According to the second Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (February 2022 – February 2023) undertaken jointly by the World Bank, the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the United Nations, and supported by other partners, direct damage in Ukraine has reached over US$135 billion, with housing, transport, energy, and commerce and industry the most affected sectors. Damage is concentrated in the frontline oblasts, particularly Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv oblasts, and in oblasts that were brought back under government control, such as Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts. Reconstruction and recovery needs, as of February 24, 2023, are estimated at about US$411 billion.

Following the sector of housing, the education and healthcare sectors are the most affected by the war that have recorded substantial damage and losses.

The war has caused at least US$4.4 billion in damage to education institutions across Ukraine. As of February 24, 2023, at least 2,772 education institutions were partially damaged, and 454 were destroyed, amounting to around 10 percent of all education institutions (across all levels of education) in Ukraine.

The war has caused approximately US$2.5 billion in damage to the health sector infrastructure in Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Health registry, there were 15,084 health facilities of different types and ownership, including 9,925 public facilities, in Ukraine before the war. Damage or destruction was reported in 15.9 percent of public facilities (1,574 facilities) as of February 24, 2023. The total reconstruction and recovery needs are estimated at US$16.4 billion for the next 10 years. Out of these, US$3.6 billion is required to restore the health system and address increased health needs in the immediate to short term.

Ukraine faces losses of many people’s lives and devastating destruction or damages of social infrastructure, and access to basic services, such as healthcare and education, have been severely disrupted, especially in already de-occupied regions where active hostilities took place. According to the Kyiv School of Economics, one of such regions is Chernihiv Oblast, which is on the list of the 10 most affected regions of Ukraine, with 6,364 mln USD of total estimated direct damages caused by military aggression. Hence, the needs of the region in the restoration of education and health infrastructure amount to 382.2 mln USD and 438 mln USD, respectively.

The National Council for the Recovery of Ukraine from the Consequences of War was created by the Decree of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, on April 21, 2022. In less than three months, it developed a draft of Ukraine’s National Recovery Plan (Plan) until 2032. At the beginning of the Plan, the general vision and principles on the basis of which recovery should take place are outlined. Moreover, the Plan envisages the reconstruction of social infrastructure as one of the key priorities for the government and other stakeholders. Among the principles of the Plan implementation is Build Back Better. In addition, the principles include openness and transparency, European integration, sustainable development, energy independence, inclusiveness and civil protection.

The Overall Objective of the proposed project “Latvia for Chernihiv: reconstruction of social infrastructure” is to ensure the urgent and effective implementation of projects aimed at the rehabilitation of five social infrastructure facilities damaged as a result of the military aggression in Chernihiv Oblast, thus contributing the recovery of destroyed/damaged critical infrastructure, economic revitalization, maintenance of social fabric and reconciliation in those regions of Ukraine directly affected by the war.

1. Provide technical support and oversight related to the Latvia for Chernihiv project activities:

• Support Engineering Specialist (key expert) and National Project Manager in planning the activities within the Latvia for Chernihiv project on infrastructure recovery within IDRPB Portfolio in line with project documents and UNDP’s programmatic priorities and goals;
• Provide technical assistance to Latvia for Chernihiv project in terms of civil engineering requirements at the contracting, implementation, supervision, and monitoring stages;
• Advise on the national legal requirements and procedures, and the international standards applicable to various buildings/facilities;
• Keep records related to completed construction and installation works and prepare necessary data for reporting on the implementation of construction works;
• Take measures to prevent and eliminate defects and make proposals on the most efficient use of available resources;
• Monitor contract schedules, the appropriate volume, timing and quality of construction and installation works, as well as the quality of materials and designs according to the approved design and estimate documentation, drawings, construction regulations and requirements, technical specifications and safety and environmental standards;
• Contribute to the preparation of necessary technical documentation;
• Assist with the handover of the renovated/reconstructed infrastructures to the relevant authorities for operation and maintenance;
• Prepare specifications and other supportive documents to procure goods and services related to civil works in line with the objectives and tasks of the Latvia for Chernihiv project;
• Monitor field activities and provide technical support to ensure the objectives are met of the Latvia for Chernihiv project;
• Provide recommendations regarding the work of consultants, suppliers and construction companies for payment of the work performed by them;
• Work with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that all projects are delivered on time and are in compliance with the national rules and regulations;
• Identify and manage risks, as well as ensure that timely corrective actions are undertaken to ensure maximum benefit to the client and other stakeholders;
• Conduct field visits and prepare assessments of infrastructure interventions;
• Ensure timely collection of data for reporting following UNDP guidelines for reporting and M&E plans of the Latvia for Chernihiv project on infrastructure recovery within IDRPB Portfolio;
• Support regions and final beneficiaries (municipalities, other public bodies in target regions) to fine-tune needs assessment that takes into account different experiences and needs of women and men, establish priorities and identify specific early recovery projects;
• Provide support, as required, to municipalities and other public bodies (particularly those lacking proper construction and procurement sections) on project design and engineering;
• Prepare guidelines, provide advisory to final beneficiaries and assess the adequacy of operations for recovery projects;
• Ensure coordination with relevant governmental, non-governmental and international organizations, including UN agencies and projects at national and regional levels for mutually reinforcing impact;
• Ensure the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations in the field of expertise, promote a safe and enabling environment free of any kind of discrimination and abusive behaviour, and use the principles of gender-responsive communications in line with the UNDP corporate standards.

2. Provide supervision and oversight to Contractors in the relevant area of expertise:

• Undertake monitoring of contractors during the repair phase to ensure that plans are followed, and safe infrastructure is being achieved as per the minimum standards adopted by the Directorate General of the project;
• Monitor the field activities, including oversight of re/construction of critical infrastructure, and provide technical support to ensure the Latvia for Chernihiv project results are delivered;
• Monitor contractor’s presence at the project site, assess the work accomplishments as per the scope of work, Bill of Quantities (BOQ), and the signed contract;
• Coordinate the training for the end users of the infrastructure, and ensure simplified preventive user manuals are in place;
• Supervise, monitor, and evaluate the performance of contractors working on various work packages by assessing and appraising the works in terms of design requirements;
• Ensure that the technical documentation on the construction site is maintained in accordance with relevant national laws, standards, and contract for works;
• Arrange site visits for assessments, handover, meetings, and stage certifications as and when required.

3. Provide technical support and technical inputs with regard to the procurement process:

• Ensure the quality of repairs is maintained according to the specifications as included in the bidding documents;
• Prepare and maintain status reports for projects under implementation and for completed projects.

4. Contribute to knowledge management and information sharing:

• Identify and document the best practices and lessons learned in the areas of construction management and civil engineering directly linked to the Latvia for Chernihiv and other supported projects on infrastructure recovery;
• Contribute to knowledge networks and experience-sharing, networking and other public events in the area of construction management and civil engineering in recovery projects;
• Participate in the training for the programme/project personnel for further professional growth through active learning.

Perform other duties within the functional profile as assigned and deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Project and UNDP Programme.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the direct supervision of the Engineering Specialist (key expert), the Engineering Analyst will be responsible for providing technical support on various aspects of engineering and related technical issues to regional authorities and local government.

Achieve Results:   LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
Think Innovatively:   LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
Learn Continuously:   LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
Adapt with Agility:   LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
Act with Determination:    LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
Engage and Partner:   LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:   LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business direction and strategy – System Thinking – Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
Business Direction and Strategy – Entrepreneurial Thinking – Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate.
Business Direction and Strategy – Negotiation and Influence – Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates win-win situations.
Business Management – Communication – Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
Business Management – Customer Satisfaction/Client Management – Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
Procurement – Supplier/relationship management – Knowledge of supplier management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Required Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated ability to work on time-sensitive projects with tight deadlines.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.

• Demonstrated experience in and Knowledge of national legislation in the area of construction, norms and standards of construction works, including critical infrastructures is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in and knowledge of technical specifications and performance schedules of construction and installation works is an advantage.
• Experience in development and implementation of complex and geographically diversified capital investment projects in a range of infrastructure sector areas shall be considered an asset.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation of multi-sector infrastructure projects, and knowledge of current best practice in procurement, tendering and contract management shall be considered an asset
• Previous experience with UN/UNDP and/or Public sector and/or International organizations is desired.
• Experience working with local partners at the national and municipal level in the international development context would be an advantage.

• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in Ukrainian is required for local staff.