Project Coordinator NPSA-10, DS Kyiv (National Position)

The war in Ukraine has already resulted in significant loss of life, unprecedented displacement, internally and towards neighbouring countries, and devastating destruction of infrastructure. The security situation and the overall operational environment have deteriorated rapidly since the outbreak of war on February 24, 2022. The UN Ukraine Flash Appeal indicates that a minimum of 15.7 million people urgently require emergency assistance and protection.

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.

The incumbent is expected to perform the following tasks:

1. Ensure technical oversight and coordination of the Latvia for Chernihiv project activities:

• Support the 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;
• Coordinate technical assistance to the 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;
• 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;
• Review and assess the technical design documents for infrastructure interventions and equipment, providing substantive technical inputs and quality assurance;
• Provide guidance and coordinate the work of Regional Engineering Specialists (non-key experts);
• 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;
• Coordinate with Reporting Analyst and substantially contribute to the preparation of narrative and financial progress reports for respective Latvia for Chernihiv project and other supported projects 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 expert advice on recovery options: repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction, upgrading, etc.;
• Coordinate 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 the engineering design for the restoration of critical infrastructure is prepared based on universal design and gender equality principles;
• 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;
• Coordinate technical advisory support to local authorities and other relevant stakeholders on engineering and reconstruction of critical infrastructure;
• Prepare annual, quarterly, and detailed implementation work plans and other related documents for timely commencement and implementation of the Latvia for Chernihiv activities;
• 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. Develop strategic partnerships:

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships and strategic linkages with implementing and development partners, government officials, businesses, NGOs, other national and regional stakeholders, and beneficiaries to support and ensure accurate interpretation of project objectives and promote inclusive project implementation.
• Substantively contribute to project communications and visibility efforts. Make recommendations to the management team on activities with potential for scale-up, replicability and synergies.
• Provide technical support to the implementing partners and act as a liaison between UNDP and the partners.

3. Provide supervision, monitoring 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 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 contracts for works;
• Arrange site visits for assessments, handover, meetings, and stage certifications as and when required.

4. Provide technical guidance and inputs with regard to the procurement process:

• Provide assistance to the National Project Manager in the implementation of activities related to the repair of infrastructure projects, e.g., preparation of evaluation criteria for the short-listing of the construction companies, assistance during the tendering and procurement processes;
• 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 completed projects.
   

5. 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 National Project Manager, the Project Coordinator will be responsible for providing technical support on various aspects of engineering and related technical issues to regional authorities and local government. The incumbent will be supervising the Project team.

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 in the dedicated site.

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 – Effective Decision Making 
 •   Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.
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.
Procurement – Contract Management
   •   Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
Procurement – Financial Analysis
   •   Knowledge of evaluating businesses, projects, budgets, and other finance related transactions to determine their performance and suitability.
Security Services – Safety Management (including Air, Road, Fire)   
•   Knowledge of air, road, and fire safety programmes/systems and ability to assess risks and identify mitigation measures.