UNDP Jobs - 48803- Programme and Travel Assistant

Programme and Travel Assistant

Location :

Bangkok, Thailand with possibility of travel to Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Malawi.

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

25-Aug-2014

Application Deadline :

20-Aug-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

10 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

10 months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UNDP-Global Environment Facility Unit is based in UNDP’s Bureau of Policy and Programme Support and is responsible for providing leadership and technical support to, among other areas, delivery of the Environment and Sustainable Development pillar of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. Its main focus is on helping countries develop the capacity to fully incorporate environmental sustainability and resilience into development at national and local, but also global and regional, levels. The principal areas of work are in environmental mainstreaming, environmental finance, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy.

The UNDP-GEF unit helps developing countries make green, low-emission and climate-resilient development not only possible, but also economically attractive. To achieve this, it works closely with UNDP country offices to help countries develop and implement programmes and projects which advance their capacity to put in place the right mix of regulatory and financial incentives, remove institutional and policy barriers, and create enabling environments that attract and drive private sector investment into green development.

Recently, UNDP-GEF started implementing a series of project focused on strengthening climate information for resilient development and adaptation to climate change as well as supporting countries to advance national adaptation plans. In addition, UNDP-GEF has developed a number of projects to support countries to attract and direct public and private investment towards sustainable economic growth through, for example, long-term integrated planning and visual mapping, facilitating public private partnerships for innovative financing and technology, hazard- and climate-resilient infrastructure, and community-based adaptation. In order to meet their objectives, these projects will organize workshops and events that will provide training and build the capacity of national meteorological agencies, ministries of finance, planning and environment, among other national and sub-national stakeholders. Several side events at key climate and adaptation international and regional events will also need to be organized.

In this context, UNDP-GEF is looking to recruit the services of an individual who will support project activities as well as the organization of the travel arrangements of participants attending workshops and events financed by these various projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will provide a) programme support activities at the regional and countries levels, b) logistics services to ensure that the travel arrangements for the workshops/events run successfully. The consultant will also contribute to all preparation and paper work related to the programme and workshops/events by developing an effective filing system; in particular managing and maintaining contact databases for workshops/events, registration, travel, DSA payment and final report/ material distribution as well as provide support for venue arrangements when necessary. After workshops/events, the consultant will also finalize and complete all relevant paper work i.e. travel claim settlement, document management and summarizing a final expenditure report of the workshops/events.

Tentative workshops/events calendar

New Yor, USA (Climate Summit): Setember 2014;
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania: October 2014;
Lima, Peru (Community of Practice): December 2014;
Kampala, Uganda: Febraury 2015;
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Expert Deployment): 2015;
Freetown, Sierra Leone (Expert Deployment): 2015;
Malawi (Expert Deployment): 2015.

The consultant works in close collaboration with the Administrative Associate, Programme Assistants, Regional Technical Advisors, Project Staff (CIRDA project, NAP related projects), Consultants and Operations Support Team in the Country Offices and Regional Centres, to assist in programme activities as well as workshops/events arrangements. Specific duties may include:

Assist in all logistic support functions and provide administrative and secretarial services;
Coordinate/liaise with venue representative and participants during workshops/events;
Direct the participants to UNDP counterparts or travel agent and assist in arranging the confirmation of their return travel;
Process the financial aspects of workshops/events support as per UNDP rules;
Facilitate the inbound and outbound workshops/events shipments;
Be available when helping hands are needed by the workshops participants and facilitators as workshops/events focal point;
Ensure that the requirements of the workshops/events are met;
Make workshops/events pre and post-report available upon request;
Provide support to UNDP-GEF projects and programmes on climate information and national adaptation planning;
Perform other support duties as may be required.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Leader ship and Self-Management

Focuses on results for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to perform a variety of standard tasks to promote a client, and results-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations;
Ability to provide high quality and accuracy of work;
Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new system, including new IT based systems;
Good knowledge of Atlas and UN rules and regulations.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting or related field;

Professional Experience:

A minimum 2-year work experience in UN secretarial work;
Good communications skills, both oral and written in English;
Knowledge of UNDP procurement and financial rules and regulation is preferable;
Excellent organizational skill, service-mind, punctual, self-motivated, and proactive;
Experience in computer and MS Office package, particularly proficiency in Excel;
Experience in the use of ATLAS (UNDP ERP system).

Language:

Good communications skills, both oral and written in English.

Contract Duration:

25 August 2014 - 30 June 2015 for a maximum of 195 days worked.

Duty Station:

Bangkok, Thailand with possibility of travel to Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Malawi.

Provision of Monitoring and Progress Controls:

The consultant will report directly to Head Climate Change Adaptation, UNDP-GEF or his/her designee, will effectively cooperate with UNDP Head Quarters, Country Offices and Regional Centres’s programme and operations staff on a routine basis.

Documents to be included when submitting proposal:

Interested individual consultant must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate your qualifications:

Tehnical Proposal: Brief motivation letter explaining why the applicant thinks is an outstanding candidate for the job.
Financial proposal: indicating all-inclusive daily professional fee in USD or Thai baht;
Personal CV and/or signed P.11: including past experience in similar projects and the name and contact details of 3 references.

Financial Proposal:

The financial proposal shall specify the all-inclusive daily professional fee in USD or Thai baht. Payments will be made to the Individual Consultant based on the number of days worked.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, UNDP may arrange air ticket or the Individual Contractor may need to arrange air ticket by his/her own and the air ticket cost shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceed the price quoted by UNDP’s travel agent. The Individual Contractor shall receive Living Allowance and Terminal Expenses in locations as assigned and must be mutually agreed by both parties prior to travel.

Evaluation:

The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable;
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight; 70%

Experience related to services: 50 points;
Expertise & Availability: 50 points;

Financial Criteria weight; 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 350 technical points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.