Partnerships and Programme Assistant

About UN University (UNU)

The United Nations University (UNU) is an international community of scholars engaged in policy-oriented research, capacity development and dissemination of knowledge, furthering the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. UNU’s mission is to contribute, through research and capacity building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations and its Member States.

For the past four decades, United Nations University (UNU) has been a go-to think tank for impartial research on human survival, conflict prevention, sustainable development and welfare. With more than 400 researchers in 12 countries, UNU’s work spans the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, generating policy-relevant knowledge to effect positive global change. UNU maintains more than 200 collaborations with UN agencies and leading universities and research institutions across the globe.

United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER)

UNU-WIDER is one of 14 research and training Institutes that comprise the think tanks in the UNU system.

UNU-WIDER is a leading international development economics think tank. The Institute provides economic analysis and policy advice with the aim of promoting sustainable and equitable development for all. The Institute began operations in 1985 in Helsinki, Finland, as the first research centre of the United Nations University. Today, it is a unique blend of think tank, research institute, and UN agency — providing a range of services from policy advice to governments, as well as freely available original research. More information on UNU-WIDER and its current work programme are available at www.wider.unu.edu.

UNU-WIDER is implementing a large research, capacity development, and policy engagement programme in South Africa, called Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) in close collaboration with the National Treasury of South Africa. Building on the successful first phase of this programme, phase II of SA-TIED will continue to bring together world class researchers with policymakers to combat socio-economic challenges in South Africa but also in the broader southern African region. A big focus of SA‐TIED relates to its engagements with the policy‐making community as a partner. A key aspect of the programme is to generate robust empirical evidence and use it as a basis to encourage networking and discussion amongst people involved in policy processes across the participating organisations and civil society to bridge the gap between research and policy‐making. The programme played an important part in making anonymised administrative tax data available for research purposes at a Secure Data Facility at the National Treasury (NT-SDF) and is a key asset in the programme. The availability of administrative tax data for research has enabled many new avenues of research and has provided new perspectives on the South African economy and has dramatically improved the quality and breadth of evidence used to inform policy. For more information on SA-TIED, please visit https://sa-tied.wider.unu.edu/.

Responsibilities 

The Project Assistant will work on a wide spectrum of project support functions for the SA-TIED Programme. This post is initially for one year, which can be extended subject to availability of funding and performance. The Project Assistant will work closely with colleagues within UNU-WIDER as well as UNU-WIDER global network of academics and policymakers and analysts based in government entities, research institutions and other UN entities across the globe.

1. Ensures project support to assigned projects within SA-TIED and the NT-SDF

• Serves as project support for the coordination and monitoring of project implementation activities within the thematic programme area.
• Liaises across the Institute and with project network (project managers, communications and administrative personnel, as well as external partners) related to project administration and partnership management.
• Performs the projects’ requisitioner role related to external contracts and procurement.
• Prepares contract requests for approval, monitors all project contracts, and coordinates with the consultants, institutional partners and service providers.
• Plans procurement needs and prepares needed documents for goods and services.
• Supports project managers in drafting work plans with particular attention to timelines, budgets and procurement plans.
•  Identifies inconsistencies and brings them to the attention of management.
• Liaises with visitors to the NT-SDF to ensure smooth communication and procedures.

2. Provides support for effective financial and administrative control of assigned projects

• Analyzes and interprets rules and regulations of the UN and UNU and assists in providing solutions to issues related to contracting, finance, logistics and day-to-day administrative activities.
• Drafts basic narrative and financial project reports and other project related materials.
• Monitors project budgets, expenditures, and maintains a record of approved project budgets and revisions.
• Ensures project related records are properly maintained and any project assets are properly managed.
• Exercises quality control functions for outgoing documents and electronic content; proofreads and edits texts for adherence for format, grammar, punctuation and style.

3. Ensures facilitation of knowledge sharing within the Institute, and among partners and external stakeholders

• Assists project managers with facilitating and documenting meetings internally and with partners.
• Organizes workshops, seminars, learning events, training, and other events, including arrangement for venues, logistics, transportation as well as documentation of events in collaboration with project manager.
• Works closely with communications colleagues to ensure knowledge mobilization and outreach of project outputs.
• Provides accurate, prompt, and appropriate information and reports to supervisor on administrative and finance matters of the projects.
• Drafts lessons learned and best practices relevant to project implementation.
• Supports knowledge sharing within the Institute.
• Takes part in institutional working groups and task forces when required.

4. Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor

Key performance indicators

• Timely and quality project support provided to assigned projects.
• Timely and quality delivery of regular reports and work plans.
• Ensures timely administrative and logistical support for assigned projects.
• Maintains positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Competencies

Values:

• Inclusion — take action to create an environment of dignity and respect for all, regardless of age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, geography, grade, language, nationality, racial identity, religion, sex, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, social origin or any other aspect of identity
• Integrity — act ethically, demonstrating the standards of conduct of the United Nations and taking prompt action in case of witnessing unprofessional or unethical behaviour, or any other breach of UN standards
• Humility — demonstrate self-awareness and willingness to learn from others
• Humanity — act according to the purposes of the United Nations: peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet

Behaviours:

• Connect and collaborate — build positive relationships with others to advance the work of the United Nations and work coherently as One UN
• Analyse and plan — seek out and use data from a wide range of sources to understand problems, inform decision-making, propose evidence-based solutions and plan action
• Deliver results with positive impact — hold oneself and others accountable for delivering results and making a positive difference to the people and causes that the United Nations serves
• Learn and develop — pursue own learning and development and contribute to the learning and development of others
• Adapt and innovate — demonstrate flexibility, agility and the ability to think and act in novel ways