National Project Associate
United Nations Development Programme – United Nations
- Grenada
- Not disclosed
- Temporary full-time
- Updated 12/02/2026
- Human Resources
Responsible for the support to the implementation of the W4R project and initiation activities for the EU CARES Project in Grenada.
Office/Unit/Project Description
On October 21, 1974, the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Barbados entered into an agreement to “support and supplement the national efforts of developing countries at solving the most important problems of their economic development and to promote social progress and better standards of life.”
Subsequently, similar agreements were entered with Governments of the ten countries and territories that the UNDP Multi-Country Office (MCO) for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean serves: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
UNDP Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Multi-Country Office (MCO) aims to create an enabling environment where our national governments have the capacities for inclusive and sustainable human development; meet their regional commitments, and internationally agreed objectives including the SDGs. The MCO focuses on policy and knowledge advisory services that facilitate poverty reduction, improved democratic governance, economic recovery, climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, social inclusion, and human rights. UNDP partners with governments and people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life of everyone. We are on the ground in around 170 countries, to help empower lives and build resilient nations. UNDP’s work in the region continues to evolve and includes three clusters: Nature, Climate and Energy (NCE), Prevention, Recovery and Resilience (PRR), Poverty and Governance (P&G) and an Accelerator Lab. The MCO hub is in Barbados, with Project Offices in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda.
The first project is the Strengthening Resilient Water Resource Management (W4R) in the Caribbean project will support the islands of Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines enhance water security in vulnerable communities and reduce technical, financial and institutional barriers to develop innovative and integrated water resource management approaches and solutions that empower communities and promotes women’s meaningful inclusion in water resource management. The project further seeks to increased gender-responsive access and use of community-driven, nature-friendly, resilient water systems and enhance ecosystem conservation for improved water resources management and enhanced biodiversity through a) Improving national and local capacities to deploy resilient local water systems; b)Supporting the enhancement of capacities for digitization of historical hydro-meteorological data to improve water monitoring, climate change modelling and adaptation planning; and access to climate finance and c) Supporting governments enhance national water resource management that advances community-driven solutions that consider gender equality, environmental rights and incorporate nature-based solutions to redress water scarcity and biodiversity.
The project has been designed so that community-driven Interventions help test, inform and drive national and sectoral policies on water harvesting and ecosystem restoration, providing best practices that can be replicated throughout the Eastern Caribbean. Substantively the project will work towards promoting women’s stewardship of nature by enhancing equality and fostering innovation as a complement to their participation in decision-making
The second is the EU Caribbean Resilient Programme (EU-CA-RES) designed by the European Union DG INTPA (International Partnership) to strengthen resilience to the impacts of crisis, including those caused by climate change by (i) increasing coverage and adequacy of inclusive shock responsive and gender inclusive social protection schemes, as well as (ii) accelerating the recovery capacities. This programme is implemented jointly by UNDP, UNDRR, UNICEF, and WFP.
Within these specific interventions, UNDP has designed an action which objective is to increase the resilience to external shocks in the Caribbean. The Specific Objective of this action is to make individual, communities, business and institutions better prepared to prevent, minimize impacts and recover from slow and rapid onset events. The Outputs to be delivered by this action are to:
- Strengthen Caribbean Institutions and communities’ policy, governance and finance capacities to plan and implement resilient recovery processes
- Enhance Caribbean countries’ capacities in conducting Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) and developing Recovery Frameworks
Under Output 1 of this action one activity focuses on improving community level recovery preparedness, which aims to address the challenges in scaling-up disaster risk reduction interventions at the community level due to the disconnections from the national to the local development planning process and insufficient financial resources. This activity will improve recovery preparedness in highly vulnerable communities through training of communities in recovery and disaster resilient construction technologies and practices, with priority given to developing the skills of youth and women. The most vulnerable communities may also be supported in the reconstruction of critical community infrastructures such as roads, bridges, community centers, markets, and houses to be resilient and green approaches. The initiative will also explore opportunities and the possibility for jump starting local economic recovery through circular economy opportunities. Other support may also include preparation of community-based recovery plans, local PDNA training, cash for work activities and/or youth skills training.
Scope of Work
Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the UNDP MCO Prevention, Recovery and Resilience Cluster Lead, the National Project Associate will be responsible for the support to the implementation of the W4R project and initiation activities for the EU CARES Project in Grenada.
Under the W4R Project, in Grenada to support the team with the following:
Provide technical and operational support for the implementation of the W4R project activities specifically:
- Support the project team in the effective project planning and implementation.
- Support partnership and resource mobilization
- Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting on progress of project implementation.
- Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project.
Under the EU CARES Project in Grenada to support the following:
Provide technical support for the implementation of the other EU-CA-RES project activities specifically:
- Support the project team in the planning of EU-CA-RES activities and ensure alignment with government priorities and needs.
- Coordinate with the project team and facilitate logistically in-country missions of international experts deployed to support the implementation of project activities.
- Technically support the experts in (1) implementing the activities, and (2) following-up in-country the implementation with the key stakeholders involved when expert team.
- Ensure interlinkages of the community-based activity within the overall logic of the project in the specific country context.
- Ensure communication, involvement, and leadership of government institutions and facilitate ownership.
Summary of Key Functions:
- Programmatic planning and resource mobilization
- Support the preparation of project-related documents
- Make presentations as required local, regional or international fora on relevant topics
- Prepare terms of reference (TORs) for the procurement of international and national consultants as required to support the implementation of project activities, oversee procurement processes, as well as ensure quality assurance and timely delivery of services
- Project development and implementation support
- Support the Project Manager (PM) in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of activities for projects
- Provide technical and policy guidance in the design and implementation of activities, including research and strategic situational/problem analysis
- Provide technical support in the application of field methodologies related to the implementation of project activities as relevant
- Advise and support the PM in the resolution of technical and administrative issues
- Support the development of annual work plans and procurement plans
- Coordinate procurement processes, including the development of solicitation documents, convening evaluation committees, evaluating bids, and preparing submissions to local and regional procurement committees
- Support UNDP management in project governance mechanisms, as necessary, providing guidance to in-country project teams and National Project Directors on UNDP, donor, and government processes and requirements
- Support the PM in the technical supervision, coordination, and contract management of consultants, ensuring efficient and effective resources utilization
- Support beneficiaries in liaising with national and regional partners on project issues
- Provide technical guidance in sustainability measures/plans for project initiatives
- Support the coordination of project activities and outputs with related UNDP and UN System initiatives
- Support the recruitment of consultants and the administration of contracts through drafting TORs, finalizing advertisements
- Assist as necessary with project closure activities
- Capacity building and knowledge management
- Contribute to the development and implementation of capacity-building programmes at national and community levels
- Evaluate, capture, and synthesize lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of position papers, resource kits, and other knowledge materials
- Respond to queries on demonstration activities’ progress, impacts, and lessons
- Monitoring and reporting
- Assist inception activities including the establishment and monitoring of indicators, baselines, and targets
- Support PM on missions for programmatic inspections in line with monitoring and evaluation plans to ensure activities are proceeding towards achievement of project outcomes, and outputs are of requisite quality
- Prepare reports to the PM identifying risks, challenges, and causes of potential bottlenecks to activity implementation and propose (and implement where relevant) mitigation measures, including modification to activities where appropriate
- Conduct regular analysis of the effect of actual performance relative to the project timetable and budgets, in close collaboration with the PM
- Support preparation of inputs to periodic narrative and financial reports, including donor and UNDP corporate reporting
- Support PM in the preparation of annual work plans, quarterly and annual progress reports as required
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.
Institutional Arrangement
Reports to the Cluster Lead of MCO Prevention, Recovery and Resilience (PRR) Cluster.
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 |
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
| Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
| Business Management | Project Management | Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals |
| Business Management | Digital Awareness and Literacy | Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed |
| 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 | 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 | Monitoring | Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results. |
| Administration and Management | Inventory management | Each office to ensure sufficient inventory items are available for use as well as reporting for items which are beyond the corporate threshold of $5K and above. |
| Administration and Operations | Documents and records management | Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving |
Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA
| in. Education requirements |
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| Min. years of relevant work experience | Minimum of 7 years (with Secondary Education) or minimum 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in project management, disaster management, procurement and working closelywith both Government and communities. |
| Required skills | Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages. |
| Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section |
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| Required Language(s) |
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| Professional Certificates | Not Required |
Undertakes such travel as may be required from time to time in connection with project execution
Disclaimer
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
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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