Project Specialist – Global Fund – P4  

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 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with Governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the pledge to leave no one behind reflect the interconnectedness of health and sustainable development issues such as the widening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanisation, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis, COVID.19), the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and well-being for all demands innovative partnerships and financing.

UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund (GF), in line with UNDP’s HIV and Health Strategy 2022-2025: ‘Connecting the Dots’, makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the pledge to leave no one behind.   When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient (PR), working with national partners and the Global Fund to ensure management, implementation, and oversight of GF grants, while simultaneously strengthening health institutions and systems for national entities to assume the PR role over time.

UNDP serves as the interim PR for the Global Fund Western Pacific HIV/TB grant and the malaria grant. The Multi-Country Western Pacific Integrated HIV/TB Programme supports national and regional efforts across 11 Pacific islands countries (PICs) to scale up and improve the delivery of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) prevention, treatment, care and support services, with special attention to key and vulnerable population groups, and to mitigate against the impact of COVID-19.  UNDP implements the project in close partnership with 18 Sub Recipients (11 Ministries of Health and 7 civil society organizations), and with regional technical support from the World Health Organization and UNAIDS. The project operates in Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.  The next grant will also include Fiji.

In December 2023, UNDP and Global Fund have signed a new 3-year grant agreement (GC-7 – 2024-2026) with the Ministry of Health of Vanuatu to contribute for testing, treatment and net distribution to support the Ministry of Health’s vision to reduce local transmission of malaria to zero in all provinces.

GF support constitutes part of the UNDP Fiji office multi-country programme document for the period of 2023-2027 which aims to promote healthy planet, prosperity and peace.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall supervision of the Team leader of inclusive governance and growth, the Project Specialist will be responsible for leading a multi-disciplinary team to achieve a high level of programme performance, coordinating and building strategic partnerships, and providing policy and technical guidance while engaging with partners to strengthen national systems and health institutions. The Project Specialist will promote a collaborative, client-oriented approach, ensuring integration across functional areas within the Programme Management Unit (PMU), policy integration in coordination with the Country Office, Regional Bureaus, other UNDP business units, the UNDP Global Fund Partnership and Health Systems Team (GFPHST) and support to the integration of capacity and health system strengthening activities. 

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Key duties and accountabilities include:

Ensures strategic leadership, project planning and execution focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Leads on the strategic planning, oversight and programme management in compliance with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures, and the terms and conditions of the grant agreement with the Global Fund; 
• Leads on the coordination of the PMU across all functional areas and units (e.g. programme, finance, monitoring, procurement and supply management, capacity development and policy) and Sub-recipients and fosters strategic discussions to develop a cohesive, organization-wide approach to implementation, to ensure programmatic performance will achieve or surpass UNDP’s commitments; 
• Provides quality and timely management of programme lifecycle, including meeting programmatic and financial deliverables; 
• Leads the PMU to proactively diagnose underperformance, bottlenecks and ensure accountability of corrective action plans; 
• Develops and maintains an organizational structure which ensures UNDP is resourced to deliver its commitments;
• Leads on recruitment processes of PMU staff, performance management and supervision fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in everyday work, build technical, management and leadership capacity of staff, and develop an environment which recognizes strong employee performance and morale; 
• Ensures strong collaboration with UNDP regional and headquarters on all areas of strategic implementation and donor communication; and 
• Ensures project compliance with UNDP project planning, management and closure processes.

Ensures provision of policy advice and strategic technical guidance focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures harmonization and integration of the Global Fund funded programme(s) into the national strategic plans/policies on disease programmes;
• Provides policy and technical advice to the different Ministries of Health, other government ministries, national disease programmes, civil society organizations, and implementing partners and support work on programme revisions, as necessary;
• Coordinates planned studies and programme review(s) with the national programme(s), in collaboration with other government ministries, civil society, UN agencies and technical partners;
• Supports implementation of interventions and policy guidance related to the removal of human rights and gender related barriers to the access to and uptake of services; 
• Coordinates the involvement of involvements of all SR and partners (civil society, government, NGOs, etc.);
• Participates and leads discussions with technical working groups and other relevant oversight committees, as appropriate;
• Provides technical advice in mainstreaming the health and development approach in other UNDP interventions.

Ensures proactive financial oversight and controls are met and proactively performs risk assessments focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures that all UNDP financial and asset management policies and procedures are followed and validated by internal reviews; 
• Ensures project performance against UNDP corporate Finance and Integrated Finance Dashboards; 
• Leads on timely and quality submissions of core documents and reports to the Global Fund;
• Proactively performs risk assessments to identify and mitigate risks, including operational, financial, legal, contractual, reputational and safety. Ensure that mitigation actions are implemented and proactively work with other units to ensure adequate oversight and support is provided;
• Ensures compliance of procedures, systems to ensure safety and security of staff and assets in line with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures; 
• Supervises and ensure accountability for Sub-recipient (SR) assessments, contracting, monitoring, with SRs work plan and budgets implemented in compliance with UNDP’s SR agreement, contracts, while ensuring quality of the programme; 
• Liaises with headquarters on crucial events, high-risk periods, incident reporting;   
• Leads on programme audits (including Sub-recipients) and investigations under the guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative and in coordination with the Regional Bureau, Office of Audit and Investigations, GF/HIST and ensure follow up on audit recommendations; and 
• Develops and completes regular reviews of the risk management matrix for the GF grant, SRs and technical partners.

Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and support the implementation of resource mobilization efforts, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Coordinates, builds partnerships and maintains excellent relationship with national partners, including the different Ministry of Healths and their different departments, UN Agencies, NGOs/CSOs, financial and technical partners and other implementing partners as well as with international and local stakeholders to ensure transparent and effective implementation of the GF programme;
• Supports national planning processes related to the GF programme, based on evidence gained during implementation of the programme; 
• Maintains close co-ordination between the GF programme and other health initiatives in the country to ensure and promote continuity, partnership building and avoid duplication of programmatic activities;
• Supports implementation of interventions and policy guidance related to the removal of human rights and gender related barriers to the access to and uptake of services;
• Proactively collaborates with other UN/DP colleagues to look for opportunities of collaboration, articulation of interventions maximizing impact and efficiency
• Maintains effective partnership with government and regional institutions, implementing partners and UNDP colleagues to exchange critical and technical information and resolve programme/project implementation issues to ensure results are achieved as planned; and
• Establishes consistent and transparent dialogue with donors, partners and stakeholders to maintain effective working relationships, sustain interests, promote resource mobilization and cooperation.

Actively leads on the development of a capacity building and transition plan and facilitation of knowledge building and sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Engages with national partners to strengthen resilient health systems and institutions including national disease programmes and across functional areas including, procurement and supply management, monitoring, financial management and oversight, risk management, programme and SR management and monitoring;
• Engages with national partners and oversee the development of capacity development and transition strategies aimed at assisting governments and national programmes to increase implementation and assume the PR role over time; 
• Undertakes a synthesis of lessons learnt and disseminate best practices for management of the programme;
• Represents UNDP in relevant technical meetings with partners, working groups;
• Contributes substantially to information sharing with other agencies/partners at the global, regional and local level and within UNDP; and 
• Actively participates in UNDP and other relevant external networks to promote UNDP’s health and development work in relevant forums (conferences, e-forum).

Other Duties:

• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: 

These may include:

• Representing the senior management in high-level meetings or events when delegated. 
• Participating in the UN Joint Results groups, in particular those related to Health and HIV
• Contributing to the review of key programmatic instruments such as the Country Programme Document and the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework

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 Competencies: 

• UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:  

Business Direction & 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 Management: Portfolio Management 

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization´s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimising return on investment.

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, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and create ‘win-win’ situations.

Business Management: Results-based management 

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Business Management: Partnerships management 

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with a wide network of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Business Management: Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

2030 Agenda: Health

• Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM).  

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Administration, Public Health, International Development, Business Administration, Social Sciences or related field is required OR 
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills: 

• Minimum of 7 years (with Master’s degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience managing public health programmes. 
• Demonstrated expertise in providing technical guidance and/or building national capacities in HIV, TB and/or malaria programmes is required. 
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing effective partnerships with government, civil society organizations and UN agencies in the context of health and development programmes is required. 
• Experience working in the Asia Pacific region and/or in challenging operating environments is an asset. 
• Knowledge and experience working with UN or UNDP agencies is an asset.
• Knowledge of Global Fund policies and procedures and/or a successful track record in management of Global Fund programmes is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in the management of diverse teams is an asset.

Languages: 

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Note: Please upload copies of your academic qualifications and 3 latest performance evaluations (if applicable). 

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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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.

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