Job Identification : 13749

Locations : Suva, Fiji

Posting Date : 10/11/2023, 04:15 PM

Apply Before : 10/26/2023, 03:59 AM

Job Schedule : Full time

Agency : UNDP

Grade : P4

Vacancy Type : Fixed Term

Practice Area : Governance

Bureau : Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific

Contract Duration : 1 Year with Possibility for extension

Education & Work Experience : Master’s Degree – 7 year(s) experience OR Bachelor’s Degree – 9 year(s) experience

Required Languages : Proficiency in Oral and Written English language

Vacancy Timeline

2 Weeks

Mobility required/no mobility

mobility required

Job Description

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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 UNDP Pacific Office (PO) in Fiji, as part of its Effective Governance and Inclusive Growth programme delivered across the region, implements several projects as part of the Justice, Security and Border Management portioflio, including Nauru Justice Project, the Regional Integrated Border Management Project, Security Sector Reform initiative, Maritine Security initiative and a few others.

Position Purpose

The Programme Manager will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Programme Team Leader, Effective Governance and Inclusive Growth, and act as a Manager for the portfolio of projects providing justice, security, human rights and bordermanagement support in the region. The Specialist will ensure the leadership and management for the related interventions, ensuring the impact, coherence and quality of the work in the Pacific. This post requires a combination of managerial competencies and substantive knowledge to recommend effective approaches and formulate new initiatives in the subject area. The staff member will be based in Suva, with frequent travel to other countries of the region.

He/She will also support an engagement with international development partners, building strategic partnerships, and identifying new opportunities for UNDP to maximize its impact and visibility in this area through development of new proposals and project documents.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.Provide strategic leadership for effective project planning and implementation.

•  Lead strategic planning for the project, including formulation of annual project work plan (AWP) as well as plans for budget, HR, procurement, and overall project implementation.
•  Provide quality and timely management of the project life cycle, including meeting programmatic and financial deliverables in adherence to project documents and applicable UNDP policy and programme management procedures and Government standards, rules, and regulations. Act as a senior advisor on issues related to project activities.
•  Provide direction, guidance and direct supervision to UNDP project personnel, including technical experts, to ensure activities are implemented in a timely manner as planned. Undertake technical review of project documents produced by the project team and partners, and ensure high technical standards are met.
•  Ensure all project interventions integrate a gender equality perspective/gender equality mainstreaming to the extent local context allows.
•  Ensure proper execution of all administrative activities associated with project implementation that includes building and sustaining effective liaison with the CO’s functional areas and units (i.e., programme, M&E, finance, HR, procurement, and supply management).
•  Identify opportunities for synergies with other projects within UNDP and beyond to advance the key objectives and grow its focus.

2. Build and maintain UNDP’s strategic partnerships.

•  Substantively contribute to the harnessing of effective partnerships and lead the identification and onboarding process for implementing partners.
•  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 key objectives, and to promote inclusive project implementation.
•  Communicate relevant and critical information with key implementing partners and members of project governing bodies, and substantively contribute to project visibility efforts. Make recommendations to the CO 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.
•  Support resource mobilization efforts and project development.
•  Identify strategic opportunities and potential new areas of cooperation. Actively coordinate with other UN agencies on the subject matter and contribute technical expertise on parliamentary support.
•  Develops and undertakes country missions in support of programme monitoring, impact assessments and programme enhancement;
•  Under the supervision of the Programme Specialist, Team Leader, Inclusive Governance and Economic Growth supports donor outreach and coordination with national and international partners, including actively contributing to developing new funding opportunities;
•  Develop knowledge products including research, lessons learned, good practice notes, as well as formulating concept notes on emerging issues related to Rule of Law, human rights, community security, social cohesion and peacebuilding in the Pacific Islands.

3. Monitor and report on progress in implementing project activities and achieving the targets set:

•  Provide leadership and technical advice to the project in developing baselines and indicators for project monitoring and evaluation, and coordinate the finalization of detailed results framework. Ensure strategies, processes, systems, and mechanisms are in place to effectively fulfill programme and financial monitoring, evaluation, quality assurance and reporting requirements.
•  Lead implementation of the monitoring, evaluation, and results framework to identify plan deviations, underperformance, and other problems. Support diagnosing problems and ensure accountability for corrective actions within agreed upon tolerances to achieve results. Conduct field visits as required to verify project activities relative to stated targets and provide regular field updates to UNDP/CO management.
•  Proactively perform risk assessments to identify and document risks related to the project, including operational, financial, legal, contractual, social, environmental, reputation and safety risks. Design mitigation measures and keep appropriate project governing bodies informed. Develop and complete regular reviews of risk management matrix for the project.
•  Coordinate the preparation of corporate, donor and government reports in line with the reporting schedule and UNDP and donor requirements. Ensure provision of ad hoc reports and information requested by relevant entities.
•  Ensure proper operational and financial closure of the project.1. Ensure effective leadership and management of the assigned portfolio of projects, including leadership and supervision of the projects’ team; coordination of implementation; strategic oversight of planning, budgeting
•  Develops targets and indicators to capture progress, implementing and monitoring, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
•  Take responsibility for a timely and efficient delivery of the Annual Work Plans for the entire portfolio of parliamentary support projects;
•  Ensure monitoring and evaluation, as well as aggregate programme and project reporting, for all donors participating in the portfolio are done in timely basis
•  Provide strategic guidance and advice to UNDP MCO on ensuring a coordinated approach to efficient implementation of related parliamentary reforms;

4. Ensure the portfolio is well linked to and complementary to UNDP interventions implemented by the Effective Governance and Inclusive Growth team, and the Resilient and Climate Change Team of the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, as well as strengthens the partnerships with CSOs in the country.

•  Contributes to the development of initiatives in women’s political participation and political parties in region.
•  Support the supervisor to contribute to regional and global policy developments on parliamentary development and women’s political participation that are grounded on cutting edge policy developments and practices from the region

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation. The role has supervisory responsibilities.

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.

Core-Functional & Technical Competencies Business Direction & Strategy-Strategic Thinking

•  Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDPs 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

Business Direction & 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 Development-Collective Intelligence Design

•  Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions

Business Management-Project Management

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

Business Management-PortfolioManagement

•  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

2030 Agenda: Peace-Governance

•  Security and Justice

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Political Science, Human Rights, Public Policy, Law, or related field. Or

Bachelor’s degree in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Master’s Degree.

Experience:

•  Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of proven professional experience in working in a specialist or advisory role with national institutions in the areas in the area of access to justice, rule of law, human rights policing and law enforcement.
•  Experience working in developing country settings is required.
•  Experience in SIDS and/or Pacific Islands contexts is an asset.
•  Experience with project management cycle, tools and mechanisms, including implementation, monitoring and reporting is an asset.
•  Experience with corporate project management tools is an asset.
•  Experience in leading/managing knowledge product development and dissemination is an asset.
•  Knowledge and experience from working with countries in transition is an asset.

Language:

•  Excellent command of written and spoken English is required.
•  Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

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

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

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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.