Programme Associate

Background

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.

Under the overall guidance of the Programme Analyst, the Programme Associate ensures effective delivery of the CO programme by entering and managing data and supporting programme implementation consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

UNDP, in collaboration with Government and other development partners, plays a key role in implementing the Sub-Regional Programme Document (SPD), providing overall policy direction and in coordinating and monitoring progress towards expected results.  In order to facilitate effective coordination, implementation, monitoring of SPD and linked programming and UN System joint programming, the Programme Associate will supervise support staff of the Programme Unit, if applicable, and will work in close collaboration with the operations, finance, programme and projects’ staff in the MCO and the 10 programme countries supported by UNDP Barbados as well as UNDP HQs to resolve complex finance-related issues and support the implementation support tasks of the SPD  projects and programmes.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Support formulation of programme strategies and implementation of the Country Programme Documents (CPDs).

• Providing project cycle management and financial reporting support and assistance to government institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs) supporting and involved in SPD implementation
• Monitoring support of assigned programme components, projects and activities of SPD programmes including the organization of the annual review meetings and coordinating the participation of the various stakeholders.
• Presentation of background information for formulation of country programme, draft project documents, work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements. 
• Collection, analysis and presentation of background information for preparation of future MSDCFs and SPDs, as well as the effective use and application of Results Based Management (RBM) tools to support project and programme implementation. 
• Provide 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 day-to-day guidance to implementing partners on implementation of projects, and track use of financial resources. Contribute to managing digital technology solutions in programme implementation towards scalability and sustainability in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
• Contribute to the effective management of data in programme implementation, across the data lifecycle. 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. 
• Identify programme related bottlenecks and propose solutions.
• Make preparations for external and internal programme/project audits, and support 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. 
• Providing project cycle management and financial reporting support and assistance to government institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs) supporting and involved in SPD implementation.
• Monitoring support of assigned programme components, projects and activities of SPD programmes including the organization of the annual review meetings and coordinating the participation of the various stakeholders.

      3. Provides administrative support to the Programme Unit focusing on achievements of the following results:

• Review of Nationally Implemented Modality (NIM) project Financial Reports; and the preparation of non-PO vouchers for development projects.
• Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas.
• Timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers. 
• Creation of requisitions in Atlas for development projects, register of goods receipt in Atlas.
• Making budget check for requisitions, POs and vouchers. 
• Maintain appropriate digital and physical filing systems for the assigned Programme.
• Maintain and update inventory records for expendable and non-expendable equipment.
• Process payments for short-term consultants as well as facilitate travel and accommodation requirements of consultants and other personnel hired by UNDP.
• Preparation of vouchers and requisitions for development projects
• Assist in organisation of national and international workshops, seminars, visiting missions, field trips.
• Coordinate and monitor daily support activities. 
• Support logistical arrangements for missions.

    4.  Support implementation of the CO partnership and resource mobilization strategies. 

• Analyze information on donors and prepare donor profiles. 
• Track and report on mobilized resources.
• Review contributions agreements and manage contributions in ERP.

    5. Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Country Office. 

• In assigned programme areas:
• Organize and deliver programme related training for relevant programme and operations personnel.
• Compile lessons learned and best practices.
• Provide contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice and digital knowledge platforms.

Competencies

Core: Full list of UNDP Core Competencies can be found here.

Achieve Results: LEVEL 2:  Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2:  Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2:  Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.

Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2:  Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2:  Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies) 

Business Management - Project Management

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

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 Development- Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

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.

Required Skills and Experience

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

• A minimum of 6 years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant progressively responsible administrative/management, finance or programme experience is required at the national and/or international level. 
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP. 
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills
• Strong ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary and multi- cultural teams 
• Ability to review and edit documents, ability to produce meeting reports identifying key actions.
• Experience working with the United Nations, international organization, government or NGO is an asset.
• Experience in logistics/travel and/or procurement is desirable
• Experience in project cycle management including budget revisions/financial reporting support and project closure.
• Experience with administration of grant funded projects e.g GEF, GCF or other small grants or NGOs is desirable
• Experience with finance and accounting support to programmes and projects is desirable.
• Certification in Accounting and Finance is an asset e.g UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), undergraduate/post graduate certification majoring/specializing in accounting/finance.

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.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.