Projeсt Manager, NPSA11 (Nationals only)

Today Ukraine is facing its most serious challenges since achieving independence in 1991. The ongoing war has already resulted in significant loss of life, unprecedented displacement, internally and towards neighboring countries, and devastating destruction of infrastructure. The UN Ukraine Flash Appeal shows that at least 15.7 million people are in immediate need of emergency assistance and protection. Early projections indicate that if the war should continue in the medium to long term, up to 90% of the Ukrainian population could face poverty and extreme economic vulnerability, and the country’s socio-economic progress could be set-back by almost 20 years. In the short-term, 62% of the population is at high risk of falling into poverty. Ukraine’s economy is set to shrink by 45% this year due to the war and even with a moderate recovery in the next few years, by 2025 the GDP would still only be two-thirds of the pre-war GDP in 2021.

In addition, the country faces losses of many people’s lives and devastative destruction of infrastructures and economic bases. Currently, more than 50% of the energy infrastructure damaged, causing the massive disruption of energy supply nationwide with millions of people experiencing power outages and challenges in heating. Extensive scale of destruction of infrastructure, rehabilitating or constructing infrastructures and installing equipment with necessary supply of the materials is urgently required to restore or maintain life-line and key basic services, followed by removal or mines and explosives as well as debris. 

As of September 23, 2022, 2551 educational institutions have been damaged by bombing and shelling, 291 of them are destroyed. Since the beginning of the Russian military aggression, 36 institutions from the number of special, sanatorium educational institutions and orphanages have suffered damage and destruction of varying degrees as a result of hostilities. 

In this context, UNDP Ukraine is recruiting a highly qualified and experienced Ukrainian professional for the post of the Project Manager to support the activities of the project.  

Under the supervision of Team Leader, IDRPB Portfolio, the Project Manager will perform the following:

3.1  Delivery

• Provide overall operational management of the Project and delivery of results in accordance with the project document, work plans and joint agreements;
• Ensure effective management of the project and any other assigned projects by maintaining delivery of proper technical, operational, financial, and administrative outputs, while tracking the project progress through monitoring, evaluation and reporting;
• Maintain collaborative working relationships among key project partners and donors, through effective communication, consultation, and reporting;
• Mobilise resources for broadening and deepening the activities under the project by developing and implementing a resource mobilization strategy for the project
• Promote a safe and enabling environment free of any kind of discrimination and abusive behavior.

3.2  Project Management and Reporting

• Managing and coordinating implementation of the project project activities aimed at support the light repair of war-damaged school facilities as well as purchase of furniture for the repaired schools. 
• Supervision and guidance of project staff, 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 of the stakeholders and setting-out corresponding milestones;
• monitoring the progress of implementation of project activities and key event schedules observing work-plans and set deadlines including monitoring of the financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports;
• mobilizing goods and services to support project activities, including drafting TORs and works/product requirements and specifications;
• managing and monitoring project risks initially identified, submitting information on the new risks and mitigating measures to the Project Board for consideration and updating the status of these risks by maintaining a Project Risk Log;
• 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 project timelines;
• preparing project progress reports (progress against planned activities, update on risks issues, expenditures, etc.) and ensuring timely submission of the reports to the relevant instances, such as the project boards and relevant donors;
• managing project tracking in Quantum in accordance with the UNDP procedures;
• managing the transfer of project deliverables to national beneficiaries and other project stakeholders.
• ensuring the principles of gender equality, democratic governance, social inclusion, and disaster resilience are pursued in all project activities and reflected in work plans, budgets, reports, research, analysis and, where specifically relevant, analyzed in detail;
• consult regularly with other UNDP projects and programs on related activities where synergies are possible.

3.3  Stakeholder Management

• Maintain close liaison with national project partners, ensuring optimum participation and promoting ownership of national authorities in the implementation of the project and prepare and ensure the success of the project board meetings;
• Participate in inter-governmental meetings related to reconstruction of educational facilities, organized by the Ukrainian Government, attend donors coordination meetings on a regular basis;
• Ensure the development of cross-project linkages with other relevant UN-agency and development partner projects and programmes and other stakeholders’ projects for mutually reinforcing impact;
• Liaise with the various stakeholders, including the private sector, international and national partners;
• Closely cooperate and coordinate with the stakeholders that are/will be active in the area of project intervention to better integrate UNDP’s and other’s interventions in the area of reconstruction of educational facilities and to ensure coherence and complementarity.

3.4  Communication and Knowledge Management 

• Ensure and contribute to preparation and implementation of the Project communications strategy and plan. Ensure visibility of the donor and the UNDP in the project areas; 
• Ensure documentation of lessons learned from the project activities; 
• Facilitate project monitoring and evaluation, as well as audit activities; 
• Prepare materials on project experience/best practices and lessons learned. 

3.5  Corporate Tasks 

• Support UNDP in partnership building and resource mobilization initiatives; 
• Design and supervise of outreach activities of the project including participating in relevant seminars, workshops, conferences; 
• Ensure full coordination with other relevant projects and initiatives of UNDP Ukraine; 
• Contribute to the preparation of the project’s progress reports and related monitoring meetings; 
• Ensure mainstreaming of gender equality considerations through all capacity development work, promotion of a safe and enabling environment free of any kind of discrimination and abusive behavior, and gender-responsive communications based on corporate principles;
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor, and UNDP Ukraine management. 

Institutional Arrangement

Under the direct supervision of IDRPB Portfolio Team Leader, the Project Manager is fully responsible for operational and programmatic management of the schools repair projects according to the project document, UNDP corporate rules and procedures and for fulfilling the following functions.

• 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:  can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies: