Project Associate, Green and Inclusive Growth

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting Montenegro to fulfill its international reporting obligations on environment/climate change and its efforts to move towards a more environmentally friendly and climate-neutral society. This is in line with Montenegro's commitments to the Paris Agreement and the European strategic long-term vision. UNDP is implementing initiatives aiming to reduce the country's carbon footprint in tourism and transportation, protect nature, promote sustainable resource use, and encourage green growth.

UNDP's efforts focus on supporting Montenegro's national stakeholders and partners in "greening" key economic sectors through integrated strategies, policies, and financing frameworks. This includes identifying ways to improve the business environment, create new opportunities in green sectors, and drive competitiveness through digitalization. UNDP also has specific projects dedicated to coal phase-out, just transition, and climate neutrality, which align with the Just Transition process.

In the implementation of its actions, UNDP places special emphasis on gender equality principles. This includes empowering women to participate in designing Montenegro's climate mitigation and adaptation responses and in the implementation of respective policies. UNDP recognizes that there are still gender gaps in responding to climate change and evolving green labour market opportunities, and it is working to identify these gaps and address them to ensure an inclusive and gender-responsive just transition, that leaves no one behind.

The transition to a climate-neutral society is an urgent challenge and an opportunity to build a better future for all. UNDP Montenegro recognizes the social, economic, and environmental benefits of this process, but also acknowledges that it must be socially acceptable, especially in regions that heavily rely on high-carbon industries. To support climate neutrality, green and just transition and innovation for sustainable development, UNDP Montenegro is implementing several projects, focusing on local and national level with the aim to ensure that the transition is socially acceptable, and its benefits are equally distributed across society.

Within this context, the project will engage Project Associate to provide support to the respective Project Analysts on all administrative, budgetary, technical and programmatic aspects of the projects related amongst others to just transition, inclusive green economic development, innovation for sustainable development, just resilience based on human-centered approach.

Project Associate will provide support in the implementation of the following projects within Inclusive and Green Growth portfolio:

Strengthening capacities for increasing energy efficiency in residential sector aims to build capacities of the Eco-Fund for them to become reliable institution skilled to design and manage implementation of programmes and projects improving energy efficiency, environment protection and other sustainability projects, in line with the determined national priorities, ensuring that investments yield maximum environmental and economic benefits. Reaching this goal will enable the country to reduce GHG emissions and to become more resilient to climate change through institutional capacity building and raising awareness of the public.

Enhanced Environmental Leadership aims to implement sustainable practices within the Ministry's operations, including adopting environmentally neutral building practices and promoting e-mobility, as a model to inspire other governmental bodies and stakeholders. Also, it aims to enhance strategic planning capabilities by leveraging data and insights to address environmental and infrastructural challenges, ensuring efficient resource allocation as well as to build capacity among stakeholders through training programs and workshops, fostering skills and knowledge in environmental conservation and sustainable development management.

Slovak Trust Fund/CEF aims to drive meaningful change in cities through continued collaboration with municipalities such as Pljevlja and Podgorica to co-create innovative solutions that enhance urban resilience and support sustainable and inclusive development. These efforts are deeply integrated with Montenegro’s EU integration goals and the global SDG agenda.
 

Under the direct supervision of the Project Analyst for Green and Inclusive Growth and overall supervision of the Team Leader for Inclusive and Green Growth (Portfolio Team Leader) in UNDP Country Office in Montenegro, the incumbent will carry out the following main tasks:

• Support the respective Project Analysts in day-to-day management and oversight of project activities;
• Support the M&E Analyst in matters related to M&E and knowledge resources management;
• Assist in the preparation of progress reports;
• Ensure all project documentation (progress reports, consulting and other technical reports, minutes of meetings, etc.) are properly maintained in hard and electronic copies in an efficient and readily accessible filing system, for when required by the Project Boards, Technical Advisory Committees, UNDP, project consultants and other relevant entities;
• Provide Green and Inclusive Portfolio related administrative and logistical assistance;
• Support the implementation of innovative approaches in the implementation of the current Portfolio and in the design of new initiatives by applying innovative methodologies; methods, and tools such as sensemaking, portfolio design/management, system thinking etc.

• The incumbent will provide support to implementation/delivery of all aspects of the projects’ annual workplans. In performing this general responsibility, the incumbent will be required to carry out the following main tasks on a regular basis:
  • Provide support to the Project Analysts on all administrative, budgetary, technical and programmatic aspects of projects;
  • Develop various work plans for the components of the assigned projects and be responsible for their implementation;
  • Provide support to the Project Analysts on all programmatic aspects including by contributing to strategic inputs and ensuring gender mainstreaming and gender responsive just transition, green growth and low carbon development;
  • Provide technical inputs and advise on preparation/implementation of project documents/activities, including definition of information requirements, data gathering and analysis, gender dimensions and other;
  • Support the Project Analysts in the preparation of various regular reports such as narrative/programmatic progress reports, updates, etc.;
  • Support the Project Analysts and Portfolio Team Leader to collect sex-disaggregated data, conduct gender analysis and mainstream gender perspectives in project development, implementation, and monitoring within the Inclusive and Green Growth Portfolio;
  • Support the Project Analysts and Portfolio Team Leader in coordination and information exchange  with all clusters in the Country Office to ensure synergies within the country office portfolio;
  • Provide support to implementation of procurement related activities in line with UN/UNDP rules, regulations and policies; 
  • Support the coordination and implementation of timely recruitment and deployment of experts to support implementation of projects;
  • Support the Project Analysts in the formulation and update of project risks, issues, monitoring, evaluation as well as targets and results and provision of regular updates in Quantum;
  • Support the Project Analysts in development and implementation of projects’ communication and visibility plans to effectively promote the portfolio and its achievements to relevant stakeholders, including the media, government, private sector, academia, and the general public, using diverse and innovative communication channels and tools;
  • Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing through participation in the trainings for the operations/project staff and sound contribution to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

• Implement day-to-day Project duties/activities:
  • Contribute to the preparation of all necessary project documents/plans;
  • Implement action plans and assigned tasks including the field visits to monitor progress on a regular basis, including regular reporting to Project Analysts;
  • Assist in identifying relevant sources of expertise for project/activity implementation;
  • Timely raise and inform Project Analysts on any issue that may arise during the project implementation and advice on potential adjustments of actions and procedure in light of changing requirements and needs;
  • Maintain day to day communication with Operations Unit regarding the Projects administration matters; procurement, human resources and finance matters;
  • Draft routine correspondence, facsimile, memoranda and reports from oral instructions, previous correspondence or other available information sources, in accordance with the standard office procedures, and ensure appropriate follow-up; write minutes from the meetings/interviews;
  • Provide logistical support to the projects such as for the organization of events, meetings and study tours; provide translation/interpretation services, as needed;
  • Liaise with all relevant national and international stakeholders and partners, including UN agencies.

In cooperation with the Communications Unit, assist in promotion of the project's visibility.

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

Institutional Arrangement

Under the direct supervision of the Project Analyst for Green and Inclusive Growth and overall supervision of the Team Leader for Inclusive and Green Growth in UNDP Country Office in Montenegro, Project Associate will be responsible to provide daily support to Project Analysts on respective projects listed in the Background section of the Terms of Reference. The incumbent will be based in UNDP Country Office in Podgorica.
 

• 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 

• Communications:    
  • Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and chose communication methods depending on the audience. 
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels. 
• Project Management:    
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals. 
• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management:    
  • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 
  • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. 
  • Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
• Event Planning and Execution:     
  • Ability to plan, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP's overall brand and mandate.
• Effective Decision Making:    
  • Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources and taken into consideration potential wider implications. 
• Gender:     
  • Gender and Environment.
• Inclusive Growth:    
  • Economic Diversification.