Background

Nepal is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. The country is exposed to a range of geophysical and hydro-meteorological hazards. Each year hundreds of lives are lost in water induced disasters such as floods and landslides and thousands of people are affected. Being one of the most seismically active regions in the world, the risk of a major earthquake always looms large on the country. The dynamics of climate change add another dimension to disaster risk in Nepal.  Over the past ten years, UNDP has played an important role in building capacities in the disaster management sector in Nepal, with a recent move towards a comprehensive risk management approach among various sectoral agencies, national and international NGOs, and the relevant UN agencies.  UNDP work in support of the government’s efforts to further strengthen national capacity in the management of short-term disaster risk and long-term climate risk through an integrated approach where disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation programming go side-by-side and benefit from each other’s approaches.   This requires development of institutional and organizational capacity at all levels to address vulnerability reduction and coping mechanisms in a programmatic and innovative manner.

Under the overall guidance of the UNDP Country Office, and the direct supervision of the Head of the Disaster Risk Management Unit, the Programme Manager is responsible for the day to day management of the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Programme, including planning, implementation design, and formulation of the annual implementation workplans as well as technical oversight, in close collaboration and coordination with Government of Nepal and the UNDP Programme Officers who monitor day-to-day implementation of the projects in line with approved work plans. The incumbent will be responsible for identifying synergies and for ensuring cross-unit cooperation and coordination with other Programme areas in UNDP as well as with other UN agencies.

The Programme Manager provides policy advice to the relevant counterparts and leads policy advocacy in the Programme area and liaises with other UN Agencies, Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society in the areas pertaining to the Programme.

The Programme Manager supervises project team and works in close collaboration with the CO projects and programme staff, operations team in the CO, programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the CDRMP programme The Project Manager works on a daily basis with numerous DRM stakeholders, necessitating that the incumbent be able to develop and maintain viable working relationships with colleagues across the organization and in government offices and work in a responsive client oriented and problem solving manner.

The Project manager is expected to spend a minimum of 25% of his/her time in field sites outside the Kathmandu office, including travel to remote field locations as required.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key functions:

• Management of the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Programme
• Efficient support to tasks related to advocacy, programming, monitoring and evaluation, and representation.
• Strategic partnership and resources mobilization
• Development and maintenance of positive working relationships with key stakeholders, especially Government of Nepal counterparts
• Facilitation of knowledge building and management

Ensures the strategic direction of programme focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Provision of advice on strategies, policies and plans affecting programme operations, delivery of   practice   advisory, knowledge and learning services.
• Establishment of collaborative arrangements with project potential partners and appropriate operational partnership arrangements.
• Constant monitoring and analysis of the operating environment, quick readjustment of the operations, advice on legal considerations and risk assessment.
• Monitor and analyse key economic, social and political developments in the country which effect regional/local or national development; through this process, identify development needs and potential solutions relevant to project activities
• Contribute to policy dialog on the issues of communities engagement in the decision making process on the local level with the Government, donors, civil society, private sector as relates to DRM and related areas, including climate change adaptation.  
• Advocate, promote awareness and understanding of local sustainable development issues in the context of MDG’s, climate change, environment, and DRM.
• Ensure that UNDP objectives and activities are well coordinated with plans and activities of local partners

Ensures effective and accurate overall management of the programme focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Under the leadership of the Head of Unit, effectively manage the CBDRMP team, ensure proper training, guidance and coaching opportunities for all personnel and local leaders assisted by the project
• Implement the project activities in accordance with UNDP financial Rules and Regulations and the Internal Control Framework for UNDP Nepal
• Preparation of project implementation activities and selection of implementing partners such as government institutions, service providers, and NGOs. Managing calls for bids and for proposal and selection of implementing partners within the UNDP contractual framework for project activity implementation. Design the scope of works and TORs for the bids and call for proposals.
• Manage day to day administrative matters for the project with the support from the programme administrative staff.
• Create systems of effective financial, administrative and logistical processes to facilitate community-level work
• Ensure full transparency and access to information about UNDP activities in within the CBDRMP Programme.
• Participate in communication and media activities. Ensure project web-site updates. Coordinate distribution of the project related information. Ensure visibility of the Donor and Implementing Partners in all project outputs.

Ensures efficient support to tasks related to advocacy, programming, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and representation focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Supports gathering of data/information for programme monitoring and evaluation processes ensuring compliance with UNDP M&E requirements in reporting on programme results and progress towards outcomes.
• Ensure proper monitoring and evaluation procedures are instituted in all project activities
• Ensure proper monitoring of project progress against annual and quarterly work plans and budgets
• Coordinate and oversee the preparation of the substantive and operational reports from the programme/projects
• Develop annual workplans, budgets draft report and other document for the management and reporting of project activities.
• Manage the accurate and timely reporting on the progress of the project with a specific focus on the activities and funds utilized. Ensure that reports are provided to donors according to UNDP’s contractual obligation.
• Monitory project inventory, attendance records, filing system. Assure correct personnel management and procurement of goods and services

Establishes and maintain strategic partnership and implements the resources mobilization strategy for the CO focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Establishes and maintains dialog with government officials, both local and national, NGOs, partners, donors and communities to provide knowledge and understanding, ensuring accurate interpretation of the programme’s mission
• Identify areas of cooperation and coordination with other UN agencies for the implementation of joint activities related to the programme
• Identify opportunities for the implementation of the project making specific recommendations on actions needed.
• Assist communities in identifying resource mobilization opportunities
• Support CO resource mobilization efforts

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Prepare knowledge products, related to the thematic areas under the project
• Facilitate learning and experience sharing for government officials, local community leaders and experts
• Contribute to national and global knowledge networks

Impact of Results
The position will help strengthen UNDP’s delivery of the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Programme in support to Nepal’s National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management and other relevant national policies, in part through the establishment and/or strengthening of strategic partnerships as well as support to resource mobilization. The post increases the visibility and contribution of UNDP in this important area.

Competencies

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda

• Analysis and creation of messages and strategies
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for advocacy work

Result -Based Programme Development and Management
Contributes into results through primary research and analysis

• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work
• Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration
• Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation

Building Strategic Partnerships
Identifying and building partnerships

• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
• Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments
• Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches
Developing new approaches

• Looks at experience critically, drawing lessons, and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
• Documents successes and uses them to project a positive image
• Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking
• Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
Developing tools and mechanisms

• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter

• Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
• Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Client Orientation
Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

• Anticipates client needs
• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Building support and political acumen
• Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
• Building and promoting effective teams
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• A minimum of a Master’s degree or Ph.D in Environmental Studies, Economics, Political / Social Science, Business/Public Administration, or other related fields.

Experience:

• The incumbent should have 10 years of relevant experience for Master’s Degree holder and 7 years of relevant experience  for Ph.D  holder.
• Experience in managing staff and operational systems and establishing inter-relationships among international organization and national governments in the area of environment, energy and disaster risk management programming would be an asset.
• Experience in crisis and post-conflict countries.
• Knowledge and experience of UNDP and UN system policies ad programming is desirable

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Nepali