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.
Central Africa is home to the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. Forest loss is accelerating despite ongoing efforts, as government action alone has not been sufficient to establish an effective balance between the interests of the forest and of economic development.
On this basis, a coalition of willing donors – Norway, European Union, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, and South Korea – together with Central African partner countries – Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Gabon – have entered in 2015 into a collaborative partnership to establish in partnership with the United Nations, the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI). The objective of this initiative is to recognize and preserve the value of the forests in the region to mitigate climate change, reduce poverty, and contribute to sustainable development. This objective will be attained through the implementation of country-led, national scale REDD+ and Low Emissions Development (LED) investment frameworks that include policy reforms and measures to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and promote sustainable development.
The CAFI Trust Fund is the principal means to implement the Central African Forest Initiative. It is administered by the MPTF-Office (http://mptf.undp.org/factsheet/fund/AFI00). As per the updated Fund Terms of Reference and the direct cost Secretariat project document, the UNDP Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTFO) is hosting the CAFI Secretariat providing the secretariat administrative services under the oversight of the CAFI Executive Board and other participating UN organizations (UNDP, UNCDF, FAO, UN-Habitat, UNFPA, and UNEP).
On November 2, 2021, a 2nd Letter of Intent was signed between CAFI and the Government of DRC. CAFI. The programming of a new portfolio for the second phase of the partnership started. Meanwhile nearly 200 million US$ of investments are already implemented under the first Letter of Intent since 2016. In this context, CAFI is supporting the DRC government by providing advice to the planning and monitoring of CAFI investments and international technical assistance to strengthen national capacities.
The management of the CAFI Trust Fund is carried out at three levels:
- The Executive Board (EB), supported by the Secretariat, is responsible for overall coordination with CAFI Partner Countries and decisions regarding the allocation of resources from the CAFI Fund;
- UNDP MPTFO is responsible for administering the CAFI Fund; and
- UN agencies, the World Bank, bilateral cooperation agencies and international non-governmental organizations serve as Implementing Organizations to assist CAFI Partner Countries to implement NIFs that have been endorsed by the CAFI Board.
Reporting to the Management Specialist, the Administrative Associate is responsible for supporting CAFI Fund Secretariat operations in coordination with the Fund and Operations Associate, with a variety of administrative processes ensuring high quality and accuracy of work, identifying and helping resolve bottlenecks, and escalating complex programme and administrative issues as needed.
Support with procurement functions of programme portfolio:
- Creates requisitions; raising receipts; maintaining the internal expenditures control system and related processes in coordination with MPTFO / UNDP;
- Tracks, monitors and reports on the use of project resources;
- Supports the Fund and Operations Associate with verifying supporting documentation for requisitions, purchase orders, vouchers to ensure accuracy and conformity with UNDP financial and administrative rules and regulations, and liaising with Country Offices to avoid any duplication of payments;
- Conducts budget checks for accuracy of requisitions, and related payments;
- Ensures the compliance of arrangements for project approval, implementation, general operations;
- Generates reports and information on routine implementation of projects and programme/project status;
- Reviews, verifies and reconciles financial data and reports to ensure accuracy and conformity with UNDP financial and administrative rules and regulations;
- Identifies and escalates project related issues, proposing and contributing to the development of solutions.
Support with operational and administrative functions:
- Provides administrative support for the team, including preparation of contracts, travel, medical clearances and payments for consultants and UNDP staff;
- Provides administrative and logistical support for all country/region specific workshops, training, and any other special events;
- Supports preparation of Travel Requests, including timely follow-up action on medical/security clearance, claims, signatures as appropriate and ensuring preparation of the necessary documents in ERP System;
- Processes travel authorization and travel claims in line with travel entitlements for staff, consultants, UN and visitors, ensuring that the travel arrangement follow the UN rules of most direct route and most competitive prices;
- Processing requests for visas and applications and renewal of UNLPs for UN staff;
- Administration of F10s and reconciliation of settlements to be paid by the MPTFO Finance Unit;
- Acts as asset management and inventory focal point, including management of stationary orders;
- Focal point for local on-boarding schedule; ensures staff are provided with all office tools to facilitate rapid start-up of their work. Supports staff and consultants with completion of mandatory courses along with PMD and training deadlines;
- Monitors timely completion by staff and liaises with MPTFO on necessary deadlines, reporting requirements as part of regular annual reporting schedules and related.
Knowledge building support:
- Maintains assigned information and knowledge products on Sharepoint for administrative functions;
- Briefing to staff members and non-staff on general operations issues.
Core Competencies:
- 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
Cross Functional and Technical competencies:
Administration and Operations:
- Travel policy and procedures: Knowledge of travel policy and procedures; ability to interpret travel policy, the Staff Rules, administrative circulars and financial regulations and rules on travel-related matters;
- UN travel documents: Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and processes related to UN travel documents; ability to facilitate the insurance of UN travel documents for UNDP and UN agencies; processing of visas and ensure oversight and endorsement;
- Documents and records management: Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving;
- Events management: Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
Business Management:
- Customer Satisfaction/Client Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
- Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimising return on investment
Procurement Management:
- The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.
Education:
- Completion of secondary education with specialized training in administration or office management is required; or
- University Degree in Business, Public Administration, Economics or other relevant fields will be given due consideration.
Experience, Knowledge and Skills:
- Minimum 6 years (with Secondary) or 3 years (with University Degree) of progressively responsible administrative or programme experience is required at the national and/or international level;
- Demonstrated ability to cover different areas of operations, namely administration, travel, procurement, human resources and an understanding of the impact of operations on finances;
- Demonstrated performance in delivering solution-oriented client services that meet the needs of the clients;
- Experience in the use of computers applications and software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) as well as web-based management systems.
- Successfully passed the United Nations Global General Service Test (GGST), waived if completed with a Bachelor's degree or higher.
Language requirements:
- Fluency in English and French both written and spoken is required.
Important applicant information
All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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Contract Duration: 2 Year with possibility for extension