Programme Assistant at The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves. It provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries. It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations.

Headquartered in New York City, the status of UNDP is that of an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly. The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Programme Assistant

Job ID: 36202
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Practice Area - Job Family: Crisis Prevention and Recovery - EARLY RECOVERY
Grade: G5
Contract Duration: 10 months

Background

• The Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East Nigeria and the neighboring countries has left over 7.1 million people in need of supports, including 1.8 million people internally displaced (IDP) in the three most heavily affected States of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
• In addition, 226,000 Nigerians refugees remain in the neighboring Cameroon, Niger and Chad1. Now in its tenth year, the crisis remains one of the most severe in the world, and the total numbers of people in need, IDPs and refugees are not significantly reduced over the past several years.
• To support recovery and resilience of the communities in the region, UNDP has implemented “Recovery and Resilience in Borno State” in partnership with European Union (EU) since November 2017.
• In addition, in partnership with the Government of Japan, UNDP plans to implement “Support for social stability and security of the conflict-affected communities in North-East and Middle Belt of Nigeria.” from March 2021.
• UNDP Nigeria Country Office now seeks hire a Programme Assistant to provide administrative support, assistance of project management and monitoring of activities in target communiites to the project team under the supervison of the Recovery and Resilience Project Manager

Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of Key Functions:

• Under the supervision of the Recovery and Resilience Project Manager and in coordination with other UNDP projects in Nigeria County Office (CO), and the programme and Operation teams in the CO, Programme Assistant will work to support project activities in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in the North-East Nigeria.

The Key Functions
Administrative support for the Recovery and Resilience projects:

• Handle requisitions, purchase orders and payment requests in the UNDP financial system.
• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments, review of DIM projects’ financial Reports.
• 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.

Assistance to project management:

• Follow-up activities by partners, contractors and service providers
• Monitors progress and collects data for reporting
• Suggests areas for improvement in programmatic and operational areas.
• Takes minutes of the meetings
• Conducts orderly filing of documentation
• Ensures distributions and mailing of various documentation
• Facilitates and monitors completion of specific works and services as conducted by contractors
• Produces stories, audio-visual and other materials in support of UNDP sub-office and CO communications efforts.
• Suggests and facilitates potential partnerships for the benefit of UNDP

Monitoring of activities in target communities:

• Monitor and assess the status and needs for support of the target communities of the projects
• Monitor the progress of the activities by partners, contractors and service providers in the communities.
• Keep track of the latest social and security status of the target communities.

Impact of Results

• The key results is contribution to the successful implementation and outcomes of the projects to support recovery and resilience of communities in the North-East Nigeria

Competencies
Functional Competencies:
Leadership:

Level 2: Proactively identifies new opportunities and challenges

• Recommends options for addressing work challenges
• Assumes responsibility for decisions and outcome of one’s work
• Engages with other to address job opportunities and challenges

Communication and Relationship Management:
Level 2: Understands, explains and shares information on assigned tasks with accuracy and clarity

• Demonstrates regular and consistent communication frequency with supervisor and colleague
• Proactively shares information within and across teams

Innovation:
Level 2: Analyzes complex technical materials (including data) and makes concise, relevant recommendations

• Contributes reliable production of knowledge services and transactions
• Embraces new methods

People Management:
Level 2: Takes ownership of responsibilities:

• Recognizes potential road blocks to completing tasks and seeks guidance from supervisors to address issues.
• Based on formal and informal feedback received, takes action to address areas for growth and improvement

Delivery:
Level 2: Meets goals and timelines for delivery of products or services

• Embraces expanded responsibilities and challenges self to excel
• Accepts responsibility for the outcomes of own work
• Seeks to deepen awareness of organizational policies and procedures and how to interpret directives and requests, in consultation with supervisors and colleagues

Core Competencies:

• A team player with good interpersonal skills
• Ability to practice courtesy and diplomacy with high rank officials.
• Time management skills.
• Building support and political acumen
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
• Fair and transparent  decision making; calculated risk-taking
• Enjoy sensitivity for research and academic integrity.
• Ability to work well under pressure and stressful environment
• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents

Required Skills and Experience
Education and Experience:

• (With only secondary education) at least 5 years’ experience of involvement in development projects for recovery and resilience of conflict-affected communities
• (With a Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent) at least 2 years’ experience of involvement in development projects for recovery and resilience of conflict-affected communities
• Experience of monitoring of conflict-affected communities with residence will be an asset.

Technical Skills Required:

• Knowledge of UN/UNDP programme and operation management procedures and policies would be an asset;
• Computer skills and strong knowledge of various software including Excel, PowerPoint and Word;

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement
• The ability to communicate effectively in Kanuri, Hausa, or other local language spoken in the NE region is an asset.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Note: Qualified females are strongly encouraged to apply

Application Deadline  4th April, 2021 (Midnight New York, USA).