DTTA approval & payment procedures

The DTTA approval procedures for JPOs administered by the JPO Service Centre vary depending on which UN organization they are assigned to. The different procedures are explained below. 

However, please note that all JPOs need to complete the Request for use for DTTA form: 

The below rules also apply to UNDP SDPs and UN SARCs managed by the UNDP JPO Service Centre.

Procedure for JPOs from the following partner agencies:

  1. The JPO identifies a possible learning activity for use of the funds (see Guidelines for use of the DTTA);
  2. The JPO needs to complete the Request for use for DTTA form. Section B is completed by the local UNDP office;
  3. The JPO enquires actual balance of DTTA from JPOSC;
  4. The JPO completes UNAIDS’ “JPO external training: approval form”  which must be signed and approved by the JPO’s Supervisor;
  5. The JPO sends the “JPO external training: approval form” signed by their Supervisor to Jonathan Ball, Chief, Organizational Development Division/HRM (ballj@unaids.org) with copy to odv@unaids.org for approval;
  6. Upon receipt of required approvals and if DTTA activity involves travel, the local UNDP office raises an authorization for travel including dates of travel and estimated costs of the travel/learning activity (based on approved DSA and travel quote from the local UN travel agency). The authorization should include both authorized and the actual itinerary, as well as the purpose of travel.
  1. The JPO/SDP identifies a possible learning activity for use of the funds (see Guidelines for use of the DTTA).
  2. The JPO/SDP needs to complete the Request for use for DTTA form.
  3. The JPO/SDP seeks approval from their supervisor.
  4. Upon receipt of required approvals and if the DTTA activity involves travel, the local UNDP office raises an authorization for travel including dates of travel and estimated costs of the travel/learning activity (based on approved DSA and travel quote from the local UN travel agency). The authorization should include both the authorized and the actual itinerary, as well as the purpose of travel.
  5. If JPOs/SDPs or their supervisors are in doubt about the DTTA eligibility of an intended training, they can consult with the JPOSC in advance.


Procedure for JPOs from UNAIDS

  1. The JPO identifies a possible learning activity for use of the funds (see Guidelines for use of the DTTA).
  2. The JPO needs to complete the Request for use for DTTA form. Section B is completed by the local UNDP office.
  3. The JPO enquires actual balance of DTTA from JPOSC.
  4. The JPO completes UNAIDS’ JPO external training: approval form which must be signed and approved by the JPO’s supervisor.
  5. The JPO sends the JPO external training: approval form signed by their jupervisor to Jonathan Ball, Chief, Organizational Development Division/HRM (ballj@unaids.org) with copy to odv@unaids.org for approval.
  6. Upon receipt of required approvals and if DTTA activity involves travel, the local UNDP office raises an authorization for travel including dates of travel and estimated costs of the travel/learning activity (based on approved DSA and travel quote from the local UN travel agency). The authorization should include both the authorized and the actual itinerary, as well as the purpose of travel.

Procedure for JPOs from WHO

  1. The JPO identifies a possible learning activity for use of the funds.
  2. The JPO needs to complete the Request for use for DTTA form.
  3. The JPO seeks approval from their supervisor.
  4. The JPO sends the supervisor’s approval to the WHO HQ focal point for JPOs (Cornelia Griss – griss@who.int).
  5. The WHO focal point seeks approval from donor government, if applicable.
  6. The WHO focal point approves the learning activity.
  7. Upon receipt of required approvals and if the DTTA activity involves travel, the local UNDP office raises an authorization for travel including dates of travel and estimated costs of the travel/learning activity (based on approved DSA and travel quote from the local UN travel agency). The authorization should include both the authorized and the actual itinerary, as well as the purpose of travel.

Payment Procedures

No matter what your UN agency is, the local UNDP country office helps monitor and administer the JPO/SDP’s DTTA budget, (i.e. reimbursement, raising Atlas vouchers, raising travel requisitions). When requesting advance travel payment, payment of training fees or reimbursement of travel costs, the JPOs/SDPs should therefore forward all documentation to the country office as documentation for payment.

There are different ways for receiving payments under DTTA funds.

For training fees

  1. The JPO/SDP can make a direct payment for the training fees and claim reimbursement through an F.10 claim submitted together with original receipts and necessary approvals from their supervisor and UN organization to the UNDP country office’s Finance Unit. The Finance Unit is hereafter requested to make a direct payment to the JPO/SDP.
  2. The JPO/SDP can request the UNDP country office to make a direct payment to the training provider. The JPO/SDP must submit a vendor/person profile form including the vendor details and pass this on to the UNDP country office’s Finance Unit, together with the necessary approvals from his/her supervisor and UN organization. In doing so, the JPO/SDP may refer to the Assignment Grant Authorization from the UNDP JPO Service Centre which includes the authorization to make DTTA payments. The Finance Unit is hereafter requested to make a direct payment to the vendor.

For travel

Ground Rules for all JPOs and SDPs

  1. No self-ticketing is allowed and JPOs/SDPs may not travel without an approved DTTA request and a valid travel authorization approved by their office.
  2. Upon completion of travel the JPO/SDP must submit a completed F.10 form
  3. The authorization to issue payments against the DTTA funds, including the DTTA amount for the specific JPO, was shared with the JPO/SDP and the UNDP country office at the start of the JPO/SDP assignment (in the Assignment Grant Authorization), including the COA to be used when raising the voucher in Atlas. DTTA expenses should be charged against account code 63405 and Atlas vouchers for DTTA expenditures should be submitted together with supporting documentation to the JPOSC for approval. 
  4. Expenses exceeding the DTTA budget should be borne by the JPO/SDP. 
  5. The assigned certifying and approving officials are based in Copenhagen. Please be mindful of the time difference when planning your travel and submitting Travels Requests (TR) for approval.

UNDP, UNFPA or UN Women JPOs/SDPs based in New York

Travel must be booked with the use of the Travel and Expense (T&E) module in Atlas, as the central platform for processing travel services for UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women.

This Atlas module is designed for travellers to book their own tickets through the online booking tool of our authorised New York based travel agent Ultramar.

Please follow the steps described in this presentation and described in more detail here.

The assigned certifying and approving officials are based in Copenhagen. Please be mindful of the six-hour time difference when planning your travel and submitting travel requests for approval.

UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women JPOs and SDPs based in all other locations

If the T&E module has been rolled out to your office, travel must be booked with the use of the T&E module in Atlas, as the central platform for processing travel services for all UNDP travel. Kindly ask your travel colleagues for assistance in booking your travel as each UNDP office has a specific setup and procedures and authorised travel agents may vary.

Please follow the steps described in this presentation and described in more detail here.

The assigned certifying and approving officials are based in Copenhagen. Please be mindful of the time difference when planning your travel and submitting TRs for approval.

UNAIDS, UNIDO, UNOPS, UNRWA, UNSSC, UNU, UPU and WHO JPOs administered by the UNDP JPO Service Centre

The JPO’s travel must be booked through the local UN travel agency.

If the learning activity involves travel, the local UNDP country office is requested to arrange for a travel requisition in the Atlas e-procurement module, indicating the purpose of travel, the travel itinerary as well as the estimated costs of the travel/learning activity. JPOs should therefore forward all approvals and the travel authorization, including travel quote, to the UNDP country office as documentation and to purchase the ticket on the JPO’s behalf.

There are different expenditures related to travel payments under DTTA funds.

For travel, the JPO should request the UNDP country office to book a ticket through the local UN travel agency, charging the DTTA COA. The approved travel itinerary and other relevant documentation should therefore be forwarded to the UNDP country office.