Project Associate (NPSA-7) - UNDP Moldova/Japanese Project

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
 

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.

Moldova is facing a compound crisis of energy and food security, curtailed economic growth, growing inflation, limited institutional capacities and divisions in society, aggravated by the continuing socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The refugee crisis presents an additional challenge that requires sustained attention and support from the international community.  Without urgent intervention, the deepening socio-economic, energy, food and human security crises has the potential to derail the trajectory of development, and drastically increase human suffering of people in Moldova, whether Ukrainian refugees, third country nationals, or Moldovan citizens (including those from minority ethnic groups). 

In this context, UNDP Moldova is going to implement 2 initiatives, funded through the supplementary budget of Japan’s Fiscal Year 2022, namely “Multidimensional response to emerging human security challenges in Moldova” (implemented by UNDP) and “Promotion of Human Security of Ukrainian refugees, third-country nationals, and the host communities in Moldova through Socio-Economic Empowerment and Inclusion” (implemented by UNDP and IOM). 

The overall objective of the intervention “Multidimensional response to emerging human security challenges in Moldova” is to protect human security and enhance the resilience of the Republic of Moldova, in order to address the multifaceted and interconnected challenges of the current socio-economic, food and energy shocks. The three specific objectives are: 

1. To enhance people’s energy security through access to affordable energy that supports livelihoods and energy-efficient production. 
2. To enhance food security by supporting the government to implement its Food Security Strategy, thereby strengthening the capacities of agricultural producers affected by the compound crises.
3. To enhance community security by capacitating the police service and community actors to deliver on the principles of social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.

The objective of the proposed project “Promotion of Human Security of Ukrainian refugees, third-country nationals, and the host communities in Moldova through Socio-Economic Empowerment and Inclusion” is to enhance the human security of Ukrainian refugees, Third Country Nationals (TCNs) fleeing the war in Ukraine, and their host communities in Moldova.

The proposed project aims to achieve the following four outcomes to advance the human security of people in Moldova, who are facing high vulnerability due to the war in Ukraine.

• Outcome 1: Infrastructure and basic services are effectively and adequately provided to the displaced populations and host communities, demonstrating “build-forward-better” with green, energy-efficient and digital technologies.   
• Outcome 2: Refugees, TCNs, returning Moldovan(?) migrants and host community members, particularly women, older persons, and persons with disabilities, have access to livelihoods and employment opportunities, including in agriculture and food supply chains, that help them build self-reliance and live with dignity. 
• Outcome 3: Universal access to protection and justice, including support to survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and trafficking in persons (TIP), is ensured for the refugees, TCNs, and Moldovan communities, with special attention to women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. 
• Outcome 4: Refugees, TCNs, returning Moldovan migrants, and host communities live in an inclusive, non-discriminatory, and peaceful environment where social cohesion, mutual trust and enhanced human security prevail.

In this regard, project teams are being put in place to support project’s implementation. 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.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Associate will ensure, in line with the Project scope, the provision of the following development services and products pertaining to an effective administrative and financial management, as well as procurement:

Financial management:

• Ensure compliance with all corporate rules of UNDP in the field of financial planning, reporting, and auditing.
• Monitor budget expenditures and maintain a proper record of approved project budgets and their revisions.
• Prepare proposals for budget revisions.
• Produce relevant operational and financial reports according to UNDP rules and procedures.
• Respond to queries from the UNDP and (Government of Japan/UN Trust Fund for Human Security) with respect to financial aspects of the programme, liaise with UNDP-appointed and external auditors wherever required.
• Prepare requests for advance of funds and/or direct payments, as well as proposals for budget revisions.
• Prepare recurring reports as scheduled and other reports as required for budget preparations and audit.
• Perform necessary checks of the financial reports submitted by sub-contracted project implementers.
• Undertake other financial tasks on an ad hoc basis.

Administrative management:

• Assume overall responsibility for the coordination of project administrative matters, and maintenance of project files and records.
• Arrange external and internal meetings (including the meetings of the Project Board, Technical level, as well as other relevant meetings etc.).
• Draft minutes of Project Board and other project related meetings. 
• Contribute to project implementation and ensure conformity to expected results and work plans.
• Monitor compliance with both UNDP and Donor standards and ensure the corresponding quality control.
• Provide advice to the project team on administrative issues and financial issues.
• Maintain records on all project personnel and consultants, including their respective status (e.g., contracts, ToRs and reports, etc.) in accordance with accepted policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with corporate human resources policies and strategies under UNDP HR procedures.
• Prepare and issue procurement related contracts.
• Coordinate other support staff, the project driver, translators, and short-term consultants.
• Undertake other administrative tasks on an ad hoc basis.

Competencies

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 & Technical Competencies

• 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.
• Working with evidence and data             
  • Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making.
• 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.
• Budget management     
  • Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budget.
• Financial planning and budgeting            
  • Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.
• Financial reporting and analysis              
  • Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. 
  • Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. 
  • Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance.
• Assets management      
  • Knowledge of policy & procedures on PP&E,
  • Ability to prepare financial statements on PP&E, 
  • Maintain Asset Management Module in Quantum, 
  • Asset Dashboard; develop supporting tools for assets certification and further enhancements for AM module; design and run training programs, etc. on assets management and assets recording.
  • Run AP-AM interface; perform AP-AM-GL reconciliation; perform analytical review of AM reports and asset information to ensure completeness and accuracy of asset information.

Pentru a aplica, vă rugăm să adresați link-ul: Apply Now

Data de încheiere a postului vacant : 21 septembrie 2023

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education.
• Bachelor´s degree in economics, finance, accounting, or another relevant field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years (with Secondary education) of 4 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of experience in administrative work, accounting/finance, economics, or other substantive area.

Required Skills:

• 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.
• Experience in providing effective administrative and logistical support is an asset.

Desired Skills:

• Proven experience in a similar position in UN Agencies will be considered an advantage.
• Experience in development assistance or related work for a development organization, consulting company, or NGO.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.
• Experience in office maintenance and assets management is desired.

Languages:

• Fluency in oral and written English and Romanian is required. 
• Knowledge of one or more minority languages relevant for Moldova, including Russian, Romani, Gagauzian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and sign language, is an asset.

Professional Certificates:

• Finance related trainings and/or certification is an advantage. Longlisted candidates may be required to undergo the UNDP Accountancy & Finance Test (AFT).

Institutional Arrangement

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator and relevant Project Managers, the Project Associate shall contribute to an effective and efficient implementation of the projects’ activities via administrative and financial management. 

The Project Associate will apply and promote the principles of results-based management (RBM), as well as a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Project Associate will work in close collaboration with the Projects’ teams as well as the team in the Country Office (CO) for effective achievement of results, anticipating and contributing to resolving complex project-related issues and information delivery. 

The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies, and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems.

Disclaimer

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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

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Pentru a aplica, vă rugăm să adresați link-ul: Apply Now

Data de încheiere a postului vacant : 21 septembrie 2023