UNDP Jobs - 77555- National Project Manager (SB 5/ Peg II)

National Project Manager (SB 5/ Peg II) - Open to Nepalese nationals only

Location :

Kathmandu with frequent field visits, NEPAL

Type of Contract :

Other

Starting Date :

01-Jun-2018

Application Deadline :

13-Mar-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Other

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year with possibility of extension

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

Fruits and Vegetables are gradually emerging as important sub-sector in Nepal and contributes to roughly 15% of total agriculture produce. Demand for fruits and vegetables is in increasing trend. According to the Kalimati fruits and vegetable market centre, which is the largest fruits and vegetable centre in Nepal, roughly 31% of fruits and vegetables sold by the centre is imported from various countries including India. Despite increased demands of fruits and vegetables, there is a huge difference between vegetable farm gate price and the retailer price due to the presence of various layers of middlepersons in the vegetable supply chain. This Cooperative Market Development Program (CMDP) is a joint initiative of Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (MoCPA), Government of Nepal and United Nations Development Program and is being implemented under National Implementation Modality. CMDP is a five-year project started from 2018. The overall objective of the project is to establish and operationalize cooperative market chain of vegetables and fruits to increase farmers’ income and other livelihood opportunities, which in turn will contribute to the poverty reduction in Nepal. The project will achieve this outcome by ensuring establishment of an efficient and sustainable vegetable and fruits collection centers starting from primary cooperative to regional terminal in Kathmandu valley and Chitwan. The project covers 6 districts adjoining to the Kathmandu Valley and will establish 72 primary collection centres at village level, 18 collection centers at municipal level, 4 district terminals and 2 regional terminals/markets. Approximately 14,400 households of 72 fruits and vegetables cooperatives will be linked to this cooperative market chain and will directly benefit from this project. The project contributes directly to SDG1(poverty) and 2 (hunger, nutrition).

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and supervision of National Project Director (NPD) & National Project Coordinator (NPC), the National Project Manager (NPM) will report to the National Project Director. The incumbent will be responsible for managing and providing vision and strategic direction to the overall implementation of the CMDP.

General Responsibilities:

Day to day operational management and the delivery of outputs and activities in a timely and efficient manner in liaison with the National Project Coordinator;
Coordinate all aspects of human resources to ensure a working environment conducive to optimum staff performance;
Coordinate, manage and monitor financial, administrative, procurement and logistical matters;
Provide Managerial support to the monitoring and evaluation, planning and reporting responsibilities;
Develop and maintain effective relations with the implementing partners and counterparts;
Manage the development and implementation of trainings/ workshops on CMDP approaches;
Contribute to the knowledge management and development of knowledge products.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Day to day operational management and the delivery of outputs and activities in a timely and efficient manner:

Ensure that all outputs and activities are implemented in a timely manner and adhere to project results, human resources and monitoring and evaluation plans, ensuring quality and relevance to the context of Nepal and periodically update the National Project Director (NPD), National Project Coordinator (NPC) and the Program Analyst-Poverty Inclusion Unit (PIU) of UNDP;
Work closely with GoN partners to establish initial baseline and time bound targets for CMDP implementation;
Lead the preparation of Annual Work Plans (AWP), Quarterly Work Plans (QWP), Human resource (HR), Procurement and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plans for approval from the Project Board with guidance from the NPD, NPC and the Program Analyst-PIU;
Oversee implementation of activities outlined in the project document, with a focus on results and impact, liaising with the technical advisor for advice on technical details;
Manage and monitor project risks, identify and submit new risks to the Project Board for decisions and update the risk log periodically;
Update the NPD, NPC and Program Analyst-PIU on necessary adjustments during project implementation to ensure strategic flexibility;
Work closely with the NPD and NPC to identify potential issues and problems and to prepare a set of recommendations and to obtain any support/ advice required for the management, planning and control of CMDP;
Coordinate aspects of data collection, reporting and M&E aspects of the project;
Liaise with the UNDP Program Analyst to ensure full compliance of operations with UNDP rules, regulations and policies and monitoring of achievement of results as per the NIM Guidelines;
Support and contribute to the development of contingency plans to address anticipated challenges;
Advise on planning of new activities, in close consultation with relevant Government partners;
Result based management with a focus on result-based reporting demonstrating actual impact of activities;
Contribute to the preparation of relevant proposals, concept notes, project documents and other key materials for resource mobilization;
Liaise with the technical advisor to ensure that all substantive, strategic and technical aspects of reporting needs are in line with current strategic thinking and direction of the program and is done in a timely manner;
Explore options for coordination and synergies with other GoN, UNDP programmes, other UN agencies and bilateral partners, providing detailed advice to NPD and NPC;
Manage the documentation of activities and achievements of the project.

2. Coordinate all aspects of human resources to ensure a working environment conducive to optimum staff performance.

Planning and day-to-day management of human resources;
Ensuring that CMDP is optimally staffed reflecting Nepal’s diversity;
Directly supervise all of the Project staff;
Coordinate individual staff work plans and work load;
Contribute to an environment in which each staff member can achieve the objectives of their post;
Address staff disputes or other conflicts within the team;
Coordinate all national and international consultants to ensure that contracting processes are in accordance with planned schedules and deliverables;
Maintain close contact with country office to ensure coordination on human resources administration of both national and international staff, as well as coordinate the recruitment process;
Support the development of Terms of References of all required consultants and staff and actively participate in the recruitment process as required.

3. Coordinate, manage and monitor financial, administrative, procurement and logistical matters

Ensure effective, transparent and accountable management of financial resources, as per the rules and regulations in the UNDP NIM Guidelines.
Ensure timely narrative and financial reports, thematic technical papers and policy notes for the Project Board.
In close coordination with the Administrative and Finance Officer prepare accurate and reliable financial reports.
Coordinate and support all activities leading to the annual audit exercise and follow up of the audit recommendations
Coordinate the preparation of Annual Work Plans for further discussion and clearance from the NPD.
Coordinate the use of programme vehicles.

4. Provide Managerial support to the monitoring and evaluation, planning and reporting responsibilities.

Coordinate timely programme reporting - both internal and external - following project requirements and established procedures according to the NIM guidelines.
Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a dynamic system of monitoring and evaluation as a central element of the CMDP. Support full implementation of the M&E system.
Oversee the organization of Steering Committee and Project Board meetings and coordinate all aspects of development of progress reports and other documentation as required.
Work closely with the NPD and NPC to generate quarterly and annual Combined Delivery Reports (CDR) for discussion and signature within the Project Board.
Support the NPD and NPC in preparing the TORs and coordinating evaluation exercises as required.
Perform other tasks as required.

5. Develop and maintain effective relations with the implementing partners and counterparts.

Maintain close coordination with the relevant Programme Analyst of PIU, UNDP on all aspects of CMDP implementation.
Represent when necessary, CMDP in relevant GoN and UNDP Country Office meetings, events and other activities.
Contribute to the development of appropriate working relations with national stakeholders.
Liaise with contractors and other key stakeholders that impact project delivery in order to ensure project outcomes are met in a timely manner.
In close collaboration with the NPC, liaise with GoN and UNDP management and partners as necessary.
Support resource mobilization efforts by coordinating the preparation of quality reports and other such documents.
Perform other tasks as required.

6. Manage the implementation of trainings/ workshops on CMDP approaches

Plan and manage the implementation of training/workshops on CMDP as mentioned in the Project document.

7. Contribute to the knowledge management and development of knowledge products

Coordinate and develop the document of best practices and lessons learned on an ongoing basis.
Coordinate and contribute to the development of knowledge products.
Coordinate and develop knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Good inter-personal skills;
Clear and upfront communication skills;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Collaborates effectively in a team environment;
Organized and good with following-up on pending issues; meets deadlines;
Promote learning and knowledge management/sharing;
Focuses on delivering results by taking calculated-risks and problem solving approach;
Fair and transparent decision making; regularly shares information with team members.

Functional Competencies:

Good practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
Ability to go beyond established procedures and models, propose new approaches which expand the range of projects;
Demonstrates strong numerical and analytical skills;
Has experience working with Monitoring and Evaluation tools;
Demonstrates excellent organizational and administrative skills;
Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders;
Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
Research linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
Oversees and documents the process of strategy formulation for programmes at Project level.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Completion of Master's Degree in Agricultural Economics, preferably PhD, or other related fields.

Experience:

Experience of working as a Team Leader or Manager of at least one project;
Minimum 8 years of experience on project management for Masters degree and 5 years for PhD;
Good understanding of Nepal’s Agriculture (Fruit and Vegetable Production) and value chain efforts in Nepal would be an asset;
Knowledge and understanding on Nepal's cooperative management and development;
Experience and Knowledge of the UNDP systems and procedures would be an asset.

Language:

Fluency in spoken and written Nepali and English.

Other:

Well versed with computer applications like words, excel, power point etc.