Project Finance & Administrative Specialist

The United Nations Development Programme (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 is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. The Fiji multi-country office covers ten countries including Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu as well as provides support to regional initiatives.

UNDP in the Pacific has developed its multi-country programme document (MCPD, 2023-2027) to guide its interventions in the next five years in full alignment and directly to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF, 2023–27). The Office covers 10 countries in the Pacific with an extensive portfolio which has grown over time. The UNSDCF and UNDP MCPD are designed in full alignment with the 2030 agenda, Samoa Pathway, and 2050 Blue Content Strategy, which is endorsed by the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) among others. The UNDP Pacific Office next five-year plan strategic priorities are encapsulated under three outcome areas: (i) Planet, (ii) Prosperity, and (iii) Peace.

The Governance for Resilience (Gov4Res) Project works with Pacific governments to ensure that countries adapt their decision making and governance systems towards more resilient development. The projects theory of change rests on a core assumption that Pacific Island people will be more resilient to the impacts of climate change and disasters if countries manage all development through a risk informed approach. This is consistent with the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific which calls for the ‘mainstreaming’ of climate and disaster risk treating risk management as fundamental to all development decisions.

The Gov4Res Project three outcome areas to work with countries across the region to address these risks by development: 1) government planning and financing systems enable gender and socially inclusive risk-informed development; 2) country oversight and accountability systems require gender and socially inclusive risk-informed development; and 3) regional organisations, policies and practices are actively supporting gender and socially inclusive risk-informed development. UNDP is partnering with a range of partners to deliver this project across the Pacific including Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK FCDO).

The Vanuatu Electoral Environment Project (VEEP)-Phase III  project builds on previous electoral assistance to Vanuatu and its main objective is to further the democratic development of Vanuatu. The project will do this by further strengthening the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Vanuatu Electoral Office (VEO) to more effectively implement their mandate and ensure inclusive, transparent, and credible electoral processes and by improving the institutional environment and practice of democracy.   Four outputs are proposed: (i) greater citizen awareness (especially among women and people with disabilities) of the role of elections; (ii) voter register is completed and improved; (iii) political parties operate within the legislated regulatory environment; and (iv) effective, and efficient electoral governance, with less reliance on external support. The project strategy is twofold: (i) to influence the institutional environment: the laws, rules, and regulations of the democratic processes; and (ii) to empower the agency of stakeholders: notably the Electoral Commission / VEO on one hand and individual citizens and civil society organisations on the other. VEEP III will support to the EC/VEO, to work in partnership with key stakeholders, including with civil society organisations, to improve voter education and to maintain trust in the electoral and broader democratic system. 
 

The Project Finance and Administrative Specialist will report to the Vanuatu Electoral Environment Project (VEEP) and Governance for Resilience (Gov4Res) Project Managers 

The Project Administrative & Finance Specialist works in close collaboration with the PMU, CCR Unit, Programme/Operations staff in the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, UNDP Responsible Parties (RPs) and other UN Agencies, Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Vanuatu Electoral Environment Project (VEEP) and Governance for Resilience (Gov4Res) Project Managers, the Project Finance and Administrative Specialist executes financial services ensuring effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services. S/he will also provide leadership in implementation of administrative and procurement services in the project ensuring their effectiveness, transparency and integrity. The Project Finance and Administrative Specialist promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Project Finance and Administrative Specialist works in close collaboration with the Project teams and Programme/Operations staff in the MCO for resolving administrative and finance-related issues and exchange of information.

Summary of Functions:

Provision of administrative services and implementation of operational strategies focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Support full compliance of procurement activities with UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies in the implementation of the projects;
• Implement and guide on contract management within the project, constantly guided by legal framework of the organization and assessing/minimizing all forms of risks in procurement;
• Prepare procurement plans for the project, upload in UNDP’s Corporate ERP system (Quantum) and regularly monitor their implementation;
• Support in preparing procurement documents such as of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals; their evaluation and support the negotiation of certain conditions of contracts as may be required;
• Manage reporting requirements to Project Management on delivery of procurement services and goods;
• Prepare Purchase Orders and contracts under UNDP Corporate ERP system (Quantum);
• Evaluate offers and make recommendations for the finalization of purchases and the award of contracts; analyze and evaluate commodity tender results;
• With support from the Fiji MCO Procurement Team, prepare the submission and response to the Contract, Asset and Procurement (CAP) or Advisory Committee on Procurement (ACP) committee for project-related procurement.

Ensures management of project finance and budgets and functioning of the optimal cost-recovery system focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Guide the Project Manager in day-to-day management and oversight of project finance activities;
• Contribute to the preparation of documents for use in the formulation of the work plans, progress reports, and periodic reviews with government counterparts and project partners;
• Update work plans and budgets in the UNDP Corporate ERP system (Quantum)
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of payment requests from project partners and consultants to Finance;
• Guide with monitoring of project budget implementation/expenditures;
• Advise and support in the development of contacts with national and provincial government institutions and authorities, NGOs, civil society organizations, and resource persons on project matters and maintain and regularly update the contact database as needed;
• Provide necessary support to the Project Manager and project staff with complete administrative services;
• Responsible for administrative and logistical support to organization of events, workshops, and missions;
• Facilitate in the preparation of agendas, prepare minutes and circulate to stakeholders to include arrangements for different project related meetings;
• Prepare reports, memos, letters, presentation and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, MS project, MS power point, database, among others.
• Facilitate in organizing project-related meetings and sessions with various stakeholders

Contributes to knowledge building and sharing, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Disseminate project reports and respond to queries from concerned stakeholders;
• Support in carrying out regular announced and unannounced spot inspections on project partners.Ensure partners’ requests for information and materials are provided in a timely manner;
• Facilitate in the establishment and strengthen of knowledge networks and organize knowledge sharing sessions.
• Compile success stories in particular from that have addressed key development challenges on conservation and protected area in the country;
• Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Build strategic partnerships at project level

• Be familiar with the activities of other development projects in the sector/area, establish contact and keep up-to date with their work;
• Create and maintain partnerships with local institutions, private sector in project target areas

Maintenance and archiving of project documentation and management of project assets

• Ensure all project related documentation are properly maintained in hard and electronic copies to include project document, correspondence, reports and other materials ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials by following the established filing and archiving standards and procedures for the office
• Ensure proper assets management, monitoring, recording and disposal;

Perform other duties within the functional profile as assigned and deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the office.
 

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross Functional and Technical competencies:

Administration & Operations    

• Documents and records management. Overall document (hard or electronic) management.
  registry and retention policy including storing and archiving

Procurement     

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

Finance    

• Financial reporting and analysis. Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance
• Financial planning and budgeting. Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting,

Business Direction and Strategy    

• Business Acumen. Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome Ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization
• 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    

• Resource Management. Allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with business needs and priorities and principles of accountability and integrity