UNDP Jobs - 58800- Project Management Specialist (IGAD)

Project Management Specialist (IGAD)

Location :

Juba, SOUTH SUDAN

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

15-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Capacity building at human resource, organizational and institutional levels remains an urgent priority in South Sudan. It is central to restoring core institutions - both in terms of physical infrastructure and technical ability - and providing basic services to citizens. The Government of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) has, together with its international partners, developed a Medium Capacity Development Strategy (MTCDS) as an Action Plan for Rapid Capacity Building. The MTCDS is derived directly from the objectives of the South Sudan Development Plan (SSDP) 2011 – 2016, and aims to provide a strategic framework for organizing capacity development efforts in support of these objectives, as well as the peace-building and state-building objectives of the RSS post-independence.

UNDP South Sudan seeks to contribute to this capacity building process by targeting the right functional and technical capacities at national, state and county levels, in order to increase the prospect of stability in South Sudan. Improving the capacity of government is both urgent and important, given the enormous development challenges facing the new state.

To address the urgent capacity gap, an initiative for capacity enhancement has been developed where member states of the IGAD community have committed to support the RSS both with human resources and financial assistance. The initiative supports the RSS to second and place civil servants from IGAD Member States. These men and women will be deployed in strategic functions within national ministries, commissions and state-level local government. They will serve as rapid capacity enhancement support and be “twinned” with South Sudanese civil servants to ensure the direct transfer of skills and on-the-job training.

The IGAD Regional Initiative is a capacity building project aimed at supporting the civil service in South Sudan. It addresses capacity development needs in three ways:

(i) Support capacity placement in government agencies through deployment of civil servants;
(ii) Strengthen South-South linkages between public sector agencies and think tanks in IGAD countries; and
(iii) Strengthen Government capacity to recruit and sustain required technical assistance.

Accordingly, the Initiative recruits and places highly qualified civil servants to work within the RSS. The civil servants, designated as Civil Service Support Officers (CSSOs), are identified and recruited by the RSS with the support of UNDP; and are embedded in positions that serve to provide the impetus for enhanced service delivery. They are deployed in strategic functions within national ministries, commissions and state-level local government as a form of technical assistance to strengthen institutional capacity to deliver services. The beneficiaries are principally key RSS and State ministries and agencies in essential sectors such as finance; local government; health, education and vocational training, aviation, access to justice and rule-of-law; infrastructure, trade and industry, among others.

The CSSOs sign a two-year contract with RSS, and are assigned to government structures as civil servants to coach and mentor their South Sudanese counterparts. They are “twinned” with South Sudanese civil servants to ensure the direct transfer of skills through on-the-job training. The CSSOs provide coaching and mentoring directly to civil servants in host agencies in South Sudan, and support the strengthening of core functions of government partners, leadership and policy making skills. The RSS/IGAD Programme has been hailed as a good model for post-conflict capacity development, south-south cooperation and triangular cooperation, and continues to attract interest both locally and internationally.

The first phase of the project deployed 200 CSSOs to 22 national, state and county level institutions. With the completion of the first phase of the Project in March 2015, preparations for the second phase are well advanced after a Human Needs Capacity Assessment in seven out of the 10 states of South Sudan. Following the Assessment, IGAD contributing countries (Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda) have recruited 139 CSSOs to be deployed to national, state and county level institutions, for a two-year period. The second phase is designed to boost implementation and impact through a strengthened Project Management Unit (PMU), and wider horizontal and vertical deployment of CSSOs. As such, the Project seeks to recruit a Project Management Specialist to support the Project’s expanded operation going forward.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the UNDP South Sudan Human Development and Inclusive Growth Unit (HDIGU) Team Leader; and the direct supervision of the IGAD Project Manager, the Project Management Specialist will support and facilitate the management and implementation of all project activities and delivery of all services in line with the UNDP Rules and Regulations, in close collaboration with the project’s counterparts and within the time-frame, work plans, and budget of the project.

Summary of key functions:

Programme Development & Resource Mobilization;
Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessments;
Project Coordination;
Advocacy, Networking and Marketing.

Programme Development & Resource Mobilisation:

Prepare proposals for mobilization of human, technical or financial resources from international development organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector;
Mobilize resources to support the achievement of project outputs and outcomes; and network and build credible working relations with Government, UN and donor partners;
Develop budgeting/planning tools including, annual work plans, results frameworks, reporting frameworks, Letters of Agreement, workflow timelines and other related documents;
Draft project documents, concept notes and other documentation in support of programme development and resource mobilization efforts;
Lead efforts to conceptualize and design new initiatives as outlined within the IGAD Annual Work Plan, particularly on or related to coordination with government institutions, south-south cooperation, and project visibility;
Support organization, coordination and provide logistical support to audit, reviews and/or evaluation missions;
Draft briefing notes, presentations and other documents/reports for the IGAD project team, HDIGU, UNDP, government counterparts, donors or other partners;
Support the HDIGU and IGAD project in regular progress reporting in line with scheduled reporting deadlines;
Collate reports from the civil servants and prepare joint reports to UNDP, donors, and government as necessary.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Analysis:

Develop project output targets and indicators, along with reporting and monitoring frameworks to capture progress against them;
Support and quality assure surveys and impact assessments of project activities at key milestones of the project cycle;
Produce solution-oriented recommendations throughout the project cycle to mitigate bottlenecks and other implementation challenges;
Oversee and coordinate the production of thematic analysis pieces to inform and/or support policy-making, programming or technical advisory services;
Maintain contact with partners and stakeholders to assess broader political, security and economic dynamics in order to ensure responsiveness of programme strategy, objectives and outputs;
Undertake comparative analysis across different states in order to document best practices and lessons learned;
Support activities related to capacity development of government counterparts in supervision, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and impact assessments.

Project Coordination:

Support efforts to liaise with stakeholders, donors, government partners and other relevant project stakeholders;
Ensure effective organization of all project-related meetings and events, including but not limited to board meetings, planning workshops and conferences;
Oversee Project outputs’ implementation and reporting including, quality assurance of products from the Communication’s office, support/design, internal and external communication and reporting systems, production of knowledge products and timely submission of corporate UNDP and donor reporting requirements;
Actively engage and coordinate with other capacity building Programmes and projects implemented by UNDP, as well as UN, INGOs and NGOs, to ensure complementarity, minimize overlaps and/or duplication, and identify synergies.

Advocacy, Networking and Marketing:

Create or establish a positive and appreciative atmosphere for team-based work in the project and be an advocate for the work of UNDP;
Coordinate the implementation of the Project’s Public Communications Strategy including the positioning of the Project through social media, and make necessary changes according to upcoming priorities;
Disseminate information on best practices and be an active member of the UNDP global and regional networks;
Prepare brochures, publications, press releases for dissemination of UNDP assistance and experience;
Prepare professional articles and papers;
Expand outreach of the UN, national government, local authorities, private sector, non-government and international development organizations.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards, as well as tact and diplomacy;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning:

Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning amongst colleagues and clients;
Demonstrates technical expertise on programme/project cycle, capacity building and public sector reform policies and programming;
Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

Ability to support strategic planning, results-based programming, management, reporting as well as resource mobilization efforts;
Ability to support formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects;
Knowledgeable about UNDP’s program management/strategy regulations, systems and procedures, including execution modalities;
Demonstrates outstanding oral and written communication and presentation skills;
Strong negotiation and networking skills;
Strong IT skills; encourages the use of new technologies and strives for high standard of professional work;
Strong inter-personal skills: Ability to motivate and inter-act with colleagues at all levels within the organization as well as with partners.

Management and Leadership:

Analyses complex problems systematically and efficiently. Focuses on critical details while managing a broad perspective. Draws accurate conclusions and makes sound decisions;
Results Oriented: Uses initiative to deliver required outputs and planned results in accordance with time and budget targets;
Demonstrates high tolerance for change, complexity and unpredictability. Focuses on impact and results for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Demonstrates strong programme/project management skills;
Handles confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree in development, social sciences, political sciences, management or other relevant fields.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience including professional experience in Programme/project management in the field of development;
Experience in providing advisory services in the area of governance and public policy;
Experience managing civil service reform programming in an international context, preferably in a post-conflict setting;
Proven management experience, preferably within UNDP or another a UN agency, with sound knowledge and experience in all aspects of project cycle (design, implementation, monitoring & evaluation);
Proven skills in effective fundraising, resource mobilization and donor relations;
Proven experience in partnership building and networking;
Dedication to the United Nations principles, to promotion of equal rights of men and women, and respect for cultural, ethnic and religious diversity;
Advanced computer skills and strong knowledge of various software including Excel, PowerPoint and Word;
Previous experience in Southern Sudan an advantage.

Language:

Excellent Knowledge and ability to communicate clearly in written and spoken English;
Knowledge of Arabic is an advantage.