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Human Resources - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
For your JPO/SDP assignment
Throughout your JPO/SDP assignment, you will encounter milestones and situations where it is natural that questions will arise on entitlements, eligibility and procedures. This page is a collection of the most common issues which you may encounter, and hopefully, you will be able to find the answer to your queries here.
Additionally, you are as always welcome to contact your HRA in TAPP/JPOSC directly for any further clarifications you may need.
General introduction to monetized entitlement travel (hire, reassignment, separation, travel to join):
In UNDP, Appointment travel, Reassignment travel, Home Leave in conjunction with Reassignment, Travel to Join, and Separation travel are paid as lump sum payments (monetized) based on a 75% of a travel quote for an unrestricted fare. The payment will also include terminal expenses and universal stop over DSA, if applicable. The payment will be made in advance of travel and when paid a lump sum, staff members are responsible for arranging their own travel.
Initial Appointment Travel
- When will the payment of travel costs and relocation grant be disbursed?
- Who will arrange the ticket and when can the ticket be purchased?
- What type of ticket am I entitled to?
- May I travel by car, bus or train?
- What route of travel will the lump sum travel costs cover?
- Am I allowed to deviate from the travel route, or from the expected travel dates?
- What entitlements will apply for my family members?
Once the necessary clearances (medical clearance and visa clearance as applicable) have been obtained, and the Offer Letter has been accepted, the travel payment can be made so that you can purchase your ticket(s). For this purpose, JPOSC will need to receive the vendor form specifying your bank information. The payment is normally made approx. one month before your travel date.
You will be responsible for arranging your own travel and will not be requested to submit any payment receipts at a later stage. Please kindly ensure that your ticket is flexible and refundable, should there be a need for any changes.
You will receive a monetized lump sum based on a ticket quote. The quotation is equivalent to 75% of a one-way economy ticket by the least costly, flexible, and unrestricted economy fare on the most direct route and requested for the date you expect to travel to the duty station. The quotation is provided by the travel agent serving our office. We will need to know the expected travel dates for you and your dependants, as applicable, for our office to request a lump sum airfare quote. In addition to the ticket lump sum, you are also entitled to terminals to cover your cost of transportation to and from the airport at the respective UN rate.
If you are not travelling by air but instead by own car, bus or train, you are obligated to inform our office in advance, enabling us to issue the necessary authorization for such alternate mode of travel.
The monetized lump sum will be in such a case be based on mileage if travelling by car and submission of F10 form if travelling by bus or train. A reimbursement will be made based on mileages.
You are expected to travel by the most direct route from your place of recruitment to your duty station. Any private deviations would need to be borne by yourself.
Kindly note that the travel entitlements for your dependents is from your place of recruitment directly to your duty station.
You are normally not allowed to deviate from your travel route or from expected travel dates. Should such situation be necessary, please consult with your HR focal point in advance to guide you.
The travel lumpsum for your family members will be based a 75% lump sum quote for a one-way economy ticket by the least costly, flexible, and unrestricted economy fare from your place of recruitment directly to your duty station. Your family members are also entitled to terminal allowances to cover the cost of transportation to and from the airport at the respective UN rate.
A relocation grant at dependent rate to facilitate the shipment of your and your family’s personal belongings to the duty station is also included.
Travel to Join
Travel to join is a separate payment made when any eligible dependents are travelling independently from yourself following your own initial appointment or reassignment travel to duty station.
- My family would like to join me later. Is that possible?
- Who will arrange the travel tickets?
- How much will I get paid for the tickets?
- Are there any additional payments if my family travels independently?
- My new-born baby will travel to my duty station. What are my entitlements?
- Who will process the payment?
Provided you are serving in a family duty station, your spouse and children can join you at a later stage, but no later than six months before the end of your contract.
You will get a lump sum payment for travel and terminal expenses for your spouse and children, and you should arrange the travel yourself.
You will need to inform your HR focal point of the planned travel dates of your family, and a monetized payment will hereafter be made based on the planned travel dates.
Your HRA will request a travel quote from the Travel Unit for the most direct economy, full fare and flexible ticket from place of recruitment to the duty station, and you will be entitled to 75% of the quote for each of your family members. In addition to payment for the tickets, you will also get paid terminal expenses for each family member to cover costs related to travel to/from the airport, airport fees
Provided you have only received the single rate of the relocation shipment amount, you will thus be entitled to the balance up to the dependency rate of the relocation shipment on behalf of your family.
Upon arrival of your family to duty station, you will equally be paid the DSA portion in respect of dependent family members; 30 days DSA at half rate.
If you are serving in a family duty station and if your baby is born outside the duty station, you are entitled to get paid for travel and terminals for your new-born baby , provided that you have minimum 6 months left of your contract at the time of the travel. You are also entitled to 30 days DSA at half rate on behalf of the new-born child upon arrival.
JPOSC will process the payment to the account on your vendor form. If you want it paid to a different account, you should submit another vendor form.
Reassignment Travel
- Who will arrange the ticket?
- When can I buy the ticket?
- How much will I get paid for the lump sum?
- What type of ticket am I entitled to?
- Can I buy a different type of ticket?
- What route of travel will the lump sum travel costs cover?
- Can I take home leave in conjunction with reassignment?
- How do I know if I am entitled to home leave?
- How do I apply?
- Will my family be entitled to travel with me in the new duty station?
You should buy the tickets for yourself and your dependents as applicable.
Once you have been medically cleared and obtained visa (if applicable) you may purchase your ticket.
Your HRA will obtain a travel quote from the Travel Unit based on your planned travel dates for you and eligible dependents and you will get paid 75% of the quote.
You are entitled to 75% of the cost for the most direct economy, full fare and flexible ticket.
Yes, but your entitlement will be based on the quote specified above. We recommend that you to buy a flexible ticket in case of any changes to the planned travel.
The lump sum covers the most direct route from your former duty station to your new duty station.
If you are entitled to home leave, you can take home leave in conjunction with reassignment, so you travel from your current duty station to your place of home leave and finally to your new duty station. In this case, please consult with your HR focal point who can guide you.
Please consult with your HR focal point who can guide you on the process.
You submit a request for home leave in Quantum and request your HRA in JPOSC to approve it. You should also inform your HRA by email that you would like to take home leave in conjunction with reassignment and your planned travel dates.
If your new duty station is a family duty station, your spouse and children can travel with you provided you have minimum 6 months remaining of your contract at the time of their arrival.
Home Leave
The purpose of the Home Leave (HL) travel entitlement is to allow eligible staff members periodic visits to their home country to renew and strengthen cultural and family ties.
HL does not carry any extra entitlement to days of leave beyond the normal annual leave entitlement.
The time spent on HL is normally charged against the staff member’s normal annual leave entitlement. Absence and approval of HL is subject to the exigencies of service, as determined and approved by the staff member’s supervisor.
- Am I eligible for home leave as a JPO/SDP?
- What does the entitlement contain?
- What are home leave points?
- How will I know when I am entitled to home leave?
- How do I apply for home leave?
- How many days HL is the minimum?
- When should I apply for home leave?
- Can I travel to another destination for home leave?
- What happens after I have submitted my application?
- What is travel time and how is it applied?
- What documentation should I submit upon completion of home leave travel?
- Can I combine home leave with reassignment travel?
- Can I take advance home leave?
- What happens if I need to cancel or defer my home leave travel?
- What happens to my home leave points when I separate?
Internationally recruited staff members (including JPOs/SDPs) who serve outside the country of their nationality or permanent residency are eligible for payment of home leave travel to their officially determined Home Leave location.
A number of additional eligibility criteria are in force and should be verified with your HR Focal point.
Home Leave is a travel entitlement. The entitlement is a lump sum travel payment from your duty station to your place of home leave and back to your duty station. The lump sum is based on a travel quote at 75% of the most direct and economical route at economy class (return ticket).
A Home leave travel can only be initiated from your duty station.
You need to have accrued minimum 24 home leave points to be entitled for home leave. You automatically accrue home leave points as follows:
- A) Internationally recruited staff members serving in duty stations with hardship category H-A-B, C, and duty stations with hardship category -D-E with R&R, accrue one point per month.
- B) Internationally recruited staff members serving in duty stations with hardship category D-E without R&R, accrue two points per month.
- For duty stations in example A) you need to return to your duty station with minimum 6 months to the end of your contract (COB)
- For duty stations in example B) you need to return to your duty station with minimum 3 months to the end of your contract (COB)
- You will get notified in the email from your HRA upon your third year contract extension (or second year if applicable). If you are in doubt, you can also check your point balance in Quantum or with your HR Focal point if you do not have access to Quantum.
- If you work with UNDP, UNCDF, UNV, UNWOMEN and UNFPA, you can apply for home leave through UNall
- If you work with other agencies, you should submit a home leave request form signed by you and your supervisor. This should be submitted to your HRA in JPOSC for eligibility review and processing.
- You are required to spend minimum 7 calendar days in your home leave country. This normally excludes any travel time to/from your place of Home Leave.
- You should normally apply at least 1-2 month prior to your planned travel date to ensure due timing for eligibility review and payment of your travel entitlement.
- No. Your first home leave travel must always be to your official place of home leave. However, you may travel every 2nd HL travel to an alternate location.
- Your HRA in JPOSC will verify your eligibility.
- Your HRA in JPOSC will obtain a travel quote at 75% based on the most direct and economical route at economy class, including estimated travel time.
- The amount obtained will be added to your salary and reflected on your next payslip.
- You will be notified by your HRA when your HL travel payment will be included, and which amount.
- 24 home leave points will be deducted from your home leave record card when you initiate your HL travel.
Travel time (TT) is additional time added in each end of your home leave dates to allow for sufficient travel time to/from your place of home leave depending on the estimated time for journey. Travel time spent during normal working day(s) will not be charged to annual leave, but recredited. Travel time is allocated as follows:
- One day for each journey of less than 10 hours
- Two days for each journey from 10 to 15 hours
- Three days for each journey from 16 hours or more
Estimated travel time will be determined by your HRA based on the officially obtained travel quote.
- No later than 30 days upon return from home leave, you should submit documentation of your travel (e.g. boarding passes) either by uploading them to UNall or by email to your HRA in JPOSC.
- Failure to do so may result in a recovery of your home leave payment.
Yes. The organization recommends that staff members take home leave in conjunction with reassignment travel, provided you are eligible for home leave at the time of reassignment. This means that you will get paid a lump sum for travel from your current duty station to your new duty station, via your place of home leave.
No. Your first home leave travel should always be taken once you have accrued 24 home leave points.
- In case you need to cancel your home leave altogether, or you need to postpone your home leave but there are no new travel dates, you must notify your HR focal point and the home leave lump sum payment already made to you will be recovered through payroll. In case no payment has been made yet, the HRA will cancel your home leave request.
- In case of deferral of home leave where new dates are confirmed, you may on exceptional basis keep the lump sum already paid to you, provided that you still meet the criteria for home leave. Your HR focal point will cancel your original home leave request and you will need to resubmit a new request with the actual travel dates.
- When you separate from your JPO/SDP assignment, your accrued home leave points will be forfeited if they have not been used.
- Only if you are reassigned within UNDP or transferred to another agency, you may be eligible to keep your accrued home leave points. Your HR Focal point will be able to confirm this with you during your end of JPO assignment.
Dependency Status/Dependency Allowances
Dependency allowance consists of the following categories:
- Spouse Allowance
- Child Allowance
- Single Parent Allowance
- Secondary Dependency Allowance
The purpose of the dependency allowances is to provide financial support to staff members that have a dependent spouse, child(ren) or secondary dependent. The allowances are paid on a monthly basis through payroll/together with salary as an additional remuneration component.
- What are the requirements for determining dependency status of family members?
- What am I obligated to report?
- What is a Dependent spouse?
- How do I claim a dependent spouse?
- What is a Dependent child?
- What if my child has a disability?
- How do I claim a dependent child?
- What is considered a Single parent?
- How do I claim single parent allowance?
- What is considered a Secondary dependent (parent/sibling)?
- How do I claim Secondary dependency allowance?
Payment of dependency allowance is not automatic. It is the responsibility of each staff member to claim dependency allowance for which he or she believes that he or she may be entitled to.
Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, staff may be entitled to receive allowances in respect of a dependant spouse, dependant child(ren), a secondary dependant or if being a single parent. In order for the dependency status to be determined, the spouse, child(ren) or secondary dependent must be recognized by UNDP under UN Staff Rule 3.6 and the criteria set out in POPP/Dependency
Please refer to each category of dependency allowance for further information of eligibility criteria and how to apply for the allowance.
On annual basis the staff member is obligated to declare any changes in dependency status which may have occurred – incidents which triggers an obligation to report a change are typically ex.;
- Change in marital status; marriage, divorce, legal separation, death of spouse
- Change in Spouse annual earnings (subject to the annual threshold applicable)
- Change in family e.g. birth or adoption of child.
- Change in child dependency ex. no longer financially dependent, married and/or no longer residing with you.
- Change in full time school attendance status for children between 18-21 years of age. (Children between age of 18-21 are required to be in full time school attendance to be considered eligible dependents).
- Report amount and/or change in Government Grant received in respect of a dependent children.
- For international staff: Report amount of financial assistance received on behalf of a child (if eligible for single parent allowance).
Review of eligibility for secondary dependency allowance where you provide main and continuous support (only considered if you do not claim a dependent spouse)If changes occur but are not duly reported, a retroactive recovery of the fully paid amount will be due.
A spouse is considered recognized by the UN based on:
- Legal marriage
- Common law, domestic partnership, or similar unions as well as same-sex marriage when the status is considered valid in the country where it is recorded
- Legal separation (when official divorce is not yet obtained) where staff member can provide proof of continued financial support to the spouse
For dependency benefits, the UN recognizes only one spouse. Where more than one spouse is legally recognized, the staff member may elect which spouse to designate for dependency purposes for the duration of the appointment.
In order for your recognized spouse to be considered an eligible dependant, his or her full occupational earnings may not exceed a certain threshold for the calendar year in question. The threshold is equivalent to the lowest entry level of the General Service gross salary scales (i.e. G2, step 1) for New York, USA, link available here.
You will be required to submit the Questionnaire of Dependency Status (P.84 form) (online form available here, and paper form available here) together with proof of your spouse’s gross annual earnings to your JPOSC HR focal point for verification and processing.
If the gross annual earnings are below the maximum threshold, you will then receive a spouse allowance in respect of your dependent spouse on a monthly basis together with your salary.
It is important that you notify your JPOSC HR focal point of any subsequent change in your spouse’s earnings to ensure timely adjustment of spouse allowance, as applicable.
A recognized dependent child is any of the following children under the age of 18 years or, if the child is in full-time attendance at a school or university (or similar educational institution), up to the age of 21 for whom the staff member provides main and continuing support:
a) A staff member's natural child
b) A staff member's legally adopted child; and
c) A staff member's stepchild, if residing with the staff member
For each recognized eligible dependent child, a Dependent Child Allowance is payable on a monthly basis together with payroll.
Should you have a child with a disability which is recognized by the UN Medical Services, a higher Child allowance is payable (double rate). If you have a child which may be considered for disability status please consult with your HR focal point on the procedure for a due certification on the child disability by UN Medical Services.
In order to claim the Child allowance on behalf of your child(ren) you will be required to submit a Questionnaire of Dependency Status (P.84 form) (online form available here, and paper form available here) to your JPOSC HR focal point for verification and processing. In addition, you are required to submit a birth certificate of the child verifying that you are the legal parent. In case of adoption, a copy of the legal adoption documents is also required. For cases of step children, please consult your HR focal point.
If you or the other parent of the child(ren) are in receipt of government grant on behalf of your child(ren), this must be clearly stated in P84 form, and the Child Allowance will be adjusted accordingly. This includes if you are divorced and the other parent is in receipt of the government grant on behalf of the child. Any subsidies received on behalf of such child are to be reported and off-set against the Child Allowance amount.
Any subsequent changes must be reported to your JPOSC HR focal point to ensure correct adjustment of the Child allowance, as applicable.
Internationally recruited professional staff members shall receive a Single parent allowance in respect of a first dependent child (eldest eligible child) when the following conditions are met:
a) The staff member’s status, is recognized as single by UNDP
b) The staff member is divorced or widowed or legally separated from a spouse
c) The staff member does not reside with the other custodial parent
d) The staff member has a dependent child recognised by UNDP under UN Staff Rule 3.6 (a) (iii) and the criteria set out in the present policy.
You will be required to submit a Questionnaire of Dependency Status (P.84 form) (online form available here, and paper form available here) to your JPOSC HR focal point for verification and processing of the allowance.
If you are in receipt of a government grant or any additional financial support on behalf of the child, you will be required to state this in the P84 form and the amount(s) will be deducted from the Single Parent Allowance.
Any subsequent changes of personal status resulting that you may no longer considered a single parent must be reported to your JPOSC HR focal point to ensure correct adjustment of the Single Parent allowance. A single parent allowance is only applicable for the first dependent child, for any additional dependent children, you will receive a Dependent Child Allowance.
Staff members who do not have a recognized dependent spouse, and who is providing continuous financial support to a parent or sibling equivalent to a least twice the amount of the secondary dependency allowance (USD1,025 p.a.), may claim the secondary dependent allowance.
You will be required to submit a Questionnaire of Dependency Status (P.84 form) to your JPOSC HR focal point for verification and processing of the allowance.
Please also note that for secondary dependents that do not reside with the staff member, JPOSC would need the following additional documents:
- The staff members should provide proof of continuous financial support from at minimum period of three months . Alternatively, proof of payment needs to demonstrate a pattern of continuous support, e.g. on quarterly/annual basis etc. This can be from various sources such as:
- bank transfers/statements in the name of the secondary dependent
- cancelled cheques
- bank drafts
- money orders
- mobile pay transfers
- Copy of passport or national identity card and, for siblings only, the birth certificate
- A notarized statement from the secondary dependent (reflecting dependent's income, place of residence, and amount/frequencyreceived from the staff member)
Any subsequent changes must be reported to your JPOSC HR focal point to ensure verification of the secondary dependent allowance.
Contract Extension and Funding
General Introduction
All JPOs get a Letter of Appointment (contract) for the duration of one year upon initial appointment. Subsequently contract extensions are subject to satisfactory performance and donor confirmation on availability of funds. Beyond the second year of assignment, different conditions apply depending on the donor policies, as well as priorities and budget availability in the hiring unit, of needed for example through a co-funded arrangement.
Here you can read more about who is responsible and when the process will be initiated for each year of extension.
2nd year extension
2-3 months before the end of first year of your assignment, your HRA will send an annual evaluation form to you and your supervisor. You are thus expected to engage in a dialogue with your supervisor on your achievements the past year, and document this by completing the evaluation form. Hereafter, this is returned to our office which equally serves as you and your hiring unit confirmation and interest in extending your JPO contract. Please return the evaluation form and request for extension to your HRA focal point who will liaise directly with your donor for a final confirmation of your contract extension.
No. You will receive an Extension PA (Personal Action Form) with the new date for the end of your contract (COB). The original Letter of Appointment remains in force supplemented by a new end date in your Extension PA. You are encouraged to at all times maintain own records of LOA and supplementary PA.
3rd year extension
- Am I eligible for a 3rd year contract extension?
- My donor fully funds the 3rd year. When will I get the contract extension?
- My donor country does not fund a 3rd year. Can I get a 3rd year extension anyway?
- How much will it cost my duty station?
- My donor country co-funds a 3rd year. What does that mean?
- What if my duty station cannot afford paying 50% of the costs for my position?
- What is necessary to request the extension?
- What happens next?
It depends on your donor country. Some donors only fully fund a maximum of 2 years, others may co-fund a 3rd year and some fully fund the 3rd year. Finally, a few donors fully fund the 3rd year if the organisation commits to fully fund the 4th year.
You can always ask your HRA what are the options to you and conditions under your donor agreement.
The procedure is the same as for a 2nd year contract extension. You will thus be contacted by your JPOSC HR focal point 2-3 months prior to your COB date, and you and your supervisor will be requested to complete the annual evaluation form which will be shared with the donor to seek the final approval of the extension.
- Yes. But your duty station will have to fully fund the extension beyond your second year. We can support in providing a cost estimate for such a fully funded 3rd year for the duty station to have an estimate of the cost implications.
- Your duty station may fully fund up to a maximum of 12 months beyond the donor funded period. This includes any period of co-funding.
- Your duty station must fully confirm funding commitment and COA to charge before we can implement the contract extension request.
It depends on many factors, so your HRA will be able to provide your duty station with a cost estimate for their review.
- It means that your donor country and duty station/hiring unit share the costs for your position, usually with 50% each.
- Your JPOSC HRA focal point can provide your duty station with a cost estimate of the organization share of the costs for their consideration.
- The duty station must fully confirm the funding commitment and COA to charge.
- For co-funded extensions, we will need you and your supervisor to complete the annual evaluation form which will be sent to the donor to seek their final approval of the co-funded extension.
- The co-funded extension will count towards the maximum of 12 months beyond the fully donor funded period you may be extended under your JPO/SDP assignment.
- Unfortunately, in most cases, it will not be possible to process the extension, as the prerequisite for a co-funded extension is that both the duty station and donor co-fund the costs.
- Your duty station may consider funding part of your 3rd year if there are insufficient funds for a full year.
The following should be provided to your HRA in JPOSC:
- Your own duty station shall provide a Chart of Accounts (COA) for charging the costs for your position.
- The annual evaluation form should be submitted (unless fully funded by the hiring unit).
- A message/letter from your duty station in support of your contract extension
Your HRA will send the annual evaluation, support letter and cost estimate to your donor country for final review and approval, upon which the extension PA will be processed.
4th year extension
- My 4th year will be co-funded. How do I get the contract extension?
- My donor country will not fund/co-fund the 4th year. Can I get any further contract extension?
- Does it always have to be either 6 or 12 months extension fully funded by the organisation?
- My duty station would like to fund an extension of my contract beyond the maximum period of 12 months. Is that possible?
The procedure is the same as for the 3rd year co-funded contract extension.
- If your contract was fully funded by your duty station in your 3rd year, you have spent the maximum amount of allowable organisational funding which is 12 months. You can therefore not get any further extension on your JPO contract.
- If your contract was co-funded in your 3rd year at 50/50, your duty station can fully fund a maximum of additional 6 months extension of your JPO contract.
- If your contract was fully funded by your donor country in your 3rd year, your duty station can fully fund a maximum of 12 months extension of your JPO contract.
No. It can be less, but the maximum period is 12 months.
No. It is not allowed to keep JPOs on organisational funding for more than 12 months. The only time it may be possible, is if you are in the last stages of a recruitment process for a regular FTA contract with the organisation where the extension is merely to bridge the gap while awaiting the finalisation of the recruitment process. An exceptional approval will have to be granted, and you should therefore contact your HRA focal point in JPOSC to advise you on this matter.
Reassignment for career purpose in 3rd year
A JPO normally serves in the same job for the full duration of his or her JPO assignment.
However, JPOs of Partner Countries that fund assignments of three years or more may be exceptionally considered for a reassignment to another job which may be in a different duty station, unit or bureau. A reassignment will without exclusion be conditioned upon the pre-approval from the funding government.
A reassignment may support professional growth and career development and expand the network of the JPO. A reassignment from a country office to regional centre/headquarters location or vice versa, or a reassignment from one region to another region offers JPOs broader exposure.
A reassignment proposal should be supplemented with a business case within which it will be considered, hereunder the possible future retention within the receiving office, and the ability of receiving office to support the reassignment and career progression (supervision and possible cost-sharing).
This FAQ is not applicable for reassignments for compelling reasons, e.g. security and health matters which may occur for any staff at any point in time, regardless of Partner Country and subject to exigencies of service.
- Which Partner Countries may support 3rd year reassignments?
- My Partner Country is not mentioned. What do I do?
- My third year is fully funded by the organization. Can I reassign?
- What should I consider building my business case?
- What is the procedure?
- How long time does it take?
- What are my entitlements?
- I would like to reassign before my 3rd year starts. Is that possible?
- I am in doubt which duty stations have projects in the thematic areas that fit my profile. How do I move forward?
- I am an SDP at the P3 level. Can I also reassign in my 3rd year?
- I do not work with UNDP but am still interested in reassigning. Who should I contact?
- Denmark
- Finland
- Germany
- Luxembourg
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
If your Partner Country is not mentioned in the above list, it means they do not normally support reassignments in the third year taking into consideration the cost implications. Some funding governments may however support it on exceptional basis for compelling reasons. You can contact your JPOSC HR focal point for more information.
Reassignments can only take place during fully donor funded or during co-funded periods. It can never take place during fully organization funded periods.
If you are considering a reassignment, you should reflect on the following:
- How does a change in function/duty station support your JPO assignment, learning and career aspirations?
- How may a reassignment support your retention in the organization?
- You should manage and maintain the relationship with your current duty station in a constructive manner.
- Seek advice from your current supervisor and/or office, for guidance on your career development and reassignment plans.
- Consider the impact and business continuity on the duty station you leave behind, also in light of your government’s commitment to that duty station.
- Consider the impact on your own learning and contribution in the new assignment vis-à-vis the benefits of staying in your current assignment.
- Consider the willingness of the receiving office to co-fund and potential opportunities for retention beyond the donor funded period of JPO assignment.
- Consider how the receiving office/region is in alignment with the development priorities of your Partner Country.
If you are in your second year and are considering a reassignment for your third year, you should follow these steps:
- Begin by contacting your JPOSC HR focal point and reflect on the above considerations. If you are contemplating a change in duty station, you should also be prepared to inform your HRA which duty station, region or office you are considering reassigning to and why. Remember to take into consideration the priority countries and/or thematic areas of your Partner Country which you normally can find on their website. We expect that you have already discussed your interest in a reassignment with your supervisor. Your supervisor and HRA will be able to advise you on UNDP’s strategic priorities and knowledge of duty stations.
- Your HRA will contact the JPO Programme focal point of your Partner Country for a preliminary (and non-committal) positive consideration including the business case to support such arrangement.
- Once your HRA confirms pre-agreement obtained, you can contact the duty station/office where you may be interested to relocate to. Inquire of your interest and inform them to prepare a proposed JPO TOR (template here).
- Prepare your application (updated P11, achievement oriented CV and cover letter) and keep your HRA informed/in copy throughout the process.
- You should expect to be interviewed by the hiring unit and use such opportunity to find out more about the position.
- You should clearly state with the hiring unit if your third year is expected to be fully funded or co-funded by your government. It is especially important for co-funded third years as the new hiring unit will have to commit to the co-funding beforehand. The new hiring unit will also need to commit to funding the Centrally Managed Costs and provide an outline of the possibilities for a future retention (ex. Expected expansion of project funding),
- You should submit an updated job description and a letter in support of your reassignment from the new duty station/office to your HRA. In this regard, it is usually an advantage if there is a possibility of your further retention beyond your JPO assignment and this is included in the letter to support the business case.
- Your HRA will submit the official request to your Partner Country for approval including Cost Estimate, JD TOR and the business case/context to support the request.
It is our experience that obtaining the agreement with the new duty station, updated job description and support letter often takes 3-6 months, therefore it is recommendable you start the process in the 2nd quarter of your second assignment year. The consideration of your Partner Country may also be linked to budget projections for new budget cycles etc.
Once your government approves the reassignment, we can formally initiate the administrative reassignment process (medical clearance, visa, travel, payments etc.) which normally takes about 6 weeks. It is therefore necessary to have at least 6 weeks left of your contract to ensure sufficient time for the relocation formalities.
Provided your new assignment is for one full year or more, you will be entitled to receive payment for travel, relocation grant, settling-in grant lump sum and 30 days of DSA for you and your eligible family members, as applicable. For reassignments of less than a year, entitlements will be reduced as per corporate rules and regulations.
Provided that you meet the eligibility criteria, we recommend that you take home leave in conjunction with reassignment, so you travel to your new duty station via your place of home leave.
No, it is normally not applicable. Should you wish to reassign before the third year, please consult with your JPOSC HR focal point.
We suggest you first discuss this with your current supervisor or someone else who may know you well. They may be able to advise and guide you on career aspirations, relevant possible duty stations in relation to your profile.
- We also recommend that you explore our online JPO request system to see if there are units that would like to receive a JPO and where the thematic area would fit your profile and the priorities of your Partner Country. It is important to note that you should limit engaging in dialogue with one duty station/hiring unit only to manage expectations.
- You may also research the UNDP Intranet and webpages of duty stations which are of interest to you to learn more about the programmes in that particular country.
- You may also contact your HRA who may provide suggestions based on vacant JPO positions.
Consideration for a change in duty station if you are serving as an SDP should be discussed with your HRA as this would be an exceptional measure and only subject to compelling reasons.
You should contact your HR focal point in the agency that you work with for further guidance.
Separation from service for JPOs and SDPs
A separation means that you will be ending your contract with the organization and your JPO assignment will come to an end. This will require various different administrative /HR procedures to facilitate your off-boarding.
- Contract expiry
- Resignation
- New contract within UN
- Annual leave
- Other Separation entitlements
- Timing of payments
- UNLP
- Insurance
- Pension
Your contract will naturally lapse and expire following the funded period of appointment. If you will end your appointment at the end of your contract expiration date (COB, Close of Business), you should inform your office and HR focal point in JPOSC, as soon as possible and preferably at least 3 months before COB. We will send you a separation letter with information on the separation procedure outlining the entitlements and required administrative steps/forms.
Your contract will prematurely be ended due to an action from your end. If you want to end your appointment before your regular contract expiration date (COB, Close of Business), you will need to formally submit a written resignation to the organization. You should resign with at least 30 days notice according to the Staff Rules, by submitting a resignation letter to your supervisor and head of office. There is no form or template for this, an e-mail is sufficient. Upon acknowledgement of receipt and acceptance by the head of your office, you should share both the letter and acknowledgement with your HR focal point in JPOSC. This will enable us to start the separation procedure and send you the separation letter outlining the entitlements and required administrative steps/forms.
We would normally advise that you consult with your HR focal point before submitting your resignation, enabling we can duly guide you in advance.
Your contract will be ended as you have been offered a new appointment with a UN Agency. If you have been offered another contract within the UN system, or if you are in a recruitment process for a position within the UN, it is important that you inform your HR focal point in JPOSC, as the transition between the two contracts may have an impact on your entitlements. The HR Focal point can guide you on the best avenue forward on transitioning from your JPO/SDP assignment to a new assignment/contract under UN. This depends on contract modalities as well as transition within or between agencies.
We do encourage you to take annual leave on a regular basis throughout your assignment to support your wellbeing. However, should you have a positive annual leave days that you would like to take just before your COB (Close of Business), you should obtain approval from your supervisor, and inform your office and your HR focal point in JPOSC.
Should you have a positive AL balance at the time of ending your contract, a positive balance up to maximum 60 days may be monetized and will be included as part of final salary payments.
Depending on your individual situation, you may be entitled to one or more of the following:
- Repatriation travel. A lump sum payment for travel for yourself and eligible dependents from your duty station to your place of repatriation (place of recruitment or place of Home Leave)
- Relocation shipment. A lump sum payment for shipment (USD 7,800 single rate or USD 10,800 dependent rate)
- Annual Leave. Unspent annual leave days will be paid to you up to a maximum of 60 days.
- Education grant. Any residual payment (or recovery) with be processed as part of your final pay
You should refer to the tailored separation letter which will outline the details of your entitlements in due course.
Payment for travel and relocation grant is normally released 1-2 months before COB (Close of Business), or soon after we have received confirmation of your separation and last day of service including planned return travel date
Payment for unspent annual leave and/or education grant will be released as part of what we call final payments which is no earlier than the month after your COB. E.g. if your COB is in March, you will receive your last salary at the end of March and your final pay at the earliest at the end of April. The Final Payments are released only after a number of internal clearances have been completed.
If you have been issued a UNLP, it must be submitted for cancelation. You can either submit it to your office or directly to your HR focal point in JPOSC.
If you need the LP for your repatriation travel, you must submit it for cancelation upon return to your place of repatriation.
If you need the UNLP for your appointment with another UN agency, the agency should confirm that they will take over the responsibility of the LP and you can keep it. This will need to be kept on record.
It is important to mention that we cannot finalize the separation before you have submitted your UNLP, and the final payments will be withheld until such UNLP is returned. The UNLP is a property of the United Nations
You are covered by health and life insurance until the end of the month of your COB even if your last day of service is during the month. Ex if your COB is 16 May, you are covered by insurance until 31 May
If you have contributed to UNJSPF for less than 5 years, you can either opt to receive payment of your own contributions or you can choose to defer the release of such payment for up to 36 months. Deferring the release of the payment of your accrued pension benefits is normally an option if you anticipate you will pursue or be re-hired in the UN System (i.e. Also re-join the UNJSPF). If you request a release of your own pension contribution, this will be released by UNJSPF when all separation formalities have been completed by UNDP and UN Payroll. On average, the pension contribution is released 3-4 months after your COB, last day of service.