Background
\"Further Improvement of Public Service Delivery in Uzbekistan\" is a joint project conducted by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded by the European Union. The overall goal of the project to improve the quality of life of the rural population โ particularly of women, youth and children, the elderly and people with disabilities โ by increasing their access to affordable, convenient and high-quality public services, with a focus on remote, self-service online public services as well as by expanding the citizensโ participation in decision making at the local level.
The project will support the Government of Uzbekistan in further transforming and modernising the public administration at central, regional, and district levels to improve the quality of public services and local governance in rural areas. This will be achieved through enabling access to inclusive and user-centric public services, integrating advanced technologies and practices through digitalization, applying decentralised and multi-channel service delivery.
The project is expected to produce the following main outputs:
(1)ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Transform institutional, legal, and regulatory frameworks underpinning the back office of the national public services delivery system.
(2)ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Enhance capacity of the back office institutions in public service delivery to ensure their effective operation at the national, regional and local levels.
(3)ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Conduct digital and user-centric transformation of the back office institutions to improve availability and quality of public services.
(4)ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Transform the system of local governance to ensure responsiveness, accountability and better operation of regional and local institutions functioning as back offices.
The projectโs interventions will focus both on the country as a whole (systemic reforms) and the selected remote pilot districts for more targeted results. This will be done through improving policies, enhancing capacity, digital transformation and streamlining the functions of (1) government bodies processing requests from citizens and businesses in back-offices (BOs), (2) Public Services Centres (PSCs) acting as one-stop shops for public services, (3) Ministry of Justice responsible for the unified state policy in public service delivery, and (4) Councils of Peopleโs Deputies (Kengashes) and other local administrative bodies in charge of local governance.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Project Associate will work under the direct supervision of the Project Specialist, and provide administrative and financial services to ensure high quality, accuracy, and consistency in work. The Project ย Associate will work closely with national partners, the project, the operations, and program departments of the UNDP office through the following roles and responsibilities:
Be responsible for logistics, travel arrangements, and hiring project staff, in accordance with corporate rules and UNDP requirements; Encouraging understanding and promotion of gender equality among project staff and partners; On the basis of consultations with the Project Specialist and the UNDP Business Center, carry out the procurement in accordance with the rules and procedures of the UNDP; Conducting Procurement processes, developing procurement plans i.e. conducting market research, preparing required technical specifications for procurement of goods, services and works, reviewing in interaction with the project team, technical specifications for procurement of goods, works and services; Preparing in collaboration with UNDP, bidding documents, tender notices, and invitations for bids, bid solicitations, facilitation of site visits and pre-bid meetings, evaluation of bids, conducting due diligence and value for money analysis, preparation of documents for the review committee, facilitation of the negotiation process with bid winners, issuance of contracts;ย Conducting contract management i.e. administering contracts to ensure compliance with the contractsโ conditions, payment terms; Preparation of all financial and administrative documents required for project implementation in accordance with UNDP rules and procedures; budgeting of costs and obligations for the project; Preparation of quarterly and annual budget plans for recruiting staff; execution and storage of financial statements, and maintenance of the monitoring system for recording the corresponding expenses, balances, payments and other data on daily financial activities and preparation of reports; Assistance to project staff, experts and consultants in matters of financial costs, advance payments, transportation costs and other financial and administrative costs, preparation and authorization of payments for the services provided; Preparation of detailed cost estimates, participation, if necessary, in budget analysis and forecasting to support the financial operations of the project, alignment of all accounts within the required time frame; Processing, updating the list and keeping records of intangible assets in accordance with UNDP requirements; Execution of duties of a cashier, responsibility for the distribution of the project-based cash flow, keeping records of the cash book and payment orders of regional divisions; Monitoring of vacations of project employees, checking the correctness and appropriate filling of the monthly report card on the presence at the workplace, vacations, absences at the work place due to illness, etc.; Analyzing potential administrative and financial issues and taking the necessary steps to ensure that sufficient resources are available to carry out the tasks assigned to the project; Identifying effective measures to optimize the use of project resources; Ensuring full compliance of administrative and financial processes and financial reporting with the UNDP requirements, policy and strategy;The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
Under the direct supervision of Project Specialist and in close collaboration with relevant project partners, the Project Associate will be responsible for the implementation of the project activities aimed at building national capacities for sustainable rural development by pursuing integrated planning and implementation of innovative solutions.ย
The Project Associate will provide operational services ensuring high quality, accuracy, and consistency of work. He/she works in close collaboration with the Government counterparts, project, operations, and Programmeโs staff in the UNDP CO to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery and undertake day-to- day responsibility for operational and thematic support services for the satisfactory achievement of the project component outputs.ย
Competencies
Core Competencies:
Cross Functional and Technical Competencies:
Strategic Thinking: Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDPโs mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight. Knowledge Generation:ย Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.ย Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches.ย Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations. Integration within the UN: Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations. 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.ย Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels. Event planning and execution:ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Ability to plan, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP's overall brand and mandate. Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings): Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Secondary education is required,ย Bachelorโs degree in any of the following areas: Finance, Economics, Business administration, or relevant related filed will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement.ยExperience:
Minimum 7 years (with Secondary education) or 4 years (with Bachelorโs degree) of relevant experience in a project administration is required.Languages:
Fluency in English and Uzbek is required.ย Good command of Russian is desirable.Required Skills:
Strong financial and administrative skills/experience, result and client-orientation and proven ability to work in a team.Desired Skills:
Experience in project planning, execution, monitoring. Skilled in coordinating activities, maintaining work plans, and ensuring compliance with policies and proceduresย Experience in budget tracking, procurement processes, and financial reporting. Proficient in handling operational tasks, maintaining project documentation, and ensuring smooth workflow Proficiency in the use of computer software applications particularly MS Excel.ย Proven Ability to work under pressure and with tight deadlines, ethics and honesty;ย Proven Ability to use information and communication technology as a tool and resource;ย Experience in handling web-based management systems; Proven Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and ability to prioritizeEqual 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.ย
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.ย
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย 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.
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