Management Associate

With projects and programmes in every state and union territory in India, UNDP works with national and subnational government, and diverse development actors to deliver people-centric results, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As the integrator for collective action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the UN system, we are committed to supporting the Government of India’s national development vision and priorities and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs for the people and the planet. 

UNDP India’s Country Programme (2023-2027) builds on our prior work and aims to provide an integrated approach to development solutions in three strategic portfolios: 

• Strong, accountable and evidence-led institutions for accelerated achievement of the SDGs.
• Enhanced economic opportunities and social protection to reduce inequality, with a focus on the marginalized.
• Climate-smart solutions, sustainable ecosystems and resilient development for reduced vulnerability.

South-South cooperation, gender equality and social inclusion are promoted across the three pillars of the Country Programme Document (CPD). The programme is supported by a framework of partnerships and blended finance solutions, strategic innovation and accelerator labs, and data and digital architecture.

You are invited to join a team of development professionals to support India in achieving the national and globally agreed goals. As part of the UNDP team, your focus will be to work with diverse stakeholders to find country-specific solutions that lead to sustainable development and reach those furthest behind first.

The UNDP Country Office in India established the Programme Management and Support Unit (PMSU) to provide effective and efficient management advisory support services to senior management, programme and operations teams and to align the oversight capacities and capabilities to the CPD to ensure a systematic approach to 6 key areas: people, knowledge, risk management, funding, operational excellence, and impact measurement. The PMSU acts as a quality assurance unit aiming to make the CO more accountable in terms of programme performance and management of results and programme financial resources.

The PMSU is responsible for developing and mainstreaming practical tools and approaches to promote effective and efficient programme planning, implementation, review, monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge management. The Unit also monitors and analyzes the programme financial resources for effective planning and utilisation according to the CO’s overall programme focus and priorities. The Unit will play a key role in ensuring the compliance of the CO with corporate policies, rules and regulations and the alignment of the Country Programme to the Strategic Plan and changes introduced at the corporate level.   These tasks will in turn, facilitate the office’s ability to respond to the fast changing development needs, while maintaining high standards of operation based on corporate policies and procedures in an accountable manner.

The PMSU will report directly to the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and will work closely with the Operations Manager.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist, Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU), the Management Associate provides support to the leadership in the execution of oversight and management performance, and supports the formulation, planning and management of the country programme and operations by managing data and facilitating implementation of various initiatives and activities aiming to effectively deliver development results. The Management Associate promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.   

The Management Associate works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and projects’ staff in the CO and UNDP HQs as required for resolving complex programme and finance-related issues and exchange of information.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Ensures effective oversight on programme and project management, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and timely reporting focusing on achievement of the following results:

Effective support to oversight and management performance initiatives including contribution to project design, appraisal, implementation processes.

• Contribution to effective pipeline management system and processes within the office.
• Effective support in the selection of the correct programming tools and ensure that this is embedded into project design.
• Support programme oversight mechanisms such as Country Programme Management Board, Outcome Boards

Provides support to data collection and analysis on key management aspects including monitoring of dashboards, key performance indicators and processes focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Regular data collection and review of the key management performance indicators; support to analysis of trends and consolidation of information on trends that provide management with appropriate analytical tools to establish measurable performance actions by the Country Office.
• Review of data on financial and management performance and support to analysis of CO performance, including verification of evidence documentation.
• Support monitoring and tracking of Country Office Key Performance Indicators and Compact with Regional Bureau.
• Actively monitor programme dashboards and support monitoring of Country Office Key Performance Indicators; identify and escalate bottlenecks and potential issues, and support in taking timely action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant colleagues in the Programme for timely resolution
• Support planning and inputs to corporate dashboards, audits, quality assurance reviews and oversight, online performance monitoring tools, Vital signs, Quantum+, programme and project management dashboards etc. Act as resource person for the trainings, as appropriate.

Provides risk management and programme management support focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Support in ensuring full compliance of programming initiatives and activities with corporate UNDP policies and procedures, including accountability framework, internal control framework, Enterprise Risk Management, Social and Environmental Standards, etc.
• Support in periodic oversight activities relating to programme and operations management, remotely and on site, and make recommendations for improvement to CO Management.
• Support in implementation of the partnership and resource mobilization action plans, including tracking and reporting on mobilized resources by the Country Office, and timely recording of contributions and reporting.
• Support review of contribution agreements before signature by the CO management, including obtaining of clearances from HQ if necessary; support monitoring of cost-sharing contributions, in liaison with GSSC.
• Work with the supervisor on audit or other assessment related activities to ensure that actions across various audit-mandated and compliance tasks are completed in a timely manner; and
• Review of programme and project financial information and reports, including review of correctness of CDRs, recommendation of corrective actions, and ensure implementation in line with POPP.
• Provision of guidance to implementing partners and responsible parties on implementation issues and UNDP requirements.
• Support to management of partners capacities and risk assessments, assurance plans and follow-up as required.
• Participation in the evaluation and review panels; preparation of evaluation reports and submission to procurement, grants and other review committees, as required.
• Support in various quantitative and qualitative donor reporting

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Act as the country office knowledge management focal points
• Support corporate reporting requirements; review and drafting of analytical and evidence-based results-oriented reports (ROAR, Mid-term and annual review reports etc) with inputs from the programme and project teams.
• Support coordination and review of project progress reports from programme units and provide constructive feedback to finalize the reports.
• Support inequality information of results and progress reports and ensure its timely completion;
• Identify and document lessons learned, best practices, and use knowledge gained to feed into the ongoing as well as future programming and for developing/managing knowledge products (knowledge management).
• Promote awareness and understanding of the shared responsibility of the compliance function among team members including the field staff through communication, training, learning and development activities.
• Undertake development of knowledge management and lessons learnt tools, systems and best practices by working closely with programme units and communication unit and help in dissemination
• Support coordination with programme and operations and contribute to preparing briefs, background and status notes, presentations, review meetings, retreats, key events etc and participate in review meetings.
• Organization and provision of training and learning activities for UNDP personnel on specific project management and financial issues, the application of ERP and other corporate/regional systems and tools, etc. 
• Facilitation of knowledge building and management, documentation of lessons learned and good practices, and innovation and knowledge transfer in the country office, region and globally.
• Contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

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

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 & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy          

• 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 to model what future developments and ways forward look like for UNDP.
• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management      

• Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results.
• Resources Management: Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity.

Finance  

• Financial Planning and Budgeting: Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.

Ethics     

• UN policy knowledge – ethics: Knowledge and understanding of the UN Staff Regulations and Rules and other policies relating to ethics and integrity.