Infrastructure Specialist

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Office/Unit/Project Description

The country Office in Mozambique has a programming cycle covering 2022-2026, fully aligned with the UN Country Development Framework UNCF for the same time period. As part of its new programme cycle, and taking into account the evolving situation in the north, UNDP has build a sizable portfolio on the civil works front covering different programmatic areas. This includes support to the health sector, with the construction and/or rehabilitation of laboratory facilities, health centers, and warehouses notably. As part of the post-cyclone support in the central and north provinces, through its Mozambique Recovery Facility, UNDP also engaged in rehabilitation and reconstruction of public buildings (schools, administration, markets etc) as well as resilient housing. More recently, as part of its support to the Government of Mozambique, UNDP has engaged in a “stabilization” programme focusing essentially on 6 districts in the north east of the Cabo Delgado province affected by violent conflict. 

Based on the evolution of the country context, UNDP reinforces its support deploying building back better principles. As UNDP is meant to provide integrated responses, its support on the infrastructure front responds to 2 additional elements: (i) its operational work on the ground is meant to be in direct link to policy related support on issues of reconstruction and planning, as well as on disaster risk reduction. (ii) infrastructure engagement of UNDP in communities is also required to integrate to other programming components such as livelihoods and economic recovery, information management etc.

In response to the variety of development projects in different programmatic areas in the office with  infrastructure components and the need for the highest levels of quality control, UNDP intends to recruit an Infrastructure Specialist able to oversee and support the infrastructure portfolio in close coordination with and through the program and operations teams. 

The Infrastructure Specialist will work under direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative-Programme and secondary supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative - Operations. S/He will be responsible for providing technical advisory, oversight and quality assurance ensuring with programme and operations colleagues, the implementation of timely and high-quality civil works and rehabilitation projects in Mozambique under the responsibility of UNDP. S/He works in close collaboration with programme and project teams in the different locations and with other UN Agencies as required. S/He will support the RR engagement with Government officials and partners on infrastructure program development including exploring innovations in achieving resilience. The Infrastructure Specialist will work in close relations with Heads of programmes and the technical officers who are in charge of monitoring and supervision of the contract management processes in the field and advise senior management on best practices including but not limited to corrective measures when needed. S/He will reinforce procurement capacity through participating in evaluation committees and providing technical input as appropriate 

Finally, s/he will lead and implement the preparation of  detailed rehabilitation plans, cost estimates and identification of capacity for UNDP owned building known as UN Dispensary. S/he will also contribute to knowledge building through identification, replication and showcase of best practices in the area of work.

Scope of Work 

1. Ensure definition and implementation of engineering strategies for community infrastructure such as community centers, health facilities, feeder roads, housing and schools, to enhance service delivery:

• Support discussions with Government regarding UNDP support to national plans and strategies, advise management as to correct engagement, and support advisory services to Government as needed on the infrastructure front;
• Advise on the compliance with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and strategies; implementation of the effective internal control, proper design and functioning of client-oriented engineering services workflows; 
• Oversight and coordinates the engineering services process;
• Conducts business process mapping and establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Engineering Services;
• Constant monitoring and analysis of the operating environments, timely readjustment of the operations, advice on legal considerations and risk assessment that impacts on engineering services;
• Review request for new constructions and rehabilitation works, carry out assessments and prepare the follow up action plan with recommendations especially those that will help achieve resilience;
• Support the identification of options for sustainable maintenance practices, and facilitate the design and execution of transformative interventions, practices, and guidelines aimed at boosting the resilience of infrastructure. 

2. Efficient management of construction/rehabilitation projects and engineering processes focusing on the following key responsibilities:

• Participate as technical input in all relevant procurement evaluation committees related to civil works  to ensure compliance, risk management and effective competitive selection; 
• Oversee the designing and planning of construction and rehabilitation works and projects;
• Provide technical assistance in establishment of common grounds for minimum standards requirements for the implementation of construction tasks as required by the specific infrastructure which mainly will focus on community infrastructure such as community centers, health facilities, feeder roads, housing and schools, to enhance service delivery;
• Guide in the development of technical and tender documentation (ToR, tender dossier, tender evaluation, etc.) for the implementation of construction tasks as required by the office and guesthouse buildings;
• Ensure that necessary supporting documentation is in place prior to issuance of tender by procurement unit;
• Provide written report about the compliance of the evaluation process with UNDP procurement procedures;
• Contribute towards the analysis of general physical conditions of proposed sites;
• Reviews and assesses technical design documents for construction interventions;
• Review of technical documentation (survey reports, Bill of Quantities with estimation of costs, technical description, design and drawings, participate in the evaluation of bids process) for office and guesthouse buildings;
• Provides technical and managerial support and guidance on the implementation of different construction and security projects for office and guesthouse buildings, ensures that the application of green building techniques is adequately applied in all designs and by contractors;
• Conducts consultation processes with different relevant units and staff on the rehabilitation plans and provides updated progress reports on completed works;
• Develop effective and efficient project management focusing on the following:
  • Expedites implementation of constructions and rehabilitation projects in line with the existing emergency conditions; 
  • Specifying project objectives and plans including delineation of scope, budgeting, scheduling, setting performance requirements, and nominating project board participants for approval;
  • Maximizing the resource efficiency through procurement of labor, materials and equipment;
  • Implementing various operations through proper coordination and control of planning, design, estimating, contracting and construction in the entire process;
  • Developing effective communications and mechanisms for resolving conflicts.

3. Ensure construction works are supervised and monitored, focusing on the following key responsibilities:

• Overall quality assurance for effective contract management of all Civil Works contracts;
• Conducts site visits to different office hubs and constructions sites and ensures that works are properly implemented in accordance with BoQs, plans and schedules and up to the standards;
• Expedites implementation of constructions and rehabilitation projects in line with the existing emergency conditions;
• Ensure that technical documentation on the construction site is maintained in accordance with relevant national laws and standards and contract for works;
• Sign off the final handover documentation upon completion of all construction works.

4. Ensures collaboration with relevant institutions involved in engineering services focusing on the following key responsibilities:

• Develop and prepare detailed rehabilitation plans, cost estimates and identification of capacity for UNDP owned building known as UN Dispensary Establishment of collaborate arrangements with potential partners on engineering services/processes, a client relationship management system for technical resources mobilization purposes and appropriate operational partnership arrangements;
• Conduct pre-bidding process to establish roaster of competent contractors in the country;
• Conduct training session to contractors on how to work on the bidding documents with objective of enhancing capacity, quality of submission.

5. Responsible for quality assurance as it pertains to evaluation, design, implementation, monitoring and reporting on all engineering project activities:

• Ensure effective site supervision and quality control of all Civil Works projects; 
• Monitor the progress of projects at all phases of their implementation and handover and report on anomalies to the concerned departments;
• Facilitate site handover before and after works and report to the concerned departments on any anomalies;
• Issue certification of payment according to the various contractual milestones;
• Monitor the progress of all works projects and make random visits to the sites to check the progress against delay and quality of the work in support of daily site supervision conducted by site engineers;
• Responsible for developing and maintaining comprehensive risk management logs for all civil work projects above 100,000 USD or projects in high-risk areas;
• Maintains a comprehensive price index for key construction materials for precise cost estimation;
• Responsible for conducting routine market surveys and pre-qualification of Contractors to ensure updated supplier databases for all regions.

6. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing with the following key responsibilities:

• Organize training on management of engineering processes for staff in the Sub-Office;
• Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in management of engineering processes;
• Synthesize best practices on construction project management;
• Make regular contributions to the engineering processes knowledge network and other communities of practice;
• Knowledge building and sharing and sound contributions to UNDP knowledge networks and communities of practice.

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

Institutional Arrangement and Reporting Lines:

The Infrastructure Specialist will work under direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative – Programme and secondary supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative - Operations. S/He will be responsible for providing technical advisory, provide oversight and quality assurance covering the implementation of timely and high-quality civil works and rehabilitation projects in Mozambique under the responsibility of UNDP. S/He works in close collaboration with programme and project teams in the different locations, other UN Agencies as required. S/He will support the RR engagement with Government officials and partners on infrastructure program development. The Infrastructure Specialist will work in close relations with Heads of programmes and the technical officers who are in charge of monitoring and supervision of the contract management processes in the Sub offices and advise senior management on best practices to take corrective measures when needed. 70% of Infrastructure Specialist’s portfolio will cover the project activities in Pemba Sub-Office and 30% of the portfolio will cover the project activities in Global Fund and MRF in Beira. 

S/he will reinforce procurement capacity through participating in evaluation committees as technical input.  Finally, s/he will substantively contribute to institutional effort of preparing detailed rehabilitation plans, cost estimates and identification of capacity for UNDP owned building known as UN Dispensary. He /she will also contribute to knowledge building through identification, replication and showcase of best practices in the area of work.

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.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 

Business Direction and 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.
• Strategic Thinking
  • Develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Business Management

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

Business Development

• Knowledge Generation
  • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

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
  • UNDP's Gender Equality Seal Initiative.

Minimum Education Requirements:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Civil/Construction/Structural Engineering, or other related areas is required. Or 
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with 2 additional years of experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience:

• Minimum of 5 years (with Master's degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor's degree) of professional experience in areas relevant to Infrastructure, Civil Engineering, especially in preparation of construction technical documentation; or similar, linked to programme design and management is required.

Required skills:

• Experience should include civil works, particularly in the field of construction technical project documentation development as well as construction supervision.  

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section:

• Previous experience in Mozambique or countries in similar contexts on the continent is an advantage;
• Previous experience in working in complex and crisis/conflict/post-conflict environments is desired.

Required Language(s) (at working level):

• Proficiency in English is required;
• Working level of Portuguese is desirable.