Project Manager
Career OPPORTUNITY
Position: Project Manager, NPSA 10
Job ID: 39035
Practice Area – Job Family Environment and Energy
Vacancy End Date: 21/08/2021 (Midnight New York, USA)
Duty Station: Kathmandu, Nepal
Languages
Required:
Desired:
English, Nepali
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.
Nepal’s cities face substantial challenges in managing solid waste, including collection, treatment and safe disposal. Nepal’s urban areas generate approximately 1.8 million tonnes of solid waste per year, of which 56% is organic waste, 16% glass, 13% plastic and 8% paper. Municipal solid waste management in Nepal is largely characterized by the informal waste collection and transportation, with limited segregation and treatment. It is estimated that only 50% of the generated waste is currently being collected, with the other half being dumped directly in the urban or natural environment.
More importantly, Nepal with its fragile health system is facing a huge challenge in properly managing the potentially infected medical waste in its bid to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Nepal is a high-risk country for potential spread of COVID-19, mainly due to its frail health system. Nepal’s insufficient preparedness, weak health infrastructure, and lack of required technology and human resources to fight against COVID-19 outbreak makes the country particularly vulnerable. At the sub-national level, the health system infrastructure has been re-organized, and capacities are still to be built, which has added further difficulties in responding to COVID-19 pandemic urgencies. The current practices of burying or open burning of the health care waste has increased the possibility of exposure to potential hazards and susceptibility of the population to disease due to mishandling of waste.
Thus, UNDP Nepal under its COVID recovery effort, works with several municipalities and provincial and regional hospitals with the aim of strengthening their capacities in safe management of the municipal solid waste along with the potentially hazardous healthcare waste through implementation of various activities under the Promoting Green Recovery Project. This alliance with the municipalities and the health care facilities is expected to create employment opportunities for the most marginalized and vulnerable population affected by the pandemic as well as foster business recovery and green growth and supporting in containment of the COVID-19 virus in the existing and post-COVID context. Furthermore, the project aims in wider dissemination of the information to the communities and the key stakeholders for efficient management of the wastes and increased community participation.
The Project is being implemented through effective coordination and consultation with the relevant UNDP Field Offices. The Field Offices works closely with provincial and local governments to plan, implement and monitor the field implementation and coordination with stakeholders at the field level.
The Project Manager will provide overall technical support in the implementation of the programme activities, and in doing so will work to ensure coherence with the project outcomes developed as per the initiation plan.
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Coordinate for the effective implementation of the project activities ensuring achievement of results:
- Facilitate the day-to-day management of the project; responsible for the timely delivery of all project outputs;
- Provide technical support to the Field Offices, partner agencies and technical officers of selected municipalities in implementation of the different programme activities in coherence with the project outcomes;
- Support for selection of service providers following UNDP’s partnership tools;
- Organize and coordinate programme activities (such as workshops, studies and publications and other activities and outputs), equipment and administrative support;
- Supervise and facilitate coordination with consultants and contractors engaged in delivering of the programme’s work plans for the achievement of results;
- Prepare annual work plans with indicative scheduling of identified main outputs and activities as guidance documents for the formulation and review of annual work plans;
- Provide guidance and reviews of technical specifications of project outputs and activities;
- Ensure that the outcomes specified in initiation plan are delivered at the required quality standards and within the specified cost and time limits;
- Timely preparation and submission of required reports, including technical and financial reports to relevant parties;
- Monitor and assist with logistical arrangements for field trips for consultants in accordance with UNDP procedures;
- Prepare specifications, terms of references, evaluate proposals and ensure implementation managed through procurement of goods and services required for the project;
- Follow-up for financial requests, disbursement of funds, purchasing actions;
- Liaise with the various UNDP units, including General Services, Accounting, Travel on project activities for good project execution.
2. Providing technical oversight, quality assurance and support to implement all project outcomes:
- Provide necessary technical oversight and quality assurance of various activities under project outcomes and results framework;
- Provide technical inputs to the implementation of the different Programme activities and outputs – including by organizing and participating in meetings, trainings, workshops and other events and by providing analysis of results of the workshop/trainings/meetings/events, by providing technical inputs to workshop presentations, to studies, to advisory services and to other activities and outputs of the national Programme;
- Lead the implementation of partnerships with government institutions and other relevant entities, ensuring that all administrative arrangements reflect the rules and regulations of UNDP, and that all corresponding activities are carried out in a timely and proper manner.
3. Technical assistance in the implementation of grants and other agreements with the partners:
- Identify and conduct capacity assessments of local level efforts/organizations engaged in project area.
- Work closely with these organizations or groups to ensure that their efforts are supported in a conflict sensitive manner;
- Monitor and evaluate the activities conducted by implementing partners under the grants programme.
- Oversee and provide technical assistance, coaching and accompaniment to implementing partners to build their intuitional capacity and for smooth implementation of the activities.
- Meet all reporting requirements regarding the grants programme.
4. Lead the programmatic and management aspect of the project:
- Design and supervise the development of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) and Quarterly Work Plan (QWP), as well as short-term operational plans. Ensure that the AWP and QWP are implemented in a timely manner;
- Suggest, based on a monitoring and analysis of regional and district contexts, modifications to AWP and QWP, ensuring that the programmatic work is attuned to changing realities.
- Ensure that the strategic framework is implemented to maintain quality of services and to meet planned financial and activity delivery;
- Meet all reporting (internal and external, narrative and financial) requirements as accordance with UNDP financial rules and regulations and internal control framework;
- Manage Project team and ensure proper training, guidance and coaching opportunities for all personnel assisted by the project.
5. Supervise monitoring, learning and evaluation of the overall Programme:
- Report on activities, outputs and outcomes required by the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation systems.
- Develop a systematic approach to Knowledge Management, and identify lessons learned and best practices, and contribute to broader institutional learning;
- Ensure timely preparation and submission of required reports, including bi-annual progress and expenditure reports, and as per the requirements of UNDP;
- Provide secretariat services to the Project Board Meetings with participation of program heads and relevant field offices heads chaired by Deputy Resident Representative; this will include conveying/coordinating the PEB meetings; ensuring that all PEB representatives receive relevant information ahead of meetings; presenting the Programme’s progress to the PEB; taking notes during – and circulating notes after the PEB meetings; Implementation of the decision made.
6. Gender and Social Inclusion Sensitivity:
- Ensure Gender Empowerment and Social Inclusion (GESI) components in programme implementation; and communications tools and products developed and disseminated;
- Review, monitor, and report on the progress of GESI related targets and work plan on a regular basis.
Competencies
Core Competencies- Level 3
Achieve Results
- Demonstrates focus on achieving quality results and impact
- Consistently strives to meet or exceed excellent standards
- Holds self and others accountable for results
- Efficiently establishes appropriate plans and resources for self and others to accomplish goals
Think Innovatively
- Looks beyond conventional approaches and established methods
- Proposes new ideas, approaches and solutions to problems
- Seeks patterns and clarity outside, across and beyond boxes and categories, resists false certainty and simplistic binary choices
Learn Continuously
- Actively pursues opportunities for learning and self-development, professionally and personally
- Keep abreast of new developments in one’s 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
- Be flexible in handling change, and adopt new ideas, approaches and ways of working
- Seamlessly adapt to working within new situations or contexts, with new people, and in different ways
- Participate in, support, contribute to or drive meaningful change in UNDP
- Be comfortable with ambiguity and effectively managing multiple demands
Act with Determination
- Pursue everything with motivation and drive
- Not give up in the face of adversity and setbacks; demonstrate resilience and composure
- Demonstrate courage, self-motivation and initiative to act on opportunities without being prompted by others
- Be authentic and modest, get things done without unnecessary noise
Engage and Partner
- Acts in a way that demonstrates empathy and emotional intelligence, showing consideration for the needs and feelings of others
- Demonstrates and encourages teamwork and co-creation, internally and externally, to achieve joint objectives and results
- Establishes and develops networks that deliver powerful collaborations
- Encourage and respect the views of others; accept views and ideas other than one’s own
Gender
Knowledge of systems for gender mainstreaming and capacity development and interagency collaboration and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
Enable Diversity and Inclusion
- 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.)
- Understand and appreciate issues from the perspective of others
- Treats everyone fairly and equally
- Demonstrate honesty and transparency
People Management Competencies:
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
Cross Functional Competencies:
Strategic Thinking
- Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions
- Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP
Entrepreneurial Thinking
- Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate
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
Partnerships Management
- Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies
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
Working with Evidence and Data
- Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
Technical Competencies:
Health
- Health waste management
Nature, Climate and Energy
- Chemicals and Waste management: practical application
- Green Economy: Green economy and green growth
Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility
- Debris/Solid Waste Management
Project Management
- Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
Resources Management
- Ability to plan, monitor, organize, and control human and financial resources of a bureau, team or project
Effectiveness
- Programmatic Risk Management and Analysis
Gender
- Gender Issues & Analysis
- Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree in environmental science or management or public administration or any other relevant discipline.
Minimum years of relevant work experience:
- At least 7 years of relevant experience in project management/ quality assurance and monitoring;
Required skills and competencies:
- Demonstrated knowledge and working experiences in working with municipality/ local government;
- Experience working for the Government of Nepal and UN is an asset;
- Act as a team player and facilitating teamwork;
- Ability to work under pressure and time constraints.
- Significant experience with the United Nations, multi-lateral, inter-governmental institutions, governmental or demonstrated capacity to work in complex institutional environments;
- Significant experience in the design and/or implementation of development programmes;
- Exceptional analytical and strategic skills;
Desired additional skills and competencies :
- Must be familiar with MS Office;
- Nepali Typing skills is an asset.
Required Language (s) (at working level) :
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in Nepali and English
Travel
- Required field visits to the project sites
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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