Background

The Partnership for Harmonized Operations, Effectiveness, and Navigation in Implementing European Investment Bank (EIB) Resilient Syunik Program (PHOENIX-RESYP) is an EU-UNDP technical assistance initiative aimed at supporting the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia (MTAI), Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the Armenian Territorial Development Fund (ATDF), Governor’s office and target municipalities of Syunik province under Resilient Syunik Program (RESYP) programme funded by the EIB.

The overall objective of the Project is to strengthen infrastructure resilience in Syunik province and enhance delivery of accessible public services, including education, health and safe drinking water supply, as well as energy efficiency through support to the proper implementation of the Syunik Resilience Program framework loan provided by the EIB.

The PHOENIX-RESYP Project outcome is to ensure effective planning, operation, and monitoring of schemes financed under the EIB loan enabled through strengthened governance capacity of the MTAI, ATDF and MOF.

The Outputs of the Project are as follows:

Output 1. Effective operation management system for implementing RESYP project is in place at the ATDF.

Output 2. The ATDF PIU operates effectively, with optimized internal processes and enhanced capacity to manage implementation and procurement functions.

Output 3. Quality investment proposals with procurement plan developed and approved by MTAI and ATDF.

Output 4. Independent verification and anti-corruption measures are embedded and consistently applied throughout the PIU operations to ensure transparency and integrity across all operations.

Output 5. Enhanced capacity of ATDF, line ministries, Syunik local government, and communities to identify, prepare, implement, and monitor development operations effectively.

    4.   Institutional Arrangement: 

The Project Associate works under the general supervision of Project Manager and closely collaborates with UNDP CO Programme and Operations team, as appropriate.

The Project Associate will be based in Yerevan with frequent travel to Syunik province. S/he will work closely with: 

• Infrastructure Coordination Experts/Project Analysts for Health, Education and Water sectors.
• Procurement and Contract Management Analyst.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Analyst
• Syunik Resident Field Coordinator.
• Engineering Analysts (Health, Education, Water).
• Community Engagement and Stakeholder Relations Analyst 
• Environmental and Social Safeguards Analyst
• Finance Coordination Support Officer
• ATDF (Armenian Territorial Development Fund) PIU staff.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Support the project team to ensure effective project planning and implementation. 

• Compile and summarize information and data for the formulation of project work plans, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and on other specific project related topics or issues. 
• Provide comprehensive support in all aspects of project implementation in accordance with the project documents, annual work plans and other agreements between UNDP and responsible partners. Ensure quality of delivery by consultants, beneficiaries, and contracted companies; and communicate findings to the supervisor. 
• Ensure compliance of project business processes with UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures (POPP) and UNDP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). When necessary, provide guidance to project staff on business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures. 
• Support mainstreaming gender equality in the project implementation, including in data collection and compilation. Prepare gender equality background materials for use in discussions, briefings, and correspondence.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery that includes organizing/coordinating project events and selecting appropriate venues, coordinating project procurement procedures, maintaining project records and files, recruiting project team members, and supporting contracting activities.

2. Support partnerships and resource mobilization. 

• Establish and maintain contacts and cooperation with the relevant UN Agencies, government institutions, NGOs, tertiary institutions, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Provide support in updating the database of the relevant public and development partners, and other stakeholders who are counterparts for the project.
• Ensure regular communication and coordination with partners, project counterparts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries; and develop and maintain effective mechanisms for integrating and responding to their feedback and insight.
• Support creation of high quality information and visibility of the project activities among the stakeholders; and ensure careful selection of communication tools and tailoring the messages to take into account the overall socio-political and development context in host countries.
• Undertake horizon scanning and explore opportunities for resource mobilization in consultation with direct supervisor. 

3.  Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of project implementation.

• Support implementation of the project monitoring system in alignment with its Monitoring and Evaluation framework to ensure effective information sharing, provision of feedback, and elaboration of high-quality progress reports. 
• Collect, analyze and present information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets as well as for audit purposes. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners.
• Assist in the organization of field and study visits, missions, workshops, roundtables, and conferences within the project.
• Assist in implementation of effective risk management for the project with a well-documented risk mitigation plan in place. Support monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks.
• Regularly monitor expenditures and commitments against the project budget and relevant plans, and provide finance-related information to support project implementation. When necessary, recommend corrective actions and draft various correspondence concerning finance, operations, and budgetary issues.
• Prepare and consolidate required project reports on a timely basis and in line with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements.

4.  Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project. 

• Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff. Provide support to other capacity building activities, including to the design and delivery of tools, materials for workshops, or platforms that tap into the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action.
• Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned project.
• Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support compiling and systematizing project knowledge, products and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners.

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

Competencies - CORE

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.

 Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Management - Working with Evidence and Data - Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. 

Business Management  - Digital Awareness and Literacy - Ability to monitor new and emerging technologies, as well as understand their usage, potential, limitations, impact, and added value. Ability to rapidly and readily adopt and use new technologies in professional activities, and to empower others to use them as needed. Knowledge of the usage of digital technologies and emerging trends. 

Business Management  - 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. 

Business Management  - Communication - Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels. 

Business Management - Monitoring and evaluation - Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.

Ability to make independent judgement of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming.

Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes and tools.  Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks.  Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns. 

Technical - Finance - Budget management - Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Technical - Procurement - Ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outsider external source.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required.
• University Degree (bachelor´s degree) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Social Sciences, Economics, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

A minimum of 6 years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience is required.

Required skills:

Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• Experience in preparation of financial reports and overviews
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation, using tools related. 
• Knowledge of project management processes 
• Experience with procurement procedures of national / international organizations 

Required Language(s):

Fluency in English and Armenian

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.