Project Manager (IPSA11) at United Nations Development Programme

Background

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.

The Accelerated Community Development Program aims to help improve rural access to basic social services through the development of socio-economic infrastructure. ACDP is a model that provides a vehicle for a multi-sectoral approach to addressing poverty and inequality at the community level and will help the government to respond to social demands through a partnership with development partners to ensure accelerated, multi-pronged, participatory, and accountable delivery of services particularly to far-to-reach populations. The Accelerated Community Development Program (ACDP) started in 2022 by The Liberian government is bridging the rural-urban development gap by reaching out to hard-to-reach communities and providing access to basic social services such as potable drinking water, electricity, labor-saving devices, and post-harvest processing equipment and construction of rural access roads. ACDP is intervening in selected rural communities across Liberia. The Pilot Phase will begin in October 2022. The aim is to consolidate the results achieved and transit towards Phase II. To this end, the government of Liberia is responding to the social demands through a partnership with UNDP to address the needs of vulnerable communities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Summary of key functions, as per UNDP standard generic job description for Project manager position includes:

1. The Project Manager will advise daily on the effective and efficient management of the project as outlined below:

Provision of direction and guidance to project implementation team and responsible parties; Managing the realization of project outputs through successfully implementing activities with the support of other PCU staff; Day-to-day management and decision-making for the project; Identifying and obtaining any support and advice required for the management, planning, and control of the project; Mobilizing personnel, goods, and services to initiate activities, including drafting TORs and work specifications; and overseeing all contractors’ work; Monitoring events as determined in the project monitoring schedule plan/timetable, and updating the plan as required; Monitoring financial resources and accounting to ensure the accuracy and reliability of financial reports.2. Coordinating the implementation of activities with the Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), and other national stakeholders and liaising with MDAs (Ministries, Departments, and Agencies) to ensure their roles are appropriately integrated into the project as envisaged:

Preparing project annual work plans and review reports for consideration by the Project Board and Project Assurance. In preparing the project annual review report, the project manager will ensure that successes, challenges, lessons learned, and best practices are documented and incorporated; Preparing the project quarterly work plans, procurement plan, Human Resource Plan, and progress reports (progress against planned activities and budget); Acting as the Secretary of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and ensuring execution of their recommendations; Liaising with the (PSC) and UNDP to assure the overall direction and integrity of the project and Project administration; Managing and monitoring the project risks as initially identified, submitting new risks to the Project Board for consideration and decision on possible actions if required, and updating the status of these risks by maintaining the Project Risks Log; Updating the Atlas Project Management module as required; Facilitating the submission of timely reports to the donor as required; Assisting in all audits to ensure that requested documentation and information are provided as required.3. The Project manager manages, and contributes to strategic communication:

Partnerships for successful project implementation as well as resource mobilization efforts: Achieving the following results; Contribute to the preparation of corporate and donor reports; Maintains close coordination with assigned project partners, helping at ensuring synergies and avoiding overlaps in project implementation; Contribute to the wide dissemination and visibility of project achievements; Support the resource mobilization efforts, in collaboration with the PM and the Resource Mobilization and Partnership.4. Ensures implementation of sourcing strategy focusing on achievement of the following result;

Preparing Final Project Review Reports and follow-on actions for the Project and Outcome Board; Managing the transfer of project deliverables, documents, files, equipment/assets, and materials to national beneficiaries; and preparing the final Combined Delivery Report for signature by UNDP and the Implementing Partner.Institutional Arrangements

The Project Manager for the Accelerated Community Development Program (ACDP) is directly supervised by the Resident Representative. S/he has a strong ability to adhere to work assignments and meet designated deadlines, consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude; remains calm, in control, and good-humored even under pressure, and responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view.

Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found on the dedicated site.

Technical/cross-Functional Competencies

Partnership management

Emerging partnerships Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships. Private sector resource mobilization Ability to identify, develop and manage partnerships that leverage private sector technical expertise and resources. Strategic engagement Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest, and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision-makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives. Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms.Business Direction & Strategy

Strategic Thinking ​​​​​​​Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDPs objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions. Effective Decision Making ​​​​​​​Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.