31383 Project Associate for Accelerating Clean Energy Access to Reduce Inequality (ACCESS) - SC 7 - Jakarta - (For Indonesian Nationality Only)  

“UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in about 170 countries and territories, including Indonesia, working to eradicate poverty while protecting the planet. UNDP supports implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Indonesia, UNDP works with the Government to integrate SDGs into national plan and policies.”

Anchored in the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and committed to the principles of universality, equality and leaving no one behind, the UNDP has issued the UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 as guideline to help countries achieve SDGs by focusing UNDP’s competence and expertise on three sets of development settings:

1. Eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions;
2. Accelerate structural transformation for sustainable development by addressing inequalities, transitioning to zero-carbon development & building a more inclusive accountable governance system;
3. Build resilience to shocks and crises.

In alignment with the UNDP Strategic Plan to reduce inequality, the acceleration of access to electricity using locally available renewable resources is a feasible intervention. Notably, because there are about 2,000 villages in Indonesia without sustainable access to power, and there are 17,000 islands in Indonesia that makes national grid interconnection is costly. The Government of Indonesia has been addressing this challenge by allocating state-owned budgets for rural electrification programme. With current fiscal capacity, meeting the target of national electrification with quality of service remains a big challenge.

UNDP, with funding support from KOICA Indonesia, implements a 4 years project titled “Accelerating Clean Energy Access to Reduce Inequality (ACCESS).” Under overall oversight from UNDP Indonesia, the project will be implemented in Indonesia and Timor-Leste in collaboration with UNDP Timor-Leste. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) and KOICA Indonesia are the implementing partners of the ACCESS project in Indonesia, while the Ministry of State Administration (MSA) and KOICA Timor-Leste are the partners in Timor-Leste.

The ACCESS project's objective is for the poor and most vulnerable communities to have equitable and sustainable access to basic services required for improving livelihoods. In Indonesia, the ACCESS project locationsa are 23 villages in East Nusa Tenggara, West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and Central Kalimantan Provinces, while in Timor-Leste are 25 villages in Dili, Bobonaro and Manatuto municipalities.

The expected outputs of the ACCESS project are:

Output 1: Renewable-based energy infrastructures are constructed, providing access to electricity for households in 23 targeted villages of 4 Provinces in Indonesia that can be monitored remotely.

Output 2: Local capacity is in place to operate and maintain built energy infrastructures.

Output 3: Local institutions established to enhance sustainability and scaled-up use of built energy infrastructures.

Output 4: providing sustainable access to clean water and lighting in Timor-Leste in 25 remote villages by installing 11 solar PV water pumps and 1000 Highly Efficient Solar Lamp System (LTSHE).

Output 5: Results dissemination and reach-out for scaling up.

For the project implementation, UNDP establishes Project Management Unit (PMU) in both Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The PMU consists of National Project Manager, Technical Engineer, Technical Officers, Monitoring and Outreach officer, Project Finance Associate, and Administrative support. UNDP Senior Advisor for Sustainable Energy will supervise the NPM and assuring that the PMU delivers the project's outputs. Project Board consists of government partners, KOICA, and UNDP will be established to provide advisory and strategic guidance to the project.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Support the project team to ensure effective project planning, budgeting and implementation focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Support to project preparation and implementation to support components of the project;
• Compiles, analyses, summary and presentation of basic information/data on specific project and related topics;
• Implementation of project standard operating procedures in line with the government and UNDP’s regulations.

2. Support to the effective reporting on progress of project implementation:

• Preparation and analysis of project workplan and budget;
• Provides assistance in the interpretation of budget guidelines;
• Reviews and coordinates submissions of work proposal and budget estimation, ensuring requisite information is included and justified in terms of proposed activities;
• Preparation of results oriented progress reports, in line with the monitoring and reporting guidelines and presents it to the project assurance team on a timely manner;
• Preparation of data for monitoring of projects; categorization, updating, tracking and analysing data related to projects, e.g. accounting records, outputs, resources utilized, deviations/revisions, etc.; carries out periodic status reviews;
• Identification of issues and initiates requisite follow-up actions;
• Preparation of reports on budget revisions, expenditures and obligations, verification availability of funds;
• Preparation for financial authorizations for expenditures to be approved and documentation in prevailing budget system;
• Preparation of annual and quarterly work plans as well as project board meetings, audit, operational and financial closure of a medium size project.

3. Provides administrative support to the Project Management Unit focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Preparation of standard terms of reference against project objectives, obtained necessary clearances, process and follow-up on administrative actions and provision of solutions to the issues related to project implementation, e.g. recruitment and appointment of personnel, travel arrangements, training/study tours, authorization of payments, disbursement of funds, procurement of equipment and services, security compliance, etc;
• As focal point for responding to the complex information requests and inquiries; review and establishment of filling management system; organization of meetings, workshops; monitoring of implementation of various routine administrative tasks;
• Preparation of draft correspondence on complex budget-related issues, periodic reports, briefing notes, graphic and statistical summaries, accounting spreadsheets, etc;
• Supervision of project support assistant, clerical level;
• Updated database of the relevant public and development partners private sector, civil society and other stakeholders who are counterparts for the project;
• Establishment of filing management for internal databases; updated statistical tables, graphic content, and other background materials/notes to facilitate audit and other reviews;
• Preparation of draft correspondence and communications related to all aspects of programme/project administration, including work plan and budgets, revisions and other related issues, as well as prepares project’s contributions for a variety of periodic reports.

4. Ensures effective project finance management financial and accounting focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Financial resources management through planning, guiding, controlling of the resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
• Preparation and monitoring of budgets: regular analysis and reporting on the budget approvals and the delivery situation;
• Accuracy verification of Combined Delivery Reports and follow-up on their signing by Deputy Resident Representative;
• Control of budgetary status versus cash allocation and budgets delivery levels. Elaboration of proper mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in budget management.

5. Supports knowledge building and knowledge sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Organization of trainings for the projects staff;
• Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in project management support function;
• Contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

6. The incumbent of the position should avoid any kind of discriminatory behavior including gender discrimination and ensure that:

• Human rights and gender equality is prioritized as an ethical principle within all actions;
• Activities are designed and implemented in accordance with “Social and Environmental Standards of UNDP”;
• Any kind of diversities based on ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, class, gender are respected within all implementations including data production;
• Differentiated needs of women and men are considered;
• Inclusive approach is reflected within all actions and implementations, in that sense an enabling and accessible setup in various senses such as disability gender language barrier is created;
• Necessary arrangements to provide gender parity within all committees, meetings, trainings etc. introduced.

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity.
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.
• Self-development, initiative-taking.
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work, including working in teams and empowering project staff to create an enabling gender equality environment on non-hierarchical bases.
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively including communication skills to exchange information, and key ideas in a manner that engages the audience and helps others to understand and retain messages about gender equality and parity.
• Creating synergies through self-control.
• Managing conflict, including conflict resolving skills to manage gender barriers and gender blind behaviors within the project and with partners.
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.

Functional Competencies

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda

• Identifies relevant information for advocacy for a variety of audiences.
• Makes research of contacts in the media, government, private sector, donors, other agencies, civil society in other stakeholders for UNDP’s advocacy efforts.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

• Provides information for linkages across programme activities to help identify critical points of integration.
• Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation.
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals.

Building Strategic Partnerships

• Analyzes general information and selects materials in support of partnership building initiatives.
• Maintains databases of donor information.
• Tracks and reports on mobilized resources.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

• Documents and tracks innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches.
• Tracks bottlenecks, problems and issues, and proposes solutions.
• Responds positively to new approaches.

Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations)

• Maintains information/databases on potential and actual donors.
• Maintains database of project files.
• Provides data and information needed for preparation of project documents.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things.
• Documents innovative strategies and new approaches.
• Promotes knowledge management on gender equality issues.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position.
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks.
• Identifies new and better approaches to work processes and incorporates same in own work.
• Strives to keep job knowledge up to date through self-directed study and other means of learning.
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.
• Theoretical and/or practical knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment in development programming.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals

• Identifies relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences.
• Maintains a network of contacts in the media and civil society, for use in UNDP’s advocacy efforts.

Client Orientation

• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate fashion.
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines.
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients.
• Responds to client needs promptly.

RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in in Accounting, Finance, Business, Public Administration, Economics, Social Sciences or other relevant fields of study would be desirable, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of professional experience, preferably in the field of development for candidates with bachelor’s degree and 7 years for candidates with Diploma Degree

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and spoken English is an absolute necessity;

Other Requirements:

• Demonstrated strong familiarity with UNDP development projects in Indonesia.
• Strong knowledge and solid experience in coordination of project management support are essential as well as ability to draft high quality correspondence on budget-related issues, briefing notes, graphic and statistical summaries, accounting spreadsheets, etc
• Good inter-personal and team building skills.
• Full time availability for project management support duties is essential.
• Knowledge of and experience in supporting administration and finance of UNDP projects will be highly desirable.
• Familiar with Government and UN/UNDP procedures would be desirable
• Advance computer skills required, knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems would be highly desirable.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP Indonesia 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 Indonesia at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and education requirements.