Common Services Associate

In support of the Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has embarked on the implementation of a five-year Country Programme Document (CPD) 2022-2026.

UNDP focuses on areas that have a multiplier effect through a targeted build-up of capacities, policies, the creation of dialogue space, and scalable downstream interventions. Proposed downstream interventions will seek to provide platforms for citizen engagement in democratic processes and facilitate access to skills, knowledge and new technologies for increased income generation.

In so doing, UNDP Zimbabwe renders its support through the following three programmatic areas:

1. Democratic Governance
2. Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Livelihoods
3. Climate Change and Resilience Building

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.

UN common services are aimed to provide continuous, efficient and timely maintenance of UN common premises. It’s expected to ensure significant savings in investments, operating costs and time, as well as improved efficiency and delivery of these services can be achieved through joint initiatives in these common areas.

Under the overall guidance of the DRR Operations and daily supervision of UNDP Common Services Analyst, the Common Services Associate performs general administrative/finance duties to ensure smooth operation of the UN common premises and provides support to all common services activities of the UN Agencies located in the UN common premises. The UN Common Services Associate promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach.

UN Common Services Associate (CSA) works in close collaboration with the Operations Units of UN Common services’ Agencies to ensure consistent service delivery and overall management of UN common services Activities.
The CSA promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach. The CSA works in close collaboration with the Operations and Programme staff to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery. He/She will also work on the day-to-day basis within the Operations team on Common Service matters.

Key Duties and Accountabilities
1) Provides assistance in management of the UN common premises, focusing on the achievement of the following results
• Daily management of the common services, including UN common premises, conference/boardrooms Facilities, to ensure a good and secure working environment for all staff members.
• Support the preparation of annual work-plans and budget estimates for the UN common services for review by OMT and approval by UNCT.
• implementation of the approved work-plans, regular monitoring and reporting to OMT on progress.
• Ensuring procurement, maintenance and repair of common equipment and supplies, in accordance with the approved UN common services budget.
• Acting as UN common services Assets Focal Point by ensuring safekeeping of assets, preparing bi-annual physical inventory reports, including cost analysis and recommendations for replacement/disposal of common equipment and supplies; reconciling physical inventory data with available records to ensure inventory taken is complete, and identifying discrepancies for corrective action.
• Collaborates with the direct supervisor to provide comprehensive reports and information to the OMT on the financial and administrative status of UN common services.
• Managing timely payments to service providers to ensure smooth and uninterrupted work of the UN common services and maintaining necessary budgetary control records.
• Administration of the UN common services related contracts.
• Daily supervision and overall management of UN common services personnel as delegated.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations for the UN common services cleaning supervisor, Switchboard Operators, and other service providers, as well as assist in the clearance of performance evaluations for UN common services personnel ensuring timely performance evaluation of other UN common services personnel.
• Acting as secretary/ex-officio during OMT meetings as required.
• Annual or bi-annual calculation of rates for office space rent, communications utilities usage, Conference facilities usage.
• Provision of timely and correct invoices for office space rent, regular reconciliation and follow-up on payments.
• Preparation and handling the routine correspondence related to the UN common services and its budget in accordance with UNDP rules and procedures.

2) Ensures proper and timely support to the management of UN Common Services, focusing on the achievement of the following results:
• Serving as a focal point for all issues related to common services.
• Maintains contacts between UN Agencies, Partner Agencies, respective State Institutions and suppliers on common services issues.
• Assist in preparing work-plans and budget estimates for common services initiatives for review and approval by OMT and other inter-agency teams for common services.
• Support management of contractual relations with common service providers, including monitoring, timely update and recommendations on improvement to OMT and other inter-agency teams for common services.
• Support the implementation of the approved work-plans, assist with regular monitoring and reporting to OMT on progress.
• Provision of assistance to OMT in the area of common services/premises.
• Arranging and attending OMT and other common services meetings. Acting as secretary/ex-officio during such meetings.
• Participating in discussions of new or revised procedures and practices on common service initiatives, assessing the impact of changes, and making recommendations for follow-up action.
• Drafting MOUs and other correspondence for common services arrangements.
• Administration of UN common services MOUs, MOAs and LOAs; providing timely updates and notifications to OMT on status.
• Facilitation of work of different UN Task Forces on common services Such as organizing meetings, documenting discussions, and tracking action items to support the successful implementation of common service initiatives.
• Keeping the supervisor abreast of potential problem areas and identifying and recommending solutions.
• Actively contribute to different UN Surveys (local DSA for UN, non-UN DSA) as required.
• Proper filing and maintaining of all common services related to correspondence, documents.
• Other duties required by supervisor.

3) Provides support to knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the area of common premises/services.
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
• Participate in the establishment of the Common Back Office and implementation of the Business Operations Strategy.

4) Provides effective support for the implementation of the UN Common Services operational strategies focusing on the achievement of the following results:
• Full compliance of financial, procurement and administrative/logistics processes and services with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies; implementation of the effective internal control.
• Contribute to the business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in financial, procurement and administrative/logistics processes and services in consultation with the direct supervisor and the Inter-Agency working groups.

5) Contributes towards financial management and procurement and administrative/logistics services and processes of the UN Common Service Unit focusing on the achievement of the following results:
Contributes to financial management and organizes procurement, as well as administrative and logistics services and processes for the UN Common Service Unit, with a focus on achieving the following results:
• Assists in the planning and monitoring of financial resources, ensuring expenditure aligns with approved budgets.
• Facilitates regular reporting of the UN Common Services budget(s) and recommends necessary adjustments (revisions).
• Assist in ensuring that the UN agencies provide their contributions/shares to UN common services budget on a timely manner.
• Preparation of procurement plans for the unit and monitoring implementation.
• Organization of procurement processes including preparation and conduct of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation, negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNDP rules and regulations.

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