Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Since 2010 the Government of Moldova (State Chancellery) in partnership with the UNDP and UN Women has been implementing the “Joint Integrated Local Development Programme” (JILDP), funded by the Government of Sweden, and lately by the Government of Denmark. Starting with 2013, a new phase of JILDP is being implemented with the financial support from Danish Government. With adoption of the National Decentralisation Strategy in April 2012, a comprehensive framework for decentralization in the country has been created. Within the new phase, the JILDP will provide central and local public authorities with technical support in the implementation of this strategy.

In 2014, UN Women launched a 3-year regional project on Promoting Gender Responsive Policies (GRB) in South East Europe and Republic of Moldova financed by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and Swiss Agency Development and Cooperation. The project aims to contribute to the implementation of international and national gender equality commitments through the integration of GRB into national and local planning and budgeting systems. The project aims to further strengthen the capacities of central and local governments to fully integrate GRB in the planning and budgeting systems; and of non-governmental actors to hold governments accountable to gender equality commitments using GRB as a tool.

With the overall aim to ensure effective programmes implementation, UN Women plans to hire a Programme Assistant, based in Chisinau, Moldova to support the work of the Programme Management.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Programme Assistant will work under the direct supervision and guidance of JILDP and GRB Programme Analyst with the overall aim to support timely and synergetic implementation of these Programmes, in line with the programme documents and as a contribution to the fulfilment of UN Women Moldova 2014-2017 Strategic Note (SN). The Programme Assistant will work in close collaboration with UN Women Country Office Operations team for effective achievement of results, anticipating and contributing to resolving complex programme-related issues. The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UN Women programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems.

Summary of Key Functions:

• Support to implementation of programmes’s activities and strategies;
• Support to administrative and procurement processes;
• Support to programme financial management;
• Support to knowledge building and sharing.

Participates and provides support to the implementation programmes’ activities and strategies, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Pro-actively contribute to day-to-day programmes implementation and ensure conformity to expected results and programme work-plans;
• Make pertinent logistical arrangements for the prompt and effective implementation of programmes activities;
• Assume overall responsibility for proper filing and documenting all administrative matters including keeping the incoming and outgoing correspondence registry, maintenance of programmes files and records, thus contributing to the implementation of the knowledge management policy of UN Women;
• Arrange external and internal meetings (including the meetings of the Programme Board, Technical level, as well as other relevant meetings etc.) and events;
• Assist Programme Analyst in organising, co-ordinating, preparing, conducting and providing technical advice and inputs to the programme activities;
• Provide administrative support to subcontracted programme activities, including support to organization of conferences, workshops, retreats;
• Support in organization of missions, including arranging travel and hotel reservations, prepare travel authorizations, process requests for visas, identity cards and other documents;
• Maintain required records on all programme personnel and national consultants and their respective status (including contracts, ToRs, time and attendance – if appropriate, etc.) in accordance with accepted policies and procedures;
• Respond to incoming calls;
• Draft and translate correspondence, when needed;
• Undertake other tasks on an ad hoc basis, when required.

Ensures effective administrative and procurement support, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Provide support to the organization of procurement processes including preparation of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, and their preliminary evaluation;
• Create and manage e-requisitions in ATLAS;
• Ensure that contractual processes follow the stipulated UN/UN Women procedures;
• Monitor timely delivery of equipment and supplies procured for the various programme activities, including maintenance of stock list of stationery, distribution of stationery as required by staff and keeping a log of distribution;
• Maintain an equipment and spare inventory list including verification and transfer, when required;
• Undertake other tasks on an ad hoc basis, when required.

Ensures effective financial support to programmes, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Assist the programme management in the elaboration/preparation of quarterly expenditure plans and in tracking efficient management of the programme’s financial resources through establishing and keeping update an expenditures log;
• Prepare requests for payments and submit to programme management all supporting documents to ensure timely disbursement of funds for various services acquired/delivered within the programme;
• Monitor budget expenditures and maintain a proper record of approved programme budgets and their revisions;
• Closely coordinate and provide timely input to UN Women Operations Team in processing financial documents;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing as required, focusing on the following results:

• Participation in any training for the projects personnel on operations;
• Assist in coordinating the exchange of information internally and between the programme partners;
• Support research, compilation and documentation of best practices and lessons learnt;
• Ensure proper documentation and maintenance of programme filing system in hard and electronic formats to support monitoring and follow-up processes;
• Providing other support as required by the programme management.

Competencies

Core Values / Guiding Principles:

Integrity:

• Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.  

Professionalism:

• Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.  

Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: 

• Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.  

Core Competencies:

Ethics and Values:

• Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.  

Organizational Awareness:

• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.  

Development and Innovation:

• Take charge of self-development and take initiative.  

Work in teams: 

• Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.  

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

• Researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things.
• Shares knowledge and experience.
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.  

Functional Competencies:        

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

• 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;
• Ability to perform a variety of standard specialized and non-specialized tasks and work processes that are fully documented, researched, recorded and reported;
• Ability to perform a variety of standard tasks related to financial resources management, including screening and collecting documentation, financial data processing, filing, provision of information;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, is required to obtain, evaluate and interpret factual data and to prepare accurate and complete reports and other documents;
• Excellent interpersonal skills are essential part of the job;
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments  

Client Orientation:

• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate manner;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients;
• Responds to client needs promptly.  

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management:

• Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation; and
• Gathers and disseminates information on best practice in accountability and results-based management systems.  

Self-Management:

• Focuses on result for the clients and responds positively to feedback ;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
• Facilitates and encourages open communication and strives for effective communication;
• Stays composed and positive even in difficult moments, handles tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and has a consistent behaviour towards others;
• Surfaces conflicts and addresses them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:   

• University Degree in economics, finance, accounting, law, public administration or other related field

Exprience:          

• At least three years of relevant administrative work, accounting/finance, economics, or other substantive area is required at the national level;
• Previous experience in development assistance or related work for an international and/or donor organization is required;
• Previous experience in the UN system is a very strong advantage;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages is required;  

Language:            

• Fluency in both oral and written Romanian and English is a must. Knowledge of Russian is an advantage;
• Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language is an asset.