Background
ย Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:ย 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 โleave no one behindโ 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.
ย 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. ย
ย Brazil has received funds from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the project โREDD+ results-based payments for results achieved by Brazil in the Amazon biome in 2014 and 2015โ. The results-based payments received by Brazil from the GCF will contribute to the implementation of the forest sector actions of Brazilโs NDC and Brazilโs REDD+ National Strategy overall objective. This project has two main outputs:ย
The Floresta+ is a new and innovative pilot program that aims to provide incentives for environmental services in the Legal Amazon region, in accordance with Brazilโs Forest Code, the ENREDD+ and Brazilโs NDC. This pilot program will have the following specific objectives: 1. provide monetary compensation to incentivize native vegetation conservation and restoration/recovery and improvement of ecosystems that generate environmental services (including but not limited to carbon); 2. prevent the occurrence of deforestation, forest degradation and forest fires through financial incentives; 3. incentivize the restoration/recovery of native vegetation of rural properties, conservation areas, indigenous lands, land settlements, and local community lands; 4. value the actions of land owners, land users, settlers, Indigenous Peoples and local communities in conservation and restoration/recovery of native vegetation; 5. Promote compliance with the environmental legislation, especially that related to the protection and restoration/recovery of native vegetation (Forest Code); 6. offer a financial mechanism to foster the development and implementation of public policies aimed at conservation and restoration/recovery of native vegetation.
This project also aims to contribute with the ENREDD+ implementation facing the complexity of a forest monitoring system for the whole Brazilian territory, the low capacity and resources of subnational governments and ILPCs to engage in ENREDD+ implementation, the limited amount of public resources to implement the ENREDD+, the safeguard information scattered among different governmental systems and/institutions and the complexity to evaluate the impacts of REDD+[1]ย policies.
[1]ย Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Duties and Responsibilities ย
The purpose of this Term of Reference is to hire a Project Associate for the Project Management Unit - PMU. This project assistant will be a full member of the PMU and will work under the overall leadership of the Project Coordinator.ย As a result, it is expected that this post will support the overallย implementation of the GCF Projectโs activities and contribute to the successful implementation of the planned activities, as such:
Support the project team to ensure effective project planning and implementation.ย
Provide financial and administrative support to supervisor and other project staff in the implementation of the Project activities
Provide assistance in drafting and developing the necessary reports relevant to fulfillment of the required monitoring & evaluation activities; 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. Support the organization of project missions and meetings, including arranging for ticketing and payment of per diems, preparation of agendas and related activities;ย Assistance in organizing and conducting local and external technical meetings as well as prepare the meeting minutes; Document and file all related papers for implementation of the project, according to the project systematic organization; Create purchase requisitions, conduct and monitor the bidding process when relevant, monitor the approval of Purchase Order and issuance of contracts for signature of the parties, review individual contracts and submit them for approval by the Program Officer;ย Request and monitor payments, providing additional documentation, when providing for posting of supporting documentation on corporate platforms;ย Provide necessary actions for new or updated Vendors and monitor their approval and implementation in the system;ย Conduct simplified bidding processes for services or purchases below USD 5,000;ย Assist in the preparation of Terms of Reference for the consultants selection, purchase of goods and services, as well as in the preparation of draft documents such as: Contracts, Memorandum of Understanding, etc.);ย Review individual contracts and send them for approval by the Program Officer;ย
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.ย Monitor the financial execution of projects: carry out budget reviews of projects, when necessary; mandatory reviews and final review of projects; subsidize requests and follow-up on the progress of authorization requests related to the project (DIM authorization, ASL request, other relevant actions for each case), prepare financial accounts for project donors; Monitor the signed contracts schedule and the its activities agreed; maintain contacts with private partners, ensuring the execution of planned activities and proposing lines and action plans for adjustments to the execution schedules, if necessary;ย Assist in the preparation of progress reports (APR), annual work plans with a focus on results and deliveries and final reports; Keep electronic and physical files up to date and well organized;ย 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. Provide quantitative and qualitative technical reports for evaluation and monitoring of activities, whenever requested, including project monitoring tools;ย Reflect in Quantum: budget revisions of resource relocation, resource reallocation, substantive, mandatory and final. Reflect support documentation according to the issuance of purchase requisitions and vouchers issued in Quantum for approval of the Program Officer and issue to the Purchasing or Finance Unit;Support partnerships and resource mobilization.ย
Provide support in updating the database of the relevant project partners, stakeholders, counterparts, beneficiaries and other contacts that might be relevant 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 the overall implementation of the GCF Projectโs activities through consistent/regular communication updates with supervisor and other relevant contacts. Maintain cordial working relationships and ensure regular communication and coordination with all UNDP partners, especially in meeting and demands presented by counterparts in the implementation of the project activities, ensuring the delivery of quality, fast and effective services. Make direct contact with private sector counterparts for various surveys.ย Present technical information in a systematic way and in the format required for official communications with the private and public sectors, dissemination materials, meetings, seminars and training.Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project.ย
Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff. Provide support to other capacity building activities, including to theย 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. Provide training support to the projectยดs team as required.ยThe incumbent performs other functions within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the project.
Institucional Arrangement
The Project Associate will be directly supervised by the Project Coordinator.
Competencies ยCore Competencies:
Achieve Results:
โข LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
Think Innovatively:
โข LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.ย
Learn Continuously:
โข LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
Adapt with Agility:
โข LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.ย
Act with Determination:
โข LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
Engage and Partner:
โข LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:
โข LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.ย
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:
Business Direction & Strategy - Strategic Thinking:
Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDPโs objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions. Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.ยBusiness Management - Partnerships Management:
Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.ยBusiness Managementย - Project Management:
Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.ย Administration & Operations - Documents and records management:
Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archivingย Finance - 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 effectiveย 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 Required Skills and Experienceย Min. Education requirements: Secondary education (Complete Education at High School Level). University degree (Bachelorโs degree) in Business Administration, Social Sciences, Law, Finance, Economics, Business Management or related areas will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement. Min. years of relevant work experience: Minimum of 6 years (with Secondary education) or 3 years (with Bachelorยดs degree) of practical and relevant work experience in administration, support to the management and implementation of technical cooperation projects.ย
Required skills:
Experience in preparing and monitoring budgets contracts, ย agreements and reports is an asset; Experience in theย logistical organization of meetings, seminars and trainings is an asset; Proficiency in the digital tools, the Office package, and systematization of data and information.ย Good communication skills.Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:
Administrative experience in international/multilateral projects; Knowledge of the operational and financial system used by UNDP Quantum is desirable; Experience in financial reports and correspondence; Experience in contracts management.Required Language(s):
Fluency in English and Portuguese is required. Disclaimerย Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)ย
ย Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.ย
ย UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
ย Applicant information about UNDP rosters
ย Note: 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.
ย Non-discrimination
ย 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.ย ย
ย 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.ย
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