Associate Experts and Junior Professional Officers Programme

Background

The UNIDO AE/JPO Programme was established jointly with UNDP in 1972 to provide young professionals who have limited or no working experience with an opportunity to work in the field. The programme is implemented through agreements oncluded between UNIDO and the governments of donor countries to place these professionals at the service of the Organization and is funded entirely by the donor Governments.

Objectives of the Programme

The aim of the AE/JPO Programme is to contribute to the achievement of the goals, objectives and implementation of the activities of the Organization by providing young graduates, who have limited or no professional experience, an opportunity to work in the field of international cooperation activities, thereby giving them an opportunity to gain experience in the field of international cooperation activities by means of a structured learning approach.

The main difference in the two categories of staff are that Associate Experts are experts in an area of specialisation and perform project related duties of a technical nature, mostly in projects in the field. JPOs, on the other hand, do not have a technical background and are generally economists. They are often based in a national or regional office and assist and coordinate a number of different programmes and projects.

The JPO/AE programme is entirely managed by UNIDO. For each JPO/AE a separate Trust Fund project is established by the donor covering all personnel costs as well as travel in the field and a training budget allocation.