Background
The new UNFPA country programme for Brazil was approved by the Executive Board for a five-year period of 2017-2021 and covers 4 strategic areas: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Adolescents & Youth; Population Dynamics which includes South-South Cooperation in support of the ICPD agenda. The CPD is based on a total resource plan of USD 37.5m of which USD 4,5m regular resources and USD 33m to be mobilized.
At the same time, the UN in Brazil signed a new Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) covering the same 5-year period as the UNFPA CPD (2017-2021). UNFPA Brazil was nominated to coordinate the 1 of the 5 strategic areas, the People pillar. In addition, UNFPA is chairing the Government/Interagency working group on Youth and the Government/Interagency working group of HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, UNFPA is co-chairing the Brazilian Chapter of the Global Health Partnership - H6.
Since 2015 Brazil is undergoing a period of political and economic instability, which has significantly impacted UNFPA’s ability to mobilize resources from the Government to implement the Country Programme. In this context of declining core resources, UNFPA is obliged to move more decidedly than ever into the global multilateral arena of non-core resource mobilization. Beyond the corporate shift, this requires UNFPA at country office level to embrace a mode of engagement and a way of doing business internally, which departs from the traditional UNFPA operation. As such, various new internal processes as well as profiles need to be adapted, at programmatic, operational and communications levels. New frameworks as well as a new business culture need to be adopted. This poses several internal challenges the CO team must overcome in conjunction with the external political, social and economic circumstances in Brazil.
The Programme Assistant (PA) is located in the Brazil Country Office (CO) and reports to the UNFPA Assistant Representative. The PA plays a key role in terms of supporting the delivery of the UNFPA South-South Cooperation Programme across the thematic areas of the UNFPA Country Programme. The PA plays an essential articulation role between Programme development, implementation and operations with a CO Programme Assistant Profile. As such, the PA role is transversal and supports all south-south cooperation programme areas across the UNFPA mandate in Brazil.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Representative and the direct supervision of the Assistant Representative the incumbent provides support to planning, implementation, monitoring, logistical and administrative support to the UNFPA South-South Cooperation Programme in Brazil. Major duties and responsibilities are as follows:
Support the development, implementation, monitoring, assurance & evaluation of Annual Work Plans, advising and proposing corrective actions as necessary.
Provide data and information needed for the preparation of programme and project documents.
Contribute to office planning, programming and reporting.
Support the preparation of progress and financial reports on project expenditures and analytical reports on current and past expenditure trends.
Assist in the preparation of project budget revisions for processing and approval,
Organize logistical support to meetings, workshops, missions and events.
Participate in training and guidance events for implementing partners regarding national execution, and programme policies and procedures.
Prepare correspondence and draft simple reports in Portuguese and English as required.
Assist with activities related to personnel selection and contracting (draft TORs, obtain data for the creation of vendors, monitor product quality, and ensure the completion of the evaluation form).
Undertake periodic data collection, record checking and follow up on recommendations.
Support the preparation of travel requests and authorizations, liaise with Travel Agency for the issuance of tickets and indicate the need for reimbursements.
Establish and nurture effective communication and liaison with partners and office staff to ensure effective performance of these duties.
Contribute to the development of knowledge sharing assets by synthesizing and documenting findings and lessons learned and drafting relevant materials.
Support the advocacy and resource mobilization strategy of the country office.
Maintain project files and update data in Atlas (ERP System) related to projects under his/her responsibility.
Perform Atlas related functions according to the relevant profile as CO Programme Assistant.
Undertake other tasks as requested by the Supervisor.
Share knowledge and learn continuously.
Work relations
Internal contacts include the Operations Manager, the CO’s programme/technical team and the Senior Management Team.
Competencies
Corporate Skills
Integrity
Act in accordance with UNFPA and UN values, administrative rules, code of conduct and ethical principles.
Exercise critical judgment when handling operational data focusing on the better fulfillment of UNFPA's mandate and securing information confidentiality.
Client/Partner Orientation
Contribute to the achievement of positive results for clients and partners by anticipating needs and concerns, and responding to them efficiently.
Sensitivity to cultural diversity
Demonstrate inclusive behavior with colleagues and stakeholders by successfully developing cross-cultural relationships.
Be adaptable and sensitive to political, religious and cultural differences.
Actively promote equity and gender diversity in all activities.
Innovation
Demonstrate curiosity and creativity when solving administrative problems.
Be tolerant with different points of view and understand the role of operations as an evolving area of ??UN reform which contributes to a more effective and efficient implementation.
Accountability
Be accountable for handling confidential information in support of UNFPA's work in Brazil.
Ensure information is correctly collected, recorded and used to minimize errors and strengthen implementation.
Basic Skills
Achieve results
Seek ways to optimize the use of resources and ensure the correct execution of policies.
Promote actions to ensure that daily activities are executed on time.
Focus on problem solving
Actively support operational services and promote exchange of information with programme units.
Support the implementation of appropriate solutions in support to UNFPA operations, focusing on practices that have the potential to enhance existing systems and that can lead to the identification of corrective measures to solve problems.
Working in a Team and Managing Relationships
Promote team harmony by collaborating with colleagues and paying due consideration to ideas from other members.
Stay calm and focused even under pressure.
Take advantage of team diversity to achieve better and more innovative results.
Demonstrate resilience when dealing with complex and urgent tasks.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Communication for impact
Encourage and actively engage in open, objective discussions demonstrating the ability to see problems and situations from the perspective of team members.
Express ideas clearly and encourage open dialogue in order to develop better solutions without undermining peer relationships.
Excellent writing and communication skills.
Good research skills and ability to synthesize information.
Functional skill set
Attention to detail and organization.
Appropriate handling documents, correspondence and reports.
Good planning skills.
Provide logistical and administrative support.
Knowledge of basic IT systems and hardware.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
First level university degree in Social Sciences, Human Sciences, International Relations or related areas (or three additional years of relevant experience beyond requirement).
Experience:
Five years of relevant experience in either programme support, finance or administrative work.
Proficiency in current office applications (advanced user knowledge in spreadsheet and word processing software).
Good writing, communication and interpersonal skills.
Previous experience in South-South Cooperation area is an advantage.
Language Requirements:
Fluency in Portuguese and English.
Working knowledge of Spanish required.
How to apply
Complete the P11 form available at http://www.unfpa.org.br/Arquivos/p11_port_final.doc
Procedure: On the vacancy announcement page, click "Apply Now". After completing the necessary data, click on "Submit Application". In "Attach Resume", click "Browse" to include your already filled in P11. In "Upload Resume", submit your P11.
Important notes:
Only applications made using the P11 form and submitted within the deadline will be considered.
UNFPA is committed to human diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. People from minority groups, indigenous people and people with disabilities are encouraged to participate in the selection process. All applications will be analyzed with complete confidentiality.
Due to the high volume of applications, individual receipt confirmation is not be possible. Only a limited number of pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
Candidates must be of Brazilian nationality or have legal authorization to work in the country.
UNFPA does not charge any type of fee to participate in this process. UNFPA does not solicit or search for individual information about HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate against HIV-positive people. UNFPA offers equal opportunities to all applicants and encourages Afro Descendants and women to apply.