Biodiversity Project Associate

Office/Unit/Project Description 

Biodiversity finance tools have become crucial for achieving biodiversity and sustainable development goals. Effective finance solutions enhance countries' ability to meet national and global biodiversity targets. Biodiversity Finance Plans, supported by the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) www.biofin.org, are recognized as essential tools for addressing the biodiversity finance gap. The Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in December 2022, includes targets for financing, such as designing and implementing national biodiversity finance plans.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) supports countries in creating Biodiversity Finance Plans, which analyze economic systems, map financing mechanisms, and outline actions to increase funding, reduce harmful finance flows, and improve expenditure effectiveness. This program promotes knowledge sharing and provides continuous technical support.

In The Gambia, the GEF8 Umbrella programme will develop the first National Biodiversity Finance Plan, led by a Project Lead/Senior Finance Expert with a technical team, in coordination with a government project director and the National Steering Committee. UNDP is recruiting a national team, including a Senior Finance Expert, Project Support Associate, Policy Expert, and Biodiversity Finance Specialist. The Project Support Associate will be responsible for providing back-office/administrative support to the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead) and the whole project. 

Scope of Work 

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

Key duties and responsibilities:

1. 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 organized 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 Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead), that have direct relevance to the project.

2. 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.
• Financial and administrative tracking of activities and expenses. 
• Liaising with UNDP country office, and GPMTSU (Global Project Management and Technical Support Unit) to facilitate financial reporting and compliance, and UNDP procurement compliance.

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 organize 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 on time , and confirmations/changes of travel arrangements are communicated to the GPMTSU immediately.
• Support with communication, facilitation and organization of outreach activities, press releases, project/UNDP/government briefing notes, translations, etc.; 

     Institutional Arrangement

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

Competencies

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies) 

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA