Audit Administrative Associate

The Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) reports to the Administrator and is responsible for internal audit and investigations services to UNDP and its affiliated entities. OAI provides independent, objective assurance on the effectiveness of risk management and the effectiveness and adequacy of internal controls. As part of its assurance work, OAI also supports the annual audit exercise of non-governmental/nationally implemented projects (HACT/NIM projects) in some 150 countries where UNDP operates, reviews, and analyses the resulting audit reports submitted by audit firms and government audit institutions. 

OAI has a decentralized organizational structure with the Directorate, the Headquarters Audit Section (HAS) and other headquarter units based in New York, and Regional Audit Centers (RACs) located in the five regions: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Pretoria (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Panama City (Panama) and Istanbul (Turkey).

The Regional Audit Center for North, West and Central Africa (RAC – NWCA) is staffed with a Chief (P-5 level), four audit specialists (2 P-4 and 2 P-3 levels), and one administrative associate (G-6 level). The workforce is at times supplemented with junior professionals or personnel on secondment or loan to OAI. The RAC NWCA covers 26 country offices, mainly located in the North, West and Central Africa. This also includes Madagascar, Comoros, and Djibouti.

Position Purpose

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the RAC Chief, the Administrative Associate assists in the overall management of administrative services, administers and executes processes and transactions ensuring high quality and accuracy of work, and provides efficient to the internal audit activity and may participate in audit assignments. 

The Administrative Associate promotes a client, quality, and results-oriented approach. She / he ensures effective and efficient support to the RAC in achieving results, in full confidentiality in all aspects of assignment, implementation and maintenance of established administrative and audit related standard operating procedures, management of information flow, and follow-up on deadlines and commitments made. She / he may take routine decisions on administrative matters based on clearly established authority and guidelines. 

The Administrative Associate works in close collaboration with the audit staff at RAC, the Operations Manager and Administrative Associates in New York and other RACs to ensure consistent and quality service delivery.

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 to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide efficient administrative support, in conformity with standard operating procedures, including the following tasks:

• Draft routine correspondence, interoffice circulars, general briefing notes, documents, and minutes of meetings.
• Organization and maintenance of proper (Automated) filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials.
• Prompt exchange of information and follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken with OAI units and with other UNDP Offices.
• Preparation of periodic RAC activity reports for submission to OAI management (budget and expenditures, audit activity reports, NIM HACT audit activity status report, inventory, etc.
• Organization and coordination of regular and ad-hoc meetings.
• Other administrative support tasks, as requested by the Chief. 

Provide efficient operational support, in conformity with policies and standard operating procedures and in close coordination with the OAI Operations Specialist, including the following tasks:

• Travel administration: arrangement of flight bookings, daily subsistence allowances, visa applications and other travel-related requirements, including post travel arrangements. Enter travel requests and expenses reports in Quantum travel module.
• Procurement administration: Administer a full procurement process for procurement of individual consultant, Personnel Service Agreement (PSA), and Internship cases pertaining to RAC NWCA. Preparation of purchase orders or vouchers and/or receipts; vendor profiles, monitor invoices, follow-up on delivery of goods and services. Perform a Buyer’s role in Quantum for procurement-related transaction. 
• Budget administration: Manage and monitor the utilization of RAC budget; maintaining relevant spreadsheets; Exercises proper control of supporting documents of funds and activities; regularly review expenditures data; administers petty cash, as needed.
• IT support: collaborate with the OAI Information Management Associate or the UNDP CO IT focal point on IT related matters.
• Maintenance of accurate and up-to-date list of RAC’s assets and provision of information to OAI HQ.

Provide efficient support to audit-related activities, in conformity with standard operating procedures, including the following tasks:

• Prepare audit notifications and other planning documents.
• Review, proofread and finalize draft and final audit reports and HACT / NIM Review Letters in terms of desktop publishing, layout, and format,
• Maintain audit information on the Comprehensive Audit and Recommendations Database System (CARDS); and the HACT / NIM audit tracking system and ensuring data are up-to-date and accurate.
• Extract and compile data from Quantum, CARDS and other sources for quarterly progress reports, annual risk assessment exercise, desks reviews (monthly, quarterly and half year) of status of implementation of audit recommendations, HACT / NIM audit exercise, etc.
• Perform ad hoc tasks and data information extractions as requested by the Chief.

Participate and support in audit assignments on occasions and as appropriate, in conformity with the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing and standards operating procedures, focusing on achieving the following results:

• Audit planning: 
  • extract reports from Quantum and other internal sources.
  • analyze data for sample selection, and coordinate with country offices on data provided for audit fieldwork and for HACT / NIM audit exercise.
• Audit fieldwork: 
  • carry out audit tests under the supervision of the team leader or an audit specialist; provide support in data collection, analysis, and compilation. Review and report on the accuracy, timeliness and relevance of the information gathered.
  • participate in meetings with clients as required.
  • prepare write-up of main issues for the exit meeting presentation for the review of team leader.
  • as part of the team, multiple tasks as requested by team leader or RAC Chief.
• Audit reporting: 
  • provide oral and written information on issues arising during fieldwork for audit report.

Supports knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the office, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Implementation of his/her personal learning and training development plan, maintaining professional advancements through self-duty, and /or attending professional development training.
• Training of staff on the administrative procedures.
• Assist in organizing training events for RAC staff.
• Briefing/debriefing of staff members on issues relating to area of work.
• Sound contributions to the ongoing development of professional practices within OAI and corporate 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.

Competencies

Core:
Achieve Results:

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively:

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. 

Learn Continuously:

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility:

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 

Act with Determination:

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner:

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination. 

Cross-Functional & Technical:
Business management - 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 way to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concern.

Business development - Communication              

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.                     

Finance Budget management     

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Administration & Operations - ERP travel and expense module  

• Knowledge of the ERP Travel and Expense Module; ability to provide help desk support to UNDP and other UN agencies. 

Procurement - Procurement management           

• The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source. 

Procurement - Contract management    

• Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Completion of secondary education is required. 
• University Degree, preferably in Business or Public Administration, will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement. 
• Professional Certification in finance, accounting or administration is advantageous.
• UNDP Certification in procurement is an asset.
• Certification as Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) is an advantage, candidates without CIA are encouraged to obtain such certification after assuming office.

Experience:

• A minimum of Six years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in administration or programme support services is required. 
• Experience in the usage of Microsoft Office packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages is required. 
• Working experience in using web-based management systems is strongly desirable.
• Familiarity with UNDP Enterprise Resources Planning system (ERP) system is advantageous.

Language:

• Fluency in written and oral French and English is required.
• Knowledge of UN official language is an asset.