Olga Jukova
Chief of Fund Administration - OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek
I started my work in the OSCE as a finance assistant and now I supervise the work of 13 other people. I saw the vacancy opening at the OSCE Centre in Tashkent in the early 2000's; I was working in the Ministry of Energy. The position required a technical background, and since I graduated from the Technical University, working with figures was something I felt comfortable with.
Once the Centre changed its mandate and was transformed into the Project Co-ordinator, I had to learn to work with project implementation. I got the position of National Project Officer and then continued as a local Chief of Fund Administration (CFA). I have been working as CFA since 2005: First in the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (formerly the OSCE Centre in Tashkent), and later in the Office in Yerevan. My most recent assignment is as CFA at the Programme Office in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
I became one of the first female CFAs in OSCE history. It was more than a purely administrative position and I also performed managerial tasks. I get to learn something new every day – it is a challenge, but also a great opportunity for development. In any position I had, I received training not only in finance, but also in management, human resources, and professional procurement such as the CIPS trainings.
It makes me happy that I can come up with an initiative, implement the idea and see the results. Since then, I have assumed CFA duties in multiple locations. It is very rewarding to support employees and find ways to improve their productivity and worklife.While working as the CFA in Kyiv, I saw staff overloaded with work and decided to analyze the situation and initiate a reorganization of the office procurement procedures. We managed to introduce new local window contracts which improved efficiency, secured the best value for money and also saved our staff a lot of time. It is achievement like these that make me feel that I make a difference at the Organization.
The OSCE is a quite young organization in comparison to the UN and still very flexible. It is able to react to changes in the political situation in a country, which is a great quality. For our office this means that we also have to be flexible, and able to adjust our procedures. That’s why innovation is very welcome here.
