The EC Donor Report is designed for submission to the EC and consistent with the budget categories agreed under the FAFA. It can be used for both fund-level co-financing (EC trust funds), as well as for project-level co-financing (cost sharing agreements signed with the EC). If ‘trust fund' is selected, the report will be generated for all projects funded from the selected fund.
Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT): When disbursing payments through the Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT), payment instructions are generated in electronic format using the batch process of the ‘PPR’ for using ‘TRF’ method..
EFT is an Electronic Funds Transfer method implemented with banks using a) ISO Standard 20022, b) and any other electronic method using a ICT approved security standards.
Electronic record. An electronic record is a record in electronic format. This includes, but is not limited to, electronic data interchange, electronic mail and other computer-based programs.
Electronic signature. An electronic signature is an electronic symbol or process that is attached to or logically associated with an electronic record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record. The electronic signature is an integral part of the electronic record and indicates the identity of the signatory. The electronic signature represents the signatory’s acknowledgement, agreement and/or approval of the information contained in the electronic record. Electronic signatures include, among others, digital signatures, which are a type of electronic signature and are therefore covered by this Policy.2 An email may be used to indicate approval under certain business processes, but it does not constitute an electronic signature. Copied-and-pasted images of a signature are not electronic signatures for the purposes of this Policy either.
The remuneration of internationally recruited staff members comprises of all or several of the following elements. a) Base salary; b) Post adjustment; c) Rental subsidy/deduction scheme; d) Mobility and hardship allowance; e) Allowances relating to the family status of the staff member; f) One-time allowances relating to appointment, assignment, reassignment, or separation, such as: i) Assignment grant; ii) Repatriation grant; iii) Termination indemnity; iv) Commutation of annual leave; g) Ad hoc allowances relating to unique situations, such as: i) Danger Pay; ii) Extended monthly evacuation allowance; iii) Special operations living allowance; iv) Hardship Allowance.
The engagement facility provides a rapid and flexible response mechanism to support upstream policy results, evaluation and assessments, crisis responses and the testing of innovations with scale-up potential. It must support results identified in the UNDP Strategic Plan and relevant country or regional programme documents. Any country office, regional hub or Bureau may establish one or more engagement facilities in accordance with this policy. Resources can be committed by the programme manager/Resident Representative by signing the updated multi-year workplan maintained for the engagement facility. The facility always uses direct implementation. Terms of reference and concept notes, as relevant, are required to justify and detail expected results.
E-requisition is used to request procurement of goods or services, defining the specifications and covering other details such as what is needed, when it is needed, and where it is needed. From the e-requisition, a buyer will source the necessary goods or services, evaluate the offers of relevant suppliers, and conclude the process by placing a Purchase Order with a specified supplier.
The Ethics Panel of the United Nations consists of the heads of the Ethics Offices of the separately administered funds and programmes of the United Nations and the Ethics Office of the United Nations Secretariat, and is chaired by the head of the United Nations Ethics Office.
Since 2015, the EU Pillar-Assessed Grant or Delegation Agreement (PAGoDA) templates was introduced. There are some specific reporting requirements for contracts funded through DG ECHO (EU Humanitarian Assistance) linked to their obligatory on-line platform used for submission of reports.
An assessment, as systematic and impartial as possible, of an activity, project, programme, strategy, policy, topic, theme, sector, operational area or institutional performance. Evaluations should focus on expected and achieved accomplishments, critically examining the presumed causal chains, processes, and attainment of results, as well as the contextual factors that may enhance or impede the achievement of results. Evaluations focus on determining the relevance, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of UNDP work in order to make adjustments and improve its organizational and system-wide contributions to development.
The evaluation policy sets out the purpose and basic principles of evaluation, and defines the institutional architecture for UNDP and its associated funds and programmes. The policy covers the independent evaluations conducted by the Independent Evaluation Office of UNDP; the decentralized evaluations commissioned by UNDP programme and policy units, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF); as well as the activities of UNDP and the Independent Evaluation Office in support of national evaluation capacity.
The occurrence or change of a particular set of circumstances. An event can be one or more occurrences, can have several causes, and can consist of something not happening.
Any type of proof which tends to establish or disprove a fact material to the case. It includes, but is not limited to, oral testimony of witnesses, including experts on technical matters, documents, electronic, audio, video records and photographs.
Per Staff Rule 7.15, excess baggage means baggage in excess of the accompanied baggage carried without extra charge by the transportation company.
Excess baggage should be avoided to the extent possible in order to minimize the environmental impact of transportation. Staff members traveling by air shall be entitled to reimbursement of the cost of excess baggage for themselves and their eligible family members for one bag in addition to their free baggage allowance or up to 25 kilogram per traveller.
The Bureau for Management Services (BMS), Office of Financial Management (OFM), prepares three main papers for the Executive Board:a. Statistical Annex to the Annual Report of the Administratorb. Structured Funding Dialogue in collaboration with BERAc. Detailed annual review of the financial situation and appendixes – integrated as Annex I to Structured Funding Dialogue.
Refers to the closure of the staff member’s case after disciplinary proceedings have been initiated through the issuance of a charge letter to him or her.
Includes disbursements and accruals for goods and services received, and the use or impairment of assets, dependent on the implementation arrangement and in accordance with administrative instructions issued by the Comptroller for a financial period.
The call for an expression of interest is a notice used to assess interest in an upcoming solicitation for goods, works or services. Vendors are requested to express interest and provide information about products, services, resources, qualifications and experience before a fixed deadline. This method may be used to continually update a UNDP office’s vendor database, where procurement planning has forecasted future requirements of specific goods, services or civil works.
The Extended Monthly Evacuation Allowance (EMEA) is applicable when staff members assigned to duty stations designated as non-family duty stations are therefore unable, for security reasons, to have their family members join them. The EMEA was established to alleviate hardships of staff members faced with the inconvenience and cost of maintaining two households and with having to pay rental costs in two locations. Staff members may opt to settle their family either in their place of home leave, previous duty station, or a third country.
To ensure the programme remains relevant and effectively contributes to outcome level results, the programme board may approve some changes to the programme without the need to resubmit the programme document to the UNDP Executive Board. These include: (a) removal of outputs that would not adversely affect the achievement of agreed outcomes; (b) adding new outputs necessary to achieve a given agreed outcome identified after the approval of the programme document; and c) changing outcome or output indicators that measure the progress of the programme.
Management activities are activities and costs whose primary function is the promotion of the identity, executive direction, representation, accountability and well-being of the UNDP Country Office.
Under Pooled Fund Management, participating UN organizations pool funds together to one UN organization, called the Managing Agent (MA), chosen jointly by the participating UN organizations in consultation with the (sub-) national partner. The MA will support the (sub)national partner in managing the programme. This option is likely to be the most effective and efficient approach when participating UN organizations work for common results with a common national or sub-national partner (e.g. Department, provincial office, NGO) and/or in a common geographical area.
Categories of costs in which the primary function is the promotion of the identity, direction and well-being of an organization. These include executive direction, representation, external relations and partnerships, corporate communications, legal, oversight, audit, corporate evaluation, information technology, finance, administration, security and human resources. This includes both activities and associated costs of a recurring and non-recurring nature.
This format is chosen if the cheque number is to be assigned by the user, or if the payment is being made in cash. Manual cheques (MAN) are prepared and written/printed by the user. The pay cycle does not include and process manual cheques. This option should be used as infrequently as possible, as the manual nature of the process is prone to errors.
This format of disbursement is chosen if the cheque number is to be assigned by the user, or if the payment is being made in cash. Manual cheques (MAN) are prepared and written/printed by the user.
Manual payments are defined as payments made outside of Quantum and then subsequently recorded in Quantum. Offices may only make manual payments when (1) the office is unable to connect to, or complete, a transaction due to poor system performance or poor connectivity to Quantum and (2) the payment is needed immediately due to an unavoidable emergency situation. All manual payments must have supporting documents.
Material Deviation – any content or characteristic of the Offer that is significantly different from an essential aspect or requirement of the ITB/RFP, and (i) substantially alters the scope and quality of the requirements; (ii) limits the rights of UNDP and/or the obligations of the offeror; and (iii) adversely impacts the fairness and principles
A sound pipeline portfolio is likely to include projects of different maturity, ranging from initial ideas to interventions with secured funding and implementation capacity ready to be launched. Having a clearer idea of the maturity of its pipeline allows better-informed decisions about investment areas which have a higher return potential in terms of development impact.
The purpose of Medical Evacuation Travel (MET) is to allow staff members and eligible dependents the opportunity to secure essential medical care or treatment for a severe illness or injury requiring medical intervention which is locally unavailable or inadequate.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizes a non-binding partnership by stipulating intent and commitment between partners. It articulates the legislative background, general principles and focus of potential cooperation in pursuit of common goals. It serves as the overall framework for all global, regional and country-level cooperation. Specific country-level implementation agreements are subordinate to MOUs and are used to specify conditions of work. UNDP has different templates for Governments, United Nations entities, the private sector, non-governmental and civil society organizations, academic institutions, and foundations. An MoU is not a financial instrument and therefore cannot be used by UNDP to make or receive contributions from partners.
The purpose of the micro assessment is to assess a Partner’s financial management capacity (i.e. Accounting, procurement, reporting, internal controls, etc.) to determine the overall risk rating and assurance activities. The risk rating may be adjusted taking into consideration other available information such as the results of the macro assessment and previous experience with the partner to arrive at an Adjusted Risk Rating which is used to determine the appropriate cash transfer modality to a Partner. This assessment applies to both governmental and non-governmental Partners.
The financial assistance provided to an intermediary which includes
nongovernmental or grass roots organizations in an amount not exceeding$150,000 for each individual grant.
Micro-purchasing is a simplified procurement method for readily available goods, standardized services and small works, where contract amounts do not exceed US $5,000. Such purchases may constitute a significant volume of UNDP’s total procurement, but their aggregate value remains relatively low. A simplified process is preferred to reduce transaction costs.
The failure by a staff member to comply with his or her obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, the Staff Regulations and the Staff Rules or other relevant administrative issuances, or to observe the standards of conduct expected of an international civil servant. Such a failure could be deliberate (intentional, or wilful act), or result from an extreme or aggravated failure to exercise the standard of care that a reasonable person would have exercised with respect to a reasonably foreseeable risk (gross negligence) or from a complete disregard of a risk which is likely to cause harm (recklessness).
Mobility is defined as periodic moves of staff to new or re-classified positions within the same or different occupational group/functional area, laterally or to a different level, within the same or different duty station.
The mobility and hardship scheme consists of the following non-pensionable allowances: a) A mobility incentive, which varies according to the number of assignments to field duty stations and the purpose of which is to provide an incentive for the geographic mobility of staff in support of field operations; b) A hardship allowance, the purpose of which is to compensate for the varying degrees of hardship at different field duty stations; c) A non-family service allowance, the purpose of which is to recognize service in non-family duty stations.
Five basic modes of freight transportation – sea, rail, road, air and parcel post – are used, either individually or in combination, in international transportation. Business Units should consider modes of transport that are both economical and efficient. In general, rail, road and air transport costs are comparatively higher than freight by sea, thus UNDP recommends sea transport. To ensure sound delivery however, it is advisable to select a conference liner, which operates along definite routes and pre-determined ports of call.
Money Laundering (“ML”) is generally considered as concealment of the origins of money obtained illegally, typically by passing it through a complex sequence of financial or commercial transactions. ML usually involves three stages: (i) introducing the proceeds of crime into the financial system (placement); (ii) transactions to convert or transfer the funds to other locations or financial institutions (layering); and (iii) reintroducing the funds into the legitimate economy as "clean" money and investing it in various assets or business ventures (reintegration) appearing to have been legally obtained. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommends that ML be criminalized by every country on the basis of article 3(1)(b) and (c) of the Vienna Convention (United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988) and article 6(1) of the Palermo Convention (United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2000).
Money Laundering (“ML”) is generally considered as concealment of the origins of money obtained illegally, typically by passing it through a complex sequence of financial or commercial transactions. ML usually involves three stages: (i) introducing the proceeds of crime into the financial system (placement); (ii) transactions to convert or transfer the funds to other locations or financial institutions (layering); and (iii) reintroducing the funds into the legitimate economy as "clean" money and investing it in various assets or business ventures (reintegration) appearing to have been legally obtained. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommends that ML be criminalized by every country on the basis of article 3(1)(b) and (c) of the Vienna Convention and article 6(1) of the Palermo Convention.
Monitoring improves development effectiveness and efficiency by reviewing performance and using evidence to adjust programming for optimal results. Good monitoring starts with good planning and clear identification of what a programme or project will strive to achieve with specified resources. It is a continuous management function that provides decision-makers with regular feedback. Evidence from monitoring also serves as a critical input to evaluation and enables evidence-based reporting. Monitoring includes: (a) tracking performance through the collection of appropriate and credible data and other evidence; (b) analysing evidence to inform management decision-making, improve effectiveness and efficiency, and adjust programming as necessary; and (c) reporting on performance and lessons to facilitate learning and support accountability.
The monthly imprest level is the liquidity requirement of a country office to be funded by Treasury. It is the cash needed by country offices to fund their operations monthly. The imprest level is also a cash management tool used by Treasury to promote efficient cash management. The sum of all imprest levels provides a good estimate of cash outflows from country offices and is used to estimate UNDP’S liquidity needs.
Monthly payments: Monthly earnings of a staff member less payroll deductions, excluding those deductions made at the request of the staff member for payment to the United Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) or a similar institution.
Accountability of donors for providing aid in ways that support country development strategies and recipient governments for using aid and other resources effectively. This includes enhancing the checks and balances fundamental for development. In the case of managers and staff, managers are to provide adequate resources, appropriate tools and delegate relevant authority to staff, and staff are to utilize those resources, tools and delegated authority in an effective and efficient manner, in accordance with the regulatory framework of the United Nations entity, including checks and balances, in order to achieve the objectives and results of the entity