Project Associate, Manila

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

  Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

  Background

  The Government of Australia (GOA) has invested AUD20.6 million in the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme 20212028 to support the Government of the Philippines (GPH) in building institutional and community resilience to climate change and natural hazards. The goal of the SHIELD Programme is to make all people in target communities safer and more resilient to the impacts of natural hazard events and climate change. This will be realized by achieving three inter-dependent outcomes/components:  

  • Component 1: Government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders in targeted local government units (LGUs) are collaborating to unlock funding and implementing informed and inclusive resilience actions  
  • Component 2: Relevant national government agencies (NGAs) are prioritizing action on local climate and disaster resilience  
  • Component 3: Philippine scientific agencies are producing tailored and accessible information for local resilience action  

    In partnership with the Government of the Philippines, the SHIELD Programme is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), together with consortium partners, UNHabitat, Philippine Business for Social Progress, National Resilience Council Foundation Incorporated, and the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society. All five Consortium partners will serve as Implementing Partners responsible for managing respective project outputs and activities, in harmony with other workstreams, and manage risk in accordance with the agreed project document. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) serves as lead Government partner for the implementation of the SHIELD Programme.  

    UNDP, as Consortium Lead, has entered into a cost-sharing agreement with the Australian Embassy in Manila - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for the implementation of the SHIELD Programme and takes overall responsibility and accountability for the effective use of resources and the delivery of outputs, as set forth in the SHIELD Portfolio Document.    

    UNDP will set up a SHIELD Support Unit (SSU) responsible and accountable for day-to-day management of SHIELD Programme interventions across the 3 components, achieving programme outputs, and for the effective use of resources through collaborative engagement with the Consortium, GPH, multistakeholder partnerships (MSPs), and GOA. While administratively reporting to UNDP, the SSU will serve as the implementation arm of the whole SHIELD Consortium.    

    The SSU will undertake key functions to support the SHIELD Programme Board, Executive Committee, and Programme Management Team, including secretariat duties, GEDSI support to programmes, whole-of programme monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), and professional partnership brokering through MSPs at the sub-national and national levels.   

    The Project Associate will be under the direct supervision of the UNDP Project Manager, with overall guidance from SHIELD Programme Manager, and will have reporting duties to the Director of the DILG Bureau of Local Government Development (BLGD) and the Director of the Environmental, Land Use, and Urban Planning and Development Bureau (ELUPDB) - Department of Housing Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD). S/he will work closely with the SHIELD Support Unit, UNDP Climate Action Programme Team, and in close collaboration with the SHIELD Consortium partners, UNDP teams in the Philippines Country Office and Bangkok Regional Hub, and DFAT. S/he will coordinate with LGUs and other national and subnational stakeholders in the SHIELD Program sites towards the effective delivery of the program.   

    Duties and Responsibilities

    The Project Associate will provide technical, coordination, and operational support to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Housing Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) in overseeing and facilitating the implementation of the SHIELD Programme. The incumbent will support effective coordination among stakeholders, monitor implementation progress, strengthen institutionalization efforts, facilitate knowledge management and communications, and contribute to the efficient delivery of programme outputs and outcomes.  

    1. Technical support to the implementation of project activities.  

    • Provide project coordination, planning and implementation of the project activities.  
    • Collect, analyze, and present information to support program planning, strategy development, and implementation.  
    • Prepare background information and materials, documentations, activity designs, strategy papers, presentations, correspondences and other related documents.  
    • Assist in the design, conduct, and documentation of meetings, consultations, missions, capacity building activities and other related activities to support Program objectives.  
    • Assist in tracking and documenting progress towards achievement of targets and objectives of the Program.  

      2. Assist in maintaining partnership and delivering to stakeholders.  

      • Regularly meet with the consortium partners and key project partners to ensure agreed work plans are prioritized by the consortium and key project partners.  
      • Meet and coordinate discussions with partners and stakeholders on issues affecting the project, and bring the same to the attention of the SHIELD team.  
      • Attendance at any forums where project stakeholders might highlight issues that could affect the project or add to the scope of the project, and bring the same to the attention of the project team.  

        3. Support monitoring and evaluation and reporting of project outputs and deliverables.  

        • Undertake monitoring missions to project sites.  
        • Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual reports of project activities, outputs and deliverables.  
        • Timely acquittals and reporting after field visits.  
        • Ensure contracted stakeholders follow their contract and deliver on planned activities.  
        • Provide recommendations for the mitigation of identified risks, sustainability strategies and improvements in project implementation as well as resource mobilization based on findings of monitoring missions.  

          4. Facilitate logistical, travel, procurement, and financial and assest management of the project.  

          • Preparation of events budgets.  
          • Timely acquittals and reporting after field visits.  
          • Ensure contracted stakeholders follow their contract and deliver on planned activities.  
          • Timely provision of support to procure goods and services required by the project, in liaison with the relevant project staff, participants, project stakeholders and relevant units of the UNDP Country Office.  

            5. Contribute to knowledge management and learning from the project activities.  

            • Compiling, organizing and filing information and documents, including correspondence and minutes, for reference and use by team members.  
            • Document lessons learned and recommendations to improve activities in the communities.  
            • Liaise with Communications support personnel to create Communications Plans for events and to highlight project results.  
            • Prepare activity reports, with analysis of project outputs and relevant findings to information reporting to UNDP Philippines and DFAT. [Quarterly/annual reporting]  

              The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

              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:  

                • 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   
                    • 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   
                      • 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.   
                        • Communication   
                          • 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  
                          • Monitoring & Evaluation  
                            • Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.  
                            • Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming.  
                            • Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.  
                            • Finance  
                              • Budget management 
                                • Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets   
                                • Procurement 
                                  • Procurement management 
                                    • The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source 

                                      Required Skills and Experience

                                      Education:

                                      • Secondary education is required, or    
                                      • University Degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

                                        Experience:

                                        • A minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience is required.  
                                        • Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.  

                                          Desired Skills:

                                          • Experience in preparation of financial reports and overviews
                                          • Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation tools  
                                          • Proven Knowledge of project management processes   
                                          • Proven Knowledge of procurement procedures of national and international organizations 

                                            Required Languages: 

                                            • Fluency in oral and written English and Filipino is required.  

                                              Equal opportunity

                                              As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

                                              UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

                                              Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

                                              UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

                                              Right to select multiple candidates

                                              UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

                                              Use of AI by candidates

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