Project Assistant

2.   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 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

The Crises Preparedness, Response, and Resilience program is designed to strengthen the capacity of communities and institutions to manage a wide range of crises across the entire Disaster Risk Management (DRM) cycle—from preparedness and immediate response to recovery and long-term resilience. Aligned with UN principles and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the program takes a holistic approach that addresses both sudden-onset and protracted crises, including geophysical events (such as earthquakes and floods), public health emergencies (like pandemics), technological accidents, industrial hazards, forced displacement, and complex humanitarian crises. Recognizing that all disasters are shaped by human vulnerabilities and systemic inequalities, the program focuses on reducing risk and strengthening resilience before crises occur.

3.   Scope of Work 

• Assist in compiling and summarizing information and data for the formulation of project work plans. In consultation with project team, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and on other specific project related topics or issues. 
• Support project implementation in accordance with the project documents, annual work plans and other agreements between UNDP and responsible partners. Review project documents for completeness and compliance with relevant rules and procedures and identify inconsistencies for referral to supervisor. Compile, summarize and present basic information/data on a specific project and related topics or issues; 
• Contribute to and support data collection for gender analysis and gender mainstreaming at the project level. 
• Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery that includes organization/coordination of project events, procurement and finance-related activities, contract management, recruitment, and coordination of field visits and project-related missions.

Support partnerships and resource mobilization. 

• Establish and maintain contacts and cooperation with the relevant UN Agencies, government institutions, and other partners and relevant stakeholders. Provide support in updating database of the relevant public and development partners, and other stakeholders who are counterparts for the project.
• Support regular communication with partners, project counterparts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries. 
• Support dissemination of high-quality information and visibility of the project activities among the stakeholders. 
• Assist project team in identifying and gathering information on opportunities for resource mobilization.

• Support implementation of the project monitoring system in alignment with its Monitoring and Evaluation framework to facilitate effective information sharing on project status and achievement of targets. 
• Collect, analyze and present information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets as well as for audit purposes. Assist team in the design and conduct of internal evaluations and surveys. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners.
• Support the organization of progress meetings, field, and study visits to monitor project implementation and support organization of workshops, roundtables, and conferences within the project.
• Assist in implementation of effective risk management for the project with a well-documented risk mitigation plan in place. Support monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks. Update the status of risks in relevant project risk logs and/or databases. 
• Monitor project budget, financial resources, and accounting for effective and transparent use of available resources and to ensure accuracy and reliability of data/information used in financial reports. 
• Support the preparation of weekly, quarterly, annual, and other requested project reports in line with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements. 

Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing relevant to the assigned project. 

• Participate in training on internal procedures for the project staff and provide support to the organization of training and other capacity building activities as needed. 

• Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. 

• Maintain organized records of project data, field activities, case studies, human-interest stories, photographs, and other relevant documents that can be drawn upon in support of knowledge sharing and advocacy. 

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

4.     Institutional Arrangement

The Project Assistant works under the general supervision of Project Manager and collaborates closely with the preparedness, Response and Resillience Programme Team. 

5. Competencies

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making

• 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

• 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.

• 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. 

• 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.

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets

• Support projects with event management including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.

6.    Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

• Secondary education is required, or  
• University Degree in Business Administration, Economics, Engineering, Public Administration, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

• Experience in refugee response projects  
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation tools 
• Knowledge of project management processes 
• Knowledge of procurement procedures of national / international organizations 
• Experience working in UN Organizations

• Fluency in Turkish and English