Background

Candidates who previously applied need not re-apply.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has a longstanding commitment to mainstreaming gender equality and promoting women’s empowerment in its work. UNDP’s work on gender is guided by the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA), Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the frameworks provided by the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the UN’s lead development agency, with extensive field presence, UNDP has facilitated the integration of gender equality in the work of Country Offices through core and non-core fund investments and has initiated and implemented numerous innovative initiatives, some in partnership with UN Women that support both government and civil society work on gender issues.

The Gender Team is at the forefront of UNDP's commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment. The Gender Team is part of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) which provides policy advice and technical support to all of UNDP’s operations. The Gender Team works to implement gender equality as a core objective of UNDP through a two-pronged approach (i) mainstreaming gender in all core practices; and, (ii) dedicated interventions that empower women and promote gender equality. The Gender Team is also responsible for all corporate planning, for supporting corporate programming and reporting on gender and for supporting the Regional and Global Gender Steering and Implementation Committees. Finally, the Gender Team is responsible for support the Administrator and senior management in addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment in their convening and representational functions.

In order to advance UNDP’s mandate on gender equality and women’s empowerment, UNDP has a Corporate Gender Equality Strategy (GES) 2014-2017 which outlines in detail how UNDP will work towards gender equality in each of the goals and key results set out in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017. The Gender Equality Strategy 2014-2017 has just been finalized and a range of practical guidance tools are required to assist in rolling out the actions outlined in the GES.

As part of these efforts, UNDP is the fund manager for an umbrella programme on “Global Gender Responsive Climate Change Programme “. The programme comprises three projects each implemented by a different partner organization: the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, WEDO; the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN; and UNDP.

These projects have been running since 2008 and have succeeded in shifting the gender and climate change paradigm. Through a coordinated partnership approach, they have ensured that gender equality principles are integrated more fully into the outcome documents of UNFCCC negotiations, as well as the operations of major climate funds.

The umbrella programme is made possible mainly through contributions of the government of Finland to the UNDP Gender Thematic Trust Fund. Current funding is entering its fourth phase in 2014 and will continue through 2016.This umbrella programme is one of the main programming vehicles for the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA).

The scope of administrative work for the above initiative includes supporting regular donor financial reporting, ATLAS management, budget reversals, as well as logistical and operational support for contracting, publications, missions, workshops, side events and related meetings at the global and regional levels.  UNDP is now looking to retain the services of a budget, procurement, and logistics consultant to support this work under the GGCA project.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Director of the Gender Team, and in close collaboration with the environment and climate change policy specialist, the consultant will be responsible for the following:

Key deliverables:

Support to project budget/ATLAS monitoring and reporting

  • Prepare programme budgets and financial data (allocations and expenditures) in ATLAS and undertake budget revisions, including mandatory budget revisions as well as tracking of expenditures and commitments on a monthly basis;
  • Maintain “shadow” budget to monitor overall expenditures of the programmes;
  • Analyze project funding and support monitoring, evaluation and preparation of financial reports;
  • Assist in preparation of financially and operational closed projects;
  • Support the transfer of residual balances of the various projects.

Assistance provided with initiation of procurement activities/selection of experts

  • Provide administrative assistance with initiation of project level procurement activities (small purchases, printing, editing and design services);
  • Assist cluster with engagement of consultancy services for the Gender Team.This includes drafting TORs, assisting in solicitation processes, and initial review of documents;
  • Process payments against approved invoices;
  • Assist project managers in managing contracts for the service providers (for publications, experts, venues), ensures effective contract management and their successful closure.

Administrative support provided to main events to be organized by the Gender Team

  • Develop logistics and budget plans for the events;
  • Carry out logistic processes in full compliance with operational activities with UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies and with focus on cost saving and reduction aspects;
  • Ensures closure of travels by settling final travel claims (F10s).Follow up on receipt of any funds due to the Organization;
  • Back to office reports from GT staff on the events;
  • Manage budgets for the events.

Assist in keeping documents of the Programme/cluster up to date and in order

This includes:

  • Assist in maintaining and updating a full inventory of MOUs, consultants, service contracts and ensures monitoring of compliance with corporate approvals by CAP/ACP/CPO;
  • Create electronic folders on project documents, correspondence, reports and other materials for each of the above categories;
  • Maintain files for related activities (procurement, travel, payments) up to date and in order.

Expected outputs:

  •  Project budgets maintained, revised, and monitored, as well as financial reports;
  •  Logistical and operations support is provided to the key events of the cluster;
  •  Support provided for successful procurement and contracting;
  •  Project files and documents are kept updated.

Competencies

  • The ability to meet deadlines and maintain high-quality of output working under pressure;
  • The international project management skill in multinational environment is required for this position;
  • The ability to use good judgment and experience working in a multi-cultural setting are critical;
  • Excellent communication/organizational skills, attention to details;
  • Ability to operate personal computers, corporate and commercial software applications and databases such as Microsoft Office;
  • Microsoft Outlook, Internet, ERP (Atlas) based applications;
  • Ability to quickly learn corporate software applications is essential and thorough knowledge of Atlas is a definite advantage.
  • Knowledge of UNDP/UN administrative procedures is strongly desirable;
  • The highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty are essential.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

  • Completion of secondary school, preferably supplemented by accounting and administration studies.

Years of experience:

  • A minimum of 5 years of administrative and operational management experience, with procurement and finance management duties, preferably in the UN system.

Language:

  • Fluency in spoken and written English.

Evaluation:

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
  • 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

                Financial Criteria weight: 30

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 (70%) points on technical part would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria (70%)                               

  • Experience in programme budgets and financial data (allocations and expenditures) in ERP/ATLAS (20 points);
  • Project level procurement activities (15 points);
  • Administrative support (20 points);
  • Gender and/or Climate Change general knowledge (15 points).

Financial evaluation: (30%)

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: p = y (µ/z)

Where:

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal
µ = price of the lowest priced proposal
z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Additional documents:

Interested individual consultants must submit the additional documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications to email ID gender.team.bids@undp.org with a with subject header: Job ID# 51650 - Finance and Administrative Assistant for GGCA Programme (Consultant)

To note, at the time a consultant signs an Individual Contract (IC) or his/her employer, if employed, signs a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) for work associated with this assignment.

Financial Proposal:

The financial proposal will specify the Fixed Non-negotiable daily fee and payments made to the Individual Consultant based on the number of days worked.