Programme Assistant

**Background**

As all countries around the globe are seeking new ways to address complex and interconnected challenges such as shocks from crises, economic stagnation, inequality and poverty, providing access to clean and affordable energy, protect the environment, or mitigating and adapting to climate change, UNDP aims to develop integrated responses to these issues.UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to multi-lateral and bi-lateral partnerships, UNDP provides countries with specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme/project formulation and implementation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

The UNDP Country Office (CO) in Brazil is a key development partner of the Brazilian government and supports national and sub-national public and private sector institutions and civil society to achieve a more sustainable and inclusive society by strengthening democratic institutions, improvement of governance effectiveness, reduction of poverty and inequalities and addressing climate change and biodiversity issues.

In this context, to meet specific country needs and demands, the CO in Brazil has designed a programme portfolio that includes three mutually reinforcing work streams crafted around three teams:

- Inclusive Socio-economic Development: poverty reduction, social policies, livelihoods, public-private partnerships, inclusive markets and growth.
- Environmentally Sustainable Development: nature-based solutions for development, climate change, energy efficiency, management of chemical substances, among others.
- Governance and Justice for Development: prevention of violence, justice, transparency, anti-corruption, human rights, local capacity development.

The Governance and Justice for Development team works in an integrated manner with the Environmentally Sustainable Development and Inclusive Socio-Economic Development teams in anchoring UNDP’s programme portfolio in Justice, Public Security, Human Rights, Democratic Governance and Disasters Risk Management areas by providing thought leadership and enabling innovation and cross-cutting development solutions that are amplified by UNDP knowledge, research, and stand-out policy advice.

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Programme Specialist (Governance and Justice for Development), the Programme Assistant provides programme support services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work; and works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and project staff in the CO and UNDP HQ, as required, to exchange information and support programme delivery.

The Programme Assistant backstops colleagues in the Programme Unit during temporary absences or according to exigencies of service.

The Programme Unit works to support achievement of UNDP strategic objectives to create a world where people and planet thrive together, and to help the Country Office act with both ambition and scale to address urgent problems facing the country as well as global climate deteriorating conditions. Programme staff assist the Country Office in formulating and implementing programme strategies that go beyond solving immediate development challenges to create future smart and integrated systemic changes in resilience and capacity building within the country.

**Duties and Responsibilities**

Under the overall guidance of the ARR(P) and Programme Specialist, the Programme Assistant provides programme support services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work.

The Programme Assistant works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and project staff in the CO, and UNDP staff in HQ and Regional Hubs to exchange information and support programme delivery.

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.) Support formulation of programme strategies and implementation of the Country Programme Documents (CPDs).

Example of Duties:

- Collect, analyze and present information for preparation of CPDs and establishment of Baselines, Milestones and Targets (BMT).
- Collect information/evidence to guide future programming and identify implementation arrangements.

2.) Provide effective support to management of the Country Office programme.

Example of Duties:

- Create project in ERP, prepare required budget revisions, revise project status,