Programme Associate United Nations Development Programme Experience: 5 to 10 Years Kathmandu, Nepal Apply By: 07-09-2024

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Job Description

Nepal adopted a new Constitution in September 2015, with the intent of transforming the then unitary and centralized system of governance into a federal and decentralized one as a vehicle to ensure equality, equity, and social justice. Nepal’s federal system is characterized by three levels of government (federal, provincial, and local) with non-hierarchical relationships within the levels of government. The Constitution stipulates that the three levels shall be the main structures of the Federal, Democratic and Republican Nepal and all levels shall exercise the power of state of Nepal pursuant to the Constitution and law. The powers of the three levels of government are enshrined in five Schedules of the constitution in the form of exclusive and concurrent powers. The federal system of governance became fully functional in February 2018 after all seven province governments were formed following the general election in November 2017. 

With an objective to support on the implementation of federalism in Nepal, the Government of Nepal (GoN) introduced a flagship programme of Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme (2019-2024). Following an initial period of delivery and agreement by GoN, Provinces, stakeholders, and Development Partners that Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme remained necessary and relevant, a decision was taken to extend Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme, with changes necessary to make the programme more effective, efficient, and responsive to the needs of Provincial Local Governments (PLG). 

The Provincial and Local Governance Strengthening Programme (PLGSP) 2024-2029 is the national framework programme of the Government of Nepal (GoN) to build institutional, organizational, and individual capacity at all levels of government, with special focus on the provincial and local levels. It aims to attain functional, sustainable, inclusive, and accountable provincial and local governance. Following an initial period of delivery (2019-2023), and agreed by the GoN, Provinces, Development Partners, and other stakeholders, PLGSP will continue for the next five years, with necessary changes to make the programme more effective, efficient, and responsive to the emerging needs of PLGs in advancing federalism in Nepal. 

An extensive stakeholder engagement, consultations and re-programming process was undertaken between July 2023 and June 2024 that resulting in a substantial revision in the PLGSP Programme Document (ProDoc). This reprogrammed ProDoc outlines how re-programmed PLGSP emphasizes building the capacity and capability of PLGs’ to deliver on the institutional and individual capacities for advancing federalism in Nepal over the next 5 years. The ProDoc has focused on three outcomes for Federal, Provincial and LG level impacts, each with three related outputs.

Three outcomes include: 

Outcome 1: Federal level government institutions and inter-governmental mechanisms are fully functional in support of federal governance as per the Constitution;
Outcome 2: Provincial governments have efficient, effective, inclusive, and accountable institutions and organizations;
Outcome 3: Local governments have capacity for Good Governance and for delivering inclusive basic services to all people.

Furthermore, there are 9 outputs against the outcome mentioned.

Four cross-cutting thematic streams:

Inclusive federalism acts, regulations, policies, and strategies;
Collaboration within and across federal institutions and governments, and civic engagement;
Supportive systems and tools for PLG inclusive federalism capacity;
capacity development and transformation (applied to all 3 levels) have also been defined and articulated well.

The programme considers the broad principles and approaches including focus on federal devolution, transparency, and accountability, embedding transformative gender and diversity/inclusion agenda, human rights based and participatory approach, devolved, contextual and flexible programme design and implementation and adaptive programming. Further, unpacking structural barriers in political institutions, promoting ownership and trust in provincial and local government system and changing power dynamics in government institutions addressing intersectionality are the expected pathways for Gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) transformation in the programme. Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) is the executing agency of the GoN for PLGSP in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Provincial and Local Governments. 

UNDP as the partner of PLGSP and Technical Assistance (TA) provider, has been working with the MoFAGA on the implementation of PLGSP since its inception. The TA component of the programme has also been revised accordingly to facilitate the transformation in the behaviours of the authorities towards federalism for inclusive service delivery, it is fully aligned with revised PLGSP incorporating learnings from the earlier TA engagement. The intent of the revised TA is to leverage UNDP’s technical expertise and facilitation role to support positive transformations that enable implementation of federalism in Nepal, ultimately contributing to more inclusive and effective delivery of inclusive services by PLGs to their people especially for the most marginalized and women.    

To this effect, TA will support PLGs for their institutional and organizational capacities. The TA support to federal government will help develop and implement necessary laws and policies to strengthen inter-governmental relationships thereby supporting cooperative federalism. To attain the sustainable achievement described above, TA has been categorized into Implementation Support TA (ISTA) and Transformational TA. ISTA focuses more on supporting the governments in the implementation of PLGs thereby building their institutional and individual capacities. Whereas Transformational TA focuses more on supporting behavioural transformation through research and analysis as well as providing high level expertise as needed. Overall, the TA staff (ISTA and Transformational TA) works together in close coordination with each other in overall guidance of respective government and UNDP Country Office.

Position Summary:

The position holder will serve as a support function to the TA mobilization. S/he will carry out the finance functions that will include maintaining the budget and expense records in the prescribed systems including its reporting. The incumbent will also support Admin and Logistics Analyst in organizing events and logistics therein.

Duties and Responsibilities

The position contributes to all outputs of the programme.

Programme Support:

Support Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) in the preparation of events, workshops, and trainings.
Assist Federal Programme Coordination Analyst and the PCU team in the formulation of the annual and quarterly work plans including human resource (HR) and procurement plans.
Provide logistical support in organizing the Technical Assistance Steering Committee (TASC) meetings and ensure all programme related materials are properly documented and easily accessible in preparation for meetings.
Support in the implementation of programme activities as per the project workplan.
Provide logistical support in organizing Project Board meetings and ensure all programme related materials are properly documented and easily accessible in preparation for meetings.
Assist in maintaining contracts issued to third party to conduct research, studies and dialogues.

Operation Support:

Support Administrative and Logistics Analyst in preparing the documents related to finance and administrative procedures, including travel and procurement.
Support in organizing workshops, seminars, trainings, and other events, including arrangement for venues, logistics, transportation and documentation of events.
Maintain a filing system for the programme to ensure all programme related materials are properly documented and easily accessible.
Support the timely and effective implementation of HR and procurement plans by preparing all necessary documents as per UNDP rules and regulations.
Support in quality assurance of programme procurement, i.e. technical bids, financial bids, proposals and contracts.
Handle petty cash and reimbursement of petty cash bills from management.
Be responsible to maintain all financial transactions by keeping proper accounts, invoices of the regular expenditures.
Provide support in budget revisions, monitor budget expenditures and assist in preparing quarterly financial reports; Support in audit exercise commissioned by UNDP.
Organize workshops, seminars, trainings, and other events, including arrangement for venues, logistics, transportation and documentation of events.
Make travel arrangements for the programme team, including travel requisitions and claims.

Coordination:

Support in planning and coordination for the other programme activities.
Arrange external and internal meetings with government, non-government, UN agencies, development partners and other potential partners and stakeholders, and maintain minutes of all programme related meetings.
Support the programme in conducting trainings to implementing partners on corporate rules and regulations related to financial management, audit, reporting, and programme implementation.

Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI):

Facilitate in creating an environment to address GESI issues.
Assist in ensuring gender and inclusion issues in managing events and preparing reports wherever possible.
Support to ensure GESI is mainstreamed in the budget, AWP, procurement and HR plans, and all other administrative work to be undertaken by the project.
Support to create a safe working environment by developing respectful and safe organizational culture and supporting practices.

Other:

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the PLGSP programme.
Strictly comply with the UNDP policies, strategies, code of conduct, guidelines on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
Strict compliance with the UNDP applicable rules, regulations and policies related to ethics and integrity.

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Education Requirement

Secondary education is required.
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in Management, Finance, Accounting, Administration, or any other relevant areas will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Minimum years of relevant work experience

A minimum of 6 years (with Secondary Education) or 3 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of relevant administrative/management or programme/project experience is required.
Additional experience in the above area will be an added advantage.
Experience in events management, including logistic and travel management is required.

Required skills

Editing skills, ability to produce meeting reports is required.
Facilitating, coordination with stakeholders /government officials and project staff is required.
Excellent knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point etc.) database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP is required.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
Knowledge of programme/project: planning/ finance/ management procedures is desirable.
Experience of working with provincial and local governments will be an advantage;
Experience of supporting programme procurement, i.e. technical bids, financial bids is desired.

Required Language(s)