Background
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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.
In furtherance of UNDP’s programmatic interventions and support to Liberia, a new Country Programme Document (CPD) 2020-2024 was developed and signed with the Government of Liberia. It highlights four major outcome areas which are linked to the country’s medium-term development plan: The Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new CPD was approved by the Government and UNDP Executive Board in 2019 to address some of the capacity building and development challenges that impedes sustainable development in Liberia.
To operationalize the 2020-2024 CPD, UNDP in partnership with national institutions is developing projects and programmes to support national priorities. Accordingly, two portfolios have been designed, namely, (i) “Strengthening Inclusive, Effective, Transparent and Accountable Governance in Liberia’’ and (ii) “Green and Inclusive Growth”. The Inclusive Governance portfolio, aimed at strengthening national institutions to become more responsive in addressing the governance challenges by decentralizing essential services, supporting an inclusive, transparent, and participatory electoral processes as well as making justice and security services more accessible to the most marginalized thereby bringing government closer to the people. All of these can only be possible through an enabling peaceful and reconciled environment in which national institutions are strengthened to perform their statutory mandates in a reconciled and peaceful society. Pursuant to seeking funding by UNDP and FAO, with support from the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), a project titled “Empowering citizens and communities to foster social accountability and transparency in governance and public service delivery.” has been developed with the aim to support the reconciliation process in Liberia by strengthening accountability and enhancing service delivery in Liberia. The project aims to strengthen the social contract and support social cohesion by enhancing spaces for citizen participation in governance through the deepening of decentralization, bringing citizens closer to their policymakers and service-providers and simultaneously sharpening public demand for accountability and transparency in order to address the major persistent community grievances and sources of mistrust. In particular, the project supports citizen involvement in governance decisions, budgetary allocations, and service delivery through strengthening of the local council structures (County Councils), support to the roll out and implementation of policy and legislation related to accountability and citizen participation, and fostering of dialogue between community members, especially women and youth, with duty bearers for greater inclusion, transparency and accountability. The project will prioritize the implementation of policies and initiatives that are of most relevance to communities, and those which address sources of tensions and enhance peace.
In addition, the project will strengthen citizenship participation in public accountability and transparency through various initiatives, including promoting collective action among the LACC, civil society and the media to use an innovative e-platform to collect data on corruption and monitor national responses; developing a forum for engagement (between the LACC and CSOs) to monitor the processing of corruption cases reported, and creating incentives through scorecards while providing capacity to ensure that national institutions are better able to ensure accountability.
To achieve this, UNDP with support from the PBF is collaborating with the Liberia Peacebuilding Office (Ministry of Internal Affairs), Liberia Anti-corruption Commission, the UN Women and Integrity Watch-Liberia a Civil Society Organization and other Civil Society Organizations.
This exercise will require support from development partners, including UNDP to bolster existing peace building initiatives in Liberia, strengthening integrity and service delivery.
To achieve this, UNDP with support from the PBF is collaborating with the Liberia Peacebuilding Office (Ministry of Internal Affairs), Liberia Anti-corruption Commission, the UN Women and Integrity Watch-Liberia a Civil Society Organization and other Civil Society Organizations will require support from development partners, including UNDP to bolster existing peace building initiatives in Liberia, strengthening integrity and service delivery. To achieve this, UNDP is seeking the services of a National Project Manager to support the Government and UNDP to deliver on the relevant outcomes and outputs of this project. The Project Manager will specifically perform the following tasks:
Duties and Responsibilities
The Project Manager will specifically perform the following tasks:
1. Contributing to the strategic direction of project operations aligned with Country Office (CO) and corporate Operations policies:
- Contributing to strategic communication, building partnerships for successful project implementation as well as resource mobilization efforts;
- Ensures implementation of sourcing and effective results communication/visibility strategies;
- Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO;
- Gathers and disseminates information on best practice in accountability and results-based management systems;
- Convene stakeholders, including the Technical and Steering Committed, prepares timely inputs to report, management of issues and risks, and ensures financial management and compliance are adhered to.
2. Contribute to programme initiation, project document formulation, programme implementation resources mobilization, reporting, and overall management and coordination of project activities, and team building, and supervision as may be required:
- Manage the day to day functioning of the project;
- Prepare relevant project documents including quarterly, annual, and project closure reports;
- Organize technical project progress reviews with Responsible Parties (RPs), including Board meeting;
- Coordinate and strengthen partnership with development and national partners;
- Document and follow up on identified bottlenecks/challenges/catalogue lessons learnt during the project implementation;
- Lead Annual Work Plan formulation processes and ensure inclusiveness, through meaningful participation of all the agencies involved, including CSOs consistent with project document;
- Lead and organize capacity building efforts for CSOs and community members.
3. Ensure effective and accurate financial resources management and oversight, focusing on achievement of the following result:
- Management of all financial resources through planning, guiding, monitoring, and controlling of the resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
- Preparation and monitoring of projects’ budgets in Quantum;
- Regular analysis and reporting on the project budget and the delivery situation of management projects.
4. Coordination with Ministries, Agencies and Commissions (MACs), UN agencies, INGOs and CSOs on implementation strategy:
- Organize and coordinate training mentoring support for National partners;
- Review and adapt UNDP’s Business processes to the local context and develop best practice approaches for and effective and efficient delivery;
- Coordinate with PMSU to familiarize MACs and CSOs on UNDP’ Business processes;
- Identify challenges and find appropriate solutions in consultation with other partners;
- Plan and coordinate activities of the project in close consultation with stakeholders;
- Coordinate reporting per PBF timeline and requirements.
Institutional Arrangement
The National Project Manager works under the direct supervision of the UNDP Team Leader for Governance, and the overall supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative for Programme.
Competencies
Core
- 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.
Functional
Advocacy strategy:
- Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change.
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.
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.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery:
- Climate Risk Management Disaster and Climate Risk Governance.
Nature, Climate and Energy:
- Climate Change Policies: Climate finance.
- Climate Change Policies: Governance / integrated planning for climate change investments in the context of urbanization.
- Climate Change Adaptation: strategies.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in environmental science and management, climate science, geographic studies, international development, economics, statistics, or a related field.
- A first level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in a relevant field with additional 2 years of qualifying work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of advanced university degree.
Experience:
- A minimum of five (5) years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) experience in implementing/coordinating development projects in the fields of climate change and/or environmental sustainability and decentralization issues is required;
- Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP;
- At least three (3) years of work experience in decentralization and local government, particularly in Liberia is highly desirable;
- At least three (3) years managerial /professional level work experience working on policy, regulatory and technical advisory services with national and sub-national stakeholders is highly desirable;
- At least three (3) years’ of work experience related to performance-based grants and/or similar instruments like budget support and/or local economic development is desirable;
- Knowledge of current developments in local economic development for the most vulnerable (women and youth) is desired;
- Experience with a UN organization/agency is desirable;
- Knowledge or experience in context developing solution on climate action on how to tackle climate change adaptation and resilience in Liberia is highly desirable;
- Experience with UN Procurement Processes is desired, but not a requirement;
- Good knowledge of the system of local governments in Liberia and its framework;
- Proven ability to work with different tiers of government, central government institutions/ministries, and local governments, local stakeholders, local communities;
- Knowledge/experience of climate change issues and its potential impacts on local economic development particularly for the most vulnerable is desired;
- Proven track record in addressing gender equality as project objective and/or cross-cutting issue would be an asset;
- Strong networking capabilities, experience and ability to associate with a range of actors (inter alia central and sub-national governments; CSOs, NGOs, policy makers; national statistics office and donors, and local communities) with a view to building relations and facilitating links.
Required Language:
- Fluency in English and local language is required.
Disclaimer
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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