Project Analyst

Background

UNDP is the development arm of the United Nations system, with offices in 180 countries. Globally the organization employs 17,000 people and manages a budget of USD 5 billion each year. The UNDP office in North Macedonia employs a team of 70 and currently manages a portfolio of projects in inclusive prosperity, environmental protection and disaster risk reduction, and good governance worth over USD 15 million per year. The Energy, Environment & Disaster Risk Reduction Unit includes projects on climate change, natural resources management and disaster risk reduction.

The primary objective of the project for the development of the National Adaptation Plan is to increase the resilience of the Republic of North Macedonia to the risks and impacts of climate change by integrating adaptation planning into national and sectoral planning processes. In doing so, North Macedonia will be better positioned to design and implement effective adaptation actions and investments in line with national priorities.

Successful implementation of this project will help the country to advance on its path to sustainable and climate-resilient development. This advancement process will target key institutions from the national to the municipal level with a focus on five priority sectors of transport, agriculture, water resources, forestry, and cultural heritage. This project has been carefully designed to respond to the country’s needs, align to and support national development aspirations, and complement other related projects. 

The formulation of this project benefits from an extensive multi-year gender-balanced stakeholder consultation process. The result was the identification of three primary gaps standing in the way of achieving the project objective. The gaps are (i) limited institutional coordination and technical capacity at the national, municipal and sectoral level to address climate change through adaptation, (ii) insufficient evidence base (data, studies, and tools) and plans for conducting effective adaptation planning and investments, and (iii) lack of private sector engagement.

This project is expected to deliver the following four outcomes: 3.1 Adaptation planning governance and institutional coordination strengthened; 3.2 Evidence basis produced to design adaptation solutions for maximum impact; 3.3 Private sector engagement in adaptation catalyzed; 3.4 Climate adaptation in the country advanced. 

More broadly, this project will contribute to advancing the Republic of North Macedonia’s national climate efforts that builds on previous initiatives and advances the implementation of strategic documents including the NDC, Long-term Strategy and Law on Climate Action, the UN Agenda 2030 and the SDGs, the GCF Country Work Program as well as sectoral development and climate change plans and efforts. 

The Project shall be implemented in close collaboration with the Cabinet of the Prime Minister in its capacity of the Nationally Designated Authority, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Culture, and other relevant ministries, academia and CSOs.

The Project Analyst will be responsible for the overall management of the Project, including the mobilization of all project inputs, supervision over project staff, consultants, and sub-contractors. S/he will report to the Head of the UNDP Energy, Environment & Disaster Reduction Unit. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensuring effective project management of the assigned project by maintaining the delivery of appropriate technical, operational, financial and administrative outputs, while tracking the project progress by monitoring, evaluation and reporting:

• Managing and coordinating the implementation of the respective activities based on the Project Document, including, as needed, supervision and guidance of consultants and experts with a view to achieving project results.
• Developing comprehensive/detailed project work-plans that include all project activities and roles and responsibilities and setting-out corresponding milestones.
• Monitoring the progress of implementation of project activities and key event schedules observing the work-plans and set deadlines including monitoring of the financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports.
• Preparing revisions to the multi-year workplan, as needed, as well as annual and quarterly plans if required.
• Mobilizing goods and services to support project activities, including drafting TORs and works/product requirements and specifications, and overseeing all contractors’ work.
• Capture lessons learned during project implementation.
• Preparing the inception report no later than one month after the inception workshop. 
• Supporting the Terminal Evaluation process.
• Managing the transfer of project deliverables and assets to national beneficiaries and other project stakeholders.
• Managing and monitoring project risks initially identified, including social and environmental risks, 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.
• Monitoring events as determined in the project monitoring plan, and update the plan as required.
• Assuming responsibilities in line with the office Internal Control Framework and act as a `first authority` for Project transactions.
• 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 donors.
• Ensuring that the indicators included in the project results framework are monitored annually in advance of the GCF bi-annual report submission deadline so that progress can be reported in the GCF Interim Progress Reports and portfolio reports.  
• Preparing the GCF bi-annual report.
• Managing project tracking in QUANTUM in accordance with UNDP procedures.

Building strategic partnerships needed to achieve results and maintaining collaborative working relationships among key project partners, through effective communication, consultation and reporting:

• Cultivating relationships with the central and local authorities, academia, CSOs, and other Project stakeholders, ensuring full understanding, cooperation and an appropriate fit of the project activities with the main needs of the beneficiaries. 
• Establishing effective linkages with other relevant projects and initiatives in the sector with a view to developing substantive partnerships and generating synergies. 
• Disseminating project reports and respond to queries from concerned stakeholders.
• 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 project implementation.
• Maintaining regular communication on relevant project issues with the national counterparties, consultants and experts with an aim to ensure quality and timely delivery of all agreed outputs.
• Communicating project goals, activities and results clearly to both stakeholders and the wider public.
• Submitting reports to UNDP, partners and donors in a quality and timely manner.
• Supporting the partnerships and advocacy activities in the areas/sectors covered by the project.
• Organizing and ensure analytical reporting and project evaluations and collect and captures lessons learned from the project implementation.

Ensuring Gender mainstreaming within the project:

• Ensuring gender is effectively mainstreamed throughout the project activities, work plans, budgets, reports, research, analyses and, where specifically relevant, analyzed in detail.
• Ensuring gender equality is mainstreamed throughout team, consultant and staff management activities.
• Ensuring knowledge on gender equality is incorporated in Project knowledge management activities and products.
• Ensuring collection of gender disaggregated data, as appropriate. 

Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic area(s):

• Organizing training, workshops, and capacity building activities in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia. 
• Identifying, synthesizing and documenting best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners. 
• Participating in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on project related issues. 
• Supporting establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area. 
• Promoting advocacy on development trends and opportunities to collaborate in coordination with the project partners, stakeholders, and UNDP communications staff. 

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

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Analyst will be engaged on a regular NPSA contract and will report to the Head of the Environment, Energy and Disaster Risk Reduction Unit (for more details see the organigram below). The Project Analyst will be located in Skopje. 

Competencies

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.

Technical & Cross-Functional Competencies:

• Climate:
  • Climate Change Adaptation: Climate-Resilient Infrastructure.
• 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.
• Project Management: 
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals. 
• Effective Decision Making: 
  • Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications.
• Partnerships Management: 
  • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies. 
• Risk Management:
  • Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
• Gender:
  • Communication and Advocacy for Gender Equality.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced University degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Engineering, Business Administration, International Relations, Sustainable Development Project Management or relevant discipline for the project is required, OR;
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s Degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due experience in lieu of Master´s degree.

Experience:

• Applicants with a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in management, programme/project coordination of development projects.

Required Skills:

• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages. 
   

Desired Skills:

• Experience working with ministries, national institutions that are concerned with natural resource and/or environmental management is an asset.
• Experience in the implementation of bigger environmental projects particularly climate change projects are an asset.
• Experience and knowledge of the Green Climate Fund is a strong asset. 
• Experience and knowledge of national climate change policy landscape (including the international climate policy) and ability to apply this to strategic situations at the national level is desired.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in Macedonian and English is required.
• Knowledge of other local languages shall be an asset.

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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