Project Specialist

Details

Mission and objectives

The UNDP Sierra Leone Country Office was established in 1978 and has over the years grown to a total staff strength of over 140 and with an average annual delivery of USD 25 million. UNDP has established a Planning and Support Unit (PSU) to provide effective and efficient management advisory support services to senior management and to programme and operations Units. It specifically leads on programme quality assurance, results-based management, resource mobilization, and donor relations and reporting. Under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative and direct supervision of the Team Leader of the PSU, the Donor Relations and Reporting Specialist leads on partnership building and ensuring donor compliance and high-quality donor reporting. He/she will: (i) identify and explore potentials for strategic partnership and programme synergies, (ii) coordinate donor relations and development assistant (iii) ensure donor reporting compliance and consistency with UNDAF/CPD and other corporate documents (iv) develop and enhance partnerships and (v) mobilize resources. He/she will also support knowledge management and information dissemination in a coordinated, systematic, client-oriented and timely manner for all programmes. The Donor Relations and Reporting Specialist works in close collaboration with Senior Management, Team Leaders in the Programme and Operations Units. He or she is expected to coordinate with relevant colleagues in other UN Agencies.

Context

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sierra Leone Country Office in Freetown extends UNDP’s global service offer of international-standard Development Services to the people and the Government of Sierra Leone. Our package of services is designed to make project implementation faster and more effective, bolster administrative efficiency, and ultimately, strengthen development impacts. Projects delivered on time and on budget remain a priority of Governments because this has the potential to impact the achievement of national development priorities and economic growth targets. Against this background and taking into consideration UNDP’s extensive global and regional experience, the Government of Sierra Leone and the UNDP Sierra Leone Country Office have agreed on number of Flagship projects including support to improved access to energy in selected Sierra Leone health facilities (Solar-4-Health); institutional strengthening to enhance public service delivery etc. In order to better support these ongoing initiatives and further expand the programmes given the huge potential in terms of the current growing collaboration between the Government and UNDP, the Country Office is seeking the services of an International Project Specialist (IUNV) to support these Flagship initiatives. Under the overall guidance from the office of the Resident Representative and Direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, the Project specialist would lead and coordinate all governments partnerships, assess, and manage these flagship projects risks, assess the operational needs to develop and analyze and engage donors to raise additional funds for these programmes aimed to showcase comparative advantages of UNDP managing the funds on behalf of the Government. Sustainable Development Goals: - No Poverty (SDG 1) - Zero Hunger (SDG 2) - Gender Equality (SDG 5) - Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) - Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9)

Task description

Summary of key functions: 1. Ensuring effective project management of the assigned projects by maintaining the delivery of appropriate technical, operational, financial, and administrative outputs, while tracking the project’s progress through monitoring, evaluation, and reporting • Manage and coordinate the implementation of the respective flagship projects activities based on the relevant project documents, including, as needed, supervision and guidance of other project staff, consultants, and experts with a view to achieving project results; • Develop comprehensive/detailed project work-plans that include all project activities and roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders and setting-out corresponding milestones; • Monitor progress of project 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; • Mobilize goods and services to support project activities, including drafting TORs and works/product requirements and specifications; • Manage 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; • Assume responsibilities in line with the office Internal Control Framework and act as a `Quantum Project Manager` for Project transactions; • Ensure 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; • Prepare 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 2. Maintain collaborative working relationships among key project partners and projects’ donors, through effective communication, consultation, and reporting: • Maintaining strong relationships with MOH; MOFIAC and other relevant partners and donors; • Maintain regular coordination and quality assurance of expert inputs and products as well as among project partners to ensure coherence and complementarity of project activities; • Identify 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; • Maintain 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; • Maintain effective linkages with current and potential donors; • Submit reports to UNDP, partners, and donors in a quality and timely manner 3. Align these flagship projects with UN values and UNDP priorities: • Ensure the principles of gender equality, democratic governance, social inclusion and disaster resilience are effectively reflected in all project activities; • Ensure that gender equality is pursued in all project activities and reflected in work plans, budgets, reports, research, 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; • Strive to engage groups and communities in project activities that affect them; • Communicate project goals and activities clearly to both stakeholders and the wider public 4. Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Country Office, focusing on achievement of the following results: • Participation in the training for the operations/programme staff • Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.