Organization: UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
Location: Ankara
Grade: Administrative support – Administrative Services and Support – Generally no need for Higher Education
Occupational Groups:
Administrative support
Project and Programme Management
Closing Date: 2024-05-08
Position Information
Office/Unit/Project
UNDP Türkiye CO
Climate Change and Environment Portfolio
Supporting Capacity of CSOs in the field of Climate Change and Biodiversity
Functional Title Project Assistant
Classified Level NPSA 5
Duty station (City and Country) Ankara, Türkiye
Type (Regular or Short term) Regular National Personnel Services Agreement Contract
Office- or Home-based Office based.
Expected starting date May 2024
Expected Duration 12 months, with possibility of renewal based on the satisfactory performance and availability of funding)
Position Number 211435
Office/Unit/Project Description
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. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization in 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. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP.
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.
The overall objective of the Supporting Capacity of CSOs in the field of Climate Change and Biodiversity is to increase the capacities of the ambitious targets of the net-zero and nature positive climate action.
The specific purpose of this Project is to design and operate a technical assistance and grant mechanism in the form of a CSO Grant Programme, including capacity assessments, strategy and priority setting, trainings and launching of a call for proposals and to guide, monitor and evaluate the subgrants with a view to improve the capacities of the civil society actors.
The Action also has two main outputs as listed below:
Output a: strengthen the operational and institutional capacities of CSOs towards better management of grants, climate justice, advocacy, environmental rights, engaging net-zero, biodiversity protection and nature positive climate action.
Output b: promote the active involvement and participation of CSOs, working in the climate change and nature conservation thematic areas, in decision-making processes.
The Project Assistant will be assisting Project Manager, Grant Manager and Project Associate and fulfill the tasks to be assigned by the TAT. S/he also assists the experts (including STEs) who cannot speak Turkish to interact with the Project’s stakeholders most of whom are not fluent in English, to translate outputs of the project and report to the Project Manager.
Scope of Work
Provide general administrative support.
Provide logistical support to the Project Manager, Grant Manager, Project Associate, key experts and short-term consultants in conducting different project activities (trainings, workshops, seminars, stakeholder consultations, arrangements of field visits, etc.).
Organize and participate face-to-face/online meetings, manage correspondence and other communication with the project partners and stakeholders as well as project experts.
Prepare English/Turkish version of project newsletters, presentations, brief notes, official letters and ensure their formatting and design is in alignment with the project identity and necessary visibility rules.
Support the project outreach and PR activities in general, including keeping the project website up to date and preparing social media contents.
Draft project reports with their annexes and prepare the official letters for hardcopy submission of the reports.
Archive the project documents, expert reports, regularly update the project archive, and provide support during project audit processes.
Maintain files of project documents and expert reports.
Monitor the usage of non-expendable equipment through record keeping and drawing up regular inventories.
Keep regular contact with project experts and consultants to maintain regular information flow.
Monitor and document the usage of visibility materials throughout the project implementation.
Draft correspondence and documents; assist in finalization of administrative correspondence.
Follow up preparation of human resources timesheets, including their signature processes.
Act on telephone inquiries, fax, post and e-mail transmissions, and co-ordinate appointments.
Provide interpretation during project related meetings and events.
Translate documents into English to Turkish or from Turkish to English as deemed necessary by the Project Manager.
Assist the experts (including STEs) who cannot speak Turkish in interacting with the Project’s stakeholders most of who are not fluent in English, to translate the Project outputs.
Fulfil any other written or consecutive translation requirements as determined by the Project Manager.
Assist in development of promotional materials; for relevant activities of the project in compliance with project’s visibility rules/guidelines and in coordination with the Project Manager.
Support preparation of the content for the project’s web site and UNDP Türkiye CO’s social media accounts, ensuring consistency of project activities.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
The Project Assistant shall report to the Project Manager and work in coordination with the Project Associate.
Competencies
Core Competencies
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Thematic Area Name Definition
Business Management Working with Evidence and Data
Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making
Business Management Digital Awareness and Literacy
Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed
Business Management Customer Satisfaction/Client Management
Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
Business Management Communication
Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and
verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.
Business Management Monitoring
Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.
Technical – Finance Budget management
Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets
Administration & Operations Event Management
Support projects with event management including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA
Category Requirements/Desired Skills
Min. Education requirements
Secondary education is required, or
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, including social sciences or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement
Min. years of relevant work experience
Minimum of 5 years (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience
Fully working for at least 1 project in collaboration with international institutions/organizations
Required skills
Excellent command of office software, such as word processors, spreadsheets, databases, integrated web-mased management systems, windows-based applications
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
Experience working with government entities
Experience in organizing and coordinating events and activities
First level university degree in translation and interpretation related field
Experience in at least 1 project within the rules and contractual procedures of EU
Knowledge and/or experience in the field of climate change and/or CSOs and/or grant is an asset
Required Language(s)
Full proficiency in English and Turkish
Professional Certificates
N/A