SCALA Project Associate_NPSA7 at UNDP.

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. 

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 

UNDP’s Nature, Climate and Energy (NCE) Team as part of the Global Policy Network, supports countries to promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas. The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. One of themes under the NCE is Climate Change Adaptation (CCA).

Responding to the urgent need for action to harness the land use and agriculture sectors’ potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation, UNDP is launching the Support Programme on Scaling up Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture through NDCs and NAPs (SCALA). This BMU-funded Programme will be implemented between 2020 and 2025 and is designed to assist countries to translate their NDC and/or NAPs into actionable and transformative climate solutions in land use and agriculture with multi-stakeholder engagement. This Programme is a joint effort of UNDP and FAO and a follow up of the BMU-funded Integrating agriculture into NAPs Programme
(NAP-Ag). It will work across 12 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Under the overall supervision of the Technical Specialist on NAP/SCALA Programme Coordinator, the Programme Associate (PA) provides the programme and administrative support services ensuring high quality, accuracy and
consistency of work to the SCALA programme. The Programme Associate promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensures implementation of operational and financial strategies focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Full compliance of administrative activities with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies.
• Full compliance of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and audit follow up with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies;
• Implementation of the effective internal control, proper design and functioning of the financial resources management system
• Continuous analysis and monitoring of the financial situation, presentation of forecasts for the Programme;
• Provision of inputs to the Country Office (CO) administrative and finance assistants to prepare their workplans and budgets and set up project SOPs
• Liaise with the Transaction Services Team (TST) and other units for necessary administrative, procurement and financial matters as appropriate;
• Provision of administrative and financial inputs to the preparation of results-based work plans;
• Perform any other duties as required by the supervisor
• Prepare requisitions and/or purchase orders for hiring consultant, travel authorizations, procurement of goods.

Ensures administrative support to management and analysis of the programme focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Key milestones include ensuring submission deadlines, inserting annual workplans in Atlas during the project preparatory phase and implementation, issuance of key operational documents such as organization of Project Board meetings, Appraisal Committee, obtaining a Letter of Agreement, and Midterm Review/Technical Evaluation reports;
• Support staff recruitment processes and consultant procurement processes, including the development of TORs, finalizing advertisements, screening, long and short listing, organizing interviews, ensuring necessary records and documentation throughout the recruitment process, etc.,
• Monitor the progress of the work-plans of the various projects and compile the required documents for submissions;
• Maintain relevant information on UNDP-NCE Project Information Management System (PIMS) and any other repository tool utilized by the portfolio;
• Prepare in advance all travel arrangements for the Team Members’ official missions, including visa requests, travel requests/authorizations, DSA and security clearances, hotel reservations and transportation, document and material for the mission. Maintain the supporting documents related to official mission needed to settle travel claims for audit purposes according to UNDP Regulations and Rules (i.e. Ticket stubs; receipt related to hotel bills, visas, DSA, security clearance requirement, etc.);
• Be responsible for good maintenance of office administrative files and inventory records.

Ensures coordination with UNDP Country Offices and other teams at UNDP, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Trains project/new staff in COs on POPP and PIMS+ functions as required;
• Liaise with other members of the NAP team to build synergies and ensure portfolio management effectiveness;
• Work in close collaboration with the UNDP-NCE Management and Programme Support Unit and the operations, programme and other partners for the effective administration of the programme;
• Organize and participate in NAP Portfolio training programmes and workshops in all regions as appropriate, including logistics arrangement and communications with partners and COs, documentation requirements and any other logistical and administrative support;
• Liaise with a wide range of partners to coordinate administrative, financial and logistical coordination for joint initiatives that require cooperation on the sidelines of major global climate related meetings

Provides support to budget management, tracking and monitoring, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Develop annual budget planning tools and templates and undertake quarterly budget monitoring against the integrated work-plan of the SCALA;
• Maintain shadow budgets for commitments and expenditures for the SCALA and monitor project budgets;
• Comply and verify budget and accounting data by researching files, calculating costs, and estimating anticipated expenditures from readily available information sources;
• Prepare/analyze financial reports and expenditures at global level in view of the annual financial report to BMU;
• Liaise with UNDP Country Offices to ensure timeliness and compliance of TWBP with the global project document, timely budget revisions and financial reporting;
• Monitor expenditures at country-level and liaise with CO administrative and financial assistants to take corrective measures;
• Inserting annual workplans in Atlas during the project preparatory phase and implementation and uploading key financial documents in PIMS;
• Monitor the progress of the work-plans at global and country level;
• Maintain relevant financial information on UNDP-NCE Project Information Management System (PIMS) and any other repository tool utilized by the portfolio;
• Provide support for budget management, tracking and monitoring of the NAP portfolio when required.

Self-development, learning, knowledge management, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Keeps abreast of any new UNDP and/or funding-source policies on anything related to project management, and communicate the same to the team;
• Learns from and contributes to corporate knowledge tools including programming manual and PA training manuals;
• Organizes and participates in UNDP-NCE training activities and workshops, as required;
• Coordinate CCA knowledge management activities. Manage dissemination of information through Power Point or similar means, resulting in public awareness of the work and achievements of the SCALA team;
• Undergoes training in UNDP and GEF/NCE programme requirements, as required.

Competencies

• Administrative programme/project management and support, including drafting of correspondence and organization of meetings
• Financial programme/project management support, including preparation of and review of budget;

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 judgement.

Technical/Functional Competencies

• Knowledge Management: Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting.
• Quality Assurance: Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled.
• Trust Fund Management: Knowledge of managing

Desired Additional Skills and Competencies

• Knowledge of ERP system, preferably PeopleSoft (Atlas) is an asset;
• Extensive knowledge UN/UNDP policies, procedures and practices is an asset;
• Experiences in an international organization, UN agency or international NGO would be an advantage;
• Experience in managing budgets, including budget review, preparation, monitoring, and modifications;
• Experience in maintaining programme/project related documents database
• Knowledge of public procurement policy;
• Working knowledge of French and/or Spanish would be an asset.
• Computer proficiency in MS Office, especially MS Word, Excel and Power Point.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education degree
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or closely related field with 4 years of relevant experience would also be accepted.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years with Secondary education, or 4 years with a Bachelor’s degree, of relevant work experiences in providing operational or project services focusing on project/programme and budget management.

Required Languages

• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Turkish

Professional Certificates

• Prince2 (or other recognized project management certification program) and/or CIPS certification would be an advantage.

Institutional Arrangements

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Technical Specialist on NAP/Global Programme Coordinator, in close collaboration with the SCALA Programme Officer and other Programme team members, Management and Programme Support Unit, Administrative Associate and Transactions Services Team of the Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH), Finance and Administrative Assistants in Country Offices, to support programme delivery of the UNDP-NCE team.

Travel

• Mission travel may be required;
• Any necessary mission travel must be approved in writing and in advance by the SCALA Coordinator;
• The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• The incumbent is responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP and for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• S/he is required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/
• The incumbent will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies.

Required Documents

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
• Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Application Procedure:

• To apply please follow this link https://vacanciesinturkey.com/jobs

• To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate in your cover letter how (vacanciesinturkey.com) you heard about this position.