Project Assistant (NPSA-5) - UNDP Moldova Resilient, Inclusive Markets in Moldova (RIM)

Project Description

The Swiss-UNDP project “Resilient, Inclusive Markets in Moldova” (RIM) is set to contribute to the promotion of integrated approaches to inclusive and sustainable local economic development and employment creation, in partnership with ILO and SDC, targeting both local populations, as well as returning migrants and refugees.

Previous and ongoing SDC – UNDP efforts to address the positive impact of migration and engage migrants in local socio-economic development, along with design and piloting of local economic developments models and partnerships shaped a favorable enabling environment to expand the current work and take it to another level. In this context, Moldova has a number of comparative advantages that can be harnessed to steam up the growth, broaden its geography, and make it more socially inclusive.

In order to do so, UNDP Moldova will further advance the successful LED interventions by scaling up the focus from local to (micro)-regional, while at the same time leveraging revenue generation, strengthening business support services and value chains to increase the competitiveness of local economy, retention of human capital and facilitate local socio-economic development. The role of the SMEs, including owned and led by migrants, is crucial, being potentially the most efficient transmission between the economic growth and welfare of the employed persons, particularly in the remote rural communities and small towns. Also new political and socio-economic development required new approaches, taking into consideration the need to build more resilient, inclusive, and innovative local communities and local markets.

Hence, the strategic goal of the RIM project is to enhance the SMEs-based sustainable economic development and promote equal access to decent work at the local and (micro)-regional levels, targeting both local populations, as well as returning migrants and refugees. It leverages the enhanced multi-stakeholder cooperation, improved business support services and complementary regulatory frameworks at the level of individual communities and micro-regions. The Project will enhance sustainability of the results from the previous efforts supported by the Swiss Government, shape them to new political and socio-economic developments, by embracing and promoting relevant policy and community-action innovations and by ensuring engagement of all relevant stakeholders in the design and implementation of local development solutions for building responsive institutions, inclusive economy, and resilient communities. In light of the regional security environment that is expected to remain turbulent even in the most optimistic scenarios, the Project is intended to bring a valuable contribution to the triple humanitarian-development-peace nexus at the local/regional level.

The strategic goal of the RIM project is to enhance the inclusive, competitive, and sustainable economic development, and promote equal access to decent work at the local and (micro)-regional levels, by leveraging the enhanced multi-stakeholder cooperation, improved business support services and complementary regulatory frameworks.

The Project targets three interrelated Outcomes. 

As part of Outcome 1, policy and institutional frameworks create an empowering environment for inclusive and sustainable economic development in the targeted economic sectors.

The Outcome 2 assumes that local/regional communities including private sector representatives, meaningfully cooperate in cluster formats to enhance value chains and improve their competitiveness.

As part of Outcome 3, the people of Moldova, especially women, youth, returning migrants and refugees, will benefit from improved economic opportunities in the pilot micro-regions.

Scope of Work

The Project Assistant will ensure, in line with the Project scope, the provision of the following support services:

Administrative management support:

• Provide support to the Project Associate in all administrative-related matters, including event logistics, coordination of field visits and international missions;
• Provide support to the project’s international consultants (communication, contracts, visas, hotel reservations);
• Contribute to the maintenance of records on all project personnel/ national consultants and their respective status in accordance with accepted policies and procedures; 
• Contribute to the maintenance of the project’s databases, incl. registries of project files, records, and archiving;
• Provide efficient information services to project stakeholders; 
• Maintain office equipment and manage office stationery supplies; 
• Compile, copy and distribute project documents, including reports, minutes, and correspondence;
• Provide other assistance support as assigned.

Financial management support:

• Provide support to the Project Assistant in all finance-related matters, including advancement of funds, payments, expenditures, budget revisions, and financial status reports;
• Contribute to the elaboration of recurring and special/ad-hoc financial reports;
• Process in Quantum the project transactions, in line with the Internal Control Framework;
• In accordance with the Project Work Plan, make the necessary arrangements for the procurement of equipment, supplies and services;
• Make the necessary arrangements for project equipment maintenance and insurance;
• Monitor the implementation of the project’s contractual processes, as per UNDP procedures;
• Ensure the delivery of equipment and supplies, procured for local stakeholders/ beneficiaries;
• Provide other financial management and procurement support as assigned.

Summary of Key Functions:

Under the overall supervision of the RIM Project Manager and under the guidance and direct supervision of the Project Associate, the Assistant shall contribute to an efficient implementation of the project activities via administrative support, anticipating and contributing to resolving project-related issues.
The Assistant will apply a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.
The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies, and strategies, as well as implementation of the internal control systems.

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 and Technical Competencies

Business management/Resource Management   
Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical was in line with principles of accountability and integrity

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 management/Digital awareness and literacy   
Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed

Business management/Monitoring   
Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results

Administration & Operations/Assets management   
Ability to prepare financial statements on PP&E, maintain Asset Management Module in Quantum, Asset Dashboard

Business development/Human-centered Design   
Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process
 

Minimum education and experience requirements:

At least 2 years (with Bachelor’ s degree) or 5 years (with High school degree) of progressive experience in administrative work, accounting/finance, programmatic support, or other substantive area is required.

Required skills

• Experience in development assistance or related work for a development organization, consulting company, or NGO.
• Familiarity with the internal control framework and results-based management tools.
• Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
• Proven experience in a similar position in UN Agencies will be considered an advantage.
• Commitment to UNDP mission, vision, and values.
• Openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Required language(s)

• Fluency in oral and written English and Romanian;
• Knowledge of one or more minority languages relevant for Moldova, including Russian, Romani, Gagauzian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and sign language, is an asset.

Required documents

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors.
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
• 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

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To apply please follow the link/Pentru a aplica, vă rugăm să adresați link-ul: Apply

Advertisement end date/Data de încheiere a postului vacant: 28 May 2023