Procurement Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger. Join us in creating a #ZeroHunger world.

Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized technical agency of the United Nations. The FAO mission is to work toward the eradication of hunger and strive for food security for everyone as stated in the 2030 Agenda. The FAO’s Strategic Framework aspires to transform agri-food systems so that they are more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. The ultimate goals of these efforts include better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The FAO projects in Nepal currently implicate building technical capacity, developing policies, enhancing agri-production, strengthening agri-food systems, improving food security and nutrition, adapting to and mitigating the adverse impact of natural disasters and climate change. The FAO also embraces the One Health approach to address threats posed by zoonotic diseases to human health. Within the IASC framework, the FAO under the umbrella of food security cluster helps to coordinate humanitarian assistance and the recovery of livelihoods of agriculture dependent population. The FAO endeavours to eradicate hunger and malnutrition through its global initiatives. The CPF (2023-2027) prioritizes sustainable transformation of agri-food systems with inclusive socio-economic development, food security, safety, and sustainable consumption, NRM and climate resilience, and inclusive gender-responsive agri-food systems governance. For this reason, building resilient livelihoods are critical to the efforts of the FAO to help the most vulnerable people achieve food security and freedom from hunger — one of the most basic human rights. Thus, protecting people’s lives and livelihoods from shocks, and strengthening their capacity to absorb the impact of, and recover from, disruptive natural and adverse climatic events are important.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Admin Specialist, the National UN Youth Volunteer will: • Assist in preparing RFQs and RFPs, outlining the requirements and specifications needed from suppliers, and ensuring all necessary documentation is collected. • Support in the preparation of payment request Forms (PRFs), collaborating project colleagues and team members to streamline the procurement and payment process. • Maintain procurement files and records, including supplier contracts, purchase orders, invoices, and other relevant documentation. Ensure compliance with organizational policies and procedures. • Assist and support in the inventory, assets management, assets disposal process, ensuring accurate tracking and organization of office resources with relevant guidelines and regulations. • Participate in procurement tasks, including the preparation of offline Procurement Request Forms, to support the acquisition of necessary resources. • Undertake various specific operational tasks for both the admin and programme/project units, responding to organizational needs and contributing to the overall efficiency of operations. • Assist in reviewing the payment process, meticulously examining bills/vouchers, and preparing concise summaries of Statements of Expenditures (SoEs) for various activities such as workshops, training sessions, orientations, and meetings. • Provide assistance in the VAT refund process from the IRD office, ensuring adherence to established procedures. • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.