BACKGROUND
WHO has established the WHO Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) programme to help countries, and to coordinate international action to prevent, prepare for detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies. One of the pillars of this new programme is to support countries to enhance their all-hazards preparedness and to assess and strengthen their HR core capacities in prevention, preparedness, detection and early response to public health emergencies. The Zambia WHO Country Office EPR cluster is established for this purpose. After four waves of COVID-19 epidemic in Zambia and the introduction of vaccines, the number of COVID19 cases is decreasing. However, the country is preparing for the possible resurgence of COVID-19 as occurring in other countries, with or without link to the circulation of new variants. COVID-19 has put enormous demand on the health system overall, and personnel at WHO-CO due to increased procedures and processes to cope with the increased support to government response needs. To strengthen country office capacity to cope with the increased volume of work, the EPR program is recruiting a program assistant for effective and efficient functioning.
POST TITLE: PROGRAMME ASSISTANT (SPECIAL SERVICES AGREEMENT)
GRADE: G5
DUTY STATION: Lusaka
DURATION: 6 months
DUTIES
Under the direct supervision of the Operations Officer and the overall guidance of the WHO Country Representative, the Program Assistant will work in collaboration with the EPR cluster and the Country Support Unit (CSU) to perform the following tasks:
- Provide full administrative support including drafting in line with WHO style guide, reviewing and dispatching of correspondence, reports, documents, etc.
- Independently compose and finalize correspondence of administrative nature and draft interim replies, draft presentations as guided by professional staff
- Receive, screen and log all incoming correspondence, search for information and attach background, provide unofficial translation, if needed
- Take minutes of unit meetings and other meetings
- Update and maintain unit filing system (paper based, electronic and database)
- Follow up on the implementation of programme activities and ensure timely submission of unit’s contributions
- Respond to and act on telephone enquiries
- Assess the urgency of programme matters and refer them to appropriate staff for action
- Inform and remind professional staff in the unit of deadlines, provide supporting material as appropriate
- Organize the travel of cluster staff and incoming personnel, including raising travel requests (TRS) in the General Management System (GSM), security clearance, finalizing travel itineraries and hotel bookings etc
- Following up and maintaining records on the submission of duty travel reports.
- Provide full administrative support to the unit’s intercountry meetings, draft rationale and plan (including approximate costs) for meetings, compile and process all necessary documentation, liaise with participants, issue TRs, effect payments for participants, follow up on travel claims and complete logistical and financial arrangements.
- Using GSM, carry out the function of project administrator; entering unit workplans, monitoring availability of funds and financial expenditures according to the approved workplan, initiating expenditure batches, and liaising and coordinating with country offices on the implementation of the workplan related to the concerned programme
- Initiate and process different transactions in GSM, including procurement of goods & services under instruction of the procurement assistant
- Completing necessary forms, obtaining approvals for APWs and submitting documentation and following up with concerned parties on the receipt of deliverables and finalization of payments
- Update the unit’s webpages linked to the programmatic areas
- Perform other relevant allocated duties within their scope of responsibility as required
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Essential: Completion of secondary school followed by Administrative training.
- Desirable: Bachelor’s Degree in business administration or equivalent
EXPERIENCE
- Essential: At least five years’ progressive administrative or program management experience
- Desirable: Relevant experience in UN or international organizations
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
- Good organizational skills.
- Ability to maintain good working relationships with staff, experts and visitors.
- Demonstrated ability to translate routine correspondence into English
- Good time management and stress management skills.
- Mastery of computer tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, as well as the Internet
- Good knowledge of WHO rules, manuals, practices, procedures and WHO Style Guide applicable
to the administrative level an asset.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
- Excellent spoken and written English (essential)
Applications accompanied by Curriculum Vitae detailing previous work experience and copies of certificates, diplomas and testimonials should be emailed to afwcozmregistry@who.int
Deadline for receiving applications will be 07 May 2022.
Only shortlisted candidates will have their applications acknowledged.
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