Project Assistant World Health Organization Experience: 3 to 5 Years Prague, Czechia (Czech Republic) Apply By: 01-12-2024

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Job Description

Context

This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of the WHO Czechia Country Office’s efforts to strengthen administrative support for critical health and humanitarian initiatives. The WHO Czechia Country Office, established as part of the World Health Organization (WHO), works to support the health and well-being of populations in Czechia in alignment with WHO’s global mandate. The Czechia Country Office collaborates with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to support health system resilience, emergency preparedness, and response to health crises.

This Project Assistant role will support regular operations of the office as well as contributes to the implementation of two key projects:

Ukraine Refugee Support Program: In response to the ongoing humanitarian needs resulting from the conflict in Ukraine, the WHO Czechia Country Office has implemented a support program for Ukrainian refugees in Czechia. This program is funded by donors including the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM), the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE). The program focuses on providing health services, mental health support, and public health monitoring for refugees, ensuring their access to essential health services while integrating them into the local health system.
CBRN Emergency Preparedness Project: The WHO Czechia Country Office is also engaged in a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) emergency preparedness project aimed at enhancing the country’s readiness to manage CBRN threats and other emergencies. This initiative includes collaboration with national authorities, international partners, and donors to develop emergency response plans, conduct training, and ensure coordination mechanisms are in place for rapid and effective response to CBRN-related incidents. The project is a key part of WHO’s commitment to strengthening health security and resilience in the region.
The Project Assistant will play an important role in providing administrative support for these projects, ensuring smooth operations, coordination with stakeholders, and effective resource management to achieve the program’s objectives.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Business Operations Associate or his/her designated mandated representative(s), and under the overall guidance of the Incident Manager and Head, the WHO Country Office (WCO), and working closely with counterparts at the respective WHO Regional Office and WHO HQ, other WHO staff and partners the Project Assistant will:

Provide technical support to the overall programme management, grants management, budget, work planning, including the development, day-to-day operation, monitoring and evaluation of work plans;
Collaborate, with relevant stakeholders in the development, implementation and monitoring of the projects;
Ensure proper use of designated funds to achieve results as per defined indicators and compliance with project management principles;
Liaise with relevant personnel to secure rapid funding for immediate needs with sustainable, predictable financing for programme activities.
Coordinate the analysis, consolidation and dissemination of information on programme management;
Contribute to the preparation of monitoring and progress reports, briefings, proposals, reports, communications and advocacy documents required for strategic decision making;
Attend various project management meetings, coordinate relevant activities, ensure predictable follow-up on agreed action points with relevant stakeholders.
Develop flexible and innovative solutions to support WHO’s operations, in line with standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Perform any other related project management duties, as required by the functional supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UNV mandate within their assignment and promote volunteerism through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate part of their time to the following suggested activities:

Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant publications, developing networks with volunteering organisations and taking an active part in UNV activities (for example, in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
Provide annual and end-of-assignment reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities;
Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever possible.

Results/expected outputs:

As an active WHO team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support is rendered to WHO and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including;
Local health capacity developed through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs);
Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment;
A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

Requirements

Required experience

3 years of experience in project management at national level with experience planning, grant management, budget, finance and/or related field, including sound understanding of resource mobilization, is required.
Formal training/certification in project management, is desirable.
Experience in developing and promoting collaboration with national authorities, is desirable;
Prior relevant work experience in WHO/UN system, health cluster partners, relevant nongovernmental or humanitarian organizations, is desirable.
Strong overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, etc.), and office technology equipment;
Sound skills in Enterprise Resource Planning, Oracle systems or similar packages;
Valid driver’s license [yes/no];
Proven ability to multitask across various planning and implementation processes within a highly demanding environment;

Functional Knowledge and Skills:

Proven knowledge of project management, budgetary, financial, practices and the ability to develop improved systems that support these processes;
Strong analytical skills and ability to analyse and synthesize information from multiple sources;
Excellent knowledge and expertise in project design, monitoring and evaluation;
Strong professional skills in the development of reports and persuasive documents.

Languages