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Project Support Associate (Part time 50%)

Freetown

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Freetown
  • Grade: Administrative support - NPSA-7, National Personnel Services Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Project and Programme Management
  • Closing Date: 2025-01-02

Background

 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

 
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 is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan. 

UNDP's 2025-2030 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale 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.

In recent decades, biodiversity finance tools and solutions have demonstrated their importance for achieving biodiversity goals and broader sustainable development objectives. Improved choice, design and implementation of effective, well-tailored finance solutions will strengthen countries’ chances of achieving national and global biodiversity targets. Biodiversity Finance Plans have become increasingly recognised as a relevant tool to help countries to identify and fill the biodiversity finance gap, including through the work of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative www.biofin.org. In December 2022, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. This included numerous targets with relevance for financing. Target 19 on resource mobilisation includes reference for countries to design and implement national biodiversity finance plans. 

The GEF created a global programme to support countries to design a national Biodiversity Finance Plan. A Biodiversity Finance Plan includes a systems analysis of a country's economy including to map existing financing mechanisms, subsidies with potential harmful impacts on nature, drivers of biodiversity loss and gain, public and private expenditures committed towards biodiversity objectives and a country's national financial needs for biodiversity. The biodiversity finance plan itself consists of a series of actions with the aim to significantly scale up available funding, green or phase out harmful finance flows and improve the effectiveness of available expenditures. The programme allows for active sharing of experiences across countries and includes a knowledge sharing platform and the provision of continuous technical support to country teams.

The implementation of the project in Sierra Leone falls under the GEF8 Umbrella programme for the development of the first National Biodiversity Finance Plan. The overall implementation of the project will be led by the Project Lead/Sustainable Finance Specialist with the support of a technical team and in coordination to a government project director and the National Steering Committee. 

For the implementation of the GEF8-BFP Umbrella program at the national level, UNDP is recruiting a national team composed of a Sustainable Finance Specialist (Project Lead), a Project Support Associate, a Policy Expert and a Biodiversity Finance Specialist. 

The Project Support Associate will be responsible for providing back-office/administrative support to the Sustainable Finance Specialist (Project Lead) and the whole project.

Scope of Work

Under the over-all guidance of the Project Lead, the Project Support Associate will be responsible for providing back-office/administrative support to the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead) including: 

(I)   Provision of overall project management Support financial and administrative tracking of activities and expenses. 

(II)  Support Financial Oversight .

(III) Ensures effective administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery 

(IV) Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project.


 
Duties and Responsibilities

 

1) Provision of overall project management support.

  • Provide support with all financial and administrative requirements of the project, especially those related to project funding and accounting.
  • Assist in ensuring that project is executed in a timely and appropriate manner.
  • Assist or support in facilitating, guiding the work of the national team; manage payment schedules.
  • Assist in project related activities, including planning for meetings, local and national consultations, trips and other project related activities. 
  • Ensure all national and international travel is organised smoothly. 
  • Document and share records of meetings, decisions, actions, etc.
  • Support with the Monitoring and Evaluation of the project at the national level, including workshop evaluations. 
  • Any other duties assigned by the Project Lead the that have direct relevance to the project.

2) Support financial oversight.

  • Support the Management of the project budget, and support overseeing of procurement and accounting procedures and activities, together with the UNDP Country Office and the GPMTSU.
  • Ensure financial resources are disbursed on time to implementing partners.
  • Maintain records of expenditures and collaborate in financial reporting.

3) Ensures effective administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery.

  • Develop calculations for the development of the annual workplan/budget.
  • Handle all required procurement processes, requisitions and purchase orders, ensuring compliance with UNDP rules and regulations. 
  • Maintain an inventory of assets/equipment and support with the handover of equipment upon project closure. 
  • Ensure the Quantum approval system is set up at the Country Office for the project.
  • Handle all logistical matters to organise the inception workshop, consultation workshops and any meetings as required.
  • Regularly update the procurement plan and contacts list. 
  • Handle of all travel arrangements for national travel/missions and participants to national-level workshops. 
  • Handle all travel procedures for participants to global and regional workshops and other international meetings, ensuring all necessary visa, security clearances and plane tickets are obtained timely, and confirmations/changes of travel arrangements are communicated to the GPMTSU immediately.

4) Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project.

  • Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff.
  • Provide support to other capacity building activities, including to the design and delivery of tools, materials for workshops, or platforms that tap into the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action. 
  • Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. 
  • Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned project. 
  • Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support compiling and systematizing project knowledge, products, and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

  • The Project Support Associate will be under the direct supervision of the Sustainable Finance Specialist (Project Lead).
  • UNDP shall be entitled to intellectual property and other proprietary rights over all materials that have a direct relation to the project.
     
Competencies

 

Core

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Communication:

  • Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. 
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Events Management (including retreats, trainings, and meetings):

  • Support offices with event management including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.

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.

Private sector resource mobilization:

  • Ability to identify, develop and manage partnerships that leverage private sector technical expertise and resources.

Project Management:

  • Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Financial Planning and Budgeting:

  • Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.

Procurement Management:

  • The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.
     
Required Skills and Experience

 
Education:
  • Secondary Education is required. Or
  • University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Experience:
  • Minimum of 7 years (with secondary education) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience, in project management, finance, administration, accounting, budgeting or related field;
  • Experience in dealing with national experts and international institutions;
  • Experience in the use of key software packages (MS Office);
  • Experience in networking among the national team and beyond to other national institutions;
  • Proven track record of writes clearly professional correspondence adequately including donor reports;
  • Experience with UNDP/UN policies, procedures and practices, particularly in relation to project development and implementation, is highly desirable;
  • Specialized training in administration, accounting, finance or related field would be an advantage;
  • Experience in procurement management is an asset; 
  • Experience in logistic management is desired.

Required Language(s)

  • Fluency in English is required.
Disclaimer

 
 
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.

 
Non-discrimination

 
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

 
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

 
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