Background and Organizational Context
Under the overall guidance of the Programme Specialist, the Programme Assistant provides programme support services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work.
The Programme Unit works to support achievement of UNDP strategic objectives to create a world where people and planet thrive together, and to help the Country Office act with both ambition and scale to address urgent problems facing the country as well as global climate deteriorating conditions. Programme staff assist the Country Office in formulating and implementing programme strategies that go beyond solving immediate development challenges to create future smart and integrated systemic changes in resilience and capacity building within the country.
Position Purpose
The Programme Assistant works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and project staff in the CO, and UNDP staff in HQ and Regional Hubs to exchange information and support programme delivery.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Key Duties and Accountabilities
1.) Support formulation of programme strategies and implementation of the Country Programme Documents (CPDs).
• Collect, analyze and present information for preparation of CPDs and establishment of Baselines, Milestones and Targets (BMT).
• Collect information/evidence to guide future programming and identify implementation arrangements.
2.) Provide effective support to management of the Country Office programme.
• Create project in ERP, prepare required budget revisions, revise project status, determine unutilized funds, and ensure operational and financial closure of a project.
• Provide support to implementing partners on implementation of projects, and track use of financial resources. Assist in managing digital technology solutions in programme implementation towards scalability and sustainability in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
• Assist in ensuring that data generated in the programme implementation is managed effectively across the data lifecycle. Support the follow up on programme and project performance indicators/ success criteria, targets and milestones, preparation of reports, and implementation of corporate results-based management mechanisms and tools.
• Communicate programme related bottlenecks and possible solutions.
• Support preparation for external and internal programme/project audits and implementation of audit recommendations.
• Provide administrative support to the Programme unit by maintaining internal expenditure system and performing quality assurance review of technical reports and payments that includes following up with other units and taking timely corrective actions.
3.) Contribute to implementation of the Country Office resource mobilization strategies.
• Review contributions agreements and manage contributions in ERP.
4.) Provide input to knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Country Office
In assigned areas:
• Support organization and delivery of training for relevant programme and operations personnel.
• Provide input to lessons learned and best practices.
• Contribute to knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.
Requirements:
Education
• Secondary education is required
• A university degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
• Minimum of 5 years (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant progressively responsible administrative/management experience is required at the national and/or international level.
• Experience in the usage of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.
• Ability to review and edit documents and produce meeting reports identifying key actions.
Language Requirements
• Fluency in Spanish
• Working knowledge in English
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: Appreciates/respects differences, aware of unconscious bias, confronts discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies Thematic Area Name Definition Business Development Knowledge Generation
Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. 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. Business Management Project Management Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals Business Management Risk Management Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks Business Management Results-based Management Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results. Finance Budget Management Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets. Procurement Contract Management Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.