Program Assistant (EU Grants Admin Support)

The Program Assistant (PA) is responsible for providing administrative support for EU grants, in particular the newly started Partnership for Democracy and Accountability. The PA will assist in drafting financial and progress reports, while ensuring that all sub-granting and sub-contracting processes related to the grant are compliant with EU and OGP rules and regulations. They will also regularly communicate with sub-grantees and sub-contractors, ensuring that they similarly understand and comply with all reporting requirements.

The PA has experience supporting EU funded programmes, with knowledge and understanding of the requirements and procedures around budget monitoring, financial reporting, procurement and sub-granting. They are strong project coordinator, able to manage multiple priorities seamlessly while proactively communicating with a variety of stakeholders.

Responsibilities (% of time or frequency)

I. Support the project team on all grant management activities (55%)

General grant & project management

• Manage grants, including: monitoring the grant for compliance with EU regulations and funder restrictions as well as specific award terms; responsibility for ensuring that budget expenditures align with approved budgets; requesting and preparing sub-grant modifications as necessary; preventing and correcting financial, programmatic, and contractual errors; training staff about grant requirements and restrictions; answering grant-related questions for program and other staff.
• Enforce adherence to donor and legal requirements, and advise management on needed actions.
• Monitor grants expenditures for compliance with donor restrictions or expectations, legal and EU regulations and specific award terms.
• Maintain and update projections of grant expenditures.
• Assist with budget planning and preparation and help to keep it organized.

Financial and administrative management

• In close cooperation with OGP’s Finance Director and based on existing OGP standards, set up systems to track and monitor financial transactions linked to the project budget.
• Support the maintenance of internal controls policies and procedures.
• Manage and process invoices, reimbursements and related documents according to project requirements, and follow through to ensure these are paid in a timely manner.
• Serve as an internal resource for staff regarding expenditures allocated to grants.
• Coordinate grant payments with programmatic and finance staff.
• Maintain order in project folders, documents and paperwork (both hard and soft copies).
• Process all cash disbursement transactions timely, accurately, and according to established policies and procedures, verifying that there are proper approvals and ensures that all supporting documentation are attached to each cash disbursement request and resolving any discrepancies with vendors.
• Track budget to actual variance on a monthly basis and share reports with the responsible Program Lead.

Reporting

• Write quarterly, semi-annual and annual narrative and financial reports, prepare special financial reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing account information and trends.
• Compile and prepare documents, reports and invoices for projects events and the financial reporting phases under the supervision of the responsible Program Lead and Director of Finance of OGP Support Unit.

Sub-granting and procurement management

• Manage the sub-granting process.
• Prepare contractual and administrative documents for project consultants, experts and speakers (using pre-approved template).
• Review requests for contracts and documentation for decisions, including price justifications.
• Ensure final presentation of price justifications, quotes and or solicitation process meets OGP requirements of fairness and transparency.
• Liaise with consultants, experts, speakers and project partners to communicate assignment conditions.

II. Support the team with office management tasks (20%)

• Support in administrative tasks such as maintaining administrative databases (spreadsheet management).
• Gather, scan and file documents (contracts, attendance lists, feedback forms etc), as required.
• General or specific support/services to the team.

III. Support the organization of OGP events (20%)

• Support the Program Lead with logistics in the run-up to, on the day of, and following events.
• Ensure record keeping and documentation for the events is in line with EU reporting requirements.
• Compile documentation for the events, including the conference booklet, speakers’ biographies, important information etc.
• Liaise with the local co-organisers, if necessary.
• Liaise with speakers and delegates, if necessary, and answer their questions.
• Evaluate feedback and draft an event report based on this feedback post-event.
• Support the OGP team in coordinating the travel and logistics for OGP events like Global Summits, Regional Meetings and country visits.

Other duties as assigned (5%)