Job: PROJECT COORDINATOR

Location: Honiara, Solomon Islands
Deadline: Tuesday, 17 September 2013 

Description

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Location :

Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS

Application Deadline :

17-Sep-13

Additional Category

Millennium Development Goals

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Post Level :

P-3

Languages Required :

English  

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Background

Ensuring human security is particularly important in the Solomon Islands. This is due in part to the lingering causes of ethnic conflict or “tensions” that gripped the small island nation during the period 1998-2003. Social disintegration, chronic poverty, and lack of basic social facilities have since characterized the conflict-affected peoples. This socio-economic and political situation has continued to undermine poverty reduction effort of governments and development actors, threatening the attainment of the MDGs. Failure to adequately address the plight of former combatants poses a real danger to socio economic and political stability of the country.

The United Nations Human Security Trust Fund has provided resources to support a joint UN agency initiative in Solomon Islands. This joint UN project shall specifically focus on;

• Empowering both ex-combatants and affected communities by improving local governance and community participation; and
• Facilitating post-conflict recovery of affected communities by promoting human security and co-existence, with a view to preventing a recurrence of violent “tensions” in future.

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative and guidance from the Assistant Resident Representative (Programmes) and the Crisis Prevention and Recovery portfolio, the Project Coordinator will be based in the Ministry of National Unity, Peace and Reconciliation (MNUPR), Honiara Solomon Islands.

In collaboration with other Recovery and Reintegration experts within the team, s/he will be responsible for coordinating project activities and providing technical support to the MNUPR.

In addition, the Coordinator will, as required, represent UNDP in the broader regional community of practice on Recovery and Reintegration, including within the UN system and government partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Serve as a Coordinator of the Joint UN Human Security Trust Fund with UNDP, ILO, UNICEF and the respective Ministries;
• Be part of the Joint Project Management Team which consists of UNDP, ILO and UNICEF that  will make recommendations to the JP Steering Committee and ensure implementation, oversight and monitoring of Joint Programme activities;
• Ensure timely, efficient and effective implementation of the work plan according to the UNDP rules and regulations and adjust the work plan when and where necessary to ensure that the project outcomes and outputs are aligned with national priorities and frameworks of the relevant Ministries;
• Supervise, train and mentor the UNDP project  team to ensure effective, efficient and timely implementation of the project;
• Establish effective mechanisms to work effectively together with the MNURP;
• Ensure the development of appropriate and useful peace building trainings for women, youth and ex-combatants;
• Develop conflict prevention mechanisms at the community level
• Assist in the development of criteria for the identification of partners (local and international) for the implementation of recovery and reintegration activities;
• Liaise with other local and international actors to ensure synergy with other similar initiatives; Supervise the conduct of studies to determine recovery and reintegration benefits and implementation modalities;
• Promote partnerships and inter-agency coordination among the participating agencies through regular progress meetings; joint monitoring missions; joint planning and implementation of project activities etc.
• Contribute to the establishment of appropriate partnerships, through drafting of ToRs, agreements and monitoring implementation  of partnership arrangements; and
• Organize and conduct regular joint project steering committee meetings to identify and address key implementation challenges in a timely and systematic manner.

It is essential that the project activities reach women, youth and ex-combatants throughout the provinces of Malaita, Guadalcanal and Honiara.

Competencies

Building Strategic Partnerships:Identifying and building partnerships

• Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments;
• Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved.

Resource Mobilization:
Building and maintaining donor relations; implementing resource mobilization strategy

• Uses knowledge of donors and successful programmes and projects to contribute to fund raising and resource mobilization strategies.

Promoting organizational learning and knowldege sharing:  Developing tools and mechanisms

• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms ,

Job knowledge/technical expertise:
In-depth knowledge of the Subject-matter

• Understands more advanced aspects of crisis prevention and recovery as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of crisis prevention and recovery and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Client orientationContributing to positive outcomes for the client

• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
• Keeps the client informed of problems or delays in the provision of services.

Core Competencies:

• Ethics & Values: Demonstrating / Safeguarding Ethics and Integrity;
  Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status;
• Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment ;
  Understands the structure and hierarchy of UN/UNDP, process flows throughout the organization, products and services, their measures of effectiveness, and perceptions of clients;
• Developing & Empowering People/Coaching and Mentoring: Self-development, initiative-taking;
  Takes appropriate risk in developing new or adapting existing methods and approaches to more effectively perform tasks or to solve problems in new and unique ways;
• Working in Teams: Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
  Works collaboratively with colleagues inside UN/UNDP as well as its partners and other stakeholders to pursue common goals;
• Communicating Information and Ideas: Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
  Delivers verbal/written information in a timely, clear, organized and easily understood manner;
• Self Management & Emotional Intelligence: Creating synergies through self-control ;
  Tolerates conditions of stress, uncertainty or ambiguity and continues to maintain a positive outlook and to work productively;
• Conflict Management/Negotiating & Resolving Disagreements: Managing conflict;
  Remains calm, composed and patient, regardless of his/her own state of mind in the face of conflict
• Knowledge Sharing & Continuous Learning: Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
  Demonstrates commitment to ongoing professional development and keeps abreast of new developments in his/her professional field
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision-making: Informed and transparent decision making;
• Accepts responsibility and accountability for the quality of the outcome of his/her decisions.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• A minimum of a Master’s degree or equivalent in Peacebuilding/Conflict Resolution, international relations, development studies, social science or other development-related fields.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional development experience in programme /project management;
• Experience in coordination and ensuring consistency in implementation of the different project components implemented by UNDP, ILO and UNICEF;
• Experience and understanding of UNDP procedures and programming;
• Field experience in post-conflict countries;
• Relevant experience in developing support strategies for affected populations, children and women in post-conflict situations;
• Experience with local economic development, micro-credit and participatory approaches to reintegration activities essential;
• Experience in inter-agency collaboration and strategic partnership is a must.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required; working knowledge of Pidgin is an asset.

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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.

More Info and Application