Background

The Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC) is a flagship project of the Government of Bangladesh that has established a nationally recognized model for locally led climate adaptation by channeling climate finance to Local Government Institutions (LGIs) and vulnerable communities through innovative, low-transaction-cost mechanisms. LoGIC will promote local action on climate change adaptation at scale through its’ Initiation Plan (IP) for phase-II. The Initiation Plan (IP) for Scaling the Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC) will be implemented over a 12-month period as a preparatory phase designed to bridge the gap between the completion of LoGIC I and the development, approval, and launch of LoGIC II. This phase aims to lay the groundwork for the full-scale roll-out of LoGIC II by providing targeted support to the Local Government Division (LGD) and technical assistance to the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

The IP will facilitate the national scaling of the LoGIC model by supporting LGD in institutionalizing the approach, while enabling ERD to initiate and complete critical technical studies, including cost-benefit analyses, feasibility studies, and the development of financing tools and models. It will also ensure the systematic capture of lessons learned and help establish the operational, financial, and institutional foundations required for a sustainable, government-led, and financially viable LoGIC II.

During this phase, the project will provide technical, operational, and policy support for preparing and securing funding for the Development Project Proposal (DPP) and the Project Document (ProDoc) for LoGIC II. It will further support the design of a blended finance model; strengthen institutional memory; promote community engagement; and conduct feasibility assessments related to Nature-based Solutions (NbS), community resilience, and private sector partnerships. Additional efforts will focus on developing models that link vulnerable communities to value chains, and on enhancing institutional, legal, and policy frameworks for improved service delivery and long-term sustainability.

The IP will adopt an adaptive management approach to minimize the impact of political transitions on the initiation of LoGIC II. This will include maintaining flexibility to scale the project with a combination of loans and grants as planned, or to proceed with the Government of Bangladesh’s committed funds alongside development partners’ grants.

Within this context, the Green Business and Innovation Associate will play a critical role in supporting the design, analysis, and coordination of green business, innovation, and value-chain components during the IP phase, ensuring that LoGIC II is ready for rapid, cost-effective, and impactful rollout at national scale.

The Admin and Finance Associate will be responsible for preparing, managing and expenditure of project annual and multi-year budget, managing audit, preparation of financial report and compliance related to financial issues as per government and UNDP policies and procedure. 

Duties and Responsibilities

i. Support administrative functions to smooth implementation of the project, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Assist management, preparation and updating of asset, and handover, maintenance of disposal of asset of LoGIC IP. 
• Assist in implementation of project operational strategies.
• Ensures timely delivery of procurement processes for the project.
• Assist to the maintenance of logistics and equipment.
• Arrange meeting and training materials and make communication with vendors. 
• Ensure e-requisition, collection and evaluation of quotations and ensure goods and services as per PO.
• Ensure delivery of vendors and process payments accordingly. 
• Support to prepare monthly HR plan and project staff joining and resigning process. 
• Support to project staff on preparing UN ID Card, Email ID, opening Quantum ID, etc. 
• Ensure vehicle movement and management if needed.
• Support to plan, organize and coordinate high-level meetings, workshops and result sharing/dissemination events involving appropriate stakeholders. 
• Assist in settlements of DSA and other claims of staff and other service providers as per UNDP rules. 
• Support various missions of both project Program. 

 

ii. Support in management of the Project budget and organize an optimal cost-recovery system, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Assist in management of all financial resources through planning, guiding, monitoring, and controlling of the resources in accordance with Donor, UNDP and government rules and regulations. 
• Creation of the project budget (including all activities and funds) in QUANTUM in light of ProDoc/Annual Work Plan (AWP).
• Ensure entry of data into Quantum in the form of Annual Work Plans (AWPs), monitoring of their status, revisions, determination of unutilized funds, as well as operational and financial closure of the Project.
• Oversee the monitoring of quarterly financial expenditures and develop strategy for smooth implementation of the work plan.
• Ensure payments to service providers & vendors are properly reviewed and made on a timely basis, as well as ensure payment information is properly recorded into the Quantum system on a timely basis. 
• Assist in qualitative financial and budgetary inputs at the time of Project documents Revision (i.e., Pro-Doc, Donor Agreement etc.) if requires.

iii. Support effective and accurate financial resources management and oversight, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Financial analysis and oversight for all resources (Donors, UNDP and GoB,) managed by the Project and provision of high-quality professional advice to the Management.
• Proper planning, expenditure tracking of financial resources following full compliance with UNDP POPP and Donors rules and regulations of financial process.
• Design Chart of Accounts (CoA) of the project to meet government and donor requirements, align financial data with M&E data, tools, and techniques.
• Monitor disbursement of funds periodically to inform management and implementation of activities in accordance RPA/LoA, UNDP and GoB rules and regulations.
• Reconcile FACE/FR with Combined Delivery Report (CDR) Ensure the accuracy verification of CDR.
• Ensure all QUANTUM related transactions, a.i, budget analysis, upload budget, monitor project budget, enter necessary GLJE in Quantum etc.
• Assist in monitoring the financial performance of supply management systems/procurement/inventory management.
• Identify and report on budgetary shortfalls/surpluses as well as results-based indicators to ensure effective and efficient control and delivery of donor funds. 

 

Support to FRA and Climate Risk Insurance Activities

• Provide operational and coordination support to activities implemented under the UNDP Financial Resilience in Agriculture (FRA) intervention within LoGIC Phase II.
• Support organization, logistics, and follow up of meetings, consultations, and field missions related to the design, piloting, and implementation of agricultural climate risk insurance solutions, including crop, livestock, and fisheries insurance pilots.
• Assist in coordination with stakeholders involved in FRA and insurance activities, including LGD, line agencies, cooperatives, insurance companies, financial service providers, and technical partners.
• Support preparation and consolidation of operational documents, briefing notes, presentations, minutes, and correspondence related to FRA and insurance related activities.

iv. Support strategic direction of Project finance management, focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Compliance of operations with UNDP rules, regulations, policies, procedures and monitoring achievement of results of LOGIC IP project.
• Establish or fine tune UNDP and Donor financial procedures: e.g., receipts, payments, disbursements, and bookkeeping, filing procedures for the Project.
• Provision of advice on strategies, policies and plans affecting LOGIC IP project finance management, delivery of practice advisory, knowledge and learning services.
• Ensure that financial procedures are in place complying with the financial/accounting and procurement requirements of UNDP.
• Ensure the preparation of the Project’s Quarterly Report and prepare monthly Cash Flow and annual Cash Flow Forecasts.

v. Support proper financial reporting, control of project accounts and support to audits focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Prepare and submission of periodic financial reports to the donors, UNDP and government as needed. 
• Ensuring that contributions from the donors are properly transferred to UNDP on a timely basis.
• Prepare financial reports for Project Board, Project management and others.
• Ensuring preparation of other financial reports to be submitted to the donors and government counterparts.  
• Oversee the preparation of monthly financial statements, QUANTUM reconciliations, payroll reconciliations etc.
• Ensure receipts of bill/vouchers and record of filed level expenditures in a timely manner.
• Assist in facilitating financial audits, FAPAD, HACT Audit, UNDP, UNBOA, and ensure that external auditors have all relevant information.
• Support in preparation of audit reply and do follow-up on audit reports to ensure that all audit observations are addressed and unqualified.  
• Complying with the internal expenditures control system, which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded in the books of Accounts and posted in QUANTUM.
• Ensure timely corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers and timey response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Support management of project assets and facilitate to project closure process. 

 

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

4. Institutional Arrangement

The Project Associate (Finance and Admin) will work under the supervision of the Project Coordinator and overall guidance of the National Project Director/Focal Person. S/he will work in close collaboration with the operations, programme and project staff, UNDP and UNCDF staff to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.

Competencies

a)    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 

b)    Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Thematic Area    Name    Definition
Business Direction & Strategy    Business Acumen    Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks. Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization.
Business management     Partnerships Management    Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
Finance
    Accounting (General)    Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations
    Audit risk management    Ability to address audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved
    Budget management     Ability to support budgetary aspects of the work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets 
    Financial reporting and analysis     Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. 
Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance 
    Management and cost accounting     Ability to produce periodic qualitative and quantitative performance reports to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Ability to use a range of costing techniques and analyse cost related data to provide quantitative information to the users of reports. 
 

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements:

•     Secondary Education is required. OR
•      University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Finance or Accounting will be given due consideration, but not a requirement.
•     Fully Qualified Accountant, from an internationally accredited institute of accountancy or Full Completion of the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP). No UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) required. 
•     Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications, but with degrees that major in accountancy and/or finance must complete UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited. However, no UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) is required.
•     Candidates with no professional accountancy qualifications but with relevant experience must successfully undertake UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (AFT) before shortlisting, and must complete the UNDP Finance Training and Certification Programme (FTCP), if recruited.
•     
Min. years of relevant work experience :

Minimum 7 years (with Secondary Education) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in the field of finance and accounting is required. 
Knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS is required.

Required skills:     At least one year of working experience in planning, implementation and backstopping of development projects focusing on formulating work plans, budgets, proposals, procurement plans and their implementation. 
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section    •     At least one year of experience in international organization as Admin and Finance professional.
•     Professional experience to deal with audit and experience in preparing response if any observation recommended. 
•     Demonstrated experience to monitor budget and modify by ensuring the compliance/conformity of supporting documents.
•     Desired skills in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems. 
 

Required Language (s):    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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