Vacancy Notice
National Project Coordinator
JOB OPPORTUNITY
National Project Coordinator, NPSA 10
Job ID: 38963
Practice Area – Job Family Crisis Prevention and RecoveryEnvironment&Disaster Reduction
Vacancy End Date: 18/08/2021 (Midnight New York, USA)
Duty Station: Kathmandu, Nepal
Grade: NB5
Vacancy Type: Service Contract (SC)
Posting Type: External
Bureau: Asia & the Pacific
Contract Duration: 12 months with possibility of extension
Please note that the person selected for this position will be offered a contract with UNDP under its National Personnel Services Agreement (N-PSA) modality; the UNDP Service Contract modality is phasing out over the coming year. More information about the N-PSA is available here – https://popp.undp.org/SitePages/POPPSubject.aspx?SBJID=499&Menu=BusinessUnit&Beta=0
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.
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) has prioritized its support to the newly formed Local and Provincial Governments of Nepal to build their capacities for disaster risk reduction and emergency response to urban and earthquake risks. ECHO has identified the need for improved coordination among state and non-state stakeholders, humanitarian actors including humanitarian cluster leads and co-leads and private sectors critically important for enhancing municipal and provincial preparedness for urban and earthquake risks. Under HIP 2021 ECHO has agreed to fund a project called “Strengthening Urban Preparedness, Earthquake Preparedness and Response in Western Region of Nepal (SUPER)” for implementation by UNDP led consortium (other consortium partners are UNICEF and UN Women). The project will be implemented in 3 provinces of the Western Nepal i.e. Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim encompassing the core urban areas of Nepalgunj (Banke), Dhangadi (Kailali), Amargadi (Dadeldhura) and Jay Prithivi (Bajhang) urban municipalities. The project aims to enhance municipal preparedness for urban and earthquake risks with focus on vulnerable population; and at provincial levels, improve preparedness to impending earthquake risks with specific focus on strengthening cluster mechanism and enhancing risk governance for coordinated response.
The project interventions, while engaging with the key humanitarian clusters and the federal ministries, will support the municipal and provincial governments to strengthen their understanding about risks and preparedness and building ownership of the project approach for risk reduction and preparedness through budget allocation in their annual plans to ensure future sustainability. The project further aims to enhance understanding of the local and provincial authorities and the community including the private sector about the underlying causes of multi-hazard risks and vulnerabilities. The risk reduction and preparedness approach undertaken by the project supports for system strengthening through demonstration of structural and non-structural mitigation measures, building capacities for coordinated emergency response and advocacy for risk informed policies at provincial and local levels.
Project implementation envisions strong engagement with multiple stakeholders at provincial and local government levels such as the community, private sector, academicians, international institutions, UN agencies, non-government organizations, experts, policy makers and planners, and humanitarian cluster leads and co-leads. Since, the project will be implemented in 4 municipalities and 3 provinces under a consortium led by UNDP with two other UN agencies – UNICEF and UN Women – responsible to UNDP, a coherent approach of proejct implementation among the consortium partners with clarity of roles and responsibilities among them in implementation, monitoring and reporting is must. The project will be managed by UNDP as consortium lead through a dedicated project team based in Kathmandu, led by National Project Coordinator, under whom the project field teams, located in 3 provinces and 4 municipalities, will operate. The other two consortium partners – UNDP and UNICEF – will report to UNDP as agreed in inter-agency partnership agreement through the National Project Coordinator and UNDP will report to DG-ECHO as agreed in the project document.
The project intends to recruit a full time, dedicated, experienced and competent National Project Coordinator to manage the project to ensure that project milestones are delivered in a timely and cost- effective manner that fulfills donor’s expectations. S/he will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of project management including programme, finance and operations and implementation of project activities in 3 provinces and 4 municipalities. S/he will coordinate with three UN Consortium partners and seek guidance from the respective technical experts to ensure quality of the processes and outputs. S/he will be responsible for supervision of project team that includes both professional and support staff based in Kathmandu and in the field (Provincial Coordinators, Provincial Technical Officers, Municipal Technical Officers, Information Management Officers, Admin and Finance Officers and Community Development Workers), maintaining day-to-day communication and coordination with consortium partners, and liaison with provincial and municipal officials, the local partners and other stakeholders.
The National Project Coordinator (PC) will work under direct supervision of the Programme Manager of UNDP/Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Programme (CDRMP) and in close coordination with other staff of CDRMP. S/he will receive guidance from UNDP’s Portfolio Analyst (Resilience and Environment Portfolio) and other UNDP staff.
Duties and Responsibilities
A) Ensure effective coordination at national and local level including with the partners and counterparts of the project
• Develop and maintain good working relations with national, provincial and local stakeholders to support smooth implementation of the project and ensure their ownership on project results;
• Collaborate with CDRMP’s senior staff and component leads to build synergy in approach and apply learning to address urban and earthquake risks in project municipalities and provinces;
• Ensure close coordination with DG-ECHO regards to achievements of project results, timely reporting of progress, challenges, and potential modifications (in case required), and making responses to additional queries;
• Coordinate with project consortium partners for implementation of project activities at all levels based on agreed implementation framework and division of labor including financial and programmatic reporting;
• Ensure coordination with ECHO consortia members during implementation of project activities to ensure knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices in order to build synergy;
• Ensure coordination with UN cluster leads and co-leads, UNRCO and government line agencies during preparation of cluster workplans and guidelines;
• Ensure participation of provincial and local governments, line agencies, target communities, and other stakeholders including community of practices in planning, implementation, and monitoring of project activities;
• Mobilize the Provincial Coordinators and Provincial and Municipal teams to ensure integration of project approach into provincial and municipal planning for further scaling up;
• Communicate and coordinate with other humanitarian actors and partners working in 3 target municipalities and at the districts level about the objectives, approach, and intended outcomes of the project to build synergy in implementation.
B) Ensure effective coordination at national and local level including with the partners and counterparts of the project
• Take lead on planning, implementation, management, and coordination as relevant to project implementation at provincial, district and municipal levels;
• Supervise the project team in Kathmandu, provincial coordinators and project’s provincial and municipal teams;
• Carry out regular field visits to project sites, and facilitate joint monitoring with consortium members, government counterparts and cluster co-leads to ensure quality delivery of outputs and activities;
• Lead the project planning exercise to produce project annual and quarterly work plan/budget and implementation of day-to-day project activities within the timeline in coherence with set guidelines and procedures and quality standards;
• Ensure regular oversight to project implementation based on project follow up and monitoring plan, implementation strategy, action plan, calendar of events, etc. developed in consultation with project staff (AFO, M&E, GESI, etc);
• Prepare TORs and take timely actions to hire experts and consultants as required by the project to perform various tasks as reflected in the project document and project work plan such as preparation of technical papers, guideline, modeling tools and others;
• Identify potential issues related to project implementation and management and prepare set of recommendations for discussion with and guidance from NPM and UNDP team as relevant to project implementation and management;
• Take responsibility of operational and financial management of the project in compliance with UNDP’s Rules and procedures;
• Undertake regular field visits as necessary and ensure coherence in understanding and approach undertaken for implementation of activities in 3 provinces and 4 municipalities;
• Ensure that project receives adequate level of visibility and attention through multiple means at all tiers of government.
C) Carry out project monitoring and evaluation and reporting responsibilities
• Finalize M&E framework/ plan of the project in coordination with project’s Senior Project Officer (M&E) and ensure its timely and effective implementation;
• Regularly monitor project activities to ensure their implementation and initiate taking necessary preparatory actions for course corrections as needful in liaison with relevant parties;
• Ensure timely reporting – both internal and external (to the Government and donors) – following UNDP’s established procedures and in coordination with UNDP communication team;
• Prepare progress reports and other required documents to be shared with ECHO, Government, line agencies and other partners;
• Ensure development of high-quality knowledge products and communication materials in close coordination with communication information management and documentation officer and UNDP communication team;
• Prioritize and provide necessary support to donor monitoring, evaluation and reporting as per agreed work plan.
D) Provide technical guidance and support to the project team:
• Organize project inception and review workshops to build common understanding about proejct outcomes, implementation modality, challenges and deliverables in collaboration with CDRMP team;
• Provide technical guidance to proejct team, in liaison with the government officials and other stakeholders, in preparation of detailed project workplan and budget, development of proejct implementation strategy and action plan, and engagement of project staff at community levels;
• Guide the field team: Provincial Coordinators, Provincial and Municipal Technical Officers, Information Management Officers, Admin and Finance Officers and Community Development Workers based in 3 provinces and 4 municipalities to execute planned activities in a timely and efficient manner;
• Conduct regular meetings and follow ups with project team to take stock of implementation and reflect cross-cutting issues such as vulnerability, gender, social inclusion, human rights, etc. in project result framework;
• Engage in policy advocacy to enhance humanitarian preparedness and disaster risk reduction at provincial and municipal levels;
• Provide quality inputs and feedback to the work done at provincial and municipal levels and ensure coherence with project objectives, plans and budgets.
E) Preparation of process/ technical reports/ documents, Communication/ Knowledge
• Management and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI):
• Ensure timely finalization of technical and progress reports, briefs and other documents and ensure their quality;
• Ensure regular updates and maintain consistency of project disaggregated data/information in line with project M&E framework;
• Ensure project approaches, and monitoring and reporting system reflect on gender and social inclusion results; and project team build capacities for GESI analysis through tailored support provided in coordination with UNWOMEN;
• Ensure documentation of project results and achievements and their dissemination at province and municipal levels in coordination with provincial coordinators;
• Guide the Information and Database officer and Communication Officer in data collection and analysis, documenting challenges and lessons learnt, preparing project reports, news, human stories and organizing events;
• Ensure integration of GESI aspects in all stages of the project in coordination with GESI Focal Person of UNDP/ CDRMP/ SUPER project and consortium members.
F) Perform any other related task as per the request of Programme Manager- CDRMP, Resilience and Environment Policy Advisor
Competencies
Core Competencies- Level 3
Achieve Results
• Demonstrates focus on achieving quality results and impact
• Consistently strives to meet or exceed excellent standards
• Efficiently establishes appropriate plans and resources for self and others to
• accomplish goals
• Holds self and others accountable for results
Think Innovatively
• Seeks patterns and clarity outside, across and beyond boxes and categories, resists false certainty and simplistic binary choices
• Looks beyond conventional approaches and established methods
• Proposes new ideas, approaches and solutions to problems
Learn Continuously
• Actively pursues opportunities for learning and self-development, professionally and personally
• Keeps up to date with new developments in own professional area
• Proactively seeks feedback, demonstrates a desire to learn from others as well as from experience, both positive and negative
• Contributes to the learning of others
Adapt with Agility
• Actively pursues opportunities for learning and self-development, professionally and personally
• Keeps up to date with new developments in own professional area
• Proactively seeks feedback, demonstrates a desire to learn from others as well as from experience, both positive and negative
• Contributes to the learning of others
Act with Determination
• Is flexible in handling change, and adopts new ideas, approaches and ways of working
• Seamlessly adapts to working with new situations or contexts, with new people, and in different ways
• Participates in, supports, or drives meaningful change in UNDP
• Is comfortable with ambiguity and effectively manages juggling multiple demands
Engage and Partner
• Establishes and develops networks that deliver powerful collaborations
• Demonstrates and encourages teamwork and co-creation, internally and externally, to achieve joint objectives and results
• Acts in a way that demonstrates empathy and emotional intelligence, showing consideration for the needs and feelings of others
Enable Diversity and Inclusion
• Understands and appreciates issues from the perspective of others
• Treats all individuals with respect, considers ethical implications and responds sensitively to all differences among people
• Fully accepts and values all people, creating an inclusive environment
• Understands that inclusion is multi-faceted (e.g. race, gender, age, disability, culture, etc.) and treats everyone fairly and equally
• Demonstrates honesty and transparency
Cross Functional competency
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
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
Knowledge Generation
• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
Knowledge Facilitation
• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
Project Management
• Ability to plan, organise, prioritise and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
Risk Management
• Ability to identify and organise action around mitigating and proactively managing risks
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
Technical Competency
Gender
• UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal Initiative
Gender
• Climate Change and Risk Management of Disasters with a Gender Perspective
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Climate Risk Management
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Conflict-Sensitive Disaster Risk Reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Crisis and environment
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Disaster and Climate Risk Governance
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Disaster Recovery Policy, Planning and Programming
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Disaster Risk Information
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Disaster Risk Management
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Disaster Risk Reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Early Warning and Preparedness
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Gender Responsive Disaster Risk Management and Reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Post Disaster Needs Assessments
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery
• Urban and Local Level Disaster Risk Management
Advocacy strategy and implementation
• Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change
Relationship Management
• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
Multistakeholder engagement and funding
• Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multistakeholder funding platforms
Strategic engagement
• Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives
People Management Competency
Show Managerial Courage
• Face up to organisational and people problems
• Not be afraid to take decisions and action when and as needed
• Not hold back anything that needs to be said, respectfully and diplomatically
• Address conflict in a timely manner, not allow conflicts in teams to linger
• Help others through emotional or tense situations, tactfully bringing disagreements into the open and finding solutions all can endorse
Demonstrate Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
• Genuinely care about people; demonstrate empathy with the joys and pains of others
• Enable the wellbeing of the team(s)
• Read a group’s emotional currents and power relationships, identifying influencers, networks, and organisational dynamics; adapt leadership styles at the appropriate times
• See the positive in people, situations, and events
Motivate and Direct
• Create and communicate a compelling vision and purpose
• Align people and resources with organisational vision, strategy, objectives
• Understand and proactively build the team/organisation culture
Build an Enabling Workplace
• Create a working environment where people are engaged and want to do their best;
• empower and enable team members to perform and have a positive workplace experience
• Promote honesty, openness, trust and psychological safety and create opportunities to innovate and learn
• Recruit and promote individuals based upon objective measures and meritocracy;
• acknowledge and utilise the talent of others
• Encourage collective action and integration
Build Capability
• Identify and develop talent in individuals, providing positive support to enable them to
• achieve their potential
• Foster learning or development of others by giving feedback, guidance, and support;
• support career development of others
• Have willingness and ability to delegate to help people learn, including from failure
Manage Performance and Ensure Accountability
• Ensure regular conversations with people about work
• Provide positive and constructive feedback
• Discuss poor performance in a timely manner
• Provide praise and recognition, as well as ensure accountability
Lead with Humility
• Be authentic and transparent, act with integrity
• Be accessible and available to team members they lead
• Encourage debate and discussion, creating a culture where people are comfortable to challenge senior leaders and feel listened to
• Be modest, giving credit for success to others and admit own shortcomings
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
• Master’s Degree in Social Science, Disaster Risk Management, Urban Planning, or any other related fields.
Experience:
• 7 years of practical experience in working in development sector;
• Experience of working in the area of Disaster Risk Management and Humanitarian Response including in urban contexts;
• Good understanding of current DRR policies of the Government of Nepal and familiar with various initiatives at provincial and local levels through various stakeholders (ministries and local bodies);
• Demonstrated experience of project management and implementation;
• Demonstrated social skills of coordinating with different stakeholders and facilitating high level discussions and fostering cooperation amongst various stakeholders;
• Demonstrated skills on preparing quality reports and other knowledge products;
• Experience of working in UN and international agencies will be preferable.
Language Requirements:
• Fluency in English and Nepali at professional level are essential.
Travel
• The incumbent requires to frequently travel to the project areas in three provinces and for longer durations
Disclaimer
Important applicant information
All posts in the SC/NPSA categories are subject to local recruitment.
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.
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