Project Manager

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The Western Balkan region is heavily dependent on fossil fuels and ranks among the most polluted areas in Europe. In Kosovo, energy production is primarily coal-based, relying on two outdated power plants that have been in operation for over 60 years. These aging facilities form the backbone of the local energy system, providing affordable electricity but at the expense of reliability and efficiency. This reliance on obsolete infrastructure imposes significant socio-economic costs, including environmental degradation, public health risks, and missed opportunities for economic modernization and sustainable development.

Institutional capacity building and inclusive community engagement, including SMEs and households, are pivotal to transforming Kosovo's energy landscape, despite the significant challenges in adopting energy-efficient practices. SMEs often lack the technical expertise and financial resources needed to implement innovative energy solutions, while households struggle with poorly insulated buildings, insufficient information, and reliance on low-efficiency appliances, leading to higher energy consumption.                                                                                  

Addressing energy poverty demands a multidisciplinary approach, from adopting necessary legal frameworks to implementing innovative technical and policy measures. Kosovo's Just Transition Roadmap, which is being developed as part of the EU Growth Plan reform agenda, calls for comprehensive strategies, including investments in renewable energy, subsidies for low-income households, job creation, and energy efficiency programs. 

The ‘Inclusive and Just Pathway to 2030: Green Energy Future’ project aims to support Kosovo in achieving a just, inclusive, and sustainable transition from coal to renewable energy, fully aligned with Kosovo’s Energy Strategy 2022-2031, the National Energy and Climate Plans 2025-2030, and EU climate and energy commitments. This intervention aims to strengthen institutional and technical capacities for policy implementation, develop sustainable employment pathways in renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors, drive innovative investments, and foster public awareness of energy-efficient behavior. By 2030, the project seeks to contribute to a 35% share of renewable energy in Kosovo’s energy mix, a 33% reduction in emissions, and reduced energy poverty through an inclusive transition journey.

The project aims to address the above-mentioned challenges as follows:

● Provide tailored technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and access to high-level advisory support. Support the Ministry and relevant stakeholders to develop and implement policies that align with the ambitious programs in the EU accession pathway, and enhance institutional coordination by establishing flexible mechanisms, for example, engaging with municipalities and private sector stakeholders.

● Promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency adoption in the private sector, particularly among SMEs.

● Empowering local communities through targeted support for energy-poor households and public awareness initiatives around efficient use of energy.

● Supporting investments in energy, that enhance energy savings, reduce energy poverty, and promote new policies for a just energy transition.

Through these interventions, the project aligns with Kosovo’s energy transition agenda while advancing Danish development objectives of promoting climate action, social equity, and economic resilience. 

• Management of the project, implementing activities through effective coordination of the project team and in accordance with UNDP policies and procedures:
  • Prepare annual project work-plans and related sub-plans (procurement plan, others if required).
  • Develop activities in close coordination with the key beneficiaries and the UNDP team, ensuring openness and active engagement, given the new development scope that the Project covers and the potential to scale long-term renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions.
  • Ensure timely and qualitative implementation of workplan activities, closely coordinating the work of the project team.
  • Continuously monitor progress against the approved work-plan, identify changes in the external environment and promptly agree necessary solutions or actions with UNDP office and Project Board.
  • Maintain positive working relations with all project stakeholders, including central authorities and agencies, municipalities, and international organizations, finance institutions and CSOs.
  • Mobilize personnel, goods and services, and training activities, including drafting terms of reference and work specifications and overseeing all contractors’ work.
  • Ensure implementation activities are in alignment with UNDP policy and programme management procedures and all project interventions integrate a gender equality perspective/gender equality mainstreaming to the extent local context allows.
  • Monitor financial resources to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports; ensure preparation of budget revisions as necessary; follow up with UNDP programme associate and finance staff as required.

• Monitoring of progress and risks; Reporting on progress including measures to address challenges and opportunities:
  • Monitor events as determined in the project monitoring schedule plan, and update the plan as required.
  • Periodically update the project information in the internal online Project Management module.
  • Manage and monitor the project risks initially identified and submit to the Project Board for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risks log.
  • In coordination with the Programme, organize regular donor meetings and perform regular progress reporting to the project board/donor.
  • Prepare corporate, donor and government reports in line with the reporting schedule and UNDP and donor requirements.
  • Prepare progress reports within required frequency and using the template recommended by the UNDP office. Submit the report to supervisor in the UNDP programme team for review and clearance, according to the agreed timetable. Share report with the project board.
  • Ensure reporting to the donor is prepared on time and meets required standards.
  • Support the preparation of reviews; Review and prepare and evaluations as defined in the project document.
  • Prepare final project reports and papers.
  • Ensure proper operational and financial closure of the project.

• Support partnerships and advocacy activities at project level:
  • Liaise with other UNDP projects to identify strategic areas where the project can invest to accelerate decarbonization and renewable energy/energy efficiency initiatives for Kosovo.
  • Link up project activities with related and parallel activities internally and externally.
  • Keep updated with the activities of other development projects in the sector, establish contact and keep up-to date with their work.
  • Serve as an effective spokesperson internally and externally and form strong partnerships with institutional counterparts.
  • Ensure and coordinate meaningful participation of all national and international stakeholders in all phases of planning and implementation processes.
  • Support the partnerships and advocacy activities agreed by the UNDP office in the area/sector covered by the project.
  • Support with the implementation of other activities in the portfolio and office. 

• Ensure implementation of knowledge management activities:
  • Regular exchange of information/experience with other projects, cross-learning and sharing results and good practices.
  • Ensure the project has the required communication package and preparation, upon request of the UNDP office, of information materials for dissemination within UNDP globally and regionally, and to external stakeholders.
  • Capture lessons learnt during project implementation through a lesson learnt log or another format which is deemed appropriate.
  • Participate in regular internal meetings.
  • Participate in training events, communities of practice, codifying and sharing knowledge, facilitate and organize trainings for project staff to enable them to perform at the required level.

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

Institutional Arrangement

Under the direct supervision of the Inclusive Growth and Climate Resilience Portfolio Manager, the Project Manager has the overall responsibility for achieving the project results (outputs) as defined in the approved project document and annual work-plans through timely and qualitative implementation and monitoring. The Project Manager will collaborate closely with partners and contractors.

People Management 

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

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

• Project Management:    
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• 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. 
• Effective Decision Making:          
  • Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner inline with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications.
• 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.
• Risk Management:         
  • Identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
• Monitoring & Evaluation:              
  • Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.  
  • Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. 
  • Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. 
  • Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. 
  • Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.