Project Manager - Short-term NPSA 9

Background

UNDP Bangladesh’s Democratic Governance programming aims to accelerate effective governance so that all citizens can openly and peacefully contribute to Bangladesh’s development story. It focuses on making the country inclusive, capable, rule-based accountable, and transparent by 1) strengthening effective and accountable governance that responds to the need of people in addressing equitable and improved access to justice and rule of law, 2) strengthening civil society and promoting participatory governance to ensure that the voice of all citizens are heard, and 3) enhancing civic, political and economic empowerment of women and youth.

UNDP Bangladesh is implementing an Initiation Plan (IP) to enhance the capabilities of interim authorities, national institutions, and civil society in Bangladesh to drive democratic reforms and foster inclusive development. It houses the early phase of UNDP support for democratic and institutional reforms in Bangladesh and the advancement and repositioning of ongoing governance programming. Central to this initiative is a commitment to restoring trust among stakeholders, engaging systematically with young people, civil society and citizens, and ensuring risk-informed and collaborative approaches. This IP will also serve as a foundational framework to consolidate and align UNDP’s democratic governance programming in Bangladesh, and for transitioning to a longer-term portfolio of strategic interventions thereafter. 

IP-SARG is looking to recruit a Project Manager who will work closely with the Assistant Resident Representative to manage project activities in order to fulfil the outcomes and objectives as set out in the project document, and in accordance with the UNDP standards and best practices. The successful candidate will ensure that project activities are aligned with sustainable development principles and coordinate with other projects in the Democratic Governance portfolio and other UNDP units.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work 
Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative the incumbent will perform the below-mentioned activities:  

1. Lead the strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the project to ensure the delivery of expected outputs and outcomes in line with the approved Project Document.
2. Manage project finances, supervise staff and consultants, and coordinate closely with UNDP units, government counterparts, development partners, and other stakeholders.
3. Ensure stakeholder engagement, partnership development, policy advocacy, capacity building, knowledge management, and support for resource mobilization, all under the direct supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative.
4. Aligning the project with UN values and UNDP priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities in brief:

1. Lead the strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the project to ensure the delivery of expected outputs and outcomes in line with the approved Project Document.
• Managing and coordinating the implementation of the respective activities based on the project document.  
• Developing comprehensive/detailed project work-plans that include all project activities and roles and responsibilities of the project teams and setting-out corresponding milestones.
• Monitoring the progress of implementation of project activities and financial delivery.
• Organize, facilitate, participate in and follow-up with meeting related to Project Management, and keep track the progress of recommendations and agreements. 
• Organize, facilitate, participate in and follow-up with meeting related to the Project Board, and keep track the progress of recommendations and agreements.
• Managing and monitoring project risks initially identified, submitting information on the new risks and possible mitigating measures to the Project Board for consideration and updating the status of these risks by maintaining a Project Risk Log.
• Assuming responsibilities in line with the office Internal Control Framework and act as a `first authority for Project transactions.

2. Manage project finances, supervise staff and consultants, and coordinate closely with UNDP units, government counterparts, development partners, and other stakeholders.
• Oversee the operations of the project.
• Ensuring adherence of project activities to the existing financial, procurement and administrative processes that are in line with prevailing UNDP rules and regulations and, at the same time, observing the project timelines.
• Preparing project progress reports (progress against planned activities, update on risks issues, expenditures) and ensuring timely submission of the reports to the relevant instances, such as the project boards and relevant Development Partners.
• Managing project tracking in ATLAS in accordance with UNDP procedures.

3. Maintaining collaborative working relationships among key project partners and Development Partners, through effective communication, consultation and reporting 
• Maintaining strong relationships with the implementing partners and other relevant partners.
• Maintaining regular coordination and quality assurance of expert inputs and products as well as among project partners to ensure coherence and complementarity of project activities.
• Identifying opportunities for deepening the cooperation and recommending adequate approaches to dealing with different stakeholders based on information on all relevant stakeholders gathered during projects’ implementation.
• Maintaining regular communication on relevant project issues with the local and international counterparties, consultants and experts and ensuring quality and timely delivery of all agreed outputs.
• Maintaining effective linkages with current and potential development Partners;
• Submitting reports to UNDP, programme partners and development partners in a quality and timely manner.

4. Aligning the project with UN values and UNDP priorities:
• Ensure the principles of no one left behind in all project activities.
• Ensure that gender equality is pursued in all project activities and reflected in work plans, budgets, reports, researches, analyses and, where specifically relevant, analyzed in detail;
• Ensure that accessibility for persons with disabilities is reflected in all project activities.
• Consult regularly with other UNDP projects and programs on related activities where synergies are possible. 
• Communicate project goals and activities clearly to both stakeholders and the wider public.

4. Institutional Arrangement

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative of Democratic Governance Cluster, the incumbent will perform above-mentioned activities, and the ARR will be resposnsible for the service evaluation of the Project Manager.

Competencies

a.    Core Competencies
Achieve Results:    LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
Think Innovatively:    LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
Learn Continuously:    LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
Adapt with Agility:    LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
Act with Determination:     LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
Engage and Partner:    LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:    LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

b.    Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 
Thematic Area    Name    Definition
General (across the functions)    Public relations    Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organisation, its mandate and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public
Partnership management    Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding    Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms
Partnership management    Resource mobilization    Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements
2030 Agenda: People    Gender
    Gender Mainstreaming
2030 Agenda: Prosperity    Inclusive Growth    Poverty and Human Development
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
Business Development    Knowledge Generation    Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Academic Education:

•    Advanced university degree (Master´s Degree or equivalent) in public administration/ Development Studies/ Sociology or any relevant related field is required;
OR
•    A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum years of relevant Work experience and required skill :

•    Minimum 2 years (with Master´s degree) or 5 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant experience in donor-funded project management particularly in governance area is required.

Required skills :

•     Strong expertise in governance, project management & resource mobilization.
 

Desired additional skills

•     Experience working with international organizations, INGO, or bilateral development partners.
•     Experience on engagement with government institutions, particularly the ministries, law enforcement agencies, or senior government officials, is a strong advantage.
•     Demonstrated experience in project monitoring, results-based reporting, and documentation of outputs is highly desirable.
•    Demonstrated ability in managing resources and budgets, and financial reporting required.
 

Required Language (s):    Fluency in written and spoken English is required

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

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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