Project Analyst

The project “Enhancing Urban Resilience to Disaster Risk and Climate Change in Central Asia” is funded by the Government of Japan and expected to be implemented by UNDP in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The overall objective of the project is to support all five Central Asian countries in building climate resilience, focusing on urban areas. The project will specifically focus on enhancing regional cooperation and partnership through the existing coordination platforms, while introducing innovative approaches in urban planning based on practical experiences from other countries, including Japan.  

New approaches to integrated climate and disaster risk assessment will transform urban planning from resilience lenses, while considering future intensity and magnitude of natural hazards due to the changing climate. Knowledge base and capacity building efforts will be institutionalized in the region to ensure sustainability of interventions beyond the project cycle. The project will promote a people-centered, gender sensitive and climate risk-informed holistic approach to break siloes in urban planning efforts. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Project Analyst will support project activities in Uzbekistan in planning, budgeting, and implementing within the regional project “Enhancing Urban Resilience to Disaster Risk and Climate Change in Central Asia” in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. The Analyst will work under direct supervision of Head of Environment and Climate Action, and closely works with the Regional Project Manager, the project’s Chief Technical Advisor, and the Regional Project Associate, while maintaining regular communication with the UNDP’s Istanbul Regional Hub Climate and Disaster Resilience team. 

Coordinate effective project planning and implementation: 

• Liaises with the Project Board to assure the overall direction and integrity of the project in line with the decisions and recommendations of the Project Board;
• Plans the activities of the project in line with the approved project document and monitors progress against the project results framework and the approved annual work plan; reviews and appraises detailed project plans, including the multi-year work plan and Quantum entries/reports covering activity definition, updated risk log and the monitoring schedule plan;
• Mobilizes personnel, goods and services to initiative activities, including drafting terms of reference and work specifications, and overseeing all contractors’ work;
• Provides strategic guidance and management oversight to the project team in Uzbekistan, reviewing and clear on a regular basis progress reports from partners, deliverables, disbursements and budgets to ensure implementation is on track;
• Carries out regular follow-up and monitoring of implementation activities as well as regular monitoring and reporting on risks and mitigation measures in Uzbekistan;
• Coordinates preparation and provide technical inputs and consult work-plans for implementation of the project in close consultation with key partners;
• Implements the project monitoring plan/timetable, and update the plan as required;
• Manages requests for the provision of financial resources by UNDP, through advance of funds, direct payments or reimbursement using the fund authorization and certificate of expenditures;
• Monitors financial resources and accounting to ensure the accuracy and reliability of financial reports in Uzbekistan;
• S/he is responsible for preparing and submitting financial reports to UNDP on a quarterly basis;
• Manages and monitors the project risks initially identified and 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, while ensuring UNDP’s Social and Environmental Screening Standards;
• Prepares the annual workplan for the following year; and update the required Quantum entries as well as Project Management module, and others necessary fields related to project activities in Uzbekistan;
• Prepares the annual progress reports and submits the final report of the project related to Uzbekistan;
• Provides inputs to the mid-term review process and ensures it is undertaken as per the UNDP guidance and submits the final MTR report to the Project Board;
• Ensures the terminal evaluation process is undertaken as per the UNDP guidance and submits the final TE report to the Project Board;
• Ensures timely and quality implementation of safeguards management measures, including tracking assessing and managing social and environmental risks during the project implementation;
• Addresses project issues as raised and/discussed by the Regional Project Team;
• Performs the financial reporting and control mechanisms related to project activities in Uzbekistan;
• Shares relevant information on the project achievements with all interested parties;
• Ensures that all project deliverables have been produced satisfactorily and in accordance with the approved Annual Work Plan;
• Notifies operational completion of the project to the Project Board;
• Upon finalization of a project, ensures reimbursement of the remaining balance of funds deposited in the UNDP accounts for the project activities to the Donor or re-programming if so, agreed with the Donor;
• Provides direction and guidance to the project team and the consultants;
• Secures any support and advice required for the management, planning and control of the project;
• Identifies sustainability and follow-on actions and submits them for consideration to the Project Board.

Technical guidance for the overall management of the project: 

• Ensures a proportional approach, cohesion and coordination between different components of the project;
• Provides quality assurance of the technical work (reports) commissioned under the project;
• Provides direction and guidance to project team(s)/ responsible party(ies);
• Identifies and obtain any support, technical expertise and advice required for the management, planning and control of the project;
• Supports the national project coordinators in managing delivery of the project results;
• Ensures good coordination and collaboration with suppliers, beneficiaries and key stakeholders and partners.

Providing expert knowledge to lead and contribute to the consolidation and positioning of outcomes and outputs of the project: 

• Leads development and implementation of the project’s communication and visibility measures/plan;
• Contributes relevant input to UNDP publications, presentations, websites, newsletters, and other outreach products as required;
• Organizes regional technical events and disseminates project technical findings and results while informing audiences about opportunities provided by the project;
• Participates in national and international fora and disseminate lessons learned;
• Ensures consistency between the various project elements and related activities provided or funded by other donor organizations;
• Collects and analyzes lessons learned and best practices, and design replication strategies within the countries of work.

Partnership building, strategic advocacy and knowledge management: 

• Harnesses effective partnerships for the implementation of the project with national, regional and international institutional partners;
• Maintains regular contact with partners and enables regular coordination and exchange of information regarding project progress, between country offices and national counterparts in respective countries;
• Builds partnerships with relevant on-going initiatives;
• Organizes and provides leadership to various learning and knowledge exchange under the project;
• Ensures management and administrative requirements (technical, financial, communications, audits, evaluations, etc.) of the different partners/donors are adhered to and coordinate preparation and submission of respective progress reports, as per requirements of the donors;
• Provides quality assurance to project’s deliverables and knowledge management products, effective communication, advocacy and dissemination of the project results and relevant knowledge products at international and national conferences and meetings, relevant fora and international processes;
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/24523