheets, experience in handling web-based management systems.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English and the national language of the duty station, both oral and written, is required; French is an asset.

IMPORTANT NOTE :

Candidates selected pursuant to this vacancy may be subject to UNDP’s policy on Probation upon assignment.