Background

UNDP Bangladesh’s Democratic Governance programming aims to accelerate effective governance so that all citizens can openly and peacefully contribute to Bangladesh’s development story. It focuses on making the country inclusive, capable, rule-based accountable, and transparent by 1) strengthening effective and accountable governance that responds to the need of people in addressing equitable and improved access to justice and rule of law, 2) strengthening civil society and promoting participatory governance to ensure that the voice of all citizens are heard, and 3) enhancing civic, political and economic empowerment of women and youth. 

The Government of Bangladesh, through its 8th Five Year Plan (2021–2025), prioritizes enhancing access to justice under Key Area 2a: Justice and the Rule of Law. The Plan commits to strengthening NLASO’s capacity to reach poor and marginalized groups, fostering partnerships with NGOs and CSOs for broader legal aid coverage, and conducting diagnostic assessments to inform innovative, needs-based legal aid delivery. These efforts aim to reduce case backlogs and ensure inclusive, equitable justice.

As the formal courts in Bangladesh are slow, expensive and overburdened, with a backlog of around 3.8 million cases,  it pushes most people to manage petty disputes through informal means, such as shalish. These informal solutions are often biased especially against women and minorities, they are not transparent and often ineffective as they lack enforcement powers. The Village Courts (VCs) were established by the Village Courts Ordinance, 1976 to allow petty disputes to be dealt with by Union Parishads, the lowest tier of local government in rural areas. As the law was not fully implemented, later the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) enacted the Village Court Act, 2006 repealing the Village Court Ordinance, 1976. The Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Project (AVCB) began in 2009 as a  pilot project aiming to activate VCs in 351 Union Parishads (UPs) and the second phase (AVCB-II) started in 2016, targeting a further 1,080 Ups which  was completed in June 2022. The final phase  for five years (2022-2027) has been implemented by the Local Government Divisions of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (MoLGRD&C). 

The project intervention is going on  across all UPs in Bangladesh, excluding CHT (amounting to 4,457 UPs) reflecting the GoB commitment for a national scale-up. It has  three components: first to activate Village Courts in 3,041 Union Parishads in Bangladesh; second to maintain the performance of the 1,416 courts activated under AVCB-I and AVCB-II; and third to ensure the Government has the capacity, resources and ownership to take over the management and oversight of VC services so that the project gains are sustained. 

The project’s overall objective is: Increased Access to Justice and Social Harmony for People In Rural Areas of Bangladesh, Especially Women and Disadvantaged Groups.

Specific Objective/Outcome 1:  Duty bearers in Bangladesh provide sustainable, fair and effective resolution for minor disputes in rural areas

Output 1.1 Duty bearers at national and local levels have improved capacity to ensure Village Courts function fairly and effectively

Output 1.2  Legal and policy frameworks for Village Courts are reviewed and enhanced

Output 1.3  Duty bearers in Bangladesh have the resources capacity and ownership to manage and administer village courts after completion of project 

Specific Objective/Outcome 2: People living in rural areas, especially women, the poor and other disadvantaged groups are empowered to access Village Courts to resolve minor disputes

Output 2.1 Local population are aware of their local VC and understand  its role and functions

Output 2.2 Evidence and knowledge sharing on VC functioning enhanced.

There are 5 technical components in the project named Project Coordination, Capacity Development, Advocacy & Communication, Legal Review and Gender and Planning, M&E and Knowledge Management. Involving national institutions like NILG (National Institute of Local Government), BPATC (Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center) , JATI (Judicial Administration Training Institute), BPA (Bangladesh Police Academy), etc. the project has a plan to build up the capacity of the institutional stakeholders on village courts. Besides, as a part of implementation strategy NGOs/CSOs are also included to help LGD for grassroots level capacity building, social mobilization and eventually activating village courts under the technical support and supervision of Project Management Unit.

AVCB Phase-III project is looking to recruit a Project Associate (Asset and Logistic Management) as part of the project operations team and ensure efficient delivery in regards to Asset, Transport and Logistic Management.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Associate (Asset and Logistic Management)  will work under the overall guidance of the National Project Coordinator and direct supervision of the Operations Analyst as well as keep close coordination with other components/unit as well as UNDP Operations team. S/he will also be responsible to provide support for  managing travel, transport, office vehicles, project assets and stock related activities. His or her duty station will be Project Management Unit (PMU) office at Dhaka and in case of urgency field level travel may be required across the country.

Project Associate (Asset and Logistic )  will have the following major  duties and responsibilities:

Ensure efficient asset and vehicle management of the project :

• Ensure assets and vehicles management including large number of motorcycles lying at field offices in compliance with GoB and UNDP rules and procedures, as applicable;
• Provide support for planning, implementing and managing project vehicle, office supplies, all types of logistics requirement and stock related activities;
• Organise annual physical verification of project equipment, vehicle, motorcycles and other fixed assets including furniture’s located in PMU (Project Management Unit) office as well as all district and Upazila offices across the country; 
• Provide assets ID and ensure name tag for all furniture and equipment both in PMU or field offices are in place. 
• Regularly update assets and other non-expendable property record and track movement in Asset Management Database and ensure  necessary correspondence;
• Facilitate the registration of project Vehicles and all Motorcycles from BRTA office and communicate with NBR and insurance company for confirming yearly renewal of vehicle fitness certificates, tax token and comprehensive insurance etc.
• Collect digital number plate and smart card for all vehicles and motorcycles from BRTA and ensure its distribution to fields with record keeping. 
• Ensure asset disposal when required and produce documentation to the assets disposal committee in line with the UNDP and GoB guidelines as applicable. 
• Participates in field visits for spot check in various districts and upazila offices to ensure project assets are well maintained as per UNDP standard and MOSS (Minimum Operation Security Standard) compliance; 

 Proper  travel and transport management for country-wide project operations :

• Maintain the Daily Duty Sheet (DDS), prepare cost-effective vehicles movement plan and manage transport services, supervise the drivers and distribute the duties.
• Arrange travel and transportation including air-ticket for the field mission exploring cost-effective route for international travel, Visa processing etc. 
• Facilitate necessary vendor registration and other travel payments in coordination of relevant travel unit.
• Check all Logbooks for project vehicles and certify for issuing the fuel as and when required;
• Verify the regular maintenance and fuel bills, check the logbooks both for rented and office vehicles and make it clear for payment;
• Keep track records of the project vehicles and all motorcycles to be used by field offices for its regular maintenance & servicing;
• Ensure KPL (Km per Litre) for all vehicles and motor cycles to monitor fuel consumption and maintain record with proper filing for audit and inspections;
• Nominate drivers for essential trainings, provide driver’s uniforms periodically and process  eligible allowances in line with UNDP standard practice.

Provide support for inventory management and all sorts of logistic arrangement 

• Maintain stores, stock books and registers  as well as Requisition Form for issuing goods, stationary, ICT items etc. 
• Keep updated records of stock balance for all office supplies and make sure its availability at store through supply chain management. 
• Prepare distribution plan for office furniture, office equipment, other necessary logistics as well as office supplies for PMU and other field offices at districts and upazila level across the country.;
• Provide support for event organization specially deal with firms/hotels/venues/vendors to check availability of accommodations and other necessary facilities as per the set timeline.
• Assess the periodical requirement of the VC forms/format, IEC and training materials in coordination with respective components and submit the indents for procurement in advance;

Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• 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 competencies

• Achieve Results:  LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
• Act with Determination:  LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:  LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making 

People Management 

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies  

Business Direction and Strategy      

• Business Acumen:
  • Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome 
  • Ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization

Business Management           

• Operations Management - Ability to effectively plan, organise and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organisation’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Administration & Operations             

• Asset Management - Knowledge of policy & procedures on PP&E; ability to prepare financial statements on PP&E; maintain Asset Management Module in ATLAS, Asset Dashboard; develop supporting tools for assets certification and further enhancements for AM module; design and run training programs, etc. on assets management and assets recording; run AP- AM interface; perform AP-AM-GL reconciliation; perform analytical review of AM reports and asset information to ensure completeness and accuracy of asset information
• Building, facilities & Office space management - Knowledge and ability to facilitate the renovation and upgrade of offices including review of complex engineering/architectural drawings; negotiate technical agreements to ensure fully operational building infrastructure and services; design policy & procedure (POPP) for premises and facilities including space standards; manage premises and facilities; validate financial statement notes on leasehold data 

Administration & Operations             

• Inventory Management - Each office to ensure sufficient inventory items are available for use as well as reporting for items which are beyond the corporate threshold of $5K and above. 
• Vehicle Management - Knowledge of policy and procedures on fleet management 
• Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings) - Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation and cash disbursements etc. 

                         

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary Education is required. or 
• University degree in Management/ Finance/Accounting or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement

Experience:

• Minimum of 07(seven) years (with secondary education) or 4 (four) years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in vehicle and assets management including logistic support preferably with any National or International/ Development organizations 

Required skills

• Experience in vehicles, assets and inventory management including logistic support preferably for development projects under International Organization/Organization/another donor agency is required.
• Strong computer skills with a knowledge of desktop applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Web browsing, e-mail etc. with typing skills both in Bangla and English is important; 

Desired skills

• Relevant working experience with International Organization in local justice program is desirable. 
• Working experience with GOB funded project will be an added advantage.
• Training or certification on vehicle and/or asset/inventory management would be an assets;
• Proven track record of sound knowledge of Programme/Operations related rules and procedures of international organization for asset and inventory management and orientation in UNDP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) platform desirable.

Required Languages

• Fluency in English and Bangla is required. 

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.

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