فرصة عمل لدى برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي (UNDP): مطلوب مساعدين/ت لمشروع (Project Associate)

Position Information

Project: Food Security Project (01001582)
Functional Title: Project Associate
Level: NPSA 6
Duty station: Beirut, Lebanon
Expected starting date: As soon as possible

Project Description

Lebanon is in a critical phase since the beginning of the economic meltdown at the end of 2019 in terms of addressing critical food security concerns. The multidimensional poverty rate of the Lebanese population reached 81% in 2021, whereas the extreme multidimensional poverty rate reached 40%. Adding the depreciation of the Lebanese pound, around 2 million people are facing food insecurity in 2022, a number that is expected to increase in 2023.

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Due to the heavy reliance of Lebanon on imports for food as well as agricultural inputs, the food price has risen steeply. As the economic crisis continues to worsen, and food prices increase, food insecurity has affected 1.46 million Lebanese and 800,000 Syrian refugees by April 2023.

The food security situation in Lebanon is also severely affected by supply-side factors issues affecting local production and supply of food. According to FAO, the domestic production of cereal in Lebanon is currently around 134,000 tons, which is approximately 5% below the past five-year average.

The Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) is responsible for the production and distribution of certified seeds in Lebanon, in addition to providing several other critical services for food security such as crop development. According to the Council of Ministers (CoM) Decision No. 43 dated September 27, 2001, LARI, as a subsidiary of the Ministry of Agriculture, has been designated to produce wheat seeds, being the only specialized national entity capable of breeding and producing certified wheat seeds. However, the LARI's seed program is currently facing various challenges, leading to its stall. One of the primary reasons behind LARI’s inability to produce and distribute certified seeds is the lack of public financing. The institution used to rely on government funding to operate the seed programme in a subsidized scheme, and budget cuts have affected its seed program's ability to function effectively. As a result, the LARI has been unable to produce enough certified seeds to meet the growing demand in the country, leading to an increased reliance on imported seeds.

LARI Centers designated for seed production include six stations, including Tal Amara, Kfardane, Terbol, Kfarchakhna, Abdeh,
and Tyre.

Availability and access to certified seeds are crucial, not only for producing disease- and climate-resilient crops suitable for local conditions but also for sustainable production of local agricultural inputs (This can lead to a reduction in the use of additional agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and resources) As it is crucial to address these challenges and provide LARI with necessary support and therefore, as part of its concerted efforts to bolster food security within Lebanon, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is formulating an allencompassing and comprehensive framework and strategy that can effectively address the rising demand for resources to strengthen food security and foster economic growth without causing adverse impacts on the environment.

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager (Food Security), the Project Associate will support
in the overall administration and finance of the project, including supporting administrative, financial, and logistical
issues related to project staff, consultants and sub-contractors.

Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager (Food Security), the The Project Associate (PA) will perform the following functions:

• Assist the Project Manager in day-to-day management and oversight of project activities.
• Undertake M&E activities and knowledge resources management.
• Assist in drafting inception, progress and final reports, manuals, communications, press releases and awareness material.
• Ensure all project documentation (progress reports, consulting and other technical reports, minutes of meetings, etc.) are properly maintained in hard and electronic copies in an efficient and readily accessible filing system, for when required by the project manager.
• Provide administrative and logistical assistance, including keeping records of project funds and expenditures, and ensuring all project-related financial documentation is well maintained and readily available when required by the Project Manager.
• Assist in preparing for meetings and presentations.
• Schedule and participate in conferences, workshops, and events.
• Draft correspondence in English and/or Arabic and follow up on correspondence.
• Review project expenditures and ensure that project funds are used in compliance with the Project Document and financial rules and procedures.
• Provide necessary financial information as and when required for project management decisions.
• Provide necessary financial information during project audits.
• Review annual budgets and project expenditure reports and notify the Project Manager if there are any discrepancies or issues.
• Support liaising between the project team and programme on various administrative issues.
• Support the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the project’s communication plan.
• Support the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of capacity-building activities.
• Enter data and assist in developing the project webpage and maintain it up to date.
• Assist in any related administrative tasks that are requested on ad-hoc basis.
• Perform additional tasks, within the scope of work and as required by the Project Manager.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Associate will be working under the overall guidance of the Food Security Project Manager.

Competencies

Core

• 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

• Administration & Operations: Events management (Including retreats, trainings and meetings)
  Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
• Administration & Operations: Documents and records management
  Overall document (hard or electronic) management. Registry and retention policy including storing and archiving
• Finance: Financial planning and budgeting
  Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing, and reporting
• Procurement: Contract management
  Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations
• 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
• Business Management: Operations Management
  Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the organization’s business processes to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner.
  Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms
• 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.

Qualifications

Education

• Completion of Secondary Education is required; or
  University Degree in Business Administration, Business Management, Accounting, or any related fields will be given due consideration but not a requirement

Experience

• Minimum 6 years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of progressive relevant experience in similar admin/finance tasks or related fields is required

Required skills and competencies

• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP is required.

Desired additional skills and competencies

• Previous experience with the UN, UNV, or international organization(s) is an asset.
• Previous experience in the financial management of development or social projects is an asset.
• Experience in coordinating events and planning meetings is an asset.
• Ability/Experience to perform admin and finance tasks.

Languages

Fluency in both spoken and written English and Arabic.

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