Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, November 29, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Project Associate
Job Description
Background and Organizational Context
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.
The Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) Facility, designed and hosted by UNCDF, aims to promote green and climate–resilient communities and local economies by establishing a standard, internationally recognized country-based mechanism to channel climate finance to local authorities in developing countries, particularly in the Least Developed Countries (LDC), Small Island Developing States and African nations, for its effective use. LoCAL combines performance-based climate resilience grants (PBCRGs) – in the form of financial top ups to cover the additional costs of climate change adaptation – which ensure programming and verification of climate change expenditures at the local level while offering strong incentives for performance improvements in enhanced resilience – with technical and capacity-building support. LoCAL responds to the Paris Agreement, advances NAP implementation and contributes to achieving climate-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)– with concrete action at the subnational level, where it is most needed.
Since its inception in 2010/2011, LoCAL was launched and deployed in 17 countries: Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, The Gambia, Ghana, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Tanzania, Tuvalu and Uganda. All the countries which started are still operating the PBCRGS as their country system, federating efforts of government and partners in making use of it, therefore working on sustained long-term finance. Another 13 countries have expressed interest in deploying the mechanism and are currently being supported to scope and design the LoCAL mechanism and in identifying sources of finance to activate it: Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Fiji, Jamaica, Liberia, Sao Tomé e Principe, Senegal, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Vanuatu and Zambia, bringing the total number of LoCAL countries to 30.
Over the same period, LoCAL has mobilized $125 million from partners, own resources, and parallel funding from governments for locally led adaptation; the majority of these funds are disbursed as performance-based grants for locally led adaptation. As of end 2021, PBCRGs had been delivered with capacity building and technical support to 304 local governments in 12 countries, representing a population of over $11.5 million.
LoCAL-Uganda
UNCDF has supported the Government of Uganda (GoU) to design the LoCAL-Uganda Mechanism, aligned with the Discretionary Development Equalisation Grant (DDEG), with aims of increasing the resilience of communities and local economies across the country, through regular, predictable, systemic and verifiable climate finance in support of local climate responses, through increased District access to climate finance to implement climate change adaptation investments in Uganda (outcome 1) and institutionalising a standard and internationally recognized country-based mechanism of performance-based climate resilience grants in the country, further attracting climate finance, domestic and international (outcome 2).
To this end, LoCAL-Uganda will raise awareness and strengthen capacities for subnational climate change adaptation at both District and central levels (output1); support the integration of climate change into local planning and budgeting processes and finance local adaptation interventions and investments (output 2) and establish and deploy across the whole country an effective performance-based climate resilience grant system (financing mechanism) that can attract various sources of climate finance (output 3).
Based on a whole-of-society approach, LoCAL-Uganda will be fully aligned with the country’s climate change policy, the Nationally Determined Contribution, the National Adaptation Plan process, and financial systems for local governments, and related institutional and regulatory frameworks.
Within this programme context, UNCDF is seeking a Project Associate to provide the overall administration, execution, and processes of varied and inter-related programmatic, operational, travel and logistical activities in large offices, ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. The Project Associate will also support the processes and execution of financial services ensuring effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services. The Project Associate ensures the effective delivery LoCAL project in line with UNCDF & UNDP rules and regulations and promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach.
The Project Associate will report to the Senior Programme Management Specialist, P4, based in Kampala, and work under the overall guidance of the LoCAL Global Programme Analyst, P2 and in close collaboration with the LoCAL global Facility and LTF colleagues across the region.
This position will be based in Kampala, Uganda.
Position Purpose
The Project Associate will provide programmatic, administrative and financial service support to the LoCAL programme contributing to the implementation of the LoCAL Programme. In addition, the Project Associate will also provide services to external stakeholders (such as meeting participants, Experts) during official travel or events.
The Project Associate works in close collaboration with the UNCDF & UNDP Operations, Programme and Projects’ staff in the CO, Programme Support Unit at the Regional Office and UNCDF HQs as required for resolving complex programme, project and finance-related issues and exchange of information.

Duties and Accountabilities
1. Ensures implementation of operational and financial management strategies, adapts processes and procedure
• Full compliance of administrative and financial activities with UNCDF/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies;
• Support to the financial and administrative business processes mapping and elaboration of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs);
• Preparation of the draft of the administrative team results-oriented workplans;
• Project finance business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Finance in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management;
• Elaboration of proposals and implementation of cost saving and reduction strategies in consultations with office management.
2. Provides effective support to the Administration and Logistic management of the field office programme
• Provision of guidance to the project staff on routine implementation of projects;
• Management of the project procurement plan, and support to timely procurement of services and goods;
• Support to organization of procurement processes for local procurement;
• Support to organization of the country’s project recruitment processes for local staff or NPSA positions;
• Maintain contract management database for monitoring the ongoing contracts/ Project’s financial commitments;
• Arrangements of travel and hotel reservations, preparation of travel authorizations, processing requests for visas, identity cards and other documents;
• Administrative support to conferences, workshops, retreats;
• Maintenance of the filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials of the Project’s document;
• Research and retrieval of statistical data from internal and external sources; preparation of statistical charts, tables and reports;
• Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to head of unit.
3. Provides effective support to Financial management of the field office programme
• Preparation of required budget revisions, determination of un-utilized funds, operational and financial close of a project;
• Review of the Financial Reports and regular monitoring of financial performance;
• Timely corrective actions on erroneous data in Atlas. Preparation of financial reports as required;
• Creation of requisitions/register of goods receipt in Atlas;
• Preparation of all types of vouchers; Pay Cycle and payments execution;
• Regular updates on the disbursement status to project management;
• Timely corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers Presentation of information for audits, supports implementation of audit recommendations;
• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments and financial reports for DIM 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 payment for services and goods rendered;
• Timely VAT reimbursements.
4. Provides support to proper supply and assets management
• Prepare and maintain records on assets management, preparation of reports;
• Coordination of assets management in the CO, timely preparation and submission of periodic inventory reports, coordination of physical verification of inventory items;
• Coordination of the provision of reliable and quality office supplies;
• Proper inventory control; supervision of proper issuance of inventory items and supplies;
• Arrangement of vehicle transportation, regular vehicle maintenance and insurance for the project’s asset in the country;
• Checking and recording of Project’s vehicle daily log and gas consumption, update and maintenance of vehicle history report.
5. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO
• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on finance and administrative management;
• Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in programme;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
Required Skills and 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
• Budget management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• 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.
• Operations Management: Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms
• Travel Desk: Ability to process and approve Travel Requests, Travel Claims and Expense Report; knowledge of relevant policy and procedures
• Events management (including retreats, training and meetings): Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
• Budget management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets
• Financial reporting and analysis: Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, and evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.
• Audit Risk Management: Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved

Required Skills and Experience
Education
• Secondary Education, preferably with specialized certification in Accounting and Finance or Certification in Administration.
• University Degree in Business, Finance or Public Administration, Economics, Political or Social Sciences desirable, but not a requirement.
• Specialized training in financial management, administrative service or procurement is a plus.

Experience
Minimum 7 years (Secondary Education) or 4 years (Bachelor degree) of progressively responsible administrative, finance or programme experience is required at the national or international level.
Required skills
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc)
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems;
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
• Experience in providing operations, administrative and financial support to big office for a development project;
• Essential knowledge and experience of UNDP/UNCDF and UN system policies and programming, knowledge of UNDP financial/accounting systems and regulations is an asset.
• Advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
Language
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills in English

Education Requirement: No Requirements

Job Experience: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

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