Project Manager - UCHI

BACKGROUND

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Since 1964, UNDP has been active in Malawi, aiding the Government in its development agenda by supporting policies, establishing partnerships, and enhancing institutional capacities to achieve national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP Malawi’s Country Programme Document (CPD) for 2024-2028 aligns with the Malawi Vision 2063 and its first 10-Year Implementation Plan, aiming to support Malawi in meeting the SDGs by 2030. This comprehensive programme addresses the interconnected challenges of poverty, inequality, and vulnerability to shocks, organized within two portfolios, Governance and Resilience and Sustainable Growth.

The RSG Portfolio adopts a multifaceted approach combining inclusive growth, sustainability, climate adaptation, resilience to shocks, and agricultural development. It integrates natural resource management, poverty-environment linkages, disaster risk management, and agricultural value chain commercialization. The RSG Portfolio also includes a dynamic private sector development programme that employs various de-risking financial instruments to support private sector investments in the country. 

Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi's economy, employing over 70% of the population and significantly contributing to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 24.7%. While subsistence farming has predominated, there is a growing emphasis on commercialization to unlock the sector's full potential. 

Through collaboration with private sector entities and leveraging relevant past experiences, the UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project will provide the technical expertise, resources, and networks necessary to tackle challenges related to agricultural commercialization and generate market and financial opportunities for smallholder farmers (SHFs). The project advocates for market-oriented business practices and stimulates market and financial opportunities within priority value chains.

The Project Manager for the UCHI Project in Malawi will report directly to the Coordinator, Inclusive / Green Business and indirectly to the RSG Portfolio Manager. 

The Project Manager will serve as the Project Lead taking overall responsibility for the successful implementation of project activities and the achievement of the planned project’s outcome and outputs. The Project Manager will work in close collaboration with the Private Sector Development (PSD) Team, led by the Programme Coordinator Inclusive/Green business, embedded in the RSG portfolio. 

The Project Manager shall provide leadership and strategic direction to the UCHI Project, ensuring its successful implementation and achievement of project goals. The Manager will also oversee the project's technical and financial progress, identify and mitigate risks, and ensure compliance with UNDP and EU regulations. The Manager will bring extensive technical expertise in agriculture commercialization, value chain development, and market systems to the project. He/she will provide technical guidance and support to project staff and stakeholders involved in the implementation to enhance the project's technical quality and impact. 

The Manager will serve as the primary point of contact for stakeholders, including government officials, private sector representatives, representatives of FOs/SMEs and development partners. The Manager will also lead the development and implementation of the stakeholder engagement strategy, ensuring that project activities and results are effectively communicated to all stakeholders. 

The Manager will be responsible for the establishment and implementation of the monitoring and evaluating system of the Project, ensuring that all activities are on track to achieve project outputs and objectives. He/She will oversee the project's reporting and knowledge management, ensuring that project results and best practices are effectively communicated to stakeholders.

Further, the Manager will represent the UCHI Project in relevant national and international fora, conferences, and meetings.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Project Manager shall provide leadership and strategic direction to the UCHI Project, ensuring its successful implementation and achievement of project goals. The Manager will also oversee the project's technical and financial progress, identify and mitigate risks, and ensure compliance with UNDP and EU regulations. As the project's senior representative, the Project Manager will foster strong relationships with government officials, private sector leaders, representatives of FOs/SMEs and development partners to ensure project buy-in and support. The Manager will bring extensive technical expertise in agriculture commercialization, value chain development, and market systems to the project. He/she will provide technical guidance and support to project staff and stakeholders involved in the implementation to enhance the project's technical quality and impact. This will involve reviewing and approving technical reports and documents, providing input and feedback on project activities, and identifying and mobilizing technical expertise, also ensuring that project activities are aligned with best practices of the EU, UNDP policies, and national priorities.

Against this background the Project Manager will lead the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), and will provide strategic oversight and direction to the UCHI Project and will directly manage the team working under his/her direct responsibility and part of the PIU. He/She will serve as a manager and advisor to the Project and CO throughout the implementation of the project.  The specific responsibilities of the project manager are listed below.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Key duties and accountabilities include: 

Ensure effective results-based project management:

• Leads the establishment of the technical advisory framework to be delivered to the FOs and SMEs.
• Leads on the design of the grant disbursement model to the FO’s and SMEs and overall management UCHI Project within the RSG Portfolio.
• Ensures the achievement of UCHI Project targets in line with the project document, approved work plan through the day-to-day planning, management coordination and implementation of activities.
• Effectively coordinates partnerships with line ministries (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade), development partners, District Councils.
• Manage the District Coordinators to ensure work plans are aligned across the districts of operation.
• Lead the overall implementation and management of the project, from inception to close-out, ensuring that the project achieves established goals, objectives and targets.
• Provides strategic guidance, leadership, management and general technical oversight of the project.
• Continuously develop operational efficiencies and drive innovations in delivery.
• Oversee development and submission of project deliverables on time and within budget.
• Recruit, lead, manage, and supervise delivery teams comprising long- and short-term team members and consortium partners.
• Manages the human and financial resources to achieve quality results on time and on budget, as outlined in the project document. 
• Analyses and monitors progress and advises on timely corrective actions for proper delivery.
• Leads the preparation and implementation of annual work plans. 
• Coordinates project activities with related and parallel activities within UNDP, UNICEF, and other external agencies.
• Develops, oversees and maintains the monitoring, evaluation and communication frameworks. 
• Quality assures quarterly and annual reports for UNDP, as well as donor progress and impact reports as required.
• Represents the project in the technical committee and steering committee, as well as UNDP project review and project management meetings. 
• Ensures sound project quality assurance activities are undertaken in a timely manner.

Provide technical advisory and policy development support to UCHI Project:

• In coordination with the Programme Coordinator Green/Inclusive Business, leads the strategic project management of the UCHI, in coordination with the Government of Malawi (Ministry of Agriculture) to develop and implement the agriculture commercialisation model proposed in the project document.
• Provides strategic and technical advice to the UNDP senior management and internal UN stakeholders as required.
• Conducts thorough and high-quality research and analysis of the agriculture sector in Malawi, grants disbursement model, value chain development and identifying priority for further value addition.
• Provides timely and context-specific technical advice on emerging strategic policy issues in working with Farmer Organisations (FO’s) and SME’s.
• Designs and develops policy/model of engaging smallholder farmers, farmer group development, sustainability mechanisms and SME’ development in the agriculture and value addition/processing space.
• Proposes strategic approaches for the implementation of UCHI Project with partners, including definition of baselines, performance indicators and monitoring and evaluation.
• Develops initiatives for functional partnerships with stakeholders, District Councils, national-level partners, project board and the donor.
• Provides advice, coherence and connectivity between planned and ongoing agriculture commercialisation initiatives. 
• Proposes ways to ensure that UNDP resilience, private sector and agriculture development activities are better linked as part of larger efforts to address poverty in Malawi.
• Provides inputs into the larger scale UCHI Project in coordination with EU and UNICEF.
• Ensures technical work undertaken across the output/outcomes is in line with the project document.
• Integrates and promotes private sector approach in ensuring the mainstreaming of agriculture production and development.
• Contributes to the formulation/improvement of an effective monitoring and evaluation system of the output and reports on progress, including reporting to EU, development partners and national stakeholders on progress.
• Effectively coordinates with other UN agencies who work on justice issues (UNICEF, FAO) to develop inter-agency synergies.

Build strategic partnerships with government and private sector partners across the 10 Districts of implementation of UCHI: 

• Ensures project stakeholders are continuously engaged and facilitate coordination and synergies in line with the project document. 
• Maintains continuous dialogue with the government and other key partners to provide knowledge-based advisory services and to ensure proper integration and coordination of other related development efforts.
• Advocates and promotes awareness, clarity and understanding of issues and responses related to the role of UNDP in the agriculture sector in Malawi.
• Liaises with other UN agencies and with donors to promote partnership and collaboration for the effective management of Agriculture commercialisation.
• Identifies synergies with other partners and projects to maximize impact and results.
• Manage the working relationship with BDS providers and other service providers in support of the implementation of the project.
• Strengthen partnerships with the private sector and financial service providers as partners to the UCHI project.

Facilitate Effective Knowledge Management: 

• Leads in the creation and dissemination of knowledge products related to private sector engagement in agriculture production, productivity and value chain.
• Works with partners and practitioners within UNDP’s global networks, leadership of the practice and sub-practice teams in RBA; Regional Service Centres and other related Bureau
• Ensures close and integrated collaboration with key stakeholders in the development and delivery of high-quality technical advice and support.
• Ensures the substantive quality of all knowledge products, reports and services and ensures effective integration and compatibility with other effective programs within RSG.
• Contributes to the production of strategic papers, think pieces, reports and publications and serves as a peer reviewer.
• Raises the visibility of UNDP’s agricultural and resilience work, UCHI project through knowledge sharing and well-developed communication materials.
• Selects and brings lessons learnt to help achieve the outputs of the programme and facilitate the use of global knowledge networks in the field.
• Shares programme results, including reviewing programme publications and taking responsibility for knowledge networking with national agencies and UNDP’s global community.

Ensure capacity building and Monitoring:

• Facilitate capacity development of all implementing partners to implement the UCHI project and provide advice on the effective use and management of different private sector engagement tools in agriculture.
• Engage in and facilitate national and international agriculture and value chain development policy debates within the overarching UNDP’s resilience policy framework.
• Provide strategic guidance on ongoing and pipeline portfolios ensuring results-based impact, advancing resilient development.
• Ensure that project implementation is in line with donors and UNDP rules and regulations.
• Support a robust M&E for the project.
• Ensure effective risk monitoring and management during the implementation of the project.

Other Duties:

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: 

• Manage and supervise Line: Coordinator, Inclusive / Green Business Indirect Reporting Line:  Resilience and Sustainable Growth Portfolio (RSG).

QUALIFICATIONS

Education: 

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Agriculture, Agri-business Management, Agro-Food Systems, Climate Change and Development, Economics, Business is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills: 

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant work experience in Agriculture, Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Sustainable Agriculture, Environment Management, climate change, private sector development is required.
• Progressive and professional experience in programme or project management in the context of private sector/agribusiness development, or agricultural and rural development of which at least four (4) years within the private sector, or at international organizations in Malawi or a similar country in Sub-Saharan Africa is required.
• Experience with programmes implemented jointly with agencies within the UN system and donor community in Malawi or a similar country in sub-Saharan Africa is required.
• Experience in development work in agriculture commercialization is desired.  
• Proven experience and knowledge of the country’s institutional framework and policies on agriculture commercialization, value chain development and grants management are desired. 
• Experience in advising on grants, agriculture commercialization, and agri-value chain is a major asset.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in English with proficiency in effective written and oral communication is required. 
• Working knowledge of any other UN language will be an added advantage.

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results:  LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact. 
• Think Innovatively:  LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems. 
• Learn Continuously:  LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
• Adapt with Agility:  LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands. 
• Act with Determination:  LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
• Engage and Partner:  LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:  LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management Competencies: 

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

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies: 

Business Direction & Strategy: Strategic Thinking:

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritize plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions. 
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends: to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP. 

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 other parts of the system.

Business Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, priorities and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Business Management: 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.

Partnership Management: EU Partnerships

• Knowledge and understanding of EU strategies, approaches, processes and systems.

Partnership Management: Private Sector Engagement

• Ability to identify, conduct outreach, and manage relationships with the private sector. 

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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