Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: 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 ‘leave no one behind’ 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.
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 fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in more than 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.
Development challenges in the Pacific Islands Countries are multi-faceted and complex. To respond to these challenges, the UNDP Multi-Country Office (MCO) for the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau based in Apia concentrates its efforts on strengthening the capacity of the governments and people in the four countries to promote inclusive, blue-green and pro-poor growth, effective governance for the future, and sustainable and resilient development that leverages innovation and digital transformation and catalyzes financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We help our partners identify relevant solutions to their most significant development challenges and offer policy advisory and implementation services to address these challenges. To this end, UNDP offers a unique network of global reach and local presence, sectoral and thematic expertise, and broad-based trusted partnerships.
Guided by the UNDP Multi-Country Programme Document (MCPD) for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories 2023-27, the MCO’s policy, advisory, programmatic, and implementation services focuses on the following outcome areas:
- Peace: inclusive governance, justice and peace
- Prosperity: inclusive, blue-green and sustainable growth
- Planet: sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, strengthened climate and disaster resilience and management.
UNDP’s programme is anchored in the principle of leaving no one behind, with specific focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment including the fight to end violence against women and girls, and empowerment and engagement of youth and persons with disabilities.
Today’s most complex development challenges are systemic and can’t be solved through individual or collective project logic but require system responses. Recognizing this, UNDP at the global level has embraced an ongoing shift to looking beyond sectoral challenges for opportunities for transformative change. UNDP continues to deliver projects, but increasingly plans, aligns, and manages them as portfolios. The portfolio approach means understanding issues from a systems perspective, leveraging linkages across interventions to achieve broader goals and exploring innovative options. A portfolio is a programming delivery instrument, which contributes to one or more MCPD outcome areas and engages one or more implementing partners to address system level challenges for strategic development results. The MCO is at different stages of designing and implementing an initial set of portfolios around gender equality, governance for the future, the circular economy, and climate-resilient ecosystems.
The MCO programme team is comprised of the Governance and Prosperity Unit and Environment, Climate Change and Resilience Unit, which work in integrated ways to support achievement of UNDP strategic objectives to create a world where people and planet thrive together, and to help the MCO act with both ambition and scale to address urgent problems facing the four countries.
To support the implementation of UNDP’s programme in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau, the MCO is establishing two new Portfolio Implementation Support Analyst positions (NPSA-8), one in each programme unit, who will each report to a Portfolio Manager.
As portfolios are a discovery-based way of working, the MCO seeks candidates with keen and active interest in working in collaborative, integrative and cross-disciplinary ways, who have a high degree of curiosity, motivation to learn continuously and drive to improve.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Portfolio Implementation Support Analyst works under the general supervision of the Portfolio Manager, and collaborates closely with colleagues across the MCO, including the members of the responsible MCO Programme Unit overseeing the assigned portfolio, Programme Support and Oversight Team, and Operations Team.
Guide and support the portfolio team to ensure effective portfolio planning, reporting and implementation.
- Compile and summarize information and data for the formulation of portfolio and project work plans, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and on other specific portfolio related topics or issues.
- Set-up and manage portfolio and project budgets in UNDP’s Quantum system in line with the approved portfolio and project documents.
- Regularly monitor commitments and expenditures against the portfolio and project budgets and relevant plans; and provide finance-related information to support portfolio implementation. When necessary, recommend corrective actions and draft various correspondence concerning finance, operations, and budgetary issues.
- Prepare financial updates for the project board meetings and / or donors.
- Ensure quality check and complete documentation for project payments.
- Provide comprehensive support in all aspects of portfolio and project implementation in accordance with the related portfolio and project documents, annual work plans and other agreements between UNDP and responsible parties. Ensure quality of delivery by consultants, beneficiaries, and contracted companies; and communicate findings to the supervisor.
- Provide support to management and oversight of low-value grants, including solicitation and evaluation of proposals, and award, monitoring and reporting.
- Ensure compliance of portfolio and project business processes with the relevant UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures and applicable Standard Operating Procedures. When necessary, provide guidance to portfolio and project staff on business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures.
- Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful portfolio and project delivery that includes organizing/coordinating field and study visits, missions, events, workshops, roundtables, and conferences; maintaining records and files; and recruitment of personnel.
- Support mainstreaming gender equality in the portfolio and project implementation, including in data collection and compilation. Prepare gender equality background materials for use in discussions, briefings, and correspondence.
Guide and support implementation of procurement strategies and processes for the portfolio that are in alignment with principles of fairness, integrity and transparency to achieve best value for money:
- Ensure full compliance of the portfolio procurement activities with UNDP rules, regulations, policies, and strategic priorities in close collaboration with the MCO Procurement Unit.
- Provide support to market research to inform strategic procurement that includes sourcing strategy, supplier selection and evaluation, quality management, and cost reduction strategies across the portfolio.
- Ensure the consolidation of procurement plans for portfolio and monitor their timely implementation.
- Ensure the procurement plan update / revision on regular basis including quantum processes.
- Provide support to the organization of procurement processes that include preparation and conduct of RFQ, ITB or RFP, and the receipt and evaluation of quotations, bids or proposals in full compliance with UNDP rules and regulations and support the MCO Procurement Unit in preparing submissions to internal procurement review committees (CAP, RACP and ACP).
- Support sound management of contracts and contractors, legal considerations, and payment conditions across the portfolio, ensuring the timeliness of required actions.
- Support bidders and suppliers in registering in and using UNDP e-procurement systems via Quantum/UNALL.
Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of portfolio implementation:
- Support implementation of the portfolio 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 portfolio implementation against portfolio targets as well as for audit purposes. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners.
- Guide in implementation of effective risk management for the portfolio with a well-documented risk mitigation plan in place. Support monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks.
- Prepare and consolidate required portfolio reports on a timely basis and in line with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements.
- Support supervisor in preparing for, and following up on, regular meetings of the portfolio/project governing mechanism (Portfolio/Project Board or Steering Committee).
- Maintain project records, minutes of meetings, consultant reports, etc.
- Support MCO during audit process and quality assurance activities.
Facilitate knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned portfolio:
- Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for portfolio and project staff.
- Provide support to other capacity building activities, including on 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 MCO and regionally. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned portfolio.
- Make sound contributions to UNDP 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.
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
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Business Direction & Strategy:
- System Thinking – Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgment to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to considering how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Business Management:
- Portfolio Management – Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization’s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio 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 fulfill 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.
Finance:
- Budget management – Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets
Procurement
- Procurement: – The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.
Administration & Operations:
- 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:
- Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Management, Finance/Accounting or related field is required. Or
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- Applicants with a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
- Applicants with a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience management, administration, or financial areas in public sector.
- 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 & overviews; and processing payment requests is desirable
- Experience and knowledge of procurement procedures of national / international organizations is desirable.
- Experience and knowledge of project management processes is desirable.
- Experience and knowledge of monitoring and evaluation tools is desirable.
Required Languages
- Fluency in English and Samoan required (written and spoken).
- Knowledge of Cook Islands Maori, Niuean, and/or Tokelauan is an advantage.
Professional Certificates
- CIPS Level 2 Certificate in Procurement and Supply Operations or CIFPA certification in Finance will be as asset.
Disclaimer
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.
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.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: 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.
Non-discrimination
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.
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.
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Level of Education: Bachelor Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: No requirements