Administrative Associate

UNDP first signed its agreement of cooperation with Ethiopia, the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement (SBAA) back in February 1981. Since then, UNDP has remained engaged, providing Ethiopia with strategic support, and strengthening the capacity of national institutions to deliver the much-needed development results. 

UNDP’s interventions have prioritized long-term, supporting structural change that would unlock transformational benefits of technical assistance at all levels. It has done so robustly, impartially and patiently, paying attention to the sustainability of the support provided, and driven by the belief that an effective development partnership with Ethiopia requires strategic patience and, with it, the deployment of patient capital.

Over the last five years, UNDP Ethiopia has mobilized over a USD 100 million investment through its regular resources and partners to enhance the delivery of nationally defined and country-owned priorities. 

UNDP takes advantage of its presence in over 170 countries to help Ethiopia access best practices and strengthen its south-south cooperation. The organization has played a role in supporting Ethiopia to develop and implement key strategies such as the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE), through which the country seeks to achieve an ambitious target of 64% emission reduction by 2030 while building the country’s adaptive capacity and resilience.

UNDP’s strategic approach has helped Ethiopia to set up key national institutions such as the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange (ECX), the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), the Ethiopian Tourism Organization (ETO) and the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC).

Position Purpose

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the DRR/O, the Administrative Associate to DRR/O ensures effective and efficient functioning of the DRR/O office, full confidentiality in all aspects of the assignment, maintenance of protocol procedures, management of information flow and follow-up on deadlines and commitments made. The incumbent provides support to the overall financial management of programme projects. The Administrative Associate is part of the support team to the office Senior Management group and flexibly assists the Management Team depending on workload.

The Administrative Associate can supervise the secretarial and clerical staff of the office. The Administrative Associate to DRR/O works in close collaboration with UNDP staff, UN Agencies and national authorities to ensure an efficient flow of information, actions on instructions, agendas.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

1, Ensures effective and efficient functioning of the DRR/O office focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Maintenance of the supervisor’s (DRR/O) online calendar, contacts with visitors, arrangement of appointments and meetings and acting as an integrator when required and/or taking minutes;
• Preparation of high quality briefing materials for the supervisor for appointments, meetings, missions and maintenance of protocol procedures. Preparation of briefing material for New Corners;
• Ensure full compliance of administrative activities with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies;
• Develop CO administrative business processes mapping and elaboration of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs);
• Preparation of minutes of Operations regular meetings, UN OMT meetings and ensures regular follow-up with agencies on recommendations;
• Management of DRR/O and in-coming missions in collaboration with Travel Unit by ensuring that security clearances are approved and communicated to requestors on time;
• Maintenance of rosters of high-level partners, telephone lists- telephone directory of all UN agencies based in Addis Ababa Ethiopia;
• Preparation of correspondence, directives, and comments on behalf of DRR/O for his/her signature and making follow-up when required, print UN program budget Snapshots, useful HR circulars as well as financial;
• Use of automated office management systems for effective functioning of the DRR/O office;
• Update of Warden list in collaboration of the Security Unit of the UN;
• Printing of snapshots from Quantum on weekly basis.

2, Ensures provision of effective communications support to the office focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Maintenance of the filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials. Use of automated filing system;
• Coordination of the information flow in the Operations unit and with other units in the office, follow up on circulation files as appropriate;
• Facilitation of information sharing between all units in the office, as well as between Security Cell, UN Dispensary, UNDP projects;
• Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to DRR/O;
• Screening of all incoming calls and correspondence;
• Presentation of proposals to eliminate communication bottlenecks in the unit and streamline office procedures between the supervisor’s office and other units; Participation in substantial meetings organized by the supervisor and preparation of reports.

3, Provide support to the overall financial management of programme projects, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Prepare financial management reports on project expenditures, etc. {either using Quantum or otherwise as needed) upon request by the DRR/O or other Senior Managers;
• Assist in the preparation of budget, audit and other reports; and provide researched information and reports for audit exercises;
• Review, research, verify and reconcile a variety of data and reports ensuring accuracy and conformance with administrative rules and regulations;
• Review travel authorizations, documentation, payments;
• Assist DRR/O and other Senior Managers to monitor the outstanding advances, cost-sharing deficits, and other financial discrepancies by closely working with the Programme Managers and their teams;
• Assist DRR/O to monitor the cost-recovery status;
• Assist DRR/O and other Senior Managers, in collaboration with the Programme Managers to facilitate NEX Audit process.

4, Provide appropriate and required administrative and logistical services to the Country Office:

• Arrange travel and hotel reservations, review POs for travel activities, and prepare travel authorizations;
• When requested, collect information for DSA, travel agencies, and other administrative surveys.

5, Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
• Assisting the Executive Associate to the RR and to the DRR(P) in the organization of specialized trainings for Administrative functions;
• Active participation in the organization of trainings to UN staff on coordination, administration, secretarial and protocol issues.

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