Jul 26, 2016

Project Manager - Military Stipends

Employer: UNOPS
Location: Somalia

Closing: 31-Jul-2016


In order to provide political, development and security assistance in Somalia, the international community’s contributions were brought together under the New Deal framework, endorsed at the Brussels conference on September 7, 2013. The framework sets out 5 Peace and State building goals (thematic areas) against which all international efforts are to be aligned, coordinated by the FGS, UN and donor steering groups.
In keeping with the New Deal framework,UNOPS is particularly interested in strengthening its coordination and liaison capacity with relevant Government institutions, Government led mechanisms and emerging trust fund instruments.


Police and Military Stipends

Two of the largest of UNOPS-Somalia programmes included the distribution of stipends to the Somali National Police and the Somali National Army (SNA). Both are considered critical by the international community for promoting stability. The stipends programmes are a part of Security Sector Reform (SSR) and fall within the second of the Peace and State building Goals (PSGs): “Establish unified, capable, accountable and rights-based Somali federal security institutions, providing basic security for its citizens.” Complementary to the stipends programmes is the bio-metric registration of the police and military. Registration of police and military personnel promotes accountability and transparency and is crucial for building the Somali government’s capacity in terms of improved financial and personnel management.

The Working Environment
Mogadishu is a hard ship non-family duty station.



Functional Responsibilities
Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The project manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the military stipends project and the complementary component for biometric registration. He/she is expected to meet project objectives and provide the project related services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries.

He/she is responsible for managing the performance of his/her team, composed of six international personnel who are tasked to set-up the stipends project process and execute accordingly. The team consists of two mentors who train and coach local SNA staff to execute the payments, one IT specialist, one logistical expert, one senior programme specialist and a project support officer.

The project manager is responsible for carefully reviewing the project initiation documents (PID), having a complete understanding of the Legal Agreement(s) and having a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to meet the objectives for UNOPS and the client/ donor.

Success of the project(s) will be based on the set criteria of UNOPS engagements which are linked to the below responsibilities. The project manager is responsible for all aspects of the project life cycle as defined by UNOPS’ adherence to the PRINCE2 methodology.

He/she must be able to apply independently, the below duties and responsibilities of the project success criteria:

Stakeholder Management
Establish solid working relationship with the Project Board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders;
Manage communications and ensure stakeholders are up-to-date on project activities, progress, risks and ultimately are in a position to accept the handover of the programme or sign-off on the closing of the project;
Advise the stakeholders on issues that may impact the achievement of their outcomes (including issues of sustainability and post project requirements), and;
Manage the information flows between the Project Board, Country Director and the Head of Implementation.

Delivery and Performance:
Implement approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) within limits set by the Project Board;
Manage the payment of stipends in consultation with the Head of Implementation, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary;
Advise the Project Board and Country Manager of any deviations from the plan that will affect the operational success of the project;
Identify and manage risks;
Manage and review product quality; and
Identify and report potential business opportunities for UNOPS.
Procedures:

Follow the Project Management Life Cycle Instructions and ensure that all organizational policies are complied with (Organizational Directives and Administrative Instructions). Consult with the Head of Implementation for any guidance required;
Prepare or adapt the following plans for approval by the Project Board:

I. Project Initiation Documentation;
II. Stage/Exception Plans and relevant Product Descriptions;
Supervise the project support officer in the preparation of required reports within agreed upon time frames;
Ensure that all expenditure comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR);
Manage budgets, cash flows and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors/ personnel are received on time;
Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allowable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project;
Manage expenditures and be accountable for expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports);
Where the Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, he/she retains these responsibilities and will monitor and delegate others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.

Knowledge Management:
Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
Actively interact with other PMs and the PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices. Build consensus with other project managers when necessary for sharing of common resources;
Provide feedback to the Head of Implementation on implementation policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies; and
Document lessons learned as per UNOPS requirements and incorporate lessons learned from others as per planning format.

Personnel Management:
Ensure safety and security of staff and adhere to safety protocols as defined by UNOPS-Somalia Field Security Officer
Lead and motivate the project management team;
Ensure that expectations of team members are established and respected;
Ensure that performance reviews are conducted;
Identify outstanding staff and bring them to the attention of the Country Director;
Develop a thorough understanding of UNOPS’s personnel contract modalities;


Core Values and Principles:

Understand and respect UNOPS sustainability principles
Look for ways to embed UNOPS sustainability principles in day to day project management
Seek opportunities to champion gender equality at work place
Champion and communicate project’s sustainability aspects with key stakeholders
Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity
Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans;
Seek opportunities to recruit qualified local staff; and
Look for ways to build capacity of local counterparts.


Partnerships and Coordination
Strive to build strong partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors (e.g. United Nations, governments, and non-governmental organizations or other relevant partners; and
Accountability for results and the use of resources. The project management processes are designed to deliver maximum accountability, transparency and results. If a project or processes is not in line with this, it is the responsibility of the PM to raise the issue to the Head of Implementation.

Excellence
Contribute to innovation and the adaptation of best practice standards of sustainability and quality.
Monitoring and Progress Controls


Ensure that the project produces the required outcomes within the agreed upon limitations of time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits.

Competencies

Ability to meet tight schedules in a very stressful environment and varied cultural context;
Knowledge and capacity to manage and supervise staff in the execution of the project, adhering to professional and accurate project management and documentation standards;
Flexibility and ability to quickly grasp complex structures;
Excellent team player attitude and an ability to build consensus amongst staff, peers and the greater UN community;
Ability to perform with professionalism, integrity and commitment to project demands;
Ability to work accurately, control quality and multi-task within the structure of dual reporting lines;
Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines;
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; and
Advanced user level with software’s such as MS project, MS Office and other relevant software.

Skills


Required
Stakeholder Management
Budget Management
Leadership
Legal skills - Contract law
Monitoring & Evaluation
Project Development

Preferred
Experience in International Organizations
Capacity building
Financial Rules and Regulations


Education

Advanced University Degree (Master's) in Project Management, Business Administration with an emphasis Finance and/or Public Management, International Relations, Political/Security/Development Studies, Criminology, Law or other relevant discipline, or
University Degree (Bachelor’s / first level) with a combination of 2 additional years of relevant professional experience in Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, Political/ Security/ Development Studies, Criminology, Law or other relevant discipline, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree


Experience

A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience; experience in a conflict or post-conflict setting is preferred
Experience in Rule of Law, Stipends, Public finance and electronic/telephone funds transfer will be an asset
Certifications
PRINCE2 Foundation or Practitioner Certification are an asset

Languages
Fluency in written and spoken English is essential; working knowledge of additional UN or regional languages is considered an asset.

Contract type, level and duration
Contract type: International ICA
Contract level: IICA 3
Contract duration: 12 months renewable subject to availability of funds

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx



Additional Considerations

Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.