Project Management Associate

UNDP operates in approximately 170 countries and territories, aiming to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so that countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In Myanmar, UNDP focuses on strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities to both ongoing and future challenges. The UNDP’s Community First Programme (CFP) provides direct support to these communities, addressing their urgent basic needs and building their resilience to future shocks. The CFP is centered around three area-based projects: (i) Rakhine Triple Nexus (RTN), (ii) Enabling Community Recovery and Resilience (ENCORE), and (iii) Urban Resilience Programme (URP).

The Rakhine Triple Nexus (RTN) is a vital component of the CFP, designed to empower the most vulnerable

communities, including the stateless and displaced, by facilitating their transition from crisis to recovery and ultimately to long-term resilience. The RTN encompasses a variety of interventions across economic, social, legal, disaster, and climate sectors. These interventions contribute to three primary outcomes:

1. Vulnerable communities, including displaced and stateless populations, gain access to enhanced tools for pursuing inclusive development and social cohesion. This includes improved access to legal services, protection, and fundamental rights.
2. These communities benefit from improved access to basic services such as drinking water, community access roads, and essential infrastructure, while also being better prepared for external shocks and natural resource management.
3. The most vulnerable households and individuals have their livelihoods rehabilitated and revitalized, with diversified income-generation opportunities.

UNDP seeks the services of Project Management Associate to support effective implementation and management of RTN Project. 

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Head of the Rakhine Field Office/Project Manager, the Project Management Associate supports effective management and implementation of project activities, with a focus on financial management and monitoring.

The Project Management Associate will work closely with the Community Development Specialist, Program Specialist, and frequently liaise with CO Programme and Operations teams. This role requires regular interaction with other project teams, technical advisors, implementing partners, donors, beneficiaries, and CSOs to ensure the successful implementation of the project.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

1.Project management support

• Assist in the preparation of project Annual Work Plans (AWPs), including budget estimates and revisions.
• Ensure timely updates to UNDP’s results-management systems, including the QUANTUM project management module. Regularly monitor project management performance indicators within the UNDP results system and financial/procurement/HR/asset dashboards, implementing corrective actions as needed.
• Establish an implementation calendar for the project team to track project events, contractor deliverables, payment schedules, and logistics timelines.
• Timely review of cash position for disbursements. Timely identification and recording of receipts for income application.
• Timely disbursement of fund and payments 
• Prepare cost-sharing and other agreements and monitor these agreements.
• Supervise and manage assigned project personnel and consultants.

• Monitor project resources, balances, and expenditures to ensure accurate use of funds, allocating income to the project budget to meet anticipated expenditures.
• Set up the project budget in QUANTUM, facilitate budget approvals and revisions, and assign appropriate COAs for payroll, T&Es, POs, expenses, etc.
• Facilitate audit and spot-check processes by preparing necessary documentation, liaising with auditors, providing clarifications, and ensuring implementation of audit recommendations.
• Prepare regular financial analyses to inform project management of potential risks and support decision-making on financial issues.
• Provide inputs for project financial reporting, including donor reporting.
• Follow up on internal expenditure control systems, taking timely corrective action on unposted vouchers, budget check errors, match exceptions, and unapproved vouchers.
• Prepare requisitions, GLJEs, budget revisions, and manage payments, travel arrangements, logistics, and project closures.

• Conduct capacity assessments of prospective grantees' financial and operational systems using UNDP’s PCAT tool.
• Review financial submissions from partner organizations for grants, provide feedback, facilitate disbursements, and monitor resource balances/expenditures.
• Support implementing partners in enhancing their financial and operational management through training and audit preparation.
• Act as a focal point for partners on financial and operational matters, overseeing advances and liquidations through the HACT system, addressing aging advances as necessary.
• Record findings from audits and spot checks for implementing partners, monitor action taken, and update as necessary.
• Advise the Project Manager of any concerns related to implementing partners’ financial and operational management.
   

4. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Design a comprehensive filing and archiving system to ensure accessible, accurate documentation.
• Identify best practices in operational management, propose ideas for operational efficiencies, and share knowledge with the Rakhine Team Network (RTN) and other project teams to foster a culture of operational excellence.
• Organize training sessions and learning events on relevant topics for project staff.
• Facilitate the preparation of knowledge products.

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:

LEVEL1: 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 

Business Management - Partnerships Management

• Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness - Effectiveness 

• Project Quality Assurance

Business Management - 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.

Business Management - Results-based Management

• Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. 
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.  
   

Business Development - Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. 
• Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. 
• Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

Business Management -  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. 

Business Management - Project Management 

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