Administrative and Finance Assistant (NPSA-6)

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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.

"Improved Public Service Delivery and Enhanced Governance in Rural Uzbekistan" is a joint project conducted by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The overall goal of the project to improve the quality of life of vulnerable sectors of the population in rural areas – such as women, youth and children, the elderly and people with disabilities – by enhancing their access to public services, and the quality of their provision. Equally, the project aims to strengthen citizen participation in the decision-making processes at the local level and increase their access to information, effectively increasing the transparency of the local governance system.

It also delineates a series of activities aiming at strengthening the capacity of local governments and citizens to monitor and provide feedback to Public Services Agency (PSA) for improving the performance of the Public Service Centers (PSCs) in public service delivery; effectively creating a quality control mechanism at the local level.

In addition, taking into account the Government’s recent legislative initiative that expands the powers of local authorities in formulating their budgets, this proposal also includes several activities intended to enable local governments to plan and manage their budgets effectively. It is expected that these activities will encourage wider local community engagement in the budget formulation process by systematically identifying local community needs and prioritizing local government interventions based on the environmental, social and economic concerns of local citizens.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Administrative/Finance Assistant will be responsible for the satisfactory achievement of the entrusted functions and tasks, as described below:

Be responsible for office logistics, travel arrangements as well as recruitment/extension/separation of the project personnel;
Encourage awareness of and promotion of gender equality among project staff and partners;
Based on consultations with Project Manager, Senior Procurement Assistant and UNDP Operations to support the procurement related operations in accordance with UNDP rules and procedures, including, but not limited to the creating requisitions, preparing payment documents, checking invoices from vendors, creating asset inventory, asset transfer process, and regular spot-checks of transferred items;
Prepare all financial and administrative documents related to the project implementation in accordance with the UNDP rules and procedures, maintain project’s expenditures and commitments shadow budget, preparation of financial documents and reporting in accordance with UNDP and EU requirements (FAFA, EC-UNDP operational guidelines, recoveries and offsetting, disbursement requests etc);
Ensure liaison with UNDP CO on administrative, personnel and financial issues;
Makes regular and periodic adjustments to the project budget taking into account currency exchange monthly fluctuations, preparation of annual and ad hoc budget revisions for further approval of management;
Develop quarterly and annual budget plans for recruitment of personnel and consultants; maintain financial records and monitoring systems to record and reconcile expenditures, balances, payments and other data for day-to-day transaction and reports;
Advise and assist Project personnel, experts and consultants on all respects of payments, allowances, travel claims and other financial and administrative matters;
Closely monitor and handle international and local travel requests, payments and submission of necessary documents, including for missions coming to Uzbekistan within this project and logistical arrangements for project team to travel to pilot regions;
Prepare detailed cost estimates and participates in budget analysis and projections as required to handle all financial operations of the project office, make cash payments and reconcile all accounts in required time frame;
Maintain, update and transmit inventory records of non-expendable equipment in accordance with UNDP rules;
Perform cash custodian’s duties being primarily responsible for project’s cash disbursements and maintain project’s petty cash book and payrolls related to the regional offices;
Ensure leave monitoring of project staff, check the accuracy and proper completion of monthly leave reports, maintain project personnel’s monthly attendance sheets and submit them to project manager;
Perform clerical duties, such as word/spreadsheet processing, arranging meetings, organizing audio and video conferences, meeting minute taking, scanning and photocopying of the documents, maintaining a project office filing system and assist in archiving as per request by Project Manager;
Review incoming correspondence, collect and prepare necessary information for Project Manager’s reply/action, and draft and finalize responses;
Handle all mailings including bulk mailings of project’s printed publications and finalize responses to accompany publications;
Support Project Manager to convey and explain UNDP rules, regulations and procedures for the project implementing partners;
Prepare monthly/quarterly delivery updates of the Project at the GGC meetings and annual financial report to Project Manager to present at the Project Board meetings;
Monitor the daily logs of project drivers, handle payments and contracts for fuels and maintenance support for cars, including their regular check-ups and insurance;
Act as custodian for management of project office stationery supplies including maintenance of stock list of stationery, of stationery as required by project personnel and keeping a log of distribution in Tashkent and pilot regions;
Analyze the potential problems concerning administrative-financial issues and take respective measures to provide adequate project’s resources in time for implementation of the project activities;
Define the cost-effective measures for optimal use of resources of the project;
Handle the necessary documents, payments and administrative issues for paid internship programme of students in pilot regions;
Ensure full compliance of administrative and financial processes and financial records with UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies;
Support Project Manager in promoting greening of project operations, project offices and its activities in pilot regions;
Support Project Manager on knowledge building and knowledge sharing on updated POPP and SOPs, having participated in the corporate trainings, including online ones, and sharing information and lessons learned among other project team members;
Undertake the coordination of operations activities in the 7 pilot regions of the project;
Performs other duties related to administrative and financial issues of project as required.

Competencies (Level 1)

Strong financial and administrative skills, result and client-orientation;
Ability to use information and communication technology as a tool and resource;
Excellent knowledge of computer software packages for word processing, excel spreadsheets, internet, databases and handling web-based management systems;
Ability to work under pressure and with tight deadlines, ethics and honesty;
Work prioritization and ability to handle multiple tasks;
Ability to maintain a high level of accuracy, confidentiality concerning financial and employee files;
Basic understanding of development issues, governance reform, digital transformation issues is desirable.

Corporate Competencies

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Functional Competencies

Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures;
Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;
Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Presentation of information on best practices in organizational change;
Demonstrates ability to identify problems and proposes solutions.

Core Competencies

Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
Self-development, initiative-taking;
Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
Creating synergies through self-control;
Managing conflict;
Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
Informed and transparent decision-making.

Achieve Results

Demonstrates focus on achieving quality results and impact
Consistently strives to meet or exceed excellent standards
Efficiently establishes appropriate plans for self and others to accomplish goals
Holds self and others accountable for results

Adapt with Agility

Is flexible in handling change, and adopts new ideas, approaches and ways of working
Seamlessly adapts to working with new situations or contexts, with new people, and in different ways
Participates in, supports, or drives meaningful change in UNDP
Is comfortable with ambiguity and effectively manages juggling multiple demands.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Secondary education.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or Economics or any other relevant field would be desired.

Experience:

6 years of work experience in the area finance, administration, procurement, office management, or related fields.
Alternatively, if in a possession of Bachelor’s degree, the 3 years of relevant work experience in administration and finance of development projects would be required.
Relevant work experience in international organizations is an asset.

Required Language(s)

Fluency in English, Russian and Uzbek (written and oral).

Travel

Official travel expected in all regions of Uzbekistan with performing the functions of AFA.

Required Documents

P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.