Project Management Support- Senior Assistant

Background Information - Ghana Multi Country Office (GMCO)

GMCO is responsible for managing strategic and operational risks associated with a subset of the regional portfolio of engagements, developing and delivering cost effective services contributing to partners’ sustainable results and achievements of UNOPS management results.

• Liaise and develop engagements, and deliver services responding to partner needs.
• Leverage advice and integrate delivery modalities of the three Delivery Practices and the Global Partner Service Office.
• Maintain appropriate arrangements and capacity for direct transactional support for delivery of the sub-regional portfolio.

The Gambia has one of the fastest urbanisation rates in sub-Saharan Africa, with the GBA already accounting for 68% of the total population. This has resulted in several environmental and socio-economic problems including deforestation, soil erosion, pollution and waste generation, as well as stress on health, education and employment services.   These have been exacerbated by the lack of an urban masterplan for  Banjul (which has not been updated for nearly 20 years) and the absence of a planned response to the growing economic activity of the city. Likewise, the absence of an updated cadastral map and insufficient data on taxable properties in the Greater Banjul Area has resulted in the municipalities being able to collect only a small portion of their potential revenue from property taxes. With inadequate funding available from the central government, there is increased pressure on the municipalities to explore innovative revenue generation mechanisms to effectively deliver basic services.

Despite these challenges, the investment climate in The Gambia is growing in attractiveness to investors and is expected to improve with accelerated investments via the next prospective flagship project of the Port Expansion and the current opening of the new trans-Gambian bridge. It is imperative that the city has the proper instruments in place to prepare for increased urbanization, traffic flows and vulnerability to climatic change.

To respond to this potential and address these issues, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has affirmed its support to the Government of The Gambia for the development of a comprehensive, digitized master plan for the Greater Banjul Area.  The overall aim of the Greater Banjul Area: Sustainable Urban Development Programme 2020-40 (GBA-SUDP) is to put in place innovative mechanisms to support an increase in local revenue generation and collection, improve the delivery of basic services and roll out the decentralised approach as stated in the National Development Plan (2018-2021).  The project can be defined in two main service lines (a) Urban Master Plan Development and (b) Technical Assistance to institutional capacity development; covering 6 main outputs:

1. A digital masterplan for the Greater Banjul Area, integrating the Port and linking it with the immediate area of Barra Esau (opposite the River Gambia)
2. 5-year urban development investment plans for the 3 municipalities in Greater Banjul Area
3. Study tour to Senegal for benchmarking
4. Technical Assistance (TA) and capacity building, including training, for 3 municipal governments and the Ministry of Land and Regional Government
5. Institutions’ (GPA, BCC, KMC, BAC and MoLRG) staff trained in project management
6. Procurement of ICT and office equipment to support the facilitation of municipal management

Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The Project Support Assistant provides support to the Project Manager in the area of budget planning, preparation, allocation and monitoring to ensure the availability and effective/optimum utilization of project funds. The Project Support Assistant will be responsible for ensuring on-time payments. 

Work will be done in compliance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations. 

The Project Support Assistant is expected to meet and exceed the organization's performance and delivery goals.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Project Manager and the Head of Support Services, the Project Support Assistant is expected to:

1. Support implementation of operational strategies and adapt processes and procedures focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Full compliance with UNOPS rules and regulations of programme/project management, financial processes, financial records and reports and audit follow-up, human resources management, procurement processes, implementation of the effective internal control framework;

• Elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Programme/Project Management, in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management.

2. Ensure efficient and effective portfolio planning, administration and management, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Monitoring of progress for all the projects' service agreements, 

• Anticipation and resolution of operational and process issues, referring complex issues to the supervisor with clear recommendations for courses of action;

• Support in the provision of operational, budgetary and financial guidance to project personnel;

• Assisting in preparation of project budgets and revisions and other related documents;

• Initiation of procurement of goods or services by requesting quotations or proposals, examining cost estimates, evaluating cost-effectiveness and compliance with provisions contained in the UNOPS Procurement Manual and related guidelines. Active follow-up from procurement award to contract issuance and management;

• Provide support in the preparation of contracts for services, memoranda of agreement, inter-agency agreement and grant agreements;

• Ensure effective financial reporting and control, provide monthly financial reports to the Project Manager, alerting if any variation with the projections. Preparation of financial reports for clients;

• Support in the verification of the accuracy of request/transactions and completeness of documentation as pertains to the project;

3. Ensure efficient budgetary and monitoring control, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Extraction of required financial information from UNOPS project agreements and set up of necessary accounts in line with existing UNOPS financial policies and procedures;

• Information-gathering for budget preparation;

• Preparation and processing of project budget revisions;

• Maintenance of budget databases by verifying and entering approved budgets;

• Review and adjustment of project expenditures/obligations against approved budgets.

• Budgets in conformity with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations & procedures of the funding source;

• Monitoring of expenditures, regularly informing supervisor of budget status and any need to reallocate resources to meet objectives;

• Managing performance of periodical petty cash counts. Maintenance and control of petty cash fund and preparation of reports for replenishment;

• Maintenance of a payment schedule status system and filing of all financial documents;

• Periodic review of outstanding obligations/payments and ensure review and required action is taken by relevant staff;

• Planning, organization and implementation of training, conferences and study tour logistics;

• Assist in the preparation of briefing materials as required for mission travel and/or discussion on project activities;

• Any other duties as assigned by the Project Manager.

4. Knowledge building and knowledge sharing, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Maintenance of accurate data and information to facilitate monitoring and evaluation of project and service activities, and to institutionalize and disseminate knowledge;

• Inform colleagues about portfolio management and service administration and encourage feedback to lead to process improvement and standardization;

• Publication and sharing of information and knowledge with colleagues, clients and partners;

• Participation in programme/project management training initiatives;

• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Core Values and Principles:

• Understand and respect UNOPS sustainability principles

1. Look for ways to embed UNOPS sustainability principles in day to day project management

2. Seek opportunities to champion gender equality in the workplace

3. Champion and communicate project’s sustainability aspects with key stakeholders

• Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity

  1. Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans

  2. Seek opportunities to recruit qualified local staff

  3. Look for ways to build capacity of local counterparts

• Partnerships and Coordination 

1. Understand the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and UNOPS, the project’s place in the UN system

2. Strive to build strong partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors (e.g. United Nations, governments, and non-governmental organizations or other relevant partners) 

• Accountability for results and the use of resources

  1. The project management processes are designed to deliver maximum accountability, transparency and results. If a project or processes is not in line with this, it is the responsibility of the PM to raise the issue to a supervisor

• Excellence

  1. Contribute to innovation and the adaptation of best practice standards of sustainability and quality.

A.  Education

• At least a high school diploma is required. 

• A Bachelor or Master's Degree will be considered an asset.  

• A relevant combination of academic credentials and/or industry certifications and qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.                          

B. Work Experience 

• 5 years of working experience is required in project management support, project finance support or a related field;

• Experience with an international organization and or knowledge of UN rules and procedures in budget management, contracting, purchasing and recruitment of project personnel is highly desirable;

• Demonstrated experience in budget planning, financial reporting and cost estimation is required.

D. Additional Requirements:

• Familiarity with Google Suite (Google Docs, Google Sheets) is highly desirable

• PRINCE2® Foundation (optional)

Contextual Skills

Knowledge of UN Financial Rules and Regulations

Development Sector Experience

International Organisations Experience

Client Orientation

Project Management Skills

Budgeting

Financial Resources Management

Project Financial Control

Budget Preparation

Financial Reporting

Petty Cash Management

Operations Management

Support Services

Event and Conference Management

• Contract type: Local Individual Contract Agreement 
• Contract level: LICA 5/ ICS 5
• Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• Banjul is a Family Duty Station
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Africa Region

AFR helps ensure that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between projects across the entire region.