Background

UNDP in Cyprus works to support the ongoing peace and confidence building process between the communities of Cyprus. Since 2001, the UNDP programme in Cyprus has been delivering mainly EU funded interventions, to support Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, encouraging dialogue and cooperation, and supporting the development of environmental, economic and social infrastructure on the island.

As such UNDP in Cyprus provides a diverse package of programmatic services to a range of partners which contribute

to building a conducive environment for the peace process. In particular, the implementation of confidence building measures contributes to the building of trust between the two communities while demonstrating to the public at large that the communities can work together on critical issues that are of importance to all inhabitants of Cyprus across three focus areas:

  • Empowering communities to protect cultural heritage
  • Strengthening inter-communal mechanisms
  • Improving environmental, social and economic infrastructure

Under the general guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Assistant provides services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. The Project Assistant promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

 The Project Assistant works for the Cultural Heritage project in close collaboration with the operations, programme / projects’ staff in the office to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

  1. Administrative support to the programme /projects` unit;
  2. Support to management of the project(s).
  3. Support to the implementation of projects as Project Assistant;
  4. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

Impact of Results:

The key results have an impact on the efficiency of the unit and delivery of the project:

Administrative support to the programme / projects’ unit;

  • Provides administrative support to the Project Managers in contract management;
  • Provides administrative support to the Project Managers in coordinates and organizes the meetings and missions; takes and follows up on the minutes;
  • Draft related background materials for discussions, correspondence and briefing sessions;
  • Assists in the preparation of routine official documents, project document and report;
  • Provides support to maintenance of contacts with the stakeholders and project files;
  • Assists in the preparation of Terms of Reference;
  • Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Support to management of the project(s):

  • Provides support to the Project Managers in follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to project manager;
  • Supports the coordination of the recruitment processes necessary for the implementation of the project/sector activities;
  • Supporting the review of deliverables and to check the overall consistency between all submitted documents;
  • Maintenance of the filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials;
  • Collects and compiles, on a monthly basis, the following inputs related to project: list of the activities, expenditures and results achieved during the previous month as compared to the work plan, monthly expenditure reports and other related documents;
  • Maintenance of teams’ status reports, best practices, lessons learned and compiling of information required for programme / project management;
  • Provides support to the Project Managers in the update of projects in Atlas, preparation of required budget revisions,  revision of project award, project status and risk register;
  • Creation of requisitions in Atlas and budget check for development projects, register of receipt in Atlas;
  • Use of automated office management system;
  • Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor

Support to the implementation of projects as Project Assistant;

  • Contacts with visitors and staff, arrangement of appointments and meetings, acting as an interpreter when required and/or taking minutes;
  • Compilation and preparation of briefing and presentation materials, speeches, background information and documentation for meetings and missions;
  • Provision of translation in accordance with business processes as required;
  • Administrative support to conferences, workshops, events;
  • Organization of regular and ad-hoc meetings and visits; preparation of minutes and summaries of actions to be taken; tracking of progress on planned issues; follow-up with focal points;
  • Screening of incoming communications, filter outgoing correspondence for supervisor’s signature, clearance and further action by other staff; wherever possible;
  • Adherence to appropriate protocol and correspondence guidelines by office team when communicating with authorities and other external partners;
  • Maintenance of the filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials;
  • Maintenance of contacts with the stakeholders; and
  • Contributes to paperless office and archiving;
  • Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

  • Participation in the trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme;
  • Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in programme;
  • Contribution to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Assistant will be mainly based at the UNDP local office in Nicosia and partly at the project site located in Cyprus . She will be reporting, under the supervision of the Project Manager.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination:

LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

People Management: N/A

 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Digital & Innovation

Creative facilitation

  • Ability to design workshops that considers and addresses multiple interests, agendas, worldviews; set out clear objectives and engaging activities; select appropriate tools, materials, resources that are needed to enable or support the activities.

 

  • Being flexible and able to improvise; adapting and changing approaches in response to the needs, while staying true to the intent and objectives of the session.

 

General (across the functions)

Event planning and execution

  • Ability to plan, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP's overall brand and mandate.

 

Communications

 

Writing and editing

  • Ability to create and/or edit written content in different UN languages

 

Administration & Operations

Documents and records management

  • Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving

 

Ethics

Ethics Advice & Guidance:

 

Ability to quickly analyze complex fact patterns and provide comprehensive, sensitive, and confidential ethics advice and guidance

Business Management

Communication

Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience

Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

Business Management

Project Management

Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

 

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements

  • Secondary Education
  • Bachelor’s Level Degree in Finance, Business or Public Administration or any other development related field would be desired, but not a requirement.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

  • Five years of graduate (secondary education) relevant administrative experience would be required
  • Alternatively, if in possession of Bachelor’s degree, two years of relevant administrative experience would be required at the national or international level.

Required  skills

  • Proven experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc), experience in office and collaboration software packages and knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Teams, Outlook and SharePoint).

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

  • Knowledge on conservation/heritage related subjects is considered as an asset.
  • Experience of working with UN or any other international organization on conservation projects is an asset.
  • Knowledge of project implementation is an asset.
  • Knowledge of web-based management systems is an asset.

 

Required Language(s) (at working level)

  • Fluency in English is required.
  • Fluency in Turkish and/or Greek is required.

 

Other

  • Nationals or permanent residents in Cyprus are eligible.
  • Valid driving license is required for the use of office cars for the official purposes
  • Women candidates are encouraged to apply.

 

Travel:   

  • Functions may include traveling in Cyprus

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

  • Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
  • A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

 

Annexes to the TOR