Location : Phnom Penh, Country Office, CAMBODIA
Application Deadline : 04-Jul-11
Additional Category Poverty Reduction
Type of Contract : Service Contract
Post Level : SB-3
Languages Required :English
Duration of Initial Contract : 6 months
Cambodia is signatory of the Millennium Declaration and is fully committed to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). In 2003, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) contextualized the MDG to the Cambodian situation, resulting in the formal adoption of the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals (CMDG) that included a Cambodia specific 9th goal related to De-mining, Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Victim Assistance, a goal of particular importance in the Cambodian context.
Following the MDG summit in New York in September 2010 and renewed global attention and commitment to MDGs, the entire UNDP Cambodia Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) 2011-2015 is now framed in an MDG acceleration mode. A key element of this programme is to provide evidence for decision-making to accelerate MDGs at both the national and sub-national levels.
The overall action of the Royal Government is defined by the “Rectangular Strategy Phase II” (RSII), the socio-economic policy agenda of the political platform of the Royal Government in the fourth legislature of the National Assembly. The RGC’s main instrument to achieve the CMDG is the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP), which operationalizes the Rectangular Strategy and is based on sectoral and cross-sectoral strategic plans that are designed to implement the Rectangular Strategy Phase II.
The Ministry of Planning (MoP) is the core agency responsible for the development and monitoring of the NSDP and for guiding and supporting planning processes at all levels. MoP includes two major programmatic directorates, the General Directorate of Planning (GDP) and the National Institute of Statistics (NIS). The MoP has recently updated its strategic plan, the Ministry of Planning Strategic Plan 2009-2013 (MPSP) and prepared its annual operating plan for 2011.
The NSDP/CMDG Monitoring Support Programme (NMSP) is designed to support the implementation of the MPSP to improve NSDP/CMDG monitoring and policy responses at the national and sub-national levels. The programme includes three key objectives.
- Strengthened monitoring and analysis of the NSDP by MoP and line ministries (LM) leading to evidence based policy decisions to accelerate progress in lagging NSDP/CMDG areas
- Harmonized and integrated national and sub-national planning focusing on NSDP/CMDG targets within selected line ministries
- Use of sub-national MDG scorecards and other products to assess budget allocation and NSDP/CMDG performance at the sub-national level
The main emphasis of this programme is capacity development at the national and sub-national levels to develop and use analytical tools in support of decision-making. This is achieved primarily by placing a long term advisor at MoP, supplemented by adequate short term technical inputs as required and providing logistical support.
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Duties and Responsibilities |
The Project Assistant will work under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator to support both management teams of the Ministry of Planning in delivering the programme results.
Overall responsibilities:
The Project Assistant will be responsible for providing secretarial, administrative, procurement, financial, human resource and basic substantive support to the UNDP Project Coordinator for NSDP/CMDG Monitoring Support Programme and ensure compliance with appropriate UNDP policies and procedures and Cambodian laws and regulations. The incumbent will report to the UNDP Project Coordinator.
Specific tasks will include, but will not be limited to:
- Ensure effective and high quality support to the project administrative and financial management
- Ensure effective support to the project implementation
- Support to knowledge building and sharing
1.Ensure effective and high quality support on project administrative and financial management
- Contribute to day-to-day support to the project implementation and ensuring conformity to expected results, outputs, objectives and work-plans;
- Liaise very closely with the UNDP programme associate/analyst to ensure the effectiveness of administrative and financial management in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
- Ensure that all project procurements are compliance with UNDP roles, regulation, and procedure.
- Prepare payment requests meet UNDP standards and are in compliance with UNDP’s NIM procedure/guidelines.
- Be responsible for the management of the project’s petty cash (if applicable), and ensure that all expense records and documents are maintained.
- Maintain project financial accounting system by ensuring all financial related tools i.e. Journal ledger, cash book, bank book, voucher, petty cash are daily well recorded and updated.
- Ensure that payment supporting document contains sufficient information i.e. invoice/receipt date, payee and vendor signature, clear description on purpose of payment.
- Assist in estimated budget for workshop/training; and ensure the payment or and cash advance are cleared on time. Any amount of remaining cash shall be immediately deposited in the project bank account and recorded under the appropriate activity and account code (CoA) in the project financial system.
- Foresee and identify potential risk both financial and operational risk, and alert to project coordinator or programme associate/analyst for avoiding it.
- Prepare for quarterly and annual financial reports and submitted to UNDP office by using FACE (funding Authorization and Certificate of Expenditure) attached with quarterly work plan, progress report, bank statement and reconciliation and statement of cash position.
- Establish and maintain the electronic and physical filing system for project documentation and communication;
- Prepare and update proper project documentation/records and ensure that the documents are prepared and ready for audit;
- Ensure effective management of financial and administrative aspects of project assets and financial resources to meet satisfactory outcomes of the annual audit of the project;
2. Effective support to project implementation
- Participate in day-to-day activities relating to project implementation and provide assistance to the Project Coordinator and the two management team of the Ministry of Planning;
- Facilitate day-to-day communication with the implementing partner;
- Support to project planning and monitoring, including the project’s procurement plan and requests to the country office;
- Ensure that all project procurements are compliance with UNDP roles, regulation, and procedure.
- Assist the Project Coordinator to organize meetings including project board meetings, and prepare minutes of meetings and distribute to participants and maintain the day-to-day records of project implementation;
- Facilitate the organization for workshops, and training programmes;
- Assist in making arrangement and preparing the necessary documentation for all payments for activities under the project;
- Assist in preparing the requisite accountabilities for the project funds (prepare cash advance statements and quarterly expenditure accounts);
- Assist in preparing work plans and budgets for all project activities;
- Ensure project inventory of non-expendable and expendable equipment are well registered and maintained and ensuring that the equipment is safe and in proper working conditions;
- Ensure project asset safeguarding by conducting physical counting, recording, disposal and or write-offs if necessary.
3. Knowledge building and knowledge sharing
- Participate in the trainings open to UNDP project staff, in particular with regard to UNDP operations and management framework;
- Contribute to project monitoring, audit and documentation of lessons learned;
- Share knowledge and coaching to the government counterpart staff on financial management and other best practice of project implementation.
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Competencies |
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP and UNCT
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- Treats all people fairly without favouritism
Functional Competencies:
Knowledge Management and Learning
- Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture;
- Knowledge on development issues and programmes.
Development and Operational Effectiveness
- Ability to support strategic planning, results-based management including screening and collecting of programme documentation, projects data entering, preparation of revisions, filing, provision of information and reporting;
- Ability to implement assigned tasks/functions in an efficient and client orientated manner;
- Analytical and problem solving skills
- Strong IT skills especially spreadsheets and accounting professional package; knowledge of UNDP Atlas system is a strong asset.
Leadership and Self-Management
- Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
- Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure
- Has initiative and can work independently with little supervision
- Ability to work as part of a team, with a high level of interpersonal skills
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Required Skills and Experience |
- Secondary Education. University Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, or related field would be desirable, or a combination of high school education and relevant experience
- 5 years of relevant project, finance, and administrative experience with development projects
- Experience in the operational aspects of UN-funded projects or with projects of other donors is an advantage
- Experience with UNDP NEX procedures would be an important asset
- Organisational, financial, inventory and budgetary skills
- Familiarity with financial and technical rules, regulations and procedures relevant to project implementation
- Demonstrate oral and written communication skills in English and Khmer
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