Portfolio Assistant

Portfolio Assistant
Belgrade, Serbia

Job Identification: 13389
Locations: Belgrade, Serbia
Posting Date: 08/30/2023, 07:35 AM
Apply Before: 09/13/2023, 01:35 AM
Job Schedule: Full time
Agency: UNDP
Grade: NPSA-5
Vacancy Type: National Personnel Service Agreement
Practice Area: Governance
Bureau: Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS
Contract Duration: 1 Year
Education & Work Experience:Bachelor’s Degree – 2 year(s) experience OR High School certificate- 5 year(s) experience
Required Languages: English and Serbian language
Vacancy Timeline: 2 Weeks

Job Description
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.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia advocates for change and provides knowledge, experience, and resources that can help the country identify solutions to global and national development challenges. The UNDP aims to reduce human poverty and promote equitable growth so that the poorest members of society can fully benefit from development achievements.

The UNDP in Serbia, under the overall Good Governance cluster, has a portfolio dedicated to Local Democracy and Social Inclusion. The portfolio implements projects and activities that enhance the capacities of government, local governments, and CSOs to engage in productive partnerships and contribute to improved service delivery and realization of local priorities in line with development strategies, thus increasing the ability of authorities at the central and local level to implement effective program responses to the needs of citizens and most vulnerable.

One of the main projects that are implemented within the portfolio is the EU-funded Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD 2). The project is aimed to scale out the ReLOaD-introduced model for transparent funding of CSOs to additional local governments across the WB region. This would enable a critical mass of local governments to apply high standards of transparency and accountability when it comes to the disbursement of funds to CSOs. It would also strengthen result-oriented dialogue between CSOs and local authorities, contributing to inclusive local governance, greater civic engagement, and enhanced delivery of social services for marginalized population groups and youth.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Local Democracy and Social Inclusion Portfolio Manager, the Portfolio Assistant will:

Provide support for project implementation

• Support the day-to-day implementation of project activities
• Provide inputs for the development of project monitoring and evaluation framework
• Identify and collect policy-related and other relevant information, documents, and data, compile and analyze data for further use in project management
• Support organization and coordination of meetings, training sessions, workshops, conferences, and project events and prepare reports and meeting minutes, as required
• Draft terms of reference for consultants and contractors, as required
• Prepare briefs, talking points, and relevant communication materials
• Draft correspondence on project issues, as required
• Establish and maintain a project filing system, incoming and outgoing correspondence and maintain a calendar of events
• Follow up with (sub)contractors to ensure time delivery of outputs
• Maintain cooperation and communication with the project’s partners and beneficiaries on the implementation of the agreed activities, especially for the events, trainings, workshops, etc.
• Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing within the project team
• Participate in recruitment and evaluation panels, as required
• Support and organize public promotion and visibility activities.

Provide support for project administration:

• Support in managing project finances, processing invoices, and ensuring tax exemption for project-related goods and services
• Support procurement processes, provide inputs for requests for quotations/proposals, prepare tenders and small procurements (canvassing), provide inputs for UNDP procurement plan
• Support recruitment of short-term consultants in line with rules and regulations
• Assist project teams, experts, and consultants on travel and logistics matters
• Perform other tasks and duties as assigned by the supervisor
• Present information for audit of projects
• Ensure full compliance of activities with UNDP rules, regulations, and policies
• Participate in recruitment and evaluation panels, as required
• Support and organize public promotion and visibility activities.

Facilitate Knowledge Building and Sharing:

• Identify sources, and gather and compile data and information for the preparation of documents, guidelines, speeches, and position papers and identify policy-related, relevant information and data and compile data for management;
• Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing within the project through drafting papers on best practices and lessons learned for UNDP organizational learning;
• Perform other tasks and duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Competencies

Core
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 a 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

Thematic Area                             Name                                                             Definition
Business Management             Working with Evidence and Data             Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal                                                                                                                                       of   discovering
useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-                                                                                                                                   making
Business development              Human-centered Design
Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human                                                                                                                                         perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process

Ethics                                            UN policy knowledge – ethics
Knowledge and understanding of the UN Staff

Regulations and Rules and other policies relating to

ethics and integrity

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required.
• University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in social sciences, economics, or similar will be given due consideration but is not a requirement

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (with Secondary Education) or 2 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant work experience related to project implementation

Languages:

• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken Serbian and English

Required skills:

• Good organizational and time management skills;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling ethical standards;
• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors

Desired skills:

• Experience in organizational activities; evidence of ability to express ideas clearly; to work independently and in teams; to demonstrate a sense of self-assuredness combined with cultural and gender sensitivities;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.
• Excellent information technology skills, including word processing, database applications, presentation software, and internet;
• Experience working in public sector, civil sector or international organizations;
• Excellent writing/reporting and presentation skills;
• Excellent interpersonal, networking and communication skills

The online application form must be fully completed. Applicants are required to carefully complete their online application form and reflect all of their work experience history in the application.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Disclaimer

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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