UNDP Jobs - 54071- Project Specialist, Admin and Finance, "Supporting

Project Specialist, Admin and Finance, "Supporting Kazakhstan’s Transition to a Green Economy Model", UNDP (only for Kazakhstan citizens)

Location :

Astana, KAZAKHSTAN

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

05-Mar-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months

Languages Required :

English Russian

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

Following a rapid social and economic transformation from a central planning state to one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Kazakhstan has reached a GDP per capita of USD 13,099 (2011) and a HDI of 0,754 (2012). High economic growth rates fuelled mainly by oil, gas and mining during the past decade have significantly reduced average poverty levels in Kazakhstan, but created at the same time inter-regional and significant intra-regional imbalances. Furthermore, the current non-sustainable development model is generating significant direct costs mostly impacting the poorer and more disadvantaged part of the society (e.g. in terms of environmental burden on health; consequences of resource degradation) and opportunity costs (e.g. increasing the green technology gap) which will further increase if no change in the country's development model is initiated.

Key policy guidance is given by the country's Presidency and transmitted for implementation to the public administration at central and oblast levels through long-term and mid-term multi-sector strategies and through annual addresses to the nation. The most recent long-term strategy is Kazakhstan 2050, which includes a substantial chapter on the country's transition to a green economy model, triggering the development of a comprehensive Green Economy Strategy. While inspired by experience abroad, in particular from world leading economies, strategic policy decisions are fully developed and owned by the country's leadership and have, in the past, resulted in an impressive record of economic growth and poverty reduction.

The government's environmental management systems have made some progress in the past but remain short of meeting the sector's significant challenges. One of the recent positive moves has been a surge in interest by city administrations to sign up to the Covenant of Mayors – East, which will generate substantial synergies with the Project here presented. Kazakhstan also became a fully-fledged member of the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Aware of the significant existing and long-term direct and opportunity costs (including a huge environmental burden on health, resource use inefficiencies and resource degradation), related to not addressing these concerns in a comprehensive way, and aware of the need to respond to the impact of climate change, Kazakhstan took a landmark decision to transition to a green economy model, as announced in the country's 2050 Strategy (December 2012) and further detailed in the government's Green Economy Concept (adopted in May 2013) which proposes a set of sustainable-development initiatives in six key areas: water, agriculture, energy using sectors, energy production, air pollution and waste, together with a chapter on ecosystems and human resource development.

The overall objective of the government's strategy is to transition to an environmentally sustainable development model and to significantly reduce environmental risks and ecological scarcities while maintaining economic growth and competitiveness, creating high-value jobs and improving human well-being. Following the adoption of the Green Economy (GE) Strategy, Kazakhstan now faces the following key challenges:

(i) Develop/adapt and implement sector strategies and action plans for each of the pillars for Green Economy, while ensuring that a strategic environmental assessment is carried out for strategies and action plans that are likely to have significant environmental including health effects;
(ii) Develop and implement a new, "green stimulus" - oriented environmental governance system for based on modernized institutional mechanisms, stakeholder capacities and adequate data collection and analysis;
(iii) Raise awareness about GE benefits among stakeholders including the private sector, and mobilize human and financial resources for a comprehensive GE development model. An indicative plan foresees an average annual investment of 1% of GDP per annum in this sphere over the coming 25 years, with a peak in the years 2015-2020.

Proposed UNDP/UNECE-EC project aims to assist the country in developing and implementing a Green Economy Model in water. This will be done through three (3) principal components as follows:

Component 1 Water Resources Management
Component 2 Environmental Governance with focus on water resources and climate change
Component 3 Green Economy Pilot Actions on local level

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:
Administrative and Finance Project Specialist (further referred to as an Project Specialist) will provide support to the Project Manager in implementation of everyday activity under the Project. The Project Specialist will be responsible for all administrative (contractual, organizational and logistics) issues and the issues related to procurement (procurement of services and goods, payments, accounting, cash management and others).

The duties and responsibility of the Project Specialist will include:

1. Financial management of the project:
• Providing control and management of the overall project funds, including monitoring of project expenditures in accordance with the workplans and UNDP/donor procedures;
• Controlling the compliance with the teams on the financial management, etc: deadlines, formats, purchasing procedures, audits, transmission of documentary evidence, spending eligibility periods, etc
• Working out all financial documents to be transmitted to the donor in compliance with the specific directives of the latter: budgets, financial reports, descriptive comments on the main budgetary discrepancies, requests for amendments, audit arrangements, etc.
• Ensure full compliance of financial processes and financial records with UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies (Standard Operating Procedures, SOP), as well as with the Programme specific requirements (as communicated with the PM);
• Verify all payment requests, disbursement vouchers, cash receipt vouchers and other financial documents, when required;
• Preparation of e-requisitions, receipts and PO based vouchers;
• Maintaining internal expenditures control system by ensuring that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas;
• Ensure timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions and unapproved vouchers
• Preparation of budget revisions of the project, minimum once a year;
• Monitoring of project expenditures in accordance with the workplan and UNDP procedures;
• As necessary, preparation of cash advance requests and securing of reporting in accordance with UNDP procedures;

2. Administrative support:
• Preparing travel requests for the employees of the Project, Executive Partner and UNDP in accordance with UNDP specified order and format;
• Solving organizational issues on reservation and acquisition of tickets and others; Securing visa support, arrangement of transport and accommodation in a hotel and etc. during the visits of foreign experts;
• Providing support to the development and implementation of short-term contracts in accordance with UNDP requirements and procedures and exercising control over of contractual terms, obligations and time limitations;
• Providing assistance to the National Project Manager in keeping close contacts with the Executive Partner, UNDP, the project partners and other organizations by means of direct contacts, collection of information and proposals, registration of incoming and outgoing correspondence, preparation of draft letters and organization of meetings;
• Keeping the catalogue of archive data, with all data on contracts, reports and etc. into it, revising and updating them according to an established format for subsequent use;
• Developing a catalogue of materials on the project and project activities (correspondence, reports, budget and financial expenses) in accordance with UNDP requirements;
• Organizing the process of preparation and logistics of workshops, working meetings, delegations, field expeditions and etc.;
• If required, preparing basic materials for use in presentations, workshops and briefings;
• Keeping an inventory list on provision separate expert with project equipment and their responsibility for it and monitoring of the equipment use;
• Securing regular record keeping on use of the office vehicle;
• Preparing unofficial translations and as required, acting as an interpreter.

Competencies

Corporate Requirements:
• Good knowledge of computer and organizational technology.
• Knowledge of UNDP requirements and procedures.
• Good analytical and writing skills.
• Good interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to conduct paperwork.
• Ability to work in a team.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: At least Bachelor Degree in any discipline (in the field of accounting, financial management or business administration)

Experience: At least 5 years of work experience in administrative and financial support of office operating within international or foreign projects or organizations; must possess an excellent understanding of administrative and fiscal management and committed to producing timely and accurate reports and budgets.
Demonstrated proficiency in use of office equipment with computer literacy in Microsoft Office, spreadsheets and power point presentations, experience in financial management systems (Atlas knowledge an asset).
Knowledge of international organizations and/or UNDP requirements and procedures would be an asset.

Language requirements:

• Fluent spoken and written Russian and English;
• Knowledge of Kazakh would be an asset

!IMPORTANT INFORMATION

How to apply: Interested and qualified candidates should apply on-line through this site by clicking "APPLY NOW" button. Please ensure that you upload your UN Personal History Form-P11 (on the 2nd page of the application by selecting "UPLOAD RESUME" option).

Incomplete applications will not be given consideration. Please note that only short-listed applications will be contacted.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.