Clarification of expectations letter (or best practices)
to JPO and Country Office Operations Division

Purpose: To be better prepared for receiving a JPO, and to administer the operational needs and activities of a JPO during his/her assignment.

We would like draw your attention to the following specificities of the JPO assignment, which differ from other international staff. We hope that this information will facilitate the administrative and financial management of JPOs assigned to your office. A similar letter has also been submitted to the JPO's supervisor, which covers the supervisory-related issues.

Professional Status of the JPOs

JPOs are offered a one year fixed-term 200-Series (L) contract which is normally renewed for a second year (two years being the usual minimum length of assignment), subject to satisfactory performance. In exceptional circumstances, several donors sponsor assignments of up to four years. Salaries correspond with those of entry-level UN professional staff (P1 - P2).

To know more about the particularities of the JPO Status, please click here.

Role of the UNDP JPO Service Centre

The JPO Service Centre is an outpost of the UNDP's Office of Human Resources, which is part of the Bureau of Management. The JPO Service Centre was relocated to Copenhagen in 2001.

The JPO Service Centre is at the hub of the UNDP and other UN agencies' JPO Programmes. It acts as the focal point with donors on day-to-day human resources matters, including JPO recruitment, selection, placement and reassignment as well as on a variety of financial and administrative issues.

Each Duty Station has a focal point at the JPO Service Centre. To find out who your Human Resources Associate focal point is, please click here.

Some differences in entitlements between JPOs and other international staff

JPOs are funded by the sponsoring Government, and, therefore, their 200-series contract is limited to that source of funding. Although a legitimate part of the international staff, JPO entitlements differ slightly from those of regular international staff as specified in the direct agreements with the respective donor Government. The main differences are as follows:

Travel is always in economy class, regardless of travel time;
No entitlement to reimbursement of cost of shipment of private vehicle;
Relocation grant amounts to $6,000 for single JPOs and $9,000 for JPOs with recognized dependants;
Extension of JPOs to 3rd/4th year on ALD contract is permissible without the normally required one-month break-in-service (please note, however, that this exception only applies in case of co-funding by the donor);
The participation in the UNJSPF plan is not automatic, but depends on the donor-specific agreements
JPOs are covered under the Global Life insurance plan, premium is fully subsidized by the donor;
JPOs have an annual DTTA budget (Duty Travel and Training Allocation), with an annual spending limit to be administered by the country office;
An annual evaluation report must be prepared, in addition to the RCA.

Use of the Duty-related Travel and Training Allowance (DTTA)

The duty-related travel and training allowance (DTTA) is provided by the sponsoring Government for work-related activities, such as participation in seminars, workshops, round-table discussions at national, regional, sub-regional and/or international level, etc.

The DTTA is an allocation made by JPO-sponsoring countries on an annual basis and is available only during the donor-funded period of the JPO assignment. The amount of the allocation per annum is donor-specific and subject to change.

The DTTA is normally not used to cover the expenses of a) university courses or degrees, b) PPO Course (programme policy and operations induction course), c) language courses, d) IT courses, e) field trips to project sites. If in doubt, please consult with the relevant Human Resources Associate at the JPO Service Centre for more details.

Only those accounting entries, which have been communicated by the JPO Service Centre, would be accepted as valid charges to the respective JPOs' DTTA budget. Management of the DTTA account is decentralized to the country offices, including the monitoring of the amount available. It is incumbent, however, on the senior management of the country office to ensure that only those training/ learning activities, which are relevant to the JPO assignment, are authorized.

To know more about the DTTA rules, please click here.

Payment of JPO-related vouchers

As mentioned above, all services related to JPOs are centralized with the JPO Service Centre, including the management and financial reporting to the donors. In that respect, the approval authority for JPO payments at the duty station lies with the JPO Service Centre only. Vouchers are usually raised in country offices for payment to JPO locally, as follows:

JPOs should be created as vendors with their local banking details and addresses;
JPOs also exist under UNDP1 BU, usually for payments requested to be made outside duty station;
Vouchers created in the country office should be issued under the country office's BU like any other locally raised voucher;
Vouchers have to be raised under a UNDP BU (i.e. XXX10 and not, for example, 40 if UNIFEM)
Vouchers created should carry the COA individual and unique for every JPO. This COA is usually communicated to the COs with the initial letter of authorization for payments. If in doubt, please check the JPOSC website for reference, or request the JPOSC to re-communicate the COA to you;
Vouchers issued as advances should not be charged to the JPO account; the open items and their reimbursements are locally managed by the country office;
JPOs are considered to be part of the office staff, and are not subject to cost-recovery payments to the host office for services, space usage, or equipment provided to them;
Security or medical evacuations are charged to the JPO's COA respectively, subject to the regular local approval procedures;
All JPO payments raised in the offices locally should be submitted to lorrae.davey@undp.org and to lykke.andersen@undp.org for approval.

Accrued annual leave

Please note that the JPO must utilize all accrued annual leave days within the contract period as those cannot be commuted to cash.

JPO welcoming information kit

The new JPO should be provided with a welcoming information kit, before or upon arrival at the duty station. The information kit could contain information on the following:

General Country information
Brief overview of the country, map, geography, history, culture, political issues and security matters, Government institutions and ministries, Who's Who in the country, practical issues, etc.

Housing/Lodging
Overview of the market, hotels, short-term residence opportunities, tips on how to find housing/how to rent a house (including relevant addresses and contact numbers, if available), reasonable price ranges for various standards of accommodation, maximum allowable rental costs for the purpose of rental subsidy, if applicable.

Transportation Means
Overview and recommendations (including traveling inside or outside the country), finding a car, assistance in buying a car, insurance, car advance, if applicable, information on public transports.

Children/Recreation
Schools, child care centers, recreation and sports facilities, Sites/museums to visit, restaurants, clubs, etc.

Medical/Emergencies/Accidents
List of common diseases and illnesses, actions to take in case of an accident/emergency, list of emergency numbers and recommended doctors/hospitals, list of drugs and medicines not available in the country.

UNDP
Structure of the UN/UNDP Office, Whos Who and telephone directory, organigramme, work procedures and processes (reporting structure, distribution list, signature requirements, etc.), programme information (UNDAF, CCF/CPD, CCA, NHDR, etc.).

UN System
UN agencies present in the country, Who's Who.

Security System
Contacts of the security focal point, security plans, etc.

Banking
Name of recommended financial institutions, bank opening hours and procedures.

Registration
Procedure for registration with MFA, requirements, driver's license conversions, customs exemption entitlements, clearance of personal effects, etc.

JPO Orientation Checklist

Pre-arrival

Establish contact with the UNDP JPO Service Centre to minimize administrative delays.
Forward information kit (see list above), detailed information with regard to any relevant e-mail, website information, visa security and Government clearance requirements, and name and number of person who will pick up the newcomer.
Book hotel accommodation (preferably close to the office premises) for the first few days/weeks after arrival.
Set up newcomer's work area/office, including furniture, computer, printer, access to e-mail/Internet, etc.
Arrange for security clearance if needed.

Day of arrival

Meet JPO at airport and guide through customs.
Bring JPO to hotel and explain how to get to work the following day (unless s/he will be picked up by office driver).
Welcome letter and Introduction Package.
Short introduction to email system, email procedures, CO and HQ intranet.
Fill out different administrative and security forms. Get ID card.

First few days

Offer assistance in opening a bank account(s), obtaining the required documents from the Government (ID cards, driving license), locating suitable accommodation, educational facilities for dependants, places where essential foodstuffs and household items can be purchased, etc.
Provide security briefing with the Security Officer.
Process assignment-related payments, as authorized by the JPO Service Centre.