Operations Support Analyst – (Home-based)

Office/Unit/Project Description 

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government, and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

BPPS’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit, works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste.

The newly established UNDP Climate Hub is the arrowhead of UNDP’s commitment to the “Climate Promise” that aims to support programming countries designing and implementing pledges under the Paris Agreement, including ambitious National Determined Contributions, with climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions fully embedded in the national development planning and budgetary processes. The Climate Hub will build on UNDP’s existing over USD 4 billion country-level climate portfolio on Climate Change Policies and Strategies, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate and Forests, covering over 142 countries, as well as on UNDP’s Nature portfolio, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP’s Digital offer and other relevant portfolios on youth, gender, health, climate security among others. 

The UNDP Climate Hub is responsible for: 

• Thought leadership on Climate and to be the custodian of UNDP policy positions on Climate;
• Strategy and vision formulation;
• Pipeline development in coordination with the other hubs and the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit;
• Provision of integrated policy and programme support to Country Offices;
• Global engagement, advocacy in collaboration with BERA;
• Integration across thematic areas;
• Strategic Partnerships development and resource mobilization;
• Lead and Support global flagship initiatives and partnerships on Climate;
• Serve as focal point with relevant UN coordination mechanisms and Conventions (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change);
• Cross-organization knowledge and learning; and
• Innovation.

The Greening Moonshot initiative, hosted by the Climate Hub, is UNDP’s inward-facing counterpart to the Climate Promise: UNDP is committed to minimizing the environmental l impact of its operations and to organization-wide climate neutrality. By demonstrating that operations are run in a resource-efficient, sustainable, and accountable way, UNDP strengthens its global position as a strong and reliable partner. From green building renovations and bicycling programs to use of photovoltaic electricity and policy changes staff throughout the organization are developing creative and resilient solutions to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and minimizing UNDP’s environmental footprint. Today UNDP has established itself as a leading organization in the UN-wide Greening the Blue initiative, driving the development of new approaches and standards and often establishing best practices within and beyond the UN system. ‘Greening’ progress is overseen by the Greening Moonshot Task Force, chaired by the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau for Management Support (BMS) Deputy Directors. 

Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Team, under Climate Hub, works with governments, private sector, academia, and civil society to build capacities to implement transformative approaches to securing resilient lives, livelihoods, ecosystems, and markets, particularly focusing on the most vulnerable and marginalized. With a portfolio of adaptation projects and programmes across 100+ countries, UNDP is a key actor within the UN System in supporting countries to access and catalyze public and private finance to implement their adaptation priorities in the context of the SDG agenda. Currently, global programmes including (but not limited to) Green and Resilience Debt Platform (GRDP), Early Warnings for All (EW4All), and Global Climate and Health are being developed and expanded. The Operationas/Programme Analyst will coordinate the implementation of preparation activities for the development of these programmes. 

The Operations/Programme Analyst supports at 50% the work of the Greening Moonshot Task Force and reports to the BPPS Greening Moonshot Secretariat Coordinator and at 50% the work of Global Programmes under the CCA team, as mentioned above and reports to the Global Programme Manager (PM), and work closely with Regional and Global Technical Adcisors and CCA Portfolio and Progrmame Analyst among other counterparts. The incumbent provides operational and project management support to the Greening Moonshot Secretariat and CCA Global Programmes including financial/project and human resources management, efficient procurement and logistical services, reporting, consistent with UNDP’s rules and regulations and in consultation with the Intergrated Operations Team (IOT), BPPS/CB Joint Directorate as needed. 

Scope of Work 

A.          Provide Greening Moonshot Facility project support and monitoring:  Support disbursement of Greening Moonshot funds to selected projects and monitor resources utilization and implementation:

• Coordinate disbursement of funds by collecting distribution combinations (formerly Chart of Accounts) information from Greening Moonshot projects and liaising with Finance colleagues to ensure funds are disbursed in a timely manner;
• Monitor resources utilization by managing a Power BI dashboard, identify delays and challenges and report to Greening Moonshot Secretariat and Regional Bureau representatives as needed;
• Organize regular calls with offices that show risks of delays or project failure;
• Monitor progress of programmes, identify bottlenecks and risks, propose and contribute to developing solutions and/or escalate as appropriate.

B.           Ensure provision of CCA global programme support and coordination: provide support services to ensure effective and efficient implementation of project preparation activities of the global programmes:

• Support the Global Programme Manager (PM) in effective implementation of the preparation activities and in operational management of the global programmes in accordance with UNDP’s rules and regulations;
• Ensure full compliance of operational activities with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies (i.e. FRR, ICF, POPP);
• Provide support and inputs to the PM for donor reporting, including but not limited to quarterly or interim progress and financial reports;
• Coordinate with country offices and CCA oversight team (regional/global technical advisors and programme associates/analyst) on workplan submissions as well as prepare budget revisions in Quantum and Project Information Management System  (PIMS+);
• Monitor budget and fund utilization to be in line with the approved workplans and in compliance with UNDP and donors’ regulations and policies;
• Facilitate and coordinate disbursement requests to donors and fund transfers to countries;
• Monitor progress of programmes, identify bottlenecks and risks, propose and contribute to developing solutions and/or escalate as appropriate.

C.           Ensure provision of Greening Moonshot and CCA global programme budget and financial support: Maintain financial records, run budget reports and support the Greening Moonshot Facility  and CCA global programme in annual budgeting processes. 

• Facilitate in preparation of workplans, prepare budget submissions and revisions and ensure compliance with budgeting and reporting requirements;
• Facilitate in preparation of reports, especially with financial reports, as per donor reporting requirements;
• Facilitate internal cost recovery arrangements in liaison with BMS/GO and BMS/ITM;
• Track, monitor and report on the use of project and other allocated resources; prepare and issue financial authorizations; create requisitions, receipts; determine unutilized funds;
• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments, review of projects financial reports;
• Maintain the internal expenditures control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum.
• Timely corrective actions on unposted invoices, including the invoices with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers.
• Review, verify and reconcile financial data and reports to ensure accuracy and conformity with UNDP programme and operations policies procedures as well as with the Donors’ requirements; and
• Identify and escalate project related issues, proposing and contributing to the development of solutions.

D.          Ensure provision of General Operations/admin services 

• Support HR proceses including recruitment and extension of Greening Moonshot Secretariat contracts
• Support procurement planning exercise and processes for Greening Moonshot and CCA global programme consultants, as well as contract management, extension and payment
• Organize meetings and events and undertake related logistical activities including travel arrangements as needed;
• Maintain project files and an effective documents management system.

E.           Support other work of the Greening Moonshot Secretariat and the CCA team as needed.

F.           The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Institutional Arrangement

The Operations/Programme Analyst will work under the guidance of the BMS and BPPS Greening Moonshot Secretariat Managers, the CCA Global Programme Manager, Regional and Global Technical Advisors, Global and Regional Programme Associates/Analysts among other counterparts to support the daily work of the Greening Moonshot Secretariat Coordinator and of the CCA team, as indicated above. The candidate will report to the BPPS Greening Moonshot Secretariat Coordinator and CCA Global Programme Manager as direct and primary supervisors. The Operations/Programme Analyst will be responsible for the fulfilment of the duties and responsibilities specified above.

The incumbent will work from home and will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment.  The incumbent will be responsible for providing his/her own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc) and must have reliable internet connection. 

The incumbent will engage virtually with the supervisors and/or the team on a regular basis. 

Given the global scope of the work undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability taking into consideration different time zones.

No travel is expected to be associated with performing the functions under these Terms of Reference.

Competencies

Core

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Education requirements   

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field is required; Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience              

• Up to 2 years (with master’s degree) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing Operations management, Business support, Programme management services and/or operational systems.

Required skills  

• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as Power BI and ERP are required.
• Demonstrated experience in project implementation support, budget and financial analysis, monitoring and reporting is required.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section 

• Experience working within and across the UN system and knowledge of UNDP’s regulations, policies, and procedures is desired.
• Experience and Knowledge of UNDP financial procedures, policies and institutional accounting structures and ERP systems (in particular Quantum), premises and assets policies, procedures and structures are strongly desirable.
• Demonstraed experience in project or programme coordination and/or administration and support service at a regional or global level is an asset.
• Experience working with programmes or projects seeking funding from or funded by Vertical Funds (e.g. Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and/or Green Climate Fund (GCF)) is considered an advantage

Required Language(s)   

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.