UNDP Jobs - 63230- GCCA Project Manager - Supporting Adaptation to Cl

GCCA Project Manager - Supporting Adaptation to Climate Change in Coastal Areas

Location :

Mahe, SEYCHELLES

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

01-Mar-2016

Application Deadline :

15-Feb-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SC-10

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 Year Renewable

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

4 Years

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

Seychelles is a small, service-based, middle-income, island-state economy with a diverse and robust portfolio of environment and climate change related strategies, policies and regulations providing an increasingly enabling environment for the climate change sector.

The Seychelles Climate Change Strategy (SCCS) was formulated in 2009 to prevent and reduce the potential impacts of climate change on the country's development. The SCCS set preliminary guidelines for mainstreaming climate change into sustainable development as a national cross-sector programme addressing matters of policy, institutions, capacity building, civil society involvement and a 5 year action plan.

The Seychelles Sustainable Development Strategy (SSDS) 2012-20 is another substantial and more recent policy framework also covering the climate change sector and follows the previous Seychelles Environmental Management Plan (EMPS) [2000-10] the SSDS 2012-20 as the national instrument setting implementation priorities for sustainable development in line with Agenda 21.

The Government of the Seychelles (GoS) leads the response to the climate change challenge , authoring and endorsing reform policies and strategies, involving domestic actors including non-state actors (NSA), enabling increasing participation of the private sector in the implementation of the SCCS / SSDS, and engaging in dialogue with donors, showing control and leadership in modernization reforms on public financial management and good governance, accountability and environmental sustainability.

GoS commitment to the SCCS / SSDS is visible in the policy and strategic on-going reforms, but the SCCS / SSDS do not have a medium term expenditure framework and are not linked to the major ongoing macroeconomic reform program. The absence of inter-policy linkages and integration of the macroeconomic framework in the SCCS / SSDS does pose serious challenges for their implementation and needs to be addressed.

As evidenced from the policy directives, coastal climate change adaptation is a high priority, in view of the impacts of Climate change in terms of coastal erosions and flooding in vulnerable areas. A number of studies have consequently been initiated and emergency remedial works have started on the affected areas on Mahé and La Digue using adaptation approaches such as Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EBA).

Under the EU GCCA + project, cost-effective EBA methods will be applied in project activities, in combination with various engineering technologies to address site-specific issues and opportunities enhancing climate change resilience to coastal flooding by addressing several key issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

The National Project Manager (PM) will as part of his/her overall duties:

Oversee the implementation of the overall project work plan and ensure timely completion of all activities and timely monitoring and evaluation of the project. In doing so, the PM should work closely with the UNDP Programme Manager and other key ministries and departments and EU, to mutually agree upon any adjustments that have to be made to the work plan;
Prepare a detailed schedule of project review meetings in consultation with stakeholder representatives and incorporate it in the Project Annual Workplans;
Develop a Project Overall Workplan as well as yearly workplan and budgets;
Guide the work of consultants and experts and oversee compliance with agreed workplans, timelines for deliverables;
Organize and coordinate the procurement of services and goods under the project;
Conduct day-to-day monitoring of implementation progress on the project’s Annual Plan;
Work Plan and its indicators;
Collaborate and provide the necessary support to key personnel (consultants) recruited under the project to carry out the specific activities;
Plan, organize and attend meetings of the PSC, and provide them with necessary documentation on time. Also serve as secretary to the PSC;
Prepare the Terms of Reference for consultants and experts and ensure their timely hiring;
Participate in the selection/shortlisting and recruitment of consultant(s) to conduct the activities under the project and manage the schedule of events in consultation with the PSC, the UNDP office and EU, as well as the consultants recruited, produce and manage the schedule of events;
Exercise quality control over the consultancies, and stakeholder consultations, ensuring that documents and reports for the PSC are in adequate form;
Serve as the main channel of communications with the selected consultant(s), UNDP and the project beneficiaries;
Identify and contact a core group of key multi- sectoral stakeholders from all relevant agencies and organizations to participate in the project as and when required; Identify national expertise and resources that can be drawn upon and assist in the process;
Keep detailed records of all proceedings of the consultative process and PSC meetings and the Technical Review Meetings;
Prepare documentation for all Technical Review Meetings and write the Reports of those meeting;
Oversee the administrative and financial performance of the project in collaboration with the UNDP Programme Manager and the Programme Assistant;
Coordinate all project activities (e.g. workshop and logistical support), logistics and related disbursements and administrative requirements necessary for the smooth running of the project in partnership with the UNDP Programme Manager;
Develop and implement the yearly workplan for submission to the PSC for approval;
Review the performance of project activities, monitor key indicators of progress in fulfilment of targets established;
Establish an effective project information strategy including provision of relevant information materials to UNDO CO as well as local media as required;
Supervise the work of the Programme Assistant;
Prepare the interim report as well as the Final Report to be submitted to the EU in close collaboration with the UNDP country office.

Managerial Functions:

Responsible for approval of all administrative and financial reports, external communications and travel requests, as well as the acquisition of equipment, goods and services.

Programme Development and Management:

Guide the implementation of the activities outlined in the project document and the Work plan;
Responsible for the overall coordination of all aspects of the GCCA+ project;
Liaise directly with designated officials of the Members of the PSC,and Project Partners, UNDP Country Offices, existing and potential additional project donors and stakeholders, and others as deemed appropriate and necessary by the PSC;
Responsible for the day-to-day management of the project as well as for the delivery of a number of technical activities.

Resource Mobilization:

Provide guidance on the day-to-day implementation based on the approved Project Document;
Responsible for oversight of the project activities, and will provide guidance and orientation with a view to ensuring that these are fully aligned and harmonized with work undertaken within the main project objective;
Provide overall supervision and guidance for the Programme Assistant and supervise the work of consultants recruited under the project.

Competencies

Demonstrated diplomatic, management, interpersonal, networking and negotiating skills;
Excellent analytical skills;
Effective oral and written presentation & communication skills;
Good planning and organizational skills, ability to work under tight deadlines;
Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team;
Adherence to UN Core Values: commitment to team work, accountability, creativity, client orientation, continuous learning, technological awareness, openness to change and ability to manage complex situations, respect for diversity;
Good professional knowledge of main office computer applications;
Familiarity with the goals and procedures of international organizations, in particular those of the EU, UNDP and identified Project and Programme partners.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Post Graduate Degree or (BSc Degree with minimum 6 years’ working experience) with significant related working experience in Ocean and Coastal Management/Governance, Environmental, Natural Resources or Marine Ecosystems Management or Environmental Engineering or related field.

Experience:

At least 5 years of working experience in the fields related to the assignment, at national and/ international levels;
Demonstrated experience in management and coordination of multi-disciplinary projects, preferably of bi-national or regional scope, including team-building skills;
Demonstrated experience in the preparation of planning documents related to environment or coastal ecosystems (management plans, strategies or legal instruments);
Close familiarity and working knowledge of the goals and procedures of relevant international organizations, in particular those of the GEF and UNDP, as well as those of other partners such as EU;
Experience in administration of budgets and human resources management required;
Previous work experience in one or more of the participating countries, and previous work experience in the region on issues related to the similar Projects.

Language:

Fluent in both oral and written English;
Knowledge of creole;
Knowledge of French would be considered an asset, although not essential.

Mode of Application:

Interested and qualified candidates should apply on-line through UNDP jobs website http://jobs.undp.org or www.mu.undp.org (under Operations);
Please ensure that you upload the Personal History Form – P11 (available at www.mu.undp.org under Operations/Jobs) and your CV as one attachment in the relevant field of the on-line application;
Please merge all your documents (Covering Letter, CV & P11 form) into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one (1) document;
You are required to provide the exact titles of your degrees/qualifications (as per certificates) in the Personal History Form and CV;
Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date will not be given consideration;
Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted;
Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

UNDP reserves the right to call the best qualified candidates and not to make any appointment following this advertisement.