Project Management Specialist

at UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Date Posted July 5, 2020
Category Management
NGO
Job Type Full-time
Currency ETB

Description

UNDPs core vision is to help countries achieve simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of inequalities and exclusion. Addressing gender equality and women's empowerment is a key aspect of UNDPs approach to achieving its core vision. In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in UNDP's Strategic Plan, gender equality is both a goal and an essential catalyst to progress across all development outcomes. The UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2021, the third such strategy, provides a road map to elevate and integrate gender equality into all aspects of UNDP's work to reduce poverty, build resilience and achieve peace in communities and territories, helping to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda.

With the generous funding of the Government of Canada, UNDP-RSCA has launched a four year (2020-2024) Regional Project on Advancing Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Africa. The project aims to enhance the capacity of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other regional partners (CSO's) to have enhanced evidence-based knowledge and capacity to advocate and support their Member States to fulfil their gender equality and women's empowerment commitments in the realization of Agenda 2063. This will be achieved through working on four intermediate outcomes focusing on: (i)Strengthened institutional capacity of RECs to monitor and advocate for gender equality and women's empowerment within their institution and with their Member States; (ii) Strengthened engagement of RECs and CSO's with Member States to help them promote women's leadership and participation in governance and peacebuilding; (iii) Improved capacity of RECs to monitor and influence their Member States on the ratification, domestication and implementation of regional and global instruments on women's rights and gender equality; and (iv) Strengthened engagement of RECs and CSOs with their Member States to help them advocate for women's economic empowerment.

This project will closely coordinate and join forces with the Gender Equality Award in Public Institutions. The Gender Equality Award is a methodological proposal to support and acknowledge the efforts of public institutions towards achieving substantive equality between women and men within the framework of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The Gender Equality Award in Public Institutions proposes to accelerate gender mainstreaming in SDGs implementation, based on a comprehensive process of improving and transformation of key internal and external aspects of the institutional architecture, policies and procedures, to improve their approaches and their potential impact on women's lives and empowerment and gender equality.

UNDP is hiring a Project Management Specialist based in UNDP-Regional Service Centre for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Under the supervision of the Regional Programme Advisor and Team Leader, Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Project Management Specialist is responsible for overseeing the management, development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Regional Project. He/She will be responsible to coordinate and oversee the implementation of the regional project as well as manage the human and financial resources of the project. The Project Management Specialist is expected to have the technical expertise and to provide thematic advice and support to the implementation of the project, overseeing the monitoring of progress against mutually agreed results frameworks and performance indicators, monitoring the programme financial situation to ensure adherence to delivery rates and utilization of resources to meet agreed upon targets and results, reviewing and developing partnerships and resource mobilization strategies; and leading knowledge management efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

1. Operational Management and Implementation of the Regional Project;

2. Policy Support and substantive development of tools and resources;

3. Partnerships and Resource Mobilization;

4. Knowledge Management. and Communication.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Operational management and Implementation of the Regional Project:

  • Coordinate/support/manage the overall implementation of the regional project;
  • Develop and review project annual work plans to ensure compliance with UNDP programme goals and results-based indicators;
  • Ensure project is implemented in alignment with UNDP procedures and regulations;
  • Ensure coordination and alignment with the Global Gender Equality Award for Public institution initiative;
  • Analyze and ensure alignment of project budgets with logical framework matrices and work plans;
  • Take forward day to day planning, implementation and monitoring aspects of the project operations and personnel;
  • Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual progress report as per UNDP guidelines and organize quarterly progress, mid-year and annual reviews;
  • Support the timely preparation and quality control of all substantive technical reports, briefs and required documents, including donor reports;
  • In collaboration with project support, ensure required expertise, technical capacities and services are available in timely manner ensuring compliance with recruitment and procurement procedures;
  • Manage programme quality control and identification of potential challenges;
  • Identify, build and manage relationships with regional partners (AUC, RECs, CSOs) and sister agencies as necessary and support their onboarding and implementation of activities as per partnership agreements;
  • Periodically suggest updates to the overall project framework based on reviews, lessons learned, and best practices derived from different thematic areas and evaluations;
  • Organize the Project Board meetings on the status of the implementation of the project.

2. Policy Support and substantive development of tools and resources:

  • Conduct analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons from projects and programmes to support policy development and innovation on gender equality, women economic, political empowerment and women leadership;
  • Contribute to development of guidance in the specific thematic area, and related tools for the implementation of global policy standards, including coordinating testing and rolling out of tools and methodologies aligned with the UNDP Gender Equality Award for Public Institutions;
  • Take part in the process of analyzing, improving and adapting gender policies for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas based on policy initiatives designed;Provide context input to support the quality assurance of policy services and foster policy innovation in the area of gender equality and the empowerment of women to enhance programme delivery;
  • Provide technical expertise to elaborate tools, guidance notes and knowledge products related to the project outputs;
  • Provide technical expertise on the content development for regional/CO knowledge products through the analysis of data, case evidence, and research findings in accordance with corporate standards;
  • Draft and aid the development of briefings and speeches, as applicable for regional specific meetings, regional and global events related to the project including speech and talking points for intergovernmental meeting, speech and talking points for the Team Leader or the RH Director etc.

3. Partnerships Building and Resource Mobilization:

  • In the context of UNDP as the SDG integrator, support the development of strategic partnership and alliances with other UN Agencies, regional partners, academic and CSO's organizations;
  • Contribute to the negotiations in establishing such partnerships, drafting of agreements and monitoring their implementation;
  • Support in undertaking gender related research and analysis and draft materials to support mobilizing, fostering and strengthening strategic partnerships with regional partners, UN entities (UN Women, UNECA) and other relevant partners;
  • Foster partnerships with other national and international public institutions participating in the Gender Equality Award for Public Institutions;
  • Ensure close co-operation with other UNDP teams; develop alliances and working partnerships (thematic, advocacy, regional resource facilities, etc.) in support to the project implementation;
  • Strive to maintain relationships with UNDP's partners including donors, regional partners (AU, RECs, CSOs) UN Sister Agencies, as it pertains to the implementation of the project;
  • Participate in relevant regional meetings including the regional sub cluster meetings on gender as per guidance of the Team Leader.

4. Knowledge Management and Communication:

  • Lead and facilitate production of knowledge products in the relevant subject matters;
  • Coordinate design and implementation of communication strategies of the Regional programme aligned with UNDP tools and policies;
  • Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to project goals;
  • Ensure that this knowledge is documented and systematized and fed back into project implementation including by contributing to networks both within UNDP and beyond;
  • Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
  • Promote knowledge and experience exchange with national and international entities implementing incentives programmes based on global standards and with institutions participating in the Gender Equality Awards for Public institutions;
  • Disseminate project reports and respond to queries from concerned stakeholders;
  • Oversee the exchange and sharing of experiences and lessons learned with relevant projects.

Competencies

Core :

Innovation:

  • Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them.

Leadership:

  • Ability to persuade others to follow.

Level 5: Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers

People Management:

  • Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Level 5: Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others.

Communication:

  • Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Level 5: Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others.

Delivery:

  • Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Level 5: Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions.

Technical/Functional :

Primary:

Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment:

  • Knowledge of systems for gender mainstreaming and capacity development and interagency collaboration & ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Gender mainstreaming and analysis:

  • Knowledge of gender issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, including analysis of projects from a gender perspective.

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Project and Programme Management:

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

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Partnerships:

  • Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Knowledge Management:

  • Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Secondary:

Research:

  • Knowledge of various programme information for research to provide recommendation and guidance to management.

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Report and Brief Writing:

  • Ability to prepare quality reports and briefs.

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Minimum Masters in gender and development, development studies, public policy, law, project management, human rights, economics, business administration or any other social science discipline.

Experience:

  • Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in designing and managing complex multi-stakeholder, multi-year projects on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in developing Countries;
  • Proven track record of project management and project team experience working with regional organizations, national government, private sectors, CSOs, NGOs, and other key stakeholders in Africa;
  • Experience in guiding and supervising multi-disciplinary project teams;
  • Experience in leading communication efforts of programme or entity with special focus on gender equality and women's empowerment;
  • Sound knowledge on key gender approaches including gender mainstreaming and gender analysis;
  • Experience in, and ability to coordinate and interact at professional level with partners including Donors, Un Agencies and government partners;
  • Current Knowledge & understanding of the latest development and evidence on GEWE in Africa.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English, both written and oral. Working knowledge of another UN language preferably French is an asset.

Disclaimer

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.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

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