Back Project Assistant - Rural Development

Close to eight years into the crisis, the scale, severity, and complexity of needs across Syria remain deep and far-reaching. Over half of the country’s population have fled their homes: 5.5 million people have sought refuge in the region and beyond, and 6.1 million people are internally displaced. More than 11 million people remain in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, 5.6 million people face acute humanitarian needs. Millions of people have fallen into poverty, forced to resort to harmful coping strategies and faced with increasing protection risks. If hostilities continue in some parts of the country, humanitarian needs are expected to deepen in these areas during 2019.  In 2019 with no end to the conflict in sight, humanitarian needs are expected to continue to grow in scale, severity, and complexity.  Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and the successor arrangement to the UNSF is expected to play a role in strengthening the Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding Nexus by strengthening Resilience of the affected population in Syria.  The role of Resilience is expected to grow in the given situation on the ground to accelerate the transition from immediate Humanitarian assistance to IDPs and affected population to more sustainable and recovery-oriented support, including support to potential returns of IDPs as well as refugees. 

The priorities of UNDP Syria are, as stipulated in the Country Programme Document 2016-2017 (extended till the end of 2019), to enhance the resilience and socio-economic stabilization of individuals and communities through restoring the disrupted livelihoods of the affected communities; and restoring, rehabilitating and maintaining sustainable basic services and infrastructure in damaged areas and host communities. Embedded in each priority is an institutional crisis response capacity development component for key national and local partners. Mindful of the scale of the crisis, the scaled-up, targeted, and rapidly responsive interventions of UNDP Syria would strive to mitigate displacement and movement of refugees, including forced, illegal, and unsafe migration and the trafficking of refugees, and to support potential returns of the IDPs.

UNDP Syria is scaling up its capacity to expand the scope of work through short-term, mid-term and sustainable economic opportunities for the most vulnerable communities in Syria through four key thematic areas of i) agricultural livelihoods; ii) active labour market; iii) MSME development and growth; and iv) persons with disability and social protection.  UNDP Syria’s rural recovery and development aims at reviving rural economies through various approaches, including climate smart agriculture, diversifying income sources, especially for small holder farmers, market for poor and value chain development, access to finance in rural areas, cooperative development, and innovative business models etc. 

Under the direct supervision of the economic development and livelihood team leader and rural development project manager, the project assistant will assist in the day-to-day management, implementation and successful completion of the projects as directed by the project manager and/or portfolio manager. She/he shall be primarily involved in project activities for the rural development programme in addition to assist socioeconomic portfolio in ToR related tasks.

Project Planning:

• Provide support to project manager on annual planning of project activities;
• Support project manager with relevant data, research and background information. 

Project implementation:

• Follow-up on agreements’ signature, national counterparts’ approval and other relevant documents;
• Follow-up on tasks related to payment, preparing procurement documents and timely submission of all necessary documents to facilitate procurement and payments;
• Support procurement process including market research, preparation of specifications, term of references, tenders and evaluation of offers;
• Collect and archive all invoices and receipts and ensure compliance with UNDP finance rules and regulation, and keep financial tracking of all expenses tracked against budget;
• Follow up on projects signed with partners and ensures proper delivery of results and financial disbursements according to plans.

Providing administrational support:

• Plan, organize and implement events related to the rural development project. Fully responsible of planning, coordination, procurement, logistics and implementation;
• Develop analytical and financial reports;
• Prepare and draft notes to file, note verbal and other forms of documents;
• Maintain filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials and documents;
• Take minutes of meetings as required;
• Prepare presentations on project activities.

Innovation:

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

• Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Education:

• Secondary Education with specialized certification in a discipline relevant to agriculture engineering, agro-economy, economic development etc

• A first-level university degree in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience may be accepted.

Experience:

• 5 years in implementing relevant projects and work plans at the national or international level. Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in English. Working knowledge of other UN language desirable.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC 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.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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Contract Duration: 1 year with possibility for extension