Within the context of SDG Financing, UNDP has launched the Sustainable Finance Hub, which is a finance and innovation platform that draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and lead the implementation of the new UNDP private sector strategy. As part of UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, development finance has a central role to play in delivering support to the UN member-countries, in leveraging new sources of capital, offsetting high debt burdens, and in innovating for long term solutions to challenges around climate change, disaster resilience, and fragile ecosystems.

The Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) is the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Policy Center mandated to leverage the role of the private sector in development. The ICPSD was established in Istanbul, Türkiye on the basis of the Partnership Framework Agreement signed between the Government of the Republic of Türkiye and the United Nations Development Program in March 2011. The Center is one of the six global thematic centers of UNDP, advocating and facilitating the contribution of the private sector to human development and inclusive growth through the following thematic priority areas:

• Inclusive Business Models
• Role of the Private Sector in Skills Development
• Impact Investment
• Private Sector Resilience and Crisis Response.

UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) has a mandate to leverage the role of the private sector in development. Moreover, under the thematic area of Private Sector Engagement in Skills Development and SDG AI Lab, ICPSD offers evidence-based knowledge, advisory, and partnership services supporting the expansion of job and livelihood opportunities for the disadvantaged groups. The center analyzes successful cases of private sector-led or public-private partnership skills development initiatives.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Technical Specialist at the Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development, the Programme Associate will be responsible for supporting activities within the thematic areas of Private Sector Engagement in Skills Development and SDG AI Lab. The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting project management, communications, procurement, travel, organization of meetings and events, compilation and maintenance of project records. Additionally, the incumbent is expected to contribute to partnership development, engage in project reporting exercises, and perform other related tasks as directed by Technical Specialist. The Programme Associate will work closely with the Sustainable Finance Hub Project Management Support Team (PMST).

Under the guidance of and reporting directly to the Technical Specialist the Programme Associate will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following key functions:

Programmatic support 

• Proactively contribute to day-to-day implementation and ensure conformity to expected results and work-plans.
• Prepare relevant background materials for use in discussions, correspondence, and briefing sessions.
• Coordinate technical and policy inputs from the teams in the design and implementation of activities, including research and strategic situational/problem analysis.
• Assist in the preparation of programme/projects proposals, work plans and budgets.
• Assist in arranging appointments, organizing meetings, events, taking minutes of meetings and drafting correspondence.
• In accordance with the ICPSD Strategy and in close coordination with the ICPSD Technical Specialist, monitor adherence to the Quarterly and Annual Targets.
• Support preparation of inputs to periodic narrative and financial reports, including donor and UNDP corporate reporting.

Communications support 

• Support the development and implementation of communication strategies for the Private Sector Engagement in Skills Development and SDG AI Lab.
• Contribute to branding strategies and develop relevant templates/layout for a common identity.
• In cooperation with the relevant teams prepare, produce and disseminate routine and complex outreach products (project briefs, news releases, articles, power-point presentations, brochures, Q&As, websites, talking points, etc.,) that promote the strategic and timely flow of information and key messages about the portfolio products and results for internal and external users;
• Manage and maintain online and offline communication channels, including website, social media, (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok) and newsletters on a daily basis.
• Explore and introduce new and innovative creative communications approaches.
• Conduct internal communications needs assessments.
• Conduct communication research and analysis to inform communication strategies and measure impact.
• Organize events such as webinars, meetings, conferences, workshops, etc.

Provide administrative support to the portfolio activities

• In accordance with the Annual Work Plan, coordinate procurement of consultants, equipment, supplies and services and ensure timely follow up with procurement requests.
• Ensure efficient logistic arrangements are made for the team as required, ensuring proper use of UNDP resources.
• Prepare documents for payment process for LTA, vendor, consultants, etc.
• Support the recruitment of consultants and the administration of contracts through drafting TORs, creating requisitions in Quantum and UNAll.
• Identify programme related bottlenecks and propose solutions.

Provide research support to portfolio activities

• Perform background research (qualitative and quantitative) and data analysis on portfolio activities.
• Contribute to knowledge management and resource mobilization efforts with conducting research.
• Collect and submit relevant data inputs in response to HQ requests.
• Perform research and information collection tasks and other tasks related to partnership building and resource mobilization as required by the ICPSD  Technical Specialist.

4.  Institutional Arrangement

The Programme Associate will work under the direct supervision of the ICPSD Technical Specialist and will be in close collaboration with the other ICPSD and Project Management Support Team members.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

• Operations Management: ability to effectively plan, organize and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner.
• Project Management: ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Communication: ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
• Procurement Management: ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source
• Knowledge Generation: ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need