Project Support Officer
Contract
This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. As the lead UN development agency, UNDP is well-placed to help implement the Goals through our work in some 170 countries and territories. We support countries in achieving the SDGs through integrated solutions. Today’s complex challenges—from stemming the spread of disease to preventing conflict—cannot be tackled neatly in isolation. For UNDP, this means focusing on systems, root causes and connections between challenges—not just thematic sectors—to build solutions that respond to people’s daily realities.
UNDP has been on the ground in 2017, supporting the Government of Egypt and delivering to people the best solutions particularly the most vulnerable, women and youth. Since 2015, 195-member states of the United Nations, including the Government of Egypt, committed to the Sustainable Development Goals, an ambitious action plan that pictures a better world by 2030, with serious commitment from countries to meet the set targets.
This UNV assignment is part of UNDP’s ongoing project to promote food systems transformation in Egypt. Following closely the COVID-19 pandemic shock, the Ukraine crisis has had, and will continue to have, devastating ripple effects across Egypt’s economy, most urgently on food security and on socio-economic vulnerabilities. Unless immediate action is taken, those foreseen impacts, coupled with the economic downfall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to wipe out years of hard-won development gains, leaving Egypt with many factors for growing instability and threats to human security, which could potentially disturb development pathway for peace. This project puts forward three key areas of action to transform people, practice and policies to enable more resilient agri-food systems centered around local communities to mitigate impact of Ukraine War.
Under the overall supervision of the Policy and partnerships Team Leader, the UNV will be responsible for the following tasks:
• Support the administrative and programmatic management (planning, control, monitoring, budgeting, and others) while adhering to the procedures, rules and regulations of UN. • Liaise and cooperate with other stakeholders on all matters regarding the implementation of the project while flagging any emerging issues with guidance from TL • Communicate and ensure follow-up of the Project Board’s decisions, particularly ensuring timely submission of project progress reports from partners. • Provide support and follow-up about the project's implementation. • Support the preparation of periodic reports for UNDP in cooperation with the implementing partners and responsible parties, including quarterly reports, regular updates on the project's progress, and annual reports. • Support the team in administration, resource mobilization and internal coordination in UNDP • Facilitate in drafting of quarterly and annual progress reports (QPRs/APRs) and internal reports whilst ensuring coordination between different units at UNDP. • Provide technical assistance in implementing the project work plan activities. • Support the project team in organizing and coordinating the meetings with other teams and external bodies (UN Agencies, Government, Civil Society, etc.) • Liaising and communicating with stakeholders as required to support the operation of an effective and efficient organization of workshops/events/conferences/series of meetings and training. • Coordinate logistics for program events, workshops, and meetings, including venue booking, and travel arrangement services. • Monitor project activities, expenditures, and resource utilization against planned targets and budgets. • Prepare reports and presentations to communicate findings and recommendations to internal team and stakeholders. • Monitor program activities against established indicators and targets to assess progress and performance. • Draft progress reports to be submitted to donors. • Draft the ToRs (Terms of References), internal reports, and other documents as needed. • Assist in reviewing concept notes and proposal writing.
Project Management: • Assist in project planning, monitoring progress, and ensuring that the project stays within scope, budget, and timeline. • Proceed with the contract PO document and sign process. • Communicate with tech agencies, strictly master the project progress, coordinate resources to support project conduction, and make evaluations for the performance of tech agencies. • Identify and manage risks associated with the implementation of the information system. • Synergize with PI and tech agencies to regularly synchronize project progress Requirements
Gathering and Analysis: • Work closely with various teams to understand and document their business needs, goals, and requirements for the information system. • Analyse and model current business processes to identify areas for improvement and get PI teams’ confirmation.
Communication and Stakeholder Management: • Act as a bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders, proactive organizing multiple discussions to ensure effective communication and understanding between both groups. • Manage stakeholder expectations and ensure that the system meets their needs.
Quality Assurance and Testing: • Assess the delivered functions’ quality and provide feedback to tech agencies for function optimization. • Do the self-test on functions before delivering the production to the related PI team members. • Follow-up with consultants on-boarded for this project on each of their progress
• Accountability. • Adaptability and flexibility. • Creativity. • Judgement and decision-making. • Planning and organising. • Professionalism. • Self-management.
at the national and/or international level in donor funded programmes with a special concentration on project management, project coordination/administration, or other relevant programmes; previous experience with Quantum is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization; • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in UNDP’s work, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.
Cairo, Egypt is a family duty station with a wide range of services (health, education and leisure) and good living conditions. Cairo (and Egypt) has long been a center of the region’s political and cultural life, with high levels of tourism. Like other similar cities, Cairo offers good quality of life in terms of access to shopping centres, banks, medical services, educational facilities, cultural events, etc.
The Arab Republic of Egypt has a unique geographical position in Northeast Africa, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and its connection to Sub Saharan Africa through the Nile Valley. The country is defined by desert and the Nile, the longest river on Earth.
UN Volunteer Specialist gets the following package: • Volunteer Living Allowance (around EGP 53,300/Month) • Entry Lump-Sum = USD 400 (one-time payment paid in EGP) • Exit Lump-Sum upon completion of contract. • Medical and life Insurance premium/Cigna (100%) and dependents policy. • Access to UNV E-Campus for training and learning including access to LinkedIn learning.
Further entitlements and information available at: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service