UNDP GEF Jobs - 62007- GEF - Project Manager for GEF-DRIN Project

GEF - Project Manager for GEF-DRIN Project

Advertised on behalf of

UNDP GEF

Location :

Tirana, ALBANIA

Type of Contract :

Other

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

06-Dec-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Other

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 year with possibility of extension

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

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) supported Full Size Project “Enabling transboundary cooperation and integrated water resources management in the extended Drin River Basin” aims at fostering the joint management of the shared water resources of the Drin River Basin (shared by Albania, FYR Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo and Montenegro) including coordination mechanisms among the various sub-basin commissions and committees (Lakes Prespa, Ohrid and Skadar). Albania, FYR Macedonia and Montenegro are the Project beneficiaries. The same goal will be fostered by the GEF supported Medium Size Project “Enabling transboundary cooperation and integrated water resources management in the White Drin and the extended Drin Basin”. Kosovo is the beneficiary of that Project.

The duration of the two Projects is four years.

The Projects share the same set of activities constituting the means to achieve the goal mentioned above, through: (i) building consensus among countries on key transboundary concerns and drivers of change, including climate variability and change, reached through joint fact finding; (ii) facilitating the agreement on a shared vision and on a program of priority actions deemed necessary to achieve the vision; (iii) strengthening technical and institutional capacities.

The Projects are implemented by UNDP and executed by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) through GWP-Mediterranean (GWP-Med); the latter is responsible for the realization of the Project, including hiring of Project staff. The Projects will be managed by a Project Coordination Unit (PCU), based in Tirana, Albania; staff will be stationed also in Podgorica, Montenegro; Ohrid, FYR Macedonia; Pristina, Kosovo; and Athens, Greece. Given that the two Projects will be jointly implemented, hereon they are referred to as ‘the Project’.

The PCU will provide the day-to-day management and coordination function for Project activities. It will constitute of a Project Coordinator/Chief Technical advisor (PC/CTA) having overall responsibility for the Project implementation, a Project Manager (PM) having responsibility for the day-by-day Project management, supported by Administrative and Financial staff. Four National Coordinators (NC), one located in each of Tirana, Podgorica, Pristina and Ohrid, as PCU members will assist the PC/CTA and the PM in implementing projects activities and managing the international and national experts; they will also assist securing regular engagement and coordination with the regional and local organizations, institutions and authorities involved in the implementation of the Project. The PCU will report to the Steering Committee (SC) that will govern the Project. The SC will include representatives of the beneficiary countries.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Manager shall, under the supervision of the Project Coordinator / Chief Technical Advisor (PC/CTA), run the Project on a day-to-day basis, manage all staff in the Project Coordination Unit (PCU), consultants and sub-contractors. Her/His work will ensure that the project produces the specified results, to the required standard of quality, within the specified timeframe and budget as indicated in the Project document. She/he will report to the PC/CTA. She/he shall consult and coordinate with, as necessary, the senior representatives of partner institutions and agencies as well as the respective UNDP officers in Albania, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.

The PM will have the following specific duties, abiding to the rules and agreements established among Project partners:

Management

Under the coordination of the PC/CTA, manage the Project, the PCU and its staff. Management and supervision should be done in accordance with the Project Document and the rules and procedures of the GWP.
Assist in the preparation of annual work plans and manage activities for the implementation of the project using guidance from the PC/CTA and the Steering Committee. The work plans will provide guidance on the day-to-day implementation of the project document noting the need for overall coordination with other projects and the various donor funded parallel initiatives. Ensure adherence to the project’s workplans, assist in the preparation of revisions of the workplans to be submitted to the Steering Committee for approval, as required.
Catalyze the adaptive management of the project by actively monitoring progress towards achievement of project objectives vis-a-vis the agreed progress indicators, proposing adaptive actions to the PC/CTA, and applying the resulting insights to the project’s ongoing work in coordination with the PC/CTA.
Prepare GEF project progress reports, as well as any other reports requested by the GWP and UNDP.
Work with the PC/CTA to select and recruit the project personnel including the national and international consultants.
Supervise the work of National Coordinators, consultants and subcontractors and oversee compliance of their work with the project annual workplans.
Assume overall responsibility for the proper handling of logistics related to project workshops and events.
Arrange for the timely recruitment and procurement of quality services and equipment and for implementation of project activities in accord with applicable rules, regulation and standards.
Contribute in meeting the financial delivery targets set out in the agreed project annual work plans and assist in the reporting on project funds and related record keeping.
Cooperate with GWP and GWP-Med for delivering administrative work undertaken by the GWP in service of the project.
Liaise with project partners to ensure their co-financing contributions are provided within the agreed terms.
Ensure adequate information flow, discussions and feedback among the various stakeholders of the project.
Oversee the functioning of the local project offices and make regular visits to ensure their proper management and report back to the PC/CTA any potential problems/difficulties.
Make local and international travels according to project needs.

Technical Input

Provide critical and significant basin management and water resources-related technical input to project implementation based upon professional background and experience.
Be responsible for the development of Terms of Reference for consultants and contractors.
Provide specific technical input on the implementation and documentation of project activities directly within her/his technical area including editing and/or drafting and/or proof reading of technical reports and studies in the fields of river basin management, stakeholders involvement etc. and provide oversight and guidance to international and national consultants recruited to undertake/support the implementation of project activities.
Engage in a constructive dialogue with the beneficiary countries and project partners to maximize consistency and synergy between the various project components.
Interact on a technical and substantive level with the members of the Expert Working Groups (EWGs) of the Drin Core Group i.e. the body established by the Drin Riparians to implement the Drin MoU that is directly served by the Project, to maximize sustainability of project outcomes. Provide technical support to the EWGs including assistance in the preparation and revision of the workplans of the EWGs.
Be responsible for the maintenance of the project web-site, seeking and incorporating data and information from all project partners.
Represent, as necessary, the project at the Steering Committee meetings, technical meetings and other appropriate fora at regional and international levels substituting the PC/CTA.
Undertake any other actions related to the project as requested by the PC/CTA.

Competencies

Corporate competencies

Abilities to coordinate well with diverse individuals and teams and to negotiate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve results.
Applies principles of ethics, transparency and non discrimination.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Treats all people fairly without favouritism.
Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional competencies

Strong interpersonal skills, communication skills, ability to lead a team.
Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback.
Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations.
Strong analytical, writing, reporting and presenting abilities.
Demonstrated diplomatic and negotiating skills.
Must be able to demonstrate ability to make significant technical and management contributions to project implementation.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education:

University and Post-graduate degree (Masters or equivalent) in environmental management, hydrology, hydrogeology or a directly related field, e.g. integrated water resources management, natural resources management, biology, political sciences etc.

Required Experience:

Demonstrated working experience on: water resources management at basin level; international waters management; stakeholders consultation and involvement and; institutional capacity building.
At least five years of experience in fields related to the assignment including experience at a senior programme management level.

Desired Experience:

Working experience in the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive including development of basin management plans.
Experience with GEF International Waters projects and TDA/SAP methodology will be appreciated.
Very good understanding of the socio-economic and political background in South East Europe and more specifically in the Drin Riparian states will be considered an asset.
Working experience with the project national institutions and stakeholders.

Language skills requirement:

English is the working language for this assignment, therefore excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required.

Evaluation Procedure:

Applications will be examined by an evaluation committee as follows:

The Committee will examine the applications and accompanying CVs and motivation letter received in relation to the qualifications listed in the TORs. Applications which do not meet the required qualifications will be excluded from further evaluation. The remaining applications will be further evaluated by the Evaluation Committee, concluding with a short list.
The Evaluation Committee may decide to hold personal interviews with the short-listed applicants. Applicants called to an interview may be requested to submit in printed format prior to their interview all documentation supporting their declared qualifications.
The final evaluation will be based on an analysis of qualifications and competencies. The candidate to be selected will be the one evaluated and determined as:

Responsive to the procedure described herein;
Compliant to the ToR of the post;
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted criteria (see below)

Criteria - max. 100 points:

Criteria A – Academic Qualifications/Education as indicated under the ToR section entitled “Qualifications” (max points: 20)
Criteria B – Required Experience as indicated under the ToR section entitled “Qualifications”, and evaluation of the motivation letter (max points: 45).
Criteria C – Desired Experience as indicated under the ToR section entitled “Qualifications” (max points: 35)

Application procedure:

Applicants are requested to study carefully the Terms of Reference provided in Annex I.

Interested candidates can apply by sending not later than 6 December 2015 an e-mail to the attention of Ms. Zoe Karka zoe@gwpmed.org with the indication ‘‘Application for GEF-DRIN Project – Project Manager” in the subject, attaching the following documents:

A Cover letter explaining why they are a suitable candidate for the advertised position, describing their experience, qualifications and competencies responding to the position’s needs. Contents should focus on the background and experience relative to the position’s requirements. The cover letter should be 1 page max.
Their detailed CV, using the model CV form provided in Annex II, including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested information.

For further information or clarification please contact: secretariat@gwpmed.org