ABOUT THE COMPANY:

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

JOB SUMMARY

1. Position Information

2.        Office/Unit/Project Description 

UNDP Türkiye aims to find practical solutions to Türkiye’s development challenges and manages projects together with the Turkish Government and other partners to address them.

Since 1986 it has implemented over 80 programs across the country. In addition, the UNDP has played a major role in response to crises and disasters in Turkey and the surrounding region.

UNDP Türkiye has positioned to contribute through three core areas: 1) Inclusive and Democratic Governance (IDG); 2) Inclusive and Sustainable Growth (ISG); and 3) Climate Change and Environment (CCE); and in addition to these core areas, UNDP Türkiye is emphasizing the role of Strategic Partnerships that cut across the entire country program as well as regionally and globally.

The ISG Portfolio is geared towards addressing structural economic problems, such as productivity, innovation, the middle-income trap, multi-dimensional poverty, energy security and regional disparities, as well as challenges with social, environmental and economic repercussions, such as urbanization.

Within the scope of Public Policies and Inequalities (PPI) Cluster of the ISG Portfolio, UNDP aims to improve sustainable economic growth, contributing productive, competitive and resilient economy, advocating for stronger participation of women and youth in the economy as well as supporting green growth and digitalization.

For these purposes, UNDP Türkiye develops partnerships with the public and private sectors and the civil society.

The earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş and Hatay on the 6th of February displaced an estimated 3.3 million people, with 2 million relocating to other provinces.

According to TERRA, earthquakes destroyed 220,000 businesses (ILO), leading to a 33% decline in formal employment across the region, affecting 614,000 individuals. Earthquakes also damaged the industry sector severely. Before Hatay province alone accounted for 35% of footwear production in Türkiye.

The Small Industrial Zone (SIZ) in Hatay housed 460-470 footwear producers, ranging from micro to medium-scale businesses. However, the SIZ suffered severe damage, leaving it inoperable for the time being and causing substantial losses of materials and equipment.

Nevertheless, despite the combined efforts of the Turkish Government and the international community, Hatay is far from fully recovering due to the large scale and severity of the disaster. “Economic life remains severely disrupted, with employment plunging by over half in the worst-affected provinces.” Leather industries as leading manufacturing sectors in the region face a significantly reduced production capacity and labor supply.

In the medium to long term, they may risk losing their supply contracts if they fail to find means to remedy the labor shortage.

While loss or severe damage of equipment, material and structures abruptly disrupted production, disaster-related trauma and lack of proper living conditions including housing and social and public services remain leading causes for labor force gaps. Overall, the footwear sectors in the area are at risk of losing their supply chain and export capacity due to a fall in production capacity.

The project, Supporting Textile, Leather, and Footwear Industries in Distressed Earthquake Provinces (STRIDE) aims to support the recovery and resilience of businesses and individuals in the leather/footwear sectors affected by earthquakes in Antakya/Hatay through the establishment of common-use facilities, and provision of sophisticated equipment.

The project seeks to enhance production capacity and product quality for small businesses.

Additionally, it aims to strengthen the business capacities of SMEs by providing business development support, including skill development training and networking opportunities. The project also focuses on empowering employment by offering technical vocational training and job matchmaking services, particularly targeting vulnerable populations like NEET youth and women. Finally, it aims to enhance resilience through mental health support services, including counseling and awareness-raising initiatives.

By addressing both infrastructure and socio-economic needs, the project aims to contribute to the long-term recovery and sustainability of the earthquake-affected regions.

There is a partnership whereby UNDP will be able to leverage its experience and field presence in the region; the DOĞAKA will quickly mobilize its resources for efficient implementation and bring in its regional knowledge; İHKİB Education Foundation will mobilize their sub-structures and member companies to provide technical skills building, job matchmaking, and business development support to footwear/leather sectors in Hatay.

Also, the Disaster Mental Health Studies Association (TARDE) under Bilgi University will ensure the operationalization of the Occupational Mental Health Center in Reyhanlı.

The other project, named Villages of Tomorrow, was designed as a sustainable response to the challenges which rural settlements face and affects the urban settlements.

Global challenges such as migration from the rural regions to urban areas, increasing median age in the countryside, increasing costs, and decreasing factor productivity, problems in food value chains were at the core of the response.

On the other hand, opportunities including digital tools as enablers of productivity and high life quality as well as tendencies to work and live in the rural following the global Covid-19 crisis were considered.

Türkiye is among the countries where quality of living and economic opportunities needs to be supported.

As defined in the national policy documents, regional plans as well as local agendas, rural areas are given specific importance. UNDP and Trendyol united their experience and strengths to design a rural development project while using digital tools as the main enablers.

Variety and quality of local agricultural and handicraft products of Türkiye possesses a significant potential as high-value added, sustainable and environment-friendly assets, which could be used more as a livelihood input and a preserved cultural heritage.

In accordance with the experience and priorities of Trendyol and UNDP’s commitment to 2030 agenda, the project has been positioned to use these assets as tools for development.

Based on the 18-month initiation phase, the Villages of Tomorrow will ensure establishment of pilot villages where digital technologies are adopted both in economic and social life.

The project also aims to establish a self-sustaining network of similar villages and position these villages as best practices.

3.        Scope of Work 

The overall duty of the Project Assistant (Provincial) shall be mainly responsible for the coordination and monitoring of the projects activities.

He/she will provide the project team with sufficient coordination/implementation and administrative support. In addition to their daily routine, the Project Assistant (Provincial) will also fulfil the tasks to be assigned by the UNDP Project Manager.

The UNDP Project Assistant  will have the following responsibilities: Under the Supporting Textile, Leather, and Footwear Industries in Distressed Earthquake Provinces (STRIDE) project and the Villages of Tomorrow Project

Support the project team to ensure effective project planning and implementation.

• 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.

Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of project implementation.

• 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.
• Supporting to coordinate the operations and activities in the common use shoe-upper production facility established under the project and the Occupational Mental Health Center,
• Supporting to ensure local coordination of other projects carried out in Hatay by UNDP,
• Supporting to coordinate the operations and activities in the Batıayaz Digital Center established under the project,

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

UNDP Project Assistant  will be directly responsible to, reporting to, seeking approval/acceptance of output from the UNDP Project Manager.

5.

Competencies

Core Competencies 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies) 

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.Business Management Communication

• 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.

Business Management Monitoring

• 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.

Technical – Finance Budget management

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

Administration & OperationsEvent Management

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

6.

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

REQUIRED EDUCATION: Bachelor Degree

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 60