Background

Organizational Context

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Myanmar has embarked on a new Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP, 2013-105) in partnership with the Government of Myanmar, and under the United Nations Assistance Framework (UNSF, 2012-2015). The CPAP comprises 3 pillars, namely: Pillar 1 – Local Governance; Pillar 2 – Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Disaster Risk Reduction; and Pillar 3 – Democratic Governance and Development Effectiveness.  The Local Governance pillar comprises 4 outputs, namely: output 1 – strengthened institutional capacity of local government; output 2 – strengthened institutional capacity of civil society organizations; output 3 – strengthened capacity of local media institutions; output 4 – strengthened institutional capacity of micro-finance service-providers; and output 5 – improved livelihoods and social cohesion.

Under the direct supervision of the Pillar Lead, Local Governance Programme, the Programme Associate provides financial, administrative and logistical support to Pillar 1 activities, supports the effective delivery of programmes by providing implementation support services consistent with UNDP rules and regulations, and works in close collaboration with the programme, operations and area-based personnel as required.

Duties and Responsibilities

Functions / Key Results Expected:

Summary of Key Functions:

• Support to programme implementation and programme management;
• Support to programme assurance;
• Operational, administrative and logistical support;
• Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

Ensures support to programme implementation and programme management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Assuming primary responsibility for budgeting activities for Pillar 1. Ensuring timely and accurate budget revisions for Pillar 1 across all Outputs, including by preparing, reviewing and supporting budget revisions;
• Supports the preparation and consolidation of work plans for Pillar 1 across all Outputs;
• Preparing management and operations budgets for the Pillar and monitoring the utilization of management and operations budgets;
• Monitoring expenditures, tracking accurate use of funds, and preparing budget and expenditure statements as required, provides guidance to other pillar 01 assistants in this regard;
•  Liaising with other units within the pillar 01 and within the CO, as strategic planning unit of procurement unit, human resources unit and finance unit with regard to overall Pillar 1 activities, and consolidating of pillar wide requests for information and feedback including but not limited to procurement plans, M&E plans;
• Maintaining a Pillar calendar of activities and pillar-wide leave plans;

• Contributing to the organization of Pillar Boards, including preparing financial reports and organizing Pillar Board meetings;
• Supporting to reporting, monitoring and evaluation activities of Pillar 1, including by preparing financial reports;
• Supporting planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of programmes and programmatic interventions across the pillar outputs, tracking use of financial resources in cooperation with other associates and assistants in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
• Ensuring that applicable operational and financial procedures are properly implemented across all Outputs;
• Reviewing financial transactions, including by ensuring the necessary supporting documentation;
• Creating requisitions in ATLAS, and budget-checking requisitions;
• Preparing non-PO vouchers;
• Maintaining the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed; transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas;
• Taking timely corrective actions on un posted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers;
• Ensuring accurate and comprehensive documentation, filing and archiving;
• Supporting audit exercises, including by preparing documentation, liaising with auditors, providing clarification and information and ensuring and monitoring the implementation of audit recommendations.

Ensures operational, administrative and logistical support focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Working closely with respective output leads and assigned associates/ assistants to support procurement activities of Pillar 1, including liaising closely with procurement unit to resolve bottlenecks, raising e-requisitions, maintaining rosters for ongoing contracts, providing timely reminders to unit colleagues on contract expiry and extension timelines and ensuring the timely disbursement of payments against contracts;
• Working closely with respective output leads and assigned associates/ assistants to support human resource activities of Pillar 1, including by monitoring recruitment processes, liaising closely with human resources unit to resolve bottlenecks, maintaining an overview of personnel contracts, and providing timely reminders to unit colleagues on contract expiry and extension timelines;
• Supporting consultants and short-term staff, including by managing visa, protocol and travel arrangements and liaising with them on administrative and logistical issues;
• Supporting mission travel, including by processing travel and security authorizations, organizing air travel, ground transportation, accommodation and other logistical arrangements and processing travel claims;
• Support and follow up with Government counterparts on communication and agreed activities on behalf of the team leader;
• Coordinate other cross pillar activities on behalf of the team leader within the Pillar1 team as requested.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Supporting the capacity-development and training needs of Programme Associates and Project Assistants in Pillar 1 through coaching and on the job training;
• Identifying and putting in place best financial and administrative management practices in the unit;
• Supporting the programme-related information and capacity needs of the unit organization of trainings for unit staff on relevant topics;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Impact of Results

The key results have an impact on the success of country programme within specific areas of cooperation. In particular, the key results have an impact on the design, operation and programming of activities, creation of strategic partnerships as well as reaching resource mobilization targets.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:                

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda:
Support the preparation of information for advocacy

• Identifies relevant information for advocacy for a variety of audiences;
• Makes research of contacts in the media, government, private sector, donors, other agencies, civil society in other stakeholders for UNDP’s advocacy efforts.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management:
Contributing to results through provision of information

• Provides information for linkages across programme activities to help identify critical points of integration;
• Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals.

Building Strategic Partnerships:
Maintaining information and databases

• Analyzes general information and selects materials in support of partnership building initiatives;
• Maintains databases of donor information;
• Tracks and reports on mobilized resources.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches:

• Documents and tracks innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches;
• Tracks bottlenecks, problems and issues, and proposes solutions;
• Responds positively to new approaches.

  Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations):
Providing information for resource mobilization strategies

• Maintains information/databases on potential and actual donors;
• Maintains database of project files;
• Provides data and information needed for preparation of project documents.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:
Basic research and analysis

• Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents innovative strategies and new approaches.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:
Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Identifies new and better approaches to work processes and incorporates same in own work;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools, and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals:
Research and analysis

• Identifies relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences;
• Maintains a network of contacts in the media and civil society, for use in UNDP’s advocacy efforts.

Client Orientation:
Maintains effective client relationships

• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients;
• Responds to client needs promptly.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity; 
  
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Completion of Secondary Education;
• University Degree in Business Administration or a relevant Social Sciences field would be desirable, but is not a requirement;
• Specialized certification in accounting and finance.

Experience:

• 7 years of progressively responsible experience in administrative, financial and programmatic support to development activities at the national or international level;
• Experience in handling web based management systems;
• Knowledge and training on ATLAS would be an added advantage;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc);
• Advanced usage of spreadsheet and data base packages;
• Prince2 training and certification, RBM training an advantage;
• Past experience in UN/ UNDP an advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in Myanmar and English.

Note:

Candidates must apply on-line through UNDP job website together with duly filled and signed UN-P11 form, academic qualification certificates. Applications without these document will note be considered. P11 form can be downloaded here: http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.docx .