Jobs - 13740- Programme Assistant

Programme Assistant

Location :

Port Harcourt, NIGERIA

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

25-Jan-2010

Application Deadline :

17-Dec-09 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

6 months

Languages Required :

English

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

1. The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is making concrete contributions to developing the capacities of tens of thousands of people around the world. Since its inception in 1965, UNITAR has built sustainable partnerships acquiring unique expertise and accumulating experience and knowledge to fulfill its mandate. These accomplishments have enabled UNITAR to respond to the growing demand from UN Member States for training for capacity development in the fields of: Governance; Environment; Peace, Security and Diplomacy.

2. UNITAR's mission is to deliver innovative training and conduct research on knowledge systems to develop the capacity of beneficiaries. As an autonomous body within the United Nations the institute strives to offer learning technologies that respond to life-long training needs of officials from UN Member States and sub-national or non-governmental institutions.
3. UNITAR concentrates on practice-oriented approach to training – the means of delivering modern training and professional learning. It offers the expertise on how best to deliver this training, how best to capture and retain knowledge and how best to build upon it. It also focuses on how to monitor and evaluate their impact on behaviour; and how to capitalize capacity development for institutional growth and development. UNITAR has continuously increased the number of its training programmes and has successfully established strong institutional cooperation across the globe.
UNITAR Office in Nigeria became operational with effect from 26th March 2006, and committed to bringing the huge institutional capacity development programmes and initiatives of the Institute to the easily accessible benefit of relevant public and private sectors operators alike. This is in a bid to ensuring that both public and private sectors leverage on the many years of training and research expertise of UNITAR for the institutional capacity development objectives of their respective organizational mandates.
The Office engages in a series of credible training and capacity building interventions of local authorities and communities in the following sectors:

• Oil and Gas industry-specific technical capacity assessment and development
• UNITAR-NDDC Institute for Good Governance and Human Development
• Governance and Local Administration and Leadership for local government authorities
• United Nations Organization Satellite (UNOSAT) using satellite imagery, GIS and other IT for participatory assessment, development plan formulation and implementation
• Training and application of micro-credit and finance for small and medium enterprise development
• UNITAR-HP Micro Accelerated Programme (MAP) – a tool through which UNITAR aims to build capacity by bridging the gap between conventional business skills and technical courses, helping trainees establish connections between business challenges and technological solutions to enable them amplify business effectiveness.
• Community Development Association Capacity development in Leadership and project formulation and administration
• Environmental Profiles and compliance
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Duties and Responsibilities

Preparation of budgets and support field operations at Training and Capacity Building workshops.
Follow up on all outstanding matters with UNDSS.
Processing of travel authorizations and travel claims.
To prepare, dispatch and receive all out going and incoming mails.
To take inventory of all office consumables and control the use of energy resources.
To record and account for all administrative and financial matters.
Taking down minutes of staff meetings.
To liaise with Administrative/Finance Officer at the HQ on administrative and financial matters.
Follow-up on payment authorization/certification for staffs and vendors.
Conduct general administrative tasks as required by the UN Rules and as assigned by the Chief of Nigeria Office
Records income and expenditure, and monitors the financial status of PHFO.
Process payments to vendors and outside expertise.
Preparation of payment certification to UNDP and follow up with payments

Competencies

Corporate Responsibility & Direction:

Promotes the new UNITAR strategic plan and goals of the UN
Ability to translate strategies into real and achievable plans, with established priorities and capable to make periodic adjustments as necessary

People Skills:

Able to recognize and respond effectively to new ideas, interests and concerns of other team members
Effective listener and able to integrate ideas contributed by others to achieve organizational goals

Managing for Results:

Able to plan and prioritize work activities meet goals
Highly result oriented
Follow up on work schedule
Very quick in responding to departmental demands
Good accounting and computer application skills

Partnering & Networking:

Build effective relationship with key stakeholders in the UNITAR project
Ability to network with internal departments within and outside UNITAR

Innovation & Judgment:

Strong organizational skills
Able to work without close supervision
Ability to apply knowledge, information technology as tools for work activities organization

Communication:

Excellent creative writing skill
Excellent oral communication skill
Excellent presentation skill

Job Knowledge & Expertise:

Ability to apply require depth and breadth of knowledge/expertise to meet job requirement

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Secondary

Education, preferably with specialized certification in Secretarial Studies/Administration. University Degree in Secretarial Studies/Administration would be desirable, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

5 to 6 years of progressively responsible programme experience is required at the national or international level in related field/effective communication skills

Language Requirements:
Ability to express oneself effectively in English language, both orally and in writing