UNDP’s Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) under the Regional Bureau for Eurasia was established in 2014 and is tasked with the responsibility to provide policy and programmatic support to UNDP´s development activities in the region. Throughout UNDP´s focus areas, it works towards increasing the impact of UNDP´s activities in the region by assisting Country Offices in developing country-level initiatives through advisory services and technical support and by implementing regional and global level programmed and projects in partnership with a wide range of partners. Under the direct leadership of the Hub Manager, the IRH employs a multi-disciplinary team of specialists and advisors, project managers, operations and programme support staff.

UNDP’s Regional Programme (RP) for Europe and the CIS 2022-2025 addresses development challenges and opportunities of regional significance. It adapts the UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025 to regional demands and challenges and serves as the main mechanism for operationalizing the Strategic Plan in the region. The RP has three overarching priorities, aligned with the Strategic Plan, namely 1) Accelerating structural transformations to enable green, inclusive and just transitions to sustainability, 2) .Leaving no one behind in addressing persistent and new forms of poverty and inequalities, and 3) Building resilience to shocks and crises through more risk-informed development.

Position Purpose

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chief of the Regional Programme, working closely with the Finance Analyst and other relevant colleagues in the programme team, the Programme Associate provides programme and administrative services in support of the RBEC programme responsibilities, deliverables, and operations. This includes programme support in data, financial management, project/programme design, planning, implementation, reporting, and information management. The Programme Associate promotes a client-oriented approach, in the framework of UNDP policies, rules and regulations. The Programme Associate works across the thematic teams at the hub and hence act as a bridge between the operations and the programme work streams at the IRH.

She/he/they identifies and helps resolve bottlenecks, clarifies and interprets procedures, and escalates complex programme and administrative issues as needed.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

• Assists in preparation of various presentations and background information on various programme related matters.
• Coordinates and contributes to the development of briefing materials and reports.
• Organizes and prepares agendas and minutes of various meetings and tracks follow-up actions.
• Provides administrative and logistical support for regional events, workshops, trainings, conferences, retreats and any other special events organized by the team/IRH.
• Provides inputs into the unit’s administrative business processes mapping and implementation of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Supports procurement processes, including preparation of CAP and ACP submissions.
• Backstops other Programme Associates on programme management during their absences and mission travel.
• Facilitates implementation of programme/project related activities, procures expertise and equipment.
• Assists in organization of internal meetings, drafts minutes as required.
• Drafts correspondence and assists in preparation of reports on programme finance.
• Assists in procurement and contracting processes, compiles contract documentation and prepares documents for the HR unit as well as for the Contracts, Assets and Procurement Panel (CAP) meetings
• Assists in ad-hoc programme and operational issues and provides information within UNDP.
• Provides COA authorizations; creates requisitions; receipts; implements budget and project revisions; and project status; determination of unutilized funds, maintaining the internal expenditures control system.
• Ensures tracking, monitoring and reporting on the use of programme financial resources.
• Generates various reports and information on routine implementation of projects and programme/project status.
• Reviews, verifies and reconciles financial data and reports to ensure accuracy and conformity with UNDP financial and administrative rules and regulations; and
• Prepares information for the audit of projects and follow-up/support to the implementation of audit recommendations.
• Identifies and escalates project related issues, proposing and contributing to the development of solutions
• Ensures proper filing of documents that must be retained in support of corporate policies.

• Advises teams and project staff on timely planning and reporting exercise and supports maintenance of corporate and internal planning and reporting systems for effective and efficient project monitoring.
• Supports corporate and regional processes and consolidates various inputs to ensure quality submission of various documents.
• Monitors the maintenance of project data in various platforms; ensures compliance with IATI.
• Supports maintaining and monitoring of the ERP Systems project management module and related tools.
• Provides support to monitoring and evaluation activities, as required.
• Supports implementation of audit/evaluation recommendations, as required.
• Supports management of selected rosters of vetted experts and ensures the assigned rosters are updated and maintained. 

• Supports preparation of background information for programme/project formulation, in preparation of project documentation, work plans, budgets and implementation arrangements in line with the UNDP POPP, internal control frameworks and standard operating procedures.
• Assists in drafting project proposals, pre-appraisal and project appraisal minutes.
• Supports organization of project reviews and ensures implementation of effective internal controls on project approval processes.
• Creating proposals and managing projects in ERP Systems.
• Supports in all stages of the project cycle, its compliance with the POPP and internal control frameworks.

Promote and ensure knowledge building and knowledge sharing: 

In assigned programme areas,

• Identifies good practices and learning linked to programme and project management.
• Participates in trainings for the operations/ projects staff on various programme/project related issues.
• Trains programme/project related staff on project management issues, including ERP Systems and other tools
• Supports administration of programme related networks and provides support as needed.
• Supports the onboarding of new programme and project staff as relevant.
• Contributes to knowledge networks and communities of practice as relevant.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management
  • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs.
  • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
  • Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
  • Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
• Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
• Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results.

Finance

• Budget Management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Procurement

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

Business Development

• Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.