Admin Senior Assistant (learning) – Retainer position

Background Information – UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background information – Implementation Practices and Standards (IPS)

Within UNOPS, Implementation Practices and Standards (IPS) is responsible for the UNOPS delivery practices. IPS provides thought leadership, standards and oversight as support to the successful delivery of programmes and projects within UNOPS service lines (infrastructure, procurement, project management, human resources and financial management services). IPS is comprised of the Infrastructure and Project Management Group and the Procurement Group which aims to reduce organizational risks, improve project performance, and promote excellence across UNOPS projects through the Standards Management Framework; and provides organisational oversight on the application of standards. These Groups also support the positioning of UNOPS in the UN system and development sector in Infrastructure, Project Management and Procurement.

The Portfolio support unit which aims at building up and managing the organisational readiness of UNOPS and therefore support the implementation of the UNOPS global portfolio. It also provides support services to the Implementation Practices and Standards function.

Lastly, IPS hosts Knowledge Management (KM) and the Organisational Excellence at UNOPS under IPSO.

Background information – Portfolio Support

Portfolio Support (PS) is a business unit within the IPS function which aims at (a) supporting aspects of the organisational readiness of UNOPS, and (b) managing IPS operations.

Organizational Readiness

UNOPS Organizational readiness is focused primarily on its mandate in infrastructure, project management and procurement. It aims to cover the ad-hoc resource needs of the Regional Portfolios to implement the corporate strategy and address the needs of donors.

The PS team supports the UNOPS Regional Portfolios by supplementing their existing resources on demand. This support includes administering the Corporate retainer pool and developing/co-managing other agreements and partnerships.

Support to IPS operations

PS provides timely support to IPS on operational aspects and takes a coordination function in the areas of human resources (HR), general administration, communication, finance and procurement by working in close relationship with other Headquarter (HQ) units, notably the Shared Services Center (SSC). PS also manages the Project of the Year Award (POTYA) and coordinates the IPS Learning activities.

Background Information – Job-specific

Under the supervision of the IPS Learning and Training Coordinator, the Admin Senior Assistant will support specifically two learning activities in project management.

This is a home-based retainer contract that can also be performed from UNOPS Headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark or UNOPS Bangkok office (at the incumbent’s discretion). Whilst this assignment can be delivered working from home, it may require presence in Copenhagen and/or international travel on occasion. In addition, the successful incumbent can be based in different time-zones, s/he should be able and willing to ensure a degree of time overlap with the team based in our HQ in Copenhagen.

This position is for a maximum of 100 days between July and December 2022 (retainer assignment) and it is estimated that 2 months of work in total will be needed.

The assessment for this position will be done via a desk review of the applications received. The Hiring Manager reserves the right to contact the shortlisted candidates for additional information as needed.

All UNOPS personnel are required to share a common understanding of UNOPS’ and the UN’s mandate, policies and activities. To this end, UNOPS Personnel must complete a set of mandatory courses, at no cost. Refer to the section “additional information (general)”.

Functional Responsibilities

1.Learning Management System (LMS) project management.

• Upload of internal Project Management certification questions (approximately 1600 questions with 2 or more answers) in multiple languages into the LMS
• Troubleshoot issues with platform functionalities
• Assist in the integration of 3rd party tools through coordination with the Project Lead and the UNOPS Learning Team as needed
• Support the management of the certification in the system and process improvements through configuration, testing, and rollout. This includes resolving ongoing LMS issues and errors
• Create, update, analyze, and distribute LMS reports to meet the needs of stakeholders
• Perform various administrative functions in support of PM training events and eLearning programs including content management, data collection and reporting and more

2.Data management of external PPM records.

• Compile and check the quality of the data of UNOPS external project and programme management learning records, since 2009.
• Responsible for the entries in the system matching each resource.
• As needed, the incumbent will perform data extraction, analysis, visualization, reporting/transfer and management of the records from previous years.

The key results are as follows:

• Input of the practice certification questions in EN, ES and FR in the LMS by July 29th or within 2 weeks after the contract start date
• Input of the totality of the exam questions in EN, ES and FR by August 26th
• Generate reports on status of completion of the internal certification

Impact of results

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Admin Senior Assistant directly impact on the compliant execution of Learning activities in UNOPS and management of learning and training data in the organisation. These promote the credibility of the organization in project management, which is one the 5 UNOPS service lines.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Completion of Secondary education is required. First University Degree in Human Resources Management, Learning, Business Administration, Public Administration, Project Management or equivalent disciplines is desirable.
• A first-level University degree or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline may substitute for up to 3 years of the required experience.

Work experience:

• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in an international and/or national organization related to administration, learning or project management is required.
• Some experience (minimum 1 year) with database or data management or data entries is a requirement.
• Some experience in UN system organizations is desirable, UNOPS experience is considered an asset.
• Proficiency in computers and experience in handling of web-based management systems is required. Experience with Google suite is considered an asset.
• Experience in using of learning management systems is desirable. Experience with UN LMS is considered an asset.
• Experience in using enterprise systems is an asset. Experience with Authoring Software (Articulate 360) is considered an asset.

Languages

• Full knowledge of the working language is essential (English).
• Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local ICA

Contract level: LICA-5 Contract duration: Short-Term ICA – ‘Short-term ICA – Maximum duration 3 months’

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

More information on retainer contracts:

• A retainer ICA does not accord any exclusivity to the Individual Contractor with respect to the Services listed in the job description. UNOPS shall have no limitation on its right to obtain Services of the same kind from any other source at any time.
• A retainer Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) is issued for a period of time during which the services of the individual contractor may be required intermittently.
• A retainer ICA will specify a unit price (e.g. amount per day actually worked). For budgetary purposes, a monetary limit will be specified at the time the ICA is awarded and issued.
• UNOPS shall have no obligation to obtain any minimum quantity of Services from the Individual Contractor during the duration of the retainer ICA.
• Payment will be made only after completion of work (if any) or reaching agreed milestones.
• UNOPS Individual Contractors must comply with the standards of conduct required of a UN civil servant, when carrying out their official UNOPS responsibilities and also all other times. This includes the standards of conduct set forth in the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin of 9 October 2003 entitled “Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse” (ST/SGB/2003/13) and the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin of 18 June 2002 entitled “Regulations Governing the Status, Basic Rights and Duties of Officials other than Secretariat Officials, and Experts on Mission” (ST/SGB/2002/9) as they may be amended from time to time.
• UNOPS Individual Contractors must comply with all applicable UNOPS policies and instructions. This includes the obligation to declare any outside activity that could result in an actual or perceived conflict with the interests of the UN; as well as to refrain from using information gained through the UNOPS Individual Contractor Agreement contract for the Individual Contractor’s own purposes or to help a third party (unless the information is already in the public domain), in particular but not only in relation to procurement of works, goods and services.
• UNOPS Individual Contractors must abide by UN safety and security policies, instructions, directives, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• The standard terms and conditions of the UNOPS ICA as of the present date can be found at https://content.unops.org/HR-Documents/ICA_contract/Annex-A-ENGLISH.pdf
• Given the nature of this position, particular attention should be given to section 11 on Confidentiality.

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates and candidates from the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization – UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• All UNOPS personnel are required to share a common understanding of UNOPS’ and the UN’s mandate, policies and activities. To this end, UNOPS Personnel must complete a set of mandatory courses. As a UNOPS ICA retainer, you are required to complete at least two (2) online courses upon signature of your contract and prior to commencing any retainer assignment related to Ethics and Integrity, the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. If you go on official mission, you are required to complete an online course related to security awareness. These courses are available for free on UNOPS learning platform and shall be completed within the first three months following the contract signature, at no cost for UNOPS. UNOPS reserves the right to request a refresher of the mandatory courses is taken or newly promulgated mandatory courses are completed at no cost for UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• All retainer assignments will be handled via the UNOPS online retainer management tool, including the request for the retainer’s services and the provision of feedback for each assignment.