ПРООН в Україні шукає Small Grants Associate

Background

The ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine has had a direct and highly negative impact on social cohesion, resilience, livelihoods, community security, and the rule of law. Recognizing the need to urgently address reconstruction, economic recovery and peacebuilding needs in areas affected both directly and indirectly by the conflict, in late 2014 the Government of Ukraine requested technical assistance and financial support from the international community to assess priority recovery needs. In late 2014, the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union conducted a Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment, which was endorsed by the Cabinet of Ministers in mid-2015. UNDP has been active and present in eastern Ukraine for the past decade, prior to the conflict, with a focus on community development, civil society development, and environmental protection. Work on addressing the specific conflict-related development challenges discussed above built on this earlier engagement and established partnerships and started in 2015 through the Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (RPP), a multi-donor funded framework programme formulated and led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Government of Ukraine and in cooperation with a number of partnering UN agencies (UN Women, FAO, UNFPA). The RPP was designed to respond to and mitigate the causes and effects of the conflict. It is based on findings of the Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment (RPA) and is aligned to the State Target Programme for Recovery as well as to the two oblast development strategies up to 2020. The RPP involves three pillars for action: 1) restoration of infrastructure and economic recovery; 2) support to local governance and related capacity building; and 3) social resilience and peacebuilding. It is an integral component of the UNDP Country Programme and is therefore fully aligned with the United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPF) It is closely interlinked with the Democratic Governance and Reform Programme, operating nationally and in all of Ukraine’s regions and is consistent with the SDGs, in particular SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong institutions). As an area-based programme specifically developed for the conflict-affected areas of eastern Ukraine, the RPP addresses the key stabilization, peacebuilding, economic and governance priority needs in eastern Ukraine following the start of the conflict. It takes into account the opportunities that have arisen from the Minsk Protocol of September 2014 and the renewal of its cease-fire provisions (the latest cease-fire having been agreed in March 2018) and is also fully adjusted to the humanitarian-development nexus. The Programme’s interventions are grouped under the following key Programme components, which reflect the region’s priority needs:

• Component 1: Economic Recovery and Restoration of Critical Infrastructure;
• Component 2: Local Governance and Decentralization Reform;
• Component 3: Community Security and Social Cohesion.

The Programme, which operates on the basis of a pooled funding arrangement, follows a multi-sectoral programme-based approach and is implemented using an area-based methodology. With the current project, it is a unifying interventions framework for 16 projects funded by 10 international partners. In October 2018, four UN agencies (UNDP, UN Women, FAO and the UNFPA) have countersigned a new joint project document, funded by the European Union. The overall objective of the project is to restore effective governance and promote reconciliation in crisis-affected communities of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine thereby enhancing the credibility and legitimacy of local governments in the government-controlled areas of the regions. It will contribute to peace-building and the prevention of further conflict in Ukraine through effective and accountable decentralization, gender-responsive recovery planning and equal access to services, as well as enhanced community security and social cohesion. This endeavor will be achieved through pursuit of the following specific objectives:

• Improved regional and local government capacity in recovery planning and service delivery, that is gender-responsive, participatory and in line with decentralization and local government reform agenda;
• Enhanced community security for people in conflict-affected areas, with a focus on IDPs and host communities;
• Social cohesion restored and strengthened between local authorities and communities, including IDPs.

Enhanced capacity of gender equality advocates and women affected by conflict to demand accountability and transparency on local decision-making and spending. UNDP Ukraine invites applications from highly qualified and experienced Ukrainian professionals for the post of the Small Grants Associate (SGA) to assist in the process of identification, preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the small grant support for the projects and initiatives at the local and regional levels.

Organizational setting

SGA will work under the overall supervision of Community Security and Social Cohesion Specialist, operational daily supervision of Community Security and Social Cohesion Coordinator and direct supervision of Small Grants Officer and will be responsible for assisting and supporting of the management and oversight of the grant-making process, its operations and efficient delivery of the results. In line with UNDP policies, rules and procedures, the SGA provides support to the operational oversight of small grant fund, including providing support to audit processes, development of work plans, periodic review of the workflow and the management of human, material, and financial resources. The SGA will also be required to support close coordination with community mobilisation activities conducted by international and UN actors working in the East of Ukraine (particularly UN Women, UNFPA and FAO).

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of Community Security and Social Cohesion Specialist, operational daily supervision of Community Security and Social Cohesion Coordinator and direct supervision of Small Grants Officer, providing support to the implementation of the programme activities:

• Perform administrative support functions to facilitate the implementation of the programme component activities related to grant-making process;
• Assure smooth operational running of the programme small-grants related activities by following established operational rules and procedures, including preparation of the supporting documentation for contracts, grant agreements and payments;
• Support the implementation of the call for proposals and grantee selection processes including through review and assessment of concept notes and full-fledged proposals, accompanying budgets and monitoring and evaluation frameworks;
• Participate in data collection, analysis and maintenance of grants management related database and files;
• Keep accurate electronic and paper filing, information and records systems;
• Maintain the grants application system;
• Support close and effective cooperation with community mobilization team, rule of law, social cohesion and community security team, decentralization and support to small business components on the issues of implementation of the planned grants related activities;
• Facilitate provision of guidance to all potential grant applicants to support the completion of applications, including concept notes and full-fledged proposals;
• Implement the grant allocation processes ensuring coordination with all relevant stakeholders, in line with the grant agreements and/or guidelines;
• Support monitoring recipient organizations’ compliance with programmatic and financial rules;
• Ensure a centralized portfolio of all active and closed grants is up to date;
• Support cooperation with the project partners that provide assistance in the implementation of the project small grants scheme to ensure its effectiveness;
• Support monitoring grantee performance to ensure achievement of project performance targets and proper use of funds by reviewing grantee programmatic and financial reports, performing site and event visits to grantees;
• Consult grantees on financial accounting and reporting issues concerning grant project budget is in compliance with the UNDP SOPs;
• Undertake technical and monitoring missions to grant recipient projects;
• Facilitate and provide support to programme grants management related monitoring, evaluation and audit missions;
• Prepare and monitor operations budget for small grants, assist in preparation of programme component budget and maintain necessary budgetary controls and records related to small grants;
• Prepare requests for direct payment to UNDP CO Finance unit in accordance with the approved programme component budget;
• Ensure process of payment requests and payments within the limits of the programme component budget for small grants;
• Prepare accurate budget revisions related to small grants activities;
• Maintain the filing system;
• Ensure close and regular coordination with partner agencies regarding planned and implementing activities related to the small grants support;
• Prepare small grants related correspondence, maintain contacts with governmental and non-governmental institutions, local authorities, NGOs, etc.;
• Facilitate small grants related training/learning activities;
• Participate in programme component activities (meetings, round tables, conferences, other public activities); preparation, implementation and follow up, take meeting minutes etc.;
• Provide support to communication activities and events of the programme component;
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Small Grans Officer and Community Security and Social Cohesion Specialist and/or UNDP management.

Measurable outputs of the work assignment:

• Grantees programmatic and financial reports prepared and analyzed in timely manner;
• Quality and timely advice provided to the grantees on grant projects implementation and financial reporting;
• Sufficient and verified information on grants projects progress and results achieved regularly obtained from grantees through reports and monitoring visits;
• Input and relevant data provided for monthly/quarterly/annual/ad hoc reports;
• Community workshops, focus group discussions and other meetings organized and supported;
• All assignments performed in a quality and timely manner;
• Full and appropriate use of UNDP Programme Operational Policies and Procedures and UNDP Standard Operating Procedures during implementation of the Programme component.

Performance Indicators for evaluation of results:

• Respective sections of the annual work plan for small grants under Community Security and Social Cohesion component of RPP is fully and timely implemented;
• Small grants related activities are carried out in strict accordance with UNDP rules and procedures;
• Programmatic activities on small grants support are duly overseen, timely enhanced, and properly reported on.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Communication;
• Delivery;
• Innovation;
• Demonstrate/safeguard ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Encourage and participate in open communication in the team, communicate effectively;
• Create synergies through self-control;
• Manage conflict.

Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;\Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional competencies:

• High sense of responsibility to ensure that operational objectives, policies and requirements are met;
• Quality of work and timeliness of outputs;
• Accuracy and client orientation;
• Planning and time management skills;
• Excellent usage of computers and office software packages.

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor degree in Business Administration, Public Administration Political Science, Economics, Law, Finance, Accounting, Social Sciences or other related fields;
• At least 3 years of practical experience of working in the field of civil society, administration, finance, programme/project support or other relevant fields;
• Experience in grant management, especially in the areas of community security, local development, social cohesion, civic engagement, support to civil society is an advantage;
• Experience in usage of computers and office software packages (Word, Excel etc.), experience in handling of web-based management systems; experience in ATLAS an advantage;
• Previous experience within UNDP or other UN agencies, a governmental, other multilateral or civil society organization is highly desirable;
• Fluency in English, Russian and Ukrainian is required.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTION:

If you wish to apply for this or other positions, please visit UNDP website, section jobs and apply only:

https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=82307

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 06 February 2019.