Antecedentes

Job Title: Project Manager

SC range: SC-10

Project Title/Department: Rule of Law Partnership (ROLP) Project in Uzbekistan/Good Governance Unit

Duration of the assignment: 6 months (with possible extension subject to satisfactory performance)

Duty station: Tashkent

Work status (full time / part time): Full time

Reports To: Head of Good Governance Unit, UNDP CO            

The overall goal of the Rule of Law Partnership (ROLP) Project is to strengthen public access to and trust in Uzbekistan’s civil court system. The project will work towards this goal through a primary partnership with the Supreme Court and, as appropriate, other justice sector stakeholders, building on these institutions’ capacities to strengthen public trust and achieve greater alignment with internationally-recognized standards of civil court’s accountability, rule of law and judicial performance.

The ROLP project will identify concrete challenges and implement corresponding activities that can measurably improve judicial functionality. Through agreed upon interventions, this project will help strengthen judicial independence and accountability, a critical step towards improving the rule of law in Uzbekistan and ensuring the nations’ further progress towards a democratic society. The project will work on improving services, making citizens feel invested in the court system and increasing citizen access to the courts (civil and economic). This will be achieved through improving judicial system performance, enhancing the knowledge and technical skills of judges, lawyers and court personnel and increasing responsiveness to citizen feedback regarding the judicial process.

The ROLP project has 3 main objectives:

1)    Increasing court responsiveness to citizen feedback on civil justice administration through development of institutional mechanisms for public awareness raising;

2)    Enhancing the knowledge and technical skills of judges, lawyers and court personnel;

3)    Improving court administration systems and performance.

While the project envisions the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan as its primary point of contact and main national implementing partner, it will also closely collaborate with the Research Centre under the Supreme Court; the Judicial Department under the MOJ; the MOJ Training Centre; the Tashkent State University of Law; the Higher Economic Court; the Legal Problems Research Centre and other justice sector reform champions which possess the political will to implement reforms. Through working with a number of partners, the project can ensure that maximum impact is achieved, as well as a strategic, coordinated and holistic approach to increasing public access to and trust in Uzbekistan’s judicial system. The approach will not only include national partners, but will also cooperate with international organizations and donors, to provide for a coordinated response to national development needs. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the project will closely work with USAID in accordance with the Cooperative Agreement No.AID-176-IO-14-00001.

Under direct supervision of the UNDP Head of Good Governance Unit and overall guidance of the Project Board, the Project Manager will be responsible for the operational management of the project according to the project document, UNDP corporate rules and procedures and for fulfilling the following:

Deberes y responsabilidades

• Provide necessary contribution and input into the strategic planning process for the project and its implementation in accordance with the signed project document;
• Ensure timely formulation, preparation and submission of the documents on project planning and financial oversight;
• Monitor the implementation of certain project components, analyses emerging problems that hamper their successful implementation and takes appropriate measures to ensure timely delivery of required inputs and achievement of project-wide results;
• Responsible for ensuring that the project produces the results specified in the project document, to the required standard of quality and within the specified constraints of time and cost;
• Manage the realization of project outputs through activities;
• Ensure that project contributes to the promotion of gender equality by reaching, involving and benefiting both women and men in its activities (gender mainstreaming);
• Provide direction and guidance to project team(s)/ responsible party (ies);
• Identify partnership strategies with regard to providers of specialised expertise and possible co-financiers, and leads resource mobilisation for project components;
• Identify and obtain any support and advice required for the management, planning and control of the project;
• Liaise with any suppliers;
• Plan the activities of the project and monitor progress against the initial quality criteria;
• Mobilize goods and services to initiative activities, including drafting TORs and work specifications;
• Manage requests for the provision of financial resources by UNDP, using advance of funds, direct payments, or reimbursement using the IPSAS;
• Manage and monitor the project risks as initially identified in the Project Document, submit new risks to the Project Board for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the Project Risks Log;
• Be responsible for managing issues and requests for change by maintaining an Issues Log;
• Prepare the Quarterly Project Report (progress against planned activities, update on Risks and Issues, expenditures in UNDP format;
• Prepare the Annual Review Report;
• Based on the ARR, prepare the Annual Work Plan (AWP) and Annual Plan of Activities and Procurement Plan for the project years;
• Prepare Quarterly and Annual Performance Reports in USAID format, which, among others, shall address a) Participant training reports; b) Marking and branding; c) Gender reporting;
• Organize quarterly meetings with national partners and USAID to review the activity workplan
• Coordinate with USAID all planned public events;
• Monitor the implementation of project components, analyses problems that hamper their implementation and takes appropriate measures to ensure timely delivery of required inputs and achievement of project-wide results;
• Monitor financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports, including proper utilization of funds and delivery, budget revisions, availability of funds, reconciliation of accounts, establishment of internal control mechanisms. Acts as a focal point to liaise with auditors and ensures follow-up actions. Ensures the accuracy and reliability of financial information and reporting;
• Sign annual CDRs with UNDP and the Implementing Partner national agency;
• Monitor and facilitates advocacy and mass media outreach activities, writing of success stories, newspapers coverage, PR campaigns;
• Organize workshops, seminars and round tables to introduce project outputs to all stakeholders involved. Render support to related UNDP thematic activities such as publications, sharing of knowledge and group discussions;
• Liaise with other UNDP projects to implement possible synergies and reports to UNDP Programme Officer and NPC on conducted activities;
• Undertake resource mobilization activities to be built on the project achievement that contribute to project scaling-up and replication
• In cooperation with the UNDP CO and national project experts, develop a suitable project exit strategy during the last year of the project, and present it for approval to the UNDP;
• Ensure proper operational, financial and programmatic closure of the project;
• Prepare Final Project Review Reports to be submitted to the Project Board;
• Prepare quarterly programmatic and financial reports in USAID format;
• Prepare Final Report in USAID format;
• Identify follow-on actions and submit them for consideration to the Project Board;
• Manage the transfer of project deliverables, documents, files, equipment and materials to national beneficiaries;
• Prepare final CDR for signature by UNDP and the Implementing Partner;
• Perform other duties related to the scope of work of the PM as required.

Competencias

Corporate Competencies:

• Responsible for day-to-day management, administration and decision-making for the project;
• Oversees strategic planning process for the project and ensures its implementation in accordance with the signed project document;
• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team leader and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;

Functional Competencies:

Communications and Networking

• Has excellent oral communication skills and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors;
• Has excellent written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports;
•  Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national and international institutions, government and non-government.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the team through leadership and personal example;
• Actively mentoring project staff under her/his supervision;
• Leadership and Self-Management;
• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
• Competent in leading team and creating team spirit, stimulating team members to produce quality outputs in a timely and transparent fashion.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;
• Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Leadership and Self-Management

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills.

Core competencies:

• Demonstrating ethics and integrity;
• Self-development, initiative and reasonable risk taking,
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• Postgraduate degree in any of the following areas: Law, Public Administration, International Relations, Management, Public Policy, Economics, and Business Administration.

Experience:

• At least 3 years’ of relevant managerial experience in legal research, legal analysis and/or experience in national judicial system is required; experience in directly managing international donor projects is an asset.

Language requirements:

• Fluent written and oral English, Russian and Uzbek language skills is required

Others:

• Proven ability to plan, execute, and report on projects
• Deep knowledge of the legal system and justice sector in Uzbekistan
• Proven ability to manage staff and coordinate partner activities
• Experience in planning and facilitating public events Advanced ability to use ICT as a tool and resource

Application Process:
All interested and qualified candidates are required to apply on-line through the UNDP website at www.uz.undp.org. The UNDP will only accept applications submitted on-line.

Please ensure that before making on-line application you have completed the UNDP Personal History Form (P11). The electronic version of the P11 can be downloaded from hhttp://www.uz.undp.org (Vacancies Section). The completed (P11) further to be uploaded while applying on-line.

The deadline for submission of application is COB, 2 September, 2014. Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date (2 September, 2014) will not be given consideration. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be notified.

For more detailed information about UNDP Uzbekistan please visit our website at www.uz.undp.org. UNDP is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified female candidates, people with disabilities, and minorities are highly encouraged to apply. UNDP Balance in Manage Policy promotes achievement of gender balance among its staff at all levels.

The position is open for Uzbekistan citizens only.