Programme Operations Associate

Through its portfolio, the CO has tailored localized integral solutions to specific sustainable development issues and is crafting methodologies and toolboxes to deploy and escalate them across the country. Particularly, in the context of the ever-evolving risk profile of the country due to the ongoing socio-economic crisis and the climate & environmental vulnerabilities, there is an acute need to accelerate structural transformations towards green development to address the climate crisis and overarching environmental issues under three core thematic areas: Climate Change Adaptation & Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Natural Resource Management, and Sustainable Energy & Waste Management.

With this background, UNDP Sri Lanka is providing the Government of Sri Lanka, with technical and policy assistance to implement projects, facilitating a greater preparedness for climate-related extreme weather events and reducing the loss of lives, social assets and losses and damages in critical climate-sensitive rural production and service sectors of communities vulnerable to climate change impacts. Moreover, the CET is in the process of developing a comprehensive pipeline portfolio to acquire new funding and partnerships towards operationalizing catalytic development interventions that forward transformative impacts on the ground.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Programme Quality and Design Analyst, the Programme Operations Associate provides administrative and financial services, ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. The Programme Operations Associate promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. The Programme Operations Associate supports the planning, implementation of UNDP supported activities by providing and managing data inputs, providing logistical and administrative support, monitoring project implementation and following up on recommendations.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Programme Operations Associate works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects’ staff in the CO and UNDP Regional Hub, and UN Agencies to exchange information and resolve complex finance-related issues.

Key Functions
Provides support for the administration and implementation of programme/operations strategies

• Effective application of RBM tools and establishment of management targets (BSC).
• Full compliance with UN/UNDP rules and regulations and other relevant policies on financial recording/reporting system and follow-up on audit recommendations; implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system.
• Provision of inputs for preparation of cost sharing, trust fund and other agreements, follow up on contributions within the CO resource mobilization efforts.
• Drafts/produces various documents to help with management monitoring and evaluation of projects-programmes, (e.g. summary table of AWPs, summary table of overall programmatic expenditures, determination of unutilized funds, drafts/compiles funding gaps matrix for the CO and keeps it updated, etc.).
• Checking programme related finance reports.

Provides effective support to administration of budgets and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system.

• Provision of information for formulation of work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and execution modalities.
• Tracking and preparing spreadsheets on mobilized resources.
• Processing of cost-recovery bills in the system for the services provided by elaboration and implementation of the income tracking system and follow up on cost recovery.
• Extraction of data from various sources.
• Research and retrieval of statistical data from internal and external sources; preparation of statistical charts, tables and reports.
• Maintenance of the filing system.
• Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to head of unit.
• Assists in the organization and coordination of all existing and future programme/project activities.
• Prepares materials for and creates Power Point presentations on relevant programme/project topics as may be required and selects and makes pertinent abstracts and undertakes searches for project related information.
• Drafts correspondence, takes instructions on a variety of project related subject-matters.
• Provides logistical, administrative and secretarial support and related processes, and programme management.

Provides accounting and administrative support

• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments, preparation of the supporting documents for payments and financial reports for projects.
• Processing of transactions, ensuring that they are correctly recorded and posted in UNDP’s financial management system (Quantum) in conformity with the internal expenditures control system.
• Timely corrective actions on erroneous in the system
• Compilation of data for internal/external audit.
• Provision of inputs to reports including donor reports.

Provide Procurement Support to the Climate and Environment Team

• Support the project managers in managing and tracking procurement activities, ensuring full compliance with UNDP procurement guidelines and procedures.
• Assist project managers in identifying and addressing bottlenecks in urgent procurement and programmatic actions, including Responsible Party Agreements, Letters of Agreement s etc.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Country Office.

• Participation in the organization of training for the office staff on programme/operations related issues.
• Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in programme finance.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Impact of Results

The key results have an impact on the overall CO efficiency in programme financial resources management and success in implementation of programme/operations strategies. Accurate analysis and presentation of financial information enhances UNDP position as a strong development partner. The information provided facilitates decision making of the management.

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.

• Project 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, organise and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organisation’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

• Contract Management: Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Strategic sourcing: Knowledge of strategic sourcing concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

• Budget Management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of the work planning process, drawing and management of budgets.

Required Skills and Experience