Project Administrative and Finance Assistant

Organizational Setting

For more than four decades, FAO has been working with the Government of the Philippines, civil society, community-based organizations and the private sector to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to natural disasters, climatic hazards and armed conflict.

FAO is implementing a UN Joint Programme, funded by European Union on Farmers-Fisherfolks` Advancement and Integration to Resilient Value Chains in BARMM (FAIR-VALUE)

The Project aims to improve the local agricultural/sea-aqua product production in quality, diversity, consolidation and its response to the needs of the market, with a primary focus on agri-fishery communities and smallholder clusters in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa).

Reporting Lines

The Project Administrative and Finance Assistant will directly report to the Project Coordinator.

Technical Focus

The Project Administrative and Finance Assistant will provide support to the Project Coordinator and the Project Team on administrative and operational matters.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Project Administrative and Finance Assistant will undertake the following duties\:

• Assist in project administration and maintain up-to-date and accurate financial records of all disbursements and receipts related to the project, and use these records as the basis for preparing quarterly and annual financial reports for submission to Donor, Government etc.
• In coordination with the Project Coordinator, prepare and finalize the project procurement plan during inception phase;
• Provide operational support in the conduct of project activities (e.g. trainings, workshops, and input distributions, among others) by closely coordinating with relevant government, non-government counterparts, and target farmer’s cooperatives/associations;
• Facilitate the preparation of purchase requisitions, travel requests of project staff, including consolidation, submission to and follow-up with the FAO Representation for approval;
• Establish offline financial monitoring systems (e.g., field expenditure matrices, etc.) to adequately monitor funds utilization, to be submitted regularly to Manila office for updating of Budget Monitoring Reports (BMR);
• Provide guidance and training to new project support staff in utilizing FAO system-based tools (i.e., GRMS, FPMIS, etc.) that will be valuable for project operations management;
• Process payments in accordance with prescribed guidelines for disbursement of Operational Cash Advances (OCA) and Outposted Petty Cash (OPC);
• Maintain electronic and paper filing of relevant administrative and financial information;
• Ensure timely submission of human resource-related employment requirements for project staff (timesheets, contracts, QARs, and other related documents);
• Prepare and regularly update the project procurement, delivery and distribution schedule in consultation with Project Coordinator;
• Prepare procurement documentations, solicit quotations according to FAO procurement procedures and as may be required;
• Compile the resulting quotations and after endorsement by the Project Coordinator, submit for actions by the FAO /Administration/Procurement Unit;
• Establish and maintain an inventory of all project properties (equipment, furniture, fixtures, other attractive items and supplies); and
• Perform other tasks that may be assigned by the FAO Representative and the Project Coordinator.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• The candidate must have a university degree in accountancy, business administration, management, or other related discipline relevant to the assignment;
• The candidate should have at least four (4) years of experience in providing administrative and financial/logistical support to project implementation at the field level; and
• A national of Philippines.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Filipino.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• General knowledge and skills in the use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Tagalog.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION