Project Associate

United Nations Department of Operational Support

JOB DESCRIPTION

ABOUT THE COMPANY:

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

 

JOB SUMMARY

 

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.

Strengthening access to justice, the rule of law, and promoting human rights are cornerstones of UNDP’s mandate to achieve sustainable human development and eradicate extreme poverty.

Through its work in these areas, UNDP contributes to building peace and democratic governance across various development contexts.

The UNDP Country Office in the Kyrgyz Republic, under the “Accountable Institutions, Justice and Peace” portfolio, is currently implementing several strategic initiatives. These initiatives aim to strengthen accountable and responsive justice institutions, build trust in state-society relations, and ensure inclusive processes that promote legal empowerment and access to justice for vulnerable populations, particularly women, youth, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Additionally, these initiatives focus on strengthening civil society, promoting and protecting human rights in business, and advancing environmental justice.

The UNDP project “Strengthening Human Rights and Equal Access to Justice in the Kyrgyz Republic” (3rd phase) is designed to support the current legal aid and justice reform agenda of the Kyrgyz Republic.

This project aims to foster a more strategic, coordinated, responsive, gender-sensitive, and sustainable implementation in line with the adopted national legal aid framework. It also ensures compliance with human rights and international standards related to the administration of justice, including fair trials, due process of law, and equal access to justice for persons with disabilities, women, and rural communities.

Under the supervision of the Senior Advisor on Strengthening Democracy and Rule of Law, and the overall guidance of the Team Leader of the UNDP Social Cohesion and Governance Cluster, the incumbent will provide technical support to manage and implement UNDP’s rule of law and governance initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Provide day-to-day support in coordination of programme activities in accordance with the concepts set out in the Projects Documents, Annual Work Plans and in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
  • Under the supervision contribute to development progress reports to donor organizations, monitoring, evaluation and lessons learned reports and other relevant programme-related documents, including contribution to substantive correspondence for partnership building.
  • Ensure timely and adequate implementation of activities under the relevant AWPs on rule of law, justice and governance projects.
  • Provide technical support to programme/project teams in advocating programme/project objectives and in ensuring that all interested parties are well informed about the programme/projects’ activities and goals.
  • Support in formulation, implementation, coordination and evaluation of Programme activities on a daily basis from substantive, administrative points of view that would result in holistic and cross-practiced implementation of different projects funded by various donors and attainment of projects’ objectives.
  • Cooperate and liaise with government stakeholders and other partners to ensure proper coordination and partnership in common development efforts on rule of law, justice and governance areas with all relevant institutions/partner organizations and projects including at the local level.
  • Provide substantive technical assistance to programme and beneficiaries and present information on programme activities to relevant institutions and governmental bodies.
  • Provide inputs on the development/revision of manuals and guidelines within the programme.
  • Support in achieving substantive outputs and in coordinating the work of national and international experts and vendors employed under the programme activities funded by various donors.
  • Provide reports on fulfilled tasks and provide recommendations and suggestions for improvement of the programme implementation, if and when necessary.
  • Ensure fulfilment of standard procedures, including the ones of procurement, contracting of services and formalizing partnerships, in accordance with UNDP Rules and Regulations.
  • Undertake field visits when needed.
  • The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
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:
  • Strategic Thinking:
    • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
    • Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
  • 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.
  • Communication:
    • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose сommunication methods depending on the audience.
    • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
  • Operations Management:
    • Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner.
    • Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.
  • 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.
  • Relationship management:
    • Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
  • 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.
  • Bachelor’s degree in law, political science and/or any other relevant sphere would be given due consideration but is not a requirement.

Experience:

  • Minimum 7 years (with Secondary education) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in rule of law, human rights and governance, or related areas.

Required Skills:

  • Experience in using computers and office software packages such as (MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is essential.
  • Experience in development or government sectors on planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects in the area of rule of law, human rights and governance is required.

Desired Skills:

  • Prior experience working with UNDP or other international organizations is an advantage.
  • Experience in working with vulnerable groups is a strong asset.
  • Experience/Knowledge of UNDP policies and procedures is a strong asset.

Languages:

  • Fluency in English, Russian and Kyrgyz languages is required.

Institutional Arrangement:

Under the overall guidance of the Team Leader on Social Cohesion and Governance Cluster, and direct supervision of the Senior Advisor on Strengthening Democracy and Rule of Law, the Project Associate (Rule of Law and Governance) cooperates with UNDP staff in the Kyrgyz Republic, governmental and non-governmental organizations, UN agencies involved in implementation of the respective projects, to implement activities outlined in the approved project documents, work plans related to access to justice and governance portfolio.

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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REQUIRED EDUCATION: Bachelor Degree

 

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 60

 


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