Project Associate

Background

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. 

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. 

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization in fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP.

Although the Bissau-Guinean Constitution is founded on democratic principles like sovereignty of the people, rule of law, separation of powers, and human rights, governance in Guinea-Bissau faces significant hurdles. These include political instability since independence, remnants of centralized colonial governance, and ongoing political-military dynamics.

The UNDP Country Office (CO) in Guinea-Bissau, as a key government partner in governance, has been developing and implementing various projects in a variety of governance related domains, including rule of law, local governance, electoral and parliamentary support, and human rights. 

UNDP-Guinea-Bissau works with several donors in the area of governance, namely, the Embassy of Japan in Dakar, the PBF-Fund, and the Government of Switzerland, EU and AfDB. All these partners focus on the improvement of services, the empowerment of the population, and accountability measures. 

The work carried out within the framework of various projects and donors requires a project assistant and the alignment of priorities and strategies. In this context, within the framework of the new EU-supported project, UNDP is recruiting a ‘Project Associate’ to provide support for project implementation while ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. The project assistant will help promote a client-orientated, quality and results-oriented approach in their work. He/she will work closely with the EU, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and UNDP CO Operations, ensuring consistent service delivery, with a view to complying with UNDP rules and donor requirements. The selected candidate will have the following specific responsibilities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Contribute to the project team to ensure effective project planning and implementation. 

• Compile and summarize information and data for the formulation of project work plans, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and on other specific project related topics or issues. 
• Provide comprehensive support in all aspects of project implementation in accordance with the project documents, annual work plans and other agreements between UNDP and responsible partners. Ensure quality of delivery by consultants, beneficiaries, and contracted companies; and communicate findings to the supervisor. 
• Ensure compliance of project business processes with UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures (POPP) and UNDP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). When necessary, provide guidance to project staff on business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures. 
• Support mainstreaming gender equality in the project implementation, including in data collection and compilation. Prepare gender equality background materials for use in discussions, briefings, and correspondence.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery that includes organizing/coordinating project events and selecting appropriate venues, coordinating project procurement procedures, maintaining project records and files, recruiting project team members, and supporting contracting activities.

   

  Promote partnerships and resource mobilization. 

   

  • Establish and maintain contacts and cooperation with the relevant UN Agencies, government institutions, NGOs, tertiary institutions, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Provide support in updating the database of the relevant public and development partners, and other stakeholders who are counterparts for the project.
  • Ensure regular communication and coordination with partners, project counterparts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries; and develop and maintain effective mechanisms for integrating and responding to their feedback and insight.
  • Support creation of high quality information and visibility of the project activities among the stakeholders; and ensure careful selection of communication tools and tailoring the messages to take into account the overall socio-political and development context in host countries.

     

    • Undertake horizon scanning and explore opportunities for resource mobilization in consultation with direct supervisor. 

       

      Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of project implementation.

      • Support implementation of the project monitoring system in alignment with its Monitoring and Evaluation framework to ensure effective information sharing, provision of feedback, and elaboration of high-quality progress reports. 
      • Collect, analyze and present information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets as well as for audit purposes. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners.
      • Assist in the organization of field and study visits, missions, workshops, roundtables, and conferences within the project.
      • Assist in implementation of effective risk management for the project with a well-documented risk mitigation plan in place. Support monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks.
      • Regularly monitor expenditures and commitments against the project budget and relevant plans, and provide finance-related information to support project implementation. When necessary, recommend corrective actions and draft various correspondence concerning finance, operations, and budgetary issues.
      • Prepare and consolidate required project reports on a timely basis and in line with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements.

         

        Facilitate knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project. 

        • Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff. Provide support to other capacity building activities, including to the design and delivery of tools, materials for workshops, or platforms that tap into the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action.
          • Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned project.
            • Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support compiling and systematizing project knowledge, products and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners.

              The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

                   

              4.   Institutional Arrangement: 

               

              The Project Associate works under the general supervision of the head of governance Unit and collaborates closely with the project team.

               

              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  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 Business Management  Digital Awareness and Literacy

              Ability to monitor new and emerging technologies,

              as well as understand their usage, potential,

              limitations, impact, and added value. Ability to

              rapidly and readily adopt and use new technologies in professional activities, and to empower others to  use them as needed. Knowledge of the usage of

              digital technologies and emerging trends.

              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 & Evaluation

              Ability to systematically monitor results of

              📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

              ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

              strategies, programmes, and activities with a view

              to make sure that they are being implemented

              effectively; Ability to provide managers and key

              stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting

              on the consistency or discrepancy between

              planned activities and programme management

              and results.

              Ability to make independent judgment of the

              management and results of strategies,

              programmes and activities based on set criteria

              and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and

              concerns of client, current and upcoming.

              Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and

              evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies,

              systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an

              independent judgement based on set criteria and

              benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming

              needs and concerns

              Finance Budget management Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets Procurement

              Procurement 

              management

              The ability to acquire goods, services or works from

              an outside external source

               

              Required Skills and Experience

              Education:

              •     Secondary education is required. or  
              •     University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

              •     A minimum of 7 years (with high school diploma) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience is required.

              Experience:

              •     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.
              •     Experience in preparation of financial reports and overviews
              •     Experience in monitoring and evaluation tools 
              •     Experience in project management processes 
              •     Experience in procurement procedures of national / international organizations 
              •     Fluency in Portuguese and English is required. Knowledge of French is desired.
               

              Equal opportunity.

              Please (apply)/(complete the online P11 form) in the language in which the vacancy is published. Applications in another language will not be considered.

              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.