Project Associate

Qualifications of Project Associate:

• Location: Cuba
• Vacancy No: 27828
• Salary: N/A
• Organization: UNDP United Nations Development Programme
• Deadline: 7/29/2025

Brief details about Project Associate:

About

Information about the organization that has offered the job:

Starting in 2020, the UNDP office in Cuba began implementing a new cooperation program (CPD) agreed upon with the Cuban government, which defines the areas of work until 2024. This new framework includes productive transformation among its priority axes, reflecting the national priorities of the National Program for Sustainable Economic and Social Development to 2030 (PNDES) for this topic. 

UNDP Cuba is one of the main partners supporting the government in this national priority at the macro and microprogram levels and in the management of transformational changes, innovation, and public/private coordination with various existing and emerging economic actors, such as cooperatives and MSMEs, promoting sustainable and equitable development. A special partnership has been established since 2009 in the productive transformation of sectors that contribute to food security, one of the sectors highly prioritized by the Cuban government and which has also been strongly reflected in the CPD, but which can be extended to other relevant sectors, especially contributing to the decentralization of powers promoted by the country to strengthen economic development at the regional level.

The Productive Transformation team is part of the UNDP’s Governance and Productive Transformation work area and is responsible for managing the implementation of projects that contribute to this area, in close partnership with the management structures formed by the national and local counterparts. It provides substantive, administrative, logical, and financial support for project implementation and is accountable to UNDP management and donors for their progress. 

The Project Associate’s duties, in strict compliance with UNDP rules and procedures and in close coordination with the TP Project Officer, are:

1. Support the project team to ensure effective project planning and implementation.

• Compile and summarize information and data for the development of project work plans, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals for implementation agreements, and other specific project-related topics or issues.
• Provide comprehensive support in all aspects of project implementation in accordance with project documents, annual work plans, and other agreements between UNDP and the responsible partners. 
• Ensure the quality of delivery by consultants, beneficiaries, and contracted companies; and communicate findings to the supervisor.
• Ensure compliance of project business processes with UNDP Project Policies and Operating Procedures (POPPs) and UNDP Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). When necessary, provide guidance to project staff on business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures.
• Support the mainstreaming of gender equality into project implementation, including data collection and compilation. Prepare reference materials on gender equality for use in discussions, briefings, and correspondence.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery, including organizing/coordinating project events and selecting appropriate venues, coordinating project procurement procedures, maintaining project records and files, recruiting project team members, and supporting contracting activities.

        2. Support partnerships and resource mobilization.

• Establish and maintain contacts and cooperation with relevant UN agencies, government institutions, NGOs, tertiary institutions, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Provide support in updating the database of relevant audiences and development partners, and other stakeholders involved in the project.
• Ensure regular communication and coordination with partners, project counterparts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries; and develop and maintain effective mechanisms to integrate and respond to their feedback and insights.
• Support the creation of high-quality information and visibility of project activities among stakeholders; and ensure careful selection of communication tools and adaptation of messages to take into account the overall sociopolitical and development context of the host countries.
• Conduct horizon scanning and explore opportunities for resource mobilization in consultation with the direct supervisor.

       3. Provide support for the financial execution of projects

• Support payment processing and review of supporting information.
• Process project-related payments in the Quantum system.
• Manage payment and reimbursement processes related to field and international missions.
• Support the implementation and monitoring of procurement processes for goods and services, in accordance with UNDP standards and donor agreements.
• Prepare information that allows for analysis of the financial execution of projects and supports financial audit processes.
• Provide support to NPOs for the proper financial management of projects.

       4. Provide support for effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting on project implementation progress.

• Support the implementation of the project’s monitoring system in line with its monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure effective information sharing, feedback, and high-quality progress reporting.
• Collect, analyze, and present information for monitoring and evaluating project implementation against project objectives, as well as for audit purposes. Identify implementation gaps and provide support to close them in consultation with the supervisor and partners.
• Assist in organizing field and study visits, missions, workshops, roundtables, and conferences within the project.
• Assist in the implementation of effective project risk management with a well-documented risk mitigation plan. Support the monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks.
• Periodically monitor expenditures and commitments against the project budget and relevant plans, and provide financial-related information to support project implementation. When necessary, recommend corrective actions and draft various correspondence regarding finance, operations, and budgetary matters.
• Prepare and consolidate required project reports in a timely manner and in accordance with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements.

       5. Support knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, and capacity building relevant to the assigned project.

• Participate in training sessions and organize briefings on internal procedures for project staff. Provide support for other capacity-building activities, including the design and delivery of tools, workshop materials, or platforms that harness the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action.
• Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and at the regional level. Stay abreast of emerging best practices at the national, regional, and international levels that relate to the assigned project work.
• Make solid contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support the collection and systematization of project knowledge, products, and tools, as well as their broad distribution to partners.

The incumbent performs other duties within his or her functional profile that are deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

The Project Associate will join the Productive Transformation team within the Governance and Productive Transformation Area, under the direct supervision of the National Officer for Productive Transformation Projects. They will also work in constant coordination with the analysts and other assistants who make up the Productive Transformation team.

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