Project Support Consultant (national)

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Hiring Office:

UNFPA Turkmenistan Country Office

Purpose of consultancy:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022- 2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

UNFPA works through five-year country programmes, with the current one approved for the period 2021-2025 and co-financed by the Government. Building on the results achieved the current Country Programme focuses on three key areas in line with the 2030 Agenda, namely: Reproductive health and rights, Gender equality and Quality data for development. The well-being and development of the youth will be crosscutting across these key areas.

This consultancy will be focusing on the below two areas:

Reproductive health and reproductive rights (RH&RR) which is aimed at ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. This will be achieved by supporting the MoH MI of Turkmenistan in improving quality, inclusiveness and affordability of integrated reproductive health services with increased domestic investments in family planning to reach the furthest behind and strengthen accountability mechanisms for health governance.

Quality data for development (PD portfolio) - cooperation in the area of population dynamics will provide the support to ensure access and generation of quality population data, including the 2022 Population and Housing Census, to incorporate population and development analysis into planning and policy decisions to contribute to achieving the SDGs.

The Programme Assistant will mainly cover to the RH and PD programmes portfolio and provide programme, administrative and financial support to the programme and operations teams in the implementation of Country Programme. The incumbent will also contact with staff and other personnel to promote achievement of common goals and shared objectives and demonstrate personal commitment to UNFPA’s mandate and organizational vision.

Scope of work:

(Description of services, activities, or outputs)

Under the overall guidance of the Head of Office and direct supervision of the UNFPA National Programme Specialist on Reproductive Health and in the close cooperation with the National Programme Analyst on Population Dynamics, the Programme Assistant will be responsible for the following:

• Provide significant input into arranging programme activities, including supporting programme officers in budget monitoring, arranging venues, materials, helping in preparation of the presentations.
• Contribute to timely development of status progress reports on co financing by inserting expenditure and remaining figures, arranging translations, etc.
• In coordination with national counterparts and programme personnel contribute to logistics coordination related to program events, custom clearance and transfer of goods procured by UNFPA, prepare budget revisions.
• Assist in providing guidance on procurement, admin/financial procedures, prepare letters related to custom clearance, provide relevant information for creating/updating vendor profiles;
• Provide support on national execution under the HACT modality, including support to HACT assurance activities, such as spot checks, audits etc.
• Assist with programme related procurement of services/goods and ensures that procurement is in accordance with UNFPA Procurement Procedures: collects supporting documents; obtains price quotations and prepares comparative tables;

makes logistical arrangements for the delivery, including customs clearance and

distribution; obtains Receipt and Inspection Reports and acceptance reports from national counterparts.

• Maintain database of partners’ and donors’ contact information such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Keep proper digital and paper based (when is required) filing of all admin and financial documents related to projects implementation.
• Arrange programme meetings, including organizing the venue, preparing draft minutes of programme meetings, communicating draft minutes to the participants and receiving feedback. Ensure quality and completeness of filing of programme documents.
• Undertake all logistical, administrative and financial arrangements required for the successful planning and delivery of technical workshops, inter-agency meetings, panel discussions, roundtables, missions, and other events organized by program leads in close collaboration with the operations team. This may include liaising with event management companies and caterers supporting the procurement process for these and related services.
• Provide logistical support to programme events by gathering and compiling data and information for the preparation of events documents. This includes (but is not necessarily limited to) preparing and distributing CoA authorization letters; collecting and following up on nominations and registration; preparing list of participants; managing programme related travel and visa requirements, hotels booking, and circulating events materials.
• In coordination with designated UNFPA Country Office’s Monitoring and Evaluation officer collect and process information relevant to programme/work plan monitoring indicators.
• Translate and draft letters and other programme documents as well as provides verbal translation as may be deem to be necessary.;
• Provide information needed for program reports in different platforms (SIS, UNINFO and others) such as number of participants, dates of events, contracts’ closure dates, reported files etc.

Duration and working schedule:

From 01 May 2023 till 31 December 2023*

*The IC will provide temporary support to backstop the staff member during her maternity leave

Start date and duration may vary

Place where services are to be delivered:

The IC is expected to deliver all services and outputs by stationing in the UNFPA Country Office in Turkmenistan.

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):

The deliverables will be provided in-person, as described in the section “Scope of work”.

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:

The work of the IC at all stages will be monitored by the UNFPA National Programme Specialist on Reproductive Health. The IC will be closely working with the National Programme Analyst on Population Dynamics

Supervisory arrangements:

The IC will perform under the guidance and supervision of UNFPA National Programme Specialist on Reproductive Health and in the close cooperation with the National Programme Analyst on Population Dynamics and overall supervision of the Head of Office

Expected travel:

Travel can be expected on need-base subject to budget availability and approval of the direct Supervisor and Head of Office.

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

Academic Requirements:

• University degree in social sciences, international relations, law, demography, development studies, gender/women’s studies or related fields. Advanced university degree will be an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum 4 years of progressive professional experience in the public or private sector in administrative and operational support for project implementation. Prior experience in working with/or for international organizations is an advantage
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and donors is an asset.

Languages: Fluency in English and Russian. Working knowledge of Turkmen is desirable.

Computer skills: Proficiency in current software applications

Other: Good communication skills and ability to work as a team member, paying attention to

details, time management and tasks prioritisation skills

Inputs / services to be

UNFPA shall provide the IC with office space, IT equipment, relevant materials, data,