Budget and Admin. Assistant

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

Assignment is non-family (GOMA)

Under the terms of the organization’s delegated authority, and under the direct supervision of the Chief Engineer and Budget, Acquisition and Lease Planning and Property (BALPP) Unit Supervisor, the Budget and Admin. Assistant will undertake the following tasks:

a) Finance and Budget Tasks: • Assist Budget Acquisition and Lease Planning and Property unit (BALPP) supervisor to draft Engineering Section's yearly cost estimates and Results Based Budget (RBB) inputs and objectives including indicators of achievement and outputs. • Assist the unit to review and monitor all contracts including service contracts from a budget perspective. • Assist the unit to create and review petty cash voucher, low value acquisition (LVA), Earmark funds Documents (EMF), and Service Entry Sheet (SES).
• Assist the unit supervisor to update the section's acquisition plan, and providing forecasts on spending positions. • Coordinate vendor evaluations within the section. • Monitoring and following up on the progress of requisitions in the Umoja System with Procurement section including deliveries and liquidation of the respective Purchase Orders / contracts.
• Assist the unit to monitor all Engineering commercial leases and Right-to-use properties provide by the host government for MONUSCO’s operational use. • Follow up with sections such as Budget and Finance Section and Supply Chain management including Procurement section for all Engineering Budget matters.
• Distribute approved Purchase Orders and/or Contracts to relevant Units for action • Monitor ES account balances against budget and take remedial action in consultation with Budget Section where required. • Initiate shopping cart order form to be submitted to Central Requisitioning Unit (CRU) of Supply Chain Management Pillar to raise shopping carts in UMOJA on behalf of Engineering Section; and liaise and follow up closely their execution by Procurement Section according the Section’s Acquisition Plan. • Evaluate invoices received, obtain certifying signatures and determine whether to request supporting information from other Units/Sections or to process for payment.

b) Administration Duties: • Draft routine correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant administrative, financial audit and personnel matters; Schedule meetings and appointments; maintain files of administrative instructions and other rules and regulations; • Coordinate extensively with service units and liaise frequently with internal team members both at the mission level and in the field; • Defines conditions of service, duties and responsibilities, and privileges and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations; • Take, prepare and distribute minutes and action points for Engineering Section meetings and staff; • Respond to enquiries, provide information and offer advice to staff regarding the administrative procedures, processes and practices, and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations; • Initiate, maintain and monitor Engineering Section staff administrative data and records for time and attendance, performance appraisal, etc. in electronic information systems; • Assist in the organization of duty travel, annual leave, rest and recuperation, including support to post-travel financial claims; • Act as Engineering Section focal point for all Communication, Information, Technology Systems (CITS) issues, including follow up with technical teams; • Oversee the maintenance of mission vacancy announcement files and keep track of status of all current vacancy announcements; ensure that recommendations regarding changes in contractual status of staff comply with established procedure and policy; prepare documents for promotion, special post allowance, review of entry level and within grade allowance panels; • Support Engineering Section staff during on boarding and separation, including check in and check out procedures and associated financial considerations; • Consolidate data received from other staff members in the section regarding budget submissions; assist in preparation of supporting narrative and tables regarding the budget cost estimates, coordinate with other sections regarding any clarification or additional input required for the formulation of the yearly budget; • Assist in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submission; coordinate with other finance and budget staff on related issues during the preparation of the budget report; • Assist in the preparation of budget performance submissions and in the finalization of budget performance reports; • Perform other related administrative duties as directed by the Chief Engineering Section

Professionalism Integrity Respect for diversity and gender Communication Teamwork

Administration or Finance or Budget

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse.

Living conditions therefore vary between MONUSCO duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water. The ability to live and work in difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is essential.

Accommodation is very expensive in both Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Supermarkets exist in the large towns (e.g. Bukavu, Goma, Kisangani), but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative.

All MONUSCO duty stations are considered non-family duty stations, except for Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Entebbe which are now considered family duty stations, and most are currently under UN Security Phase III (“relocation phase”: internationally-recruited staff are temporarily concentrated or relocated to specified sites/locations). In addition to insecurity related to the relatively volatile political situation as well as various conflict situations, certain places are subject to increasing street and residential crime, including in Kinshasa and Goma. Some degree of medical service is provided in all MONUSCO duty stations. Certain vaccinations are mandatory for MONUSCO personnel to enter the DRC, while others are compulsory for all other incoming persons. It is possible for incoming MONUSCO personnel, including UN Volunteers, to be asked to provide proof of some or all vaccinations, though this is unlikely. All UN Volunteers must ensure that they are up-to-date with all appropriate vaccinations, which should be clearly and properly endorsed in the International Certificate of Vaccination (“carte jaune”). Malaria is present virtually throughout the DRC, and it is therefore recommended to take prophylaxis.

The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may be impossible to exchange traveller’s checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), UN Volunteers are recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and VLA payments will be processed in cash. UN Volunteers have the possibility to send part of their allowances to a bank account abroad.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.