Project Assistant

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It is on the ground in 177 countries, working on solutions to global and national development challenges. UNDP China assists China in developing its own solutions to the country’s development challenges and works to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by reducing poverty, strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance, and by promoting environmental sustainability and South-South Cooperation.

In 2019, UNDP developed an SDGs Innovation Pilot Project with Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone to leverage UNDPs regional and global initiatives and capacities to help the Chengdu Hi-tech Zone build up a sustainable investment ecosystem based on its own strengths, e.g., establishing an incubator emphasizing the promotion of sustainable development, involving experts worldwide to provide technical advisory, experience sharing, or strategic partnership building.
The purpose of the project is to strengthen the capability of Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone to unleash its future development momentum based on innovation and sustainability, to promote the transformation of its development path from productivity-driven to innovation-driven, and to actively explore international cooperation of high-tech zones with Chengdu Hi-tech Zone as the pilot. The project is also committed to promoting South-South cooperation and ex-changes with other countries leveraging UNDP’s global network resources and sustainable development experience to establish an international cooperation platform of global high-tech zones with Chengdu Hi-tech Zone as its pilot.
The UNDP Innovation Lab in Chengdu, under the supervision and guidance of Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (CDHT), will serve as a platform to facilitate technology diffusion; the intersection of science-policy-market will be strengthened through an innovation ecosystem. Effective solution exchange mechanisms to facilitate technology diffusion will be identified, assessed and applied within and beyond nations. More importantly, the space can provide a safe environment to analyse, test-run and demonstrate innovative models, processes and ideas, and prepare stakeholders with the capacities needed to respond to constantly changing technology in the future.
UNDP CIP Team promotes greater understanding and visibility of UNDP’s work by utilizing various communications tools. Fully engaging with the media, social media and leveraging on a strong network of Public-Private Partnerships, the team leads the design, management, and implementation of UNDP’s overall communications strategy, including design and roll out high-impact, multimedia campaigns; programme-oriented communications products; media relations and key events; localization of global content for Chinese audiences; and publications on critical development issues. On the innovation front, the team is facilitating and prototyping innovative solutions and experiment with new ways of working to tackle complex development challenges outside the traditional development cycle.
CICETE's main function, delegated by the Ministry, is to coordinate the cooperation between China and UNDP, UNIDO and UNV including executing their assisted programs to China, and to implement projects of general goods supply under the China-Aid programme to other developing countries. Meanwhile, CICETE organizes conferences, exhibitions and overseas trainings, invite international short-term and long-term consultants, and provide project management service for international organizations, government agencies and enterprises. In addition, CICETE has also been cooperating actively with international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and enterprises through our subsidiary bodies-China Association for NGO Cooperation, China Association for Promoting UN Procurement, China Association for Trade in Service, and China-Han Technical Development Co. Ltd.

The assignment can be extended for 9 months based on satisfactory performance.
Under the supervision of Project Manager of Programme Management Office (PMO), the Youth UNV will undertake the following tasks to support project implementation and management:

• Assist the Director of PMO and the project manager to implement the UNDP SDGs Innovation Pilot Project, and provide support to the drafting, management, and revision of project annual work plans.
• Assist in facilitating procurement processes and financial management for the implementation of project activities, collect relevant data and prepare project financial reports and/or other reports for budget preparation, audits or other purposes as requested;
• Assist in the logistics and coordination for the implementation of project activities, including but not limited to meetings and conferences, study tours, trainings, workshops, etc.
• Help facilitate timely and effective communications among key stakeholders including but not limited to UNDP, PMO, CICETE, CDHT, etc.;
• Other ad-hoc tasks assigned by UNDP and CDHT.

Results/Expected Output:
The following outputs are expected:
1. Timely support provided to tasks related to UNDP SDGs Innovation Pilot Project.
2. Facilitate the smooth implementation and management of project activities;
3. Appropriate finance and procurement management;
4. Perform ad hoc duties as required.

Furthermore, UNVs are encouraged to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking an active part in UNV activities (for in-stance, IVD celebration events);
• Get acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking;
• Contribute news and articles on field experiences and submit them to UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UNV volunteers;
• Promote online volunteering and encourage individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering Service whenever technically feasible.