Digital Project Manager

At UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), we are on a mission to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions around the world. UNDP is the United Nations' global sustainable development organization working across 170 countries with 17,000 staff. 

Digital technology is one of the most fundamental drivers of changes this century. Digital not only provides new opportunities and challenges for development, but it is also fundamentally changing the context in which development is taking place. Since the launch of its first Digital Strategy in 2019, UNDP has been on an ambitious transformation journey to harness the potential of digital technology for development. We are now in the next phase of our digital transformation, implementing the Digital Strategy 2022-2025, which puts forth a vision to create a world in which digital is an empowering force for people and planet.   

The Chief Digital Officer at UNDP is leading this effort with the goal of embedding digital technology in the development projects that we implement, supporting government partners to build inclusive digital ecosystems, and transforming the organization internally to enable these changes.

Project Background 

Building on its previous digital programming, the Ghana Country Office is advancing a comprehensive suite of digital initiatives. These include:

• An enterprise gateway and eCommerce support program for MSMEs,
• The Digital Flagship project, supported by the Government of Italy, 
• An Agritech Hub, Venture Fund and University Innovation Pod (UNIPOD) under the Timbuktoo Initiative,
• Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA) for Ghana.

Looking ahead, the vision is to finalize and scale up ongoing digital initiatives, develop a robust and inclusive digital transformation portfolio, and deepen collaboration with the government, private sector, and development partners. These efforts aim to align with and support Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.

UNDP Ghana is seeking an outstanding candidate as the Digital Project Manager to manage and coordinate the delivery of digital project activities within the country.
 

• Lead the development and revision of detailed implementation plans for selected digital projects, including product roadmaps, budgets, procurement activities, etc. in close coordination Country Office colleagues and operations teams; 
• Oversee and coordinate project implementation to ensure high-quality outputs, timely delivery, and cost-effectiveness, in line with the project document, UNDP’s digital standards and data principles, program management procedures, and applicable government standards, rules, and regulations;
• Collaborate with programme colleagues to manage adaptive implementation cycles for designing, building, testing, and deploying digital solutions, while integrating digital product metrics into project M&E systems;
• Ensure the sustainability of digital solutions by leading discussions on technology choices, system architecture and integration, hosting and licensing, intellectual property, data privacy and governance, and timely capacity-building for partners;
• Conduct technical reviews of project documents produced by the project team and partners, ensuring adherence to high technical standards;
• Integrate a gender equality perspective and prioritize closing the digital divide in all project interventions, as permitted by the local context;
• Oversee the proper execution of all administrative activities related to project implementation, including preparing technical requirements and Terms of Reference, completing contracting processes, recruiting consultants and experts, and managing financial arrangements and their correct authorization.

Develop strategic partnerships and manage stakeholders.

• Play a key role in building effective partnerships, leading the identification, and on-boarding of implementing partners, and driving the adoption of a digital first mindset within the extended implementation team and among stakeholders;
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with implementing and development partners, government officials, businesses, NGOs, national and regional stakeholders, and beneficiaries to ensure accurate interpretation of project objectives and promote inclusive implementation;
• Support resource mobilization efforts and collaborate with programme and partnership colleagues to develop collaboration opportunities with government, private sector, foundations, and multinational organizations;
• Ensure training, project workshops and other relevant activities are organized and implemented in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Risk Management.

• Provide technical guidance for developing project baselines, indicators, and detailed monitoring, evaluation, and results frameworks. Establish effective systems for data collection, verification, reporting, and information sharing;
• Utilize KPIs to identify challenges and deviations, implementing course corrections within agreed tolerances to achieve desired outputs and outcomes. Incorporate user feedback loops and conduct ethnographic research through field visits to validate project activities and ensure alignment with stated targets. Provide regular updates to UNDP management;
• Organize project review and evaluation meetings, ensuring follow-up on decisions, recommendations, and necessary course corrections. Lead mid-term and annual reviews of digital initiatives;
• Monitor and manage project risks, including political, social, technology, and data-related risks. Update management on emerging risks and propose mitigation measures for action;
• Ensure proper operational and financial closure of the project, adhering to all UNDP and donor requirements.

Reporting, Communications and Knowledge Sharing 

• Ensure timely and high-quality reporting by preparing donor and management reports according to agreed schedules and standards. Capture results, lessons learned, and good practices in project reports for potential replication and wider application. Provide ad hoc updates to stakeholders as required;
• Substantively contribute to project communications and visibility efforts, advocating for UNDP’s role in addressing digital development challenges in coordination with communications staff, project partners, and stakeholders;
• Actively participate in and contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice related to digital development and project implementation. Facilitate innovative knowledge-sharing mechanisms and develop resources and products to disseminate insights to project partners and strengthen UNDP Ghana's engagement in this area.

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

• 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 and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Functional/Technical competencies

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. 

Digital & Innovation

• Digital Inclusion: Knowledge of how digital inclusion works; opportunities and challenges for governments and society. 

Digital & Innovation

• Digital Ecosystem: Knowledge of how they work, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society. 

Digital & Innovation

• Digital product management: Ability to design and lead digital product development including testing, ongoing product iteration, product strategy and delivery.  

Business Management

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals. 

Business Management: Communication

• Superb project management skills/experience and proven track record of successfully managing complex projects from inception to completion, including project planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation;
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems. 

• Excellent and proven understanding of design thinking, inclusive digital transformation, and digital inclusion;
• Proven experience in the implementation of complex digital technology solutions/projects and change management;
• Experience in working, liaising, and collaborating with UN agencies, governments, NGOs, civil society organizations, and public international organizations;
• Demonstrated knowledge of sustainable development issues, development trends in the field of ICT policy, and digital in a development context is desired; 
• Proven knowledge of digital technologies, digital system architecture, digital public infrastructure, e-government and eCommerce are an advantage;
• Proven ability to exercise the highest level of responsibility and ability to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
• Exceptional problem solving experience. 

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is desirable. 

• Project Management Certification would be an advantage.