Job: PROJECT OFFICER

Location :

Bihac, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Application Deadline :

20-Oct-13

Additional Category

Poverty Reduction

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Post Level :

SB-4

Languages Required :

English  

Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)

11-Nov-2013

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months

Background

The Rural and Regional Development Sector focuses on a comprehensive approach to development at the local level, in line with European principles and norms. Through its five regional offices, the Sector targets: improving local government capacity to plan, identify priorities and deliver results; stimulating economic recovery through entrepreneurial activity, job growth and investment, increasing the competitiveness of local producers and income generation; strengthening local priority infrastructure; delivery of social services to vulnerable populations, and the sustainable use of natural resources and energy efficiency.

Additionally, the programme targets specific needs of particular regions in BiH in order to contribute to stabilization of communities and improve the livelihood conditions of the local population. As a particular example of those efforts, UNDP implements a new project called „Applying the Human Security Concept to Stabilize Communities in Canton 10“, that seeks to apply the Human Security Concept to stabilize communities in Canton 10, with a particular focus on former refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have returned to Canton 10 and face particular challenges and hardships at reintegration. Although the project is designed to address the needs of returnee populations in Canton 10, which are found to be one of the most at risk in terms of their economic, social, health and political security and wellbeing, it also seeks to address the needs of the receiving population by partnering with local municipal and cantonal governments and administrations in order to ensure local buy-in and support, as well as secure the long term sustainability of the project.

The project has five objectives:

1. To ensure sustainability by establishing strong partnerships with local authorities and stakeholders through a joint Steering Committee, that will be the main operational partner during implementation.
2. To enhance the capacity of Cantonal and municipal administrations to provide social services and other means of support to vulnerable groups, as well as develop partnerships between civil society and governmental structures.
3. To bolster the capacities of Cantonal and municipal authorities to prevent discrimination and conflict with a particular focus on the education system.
4. To strengthen local community responsiveness to risks posed by mines and other ordinances.
5. To develop the capacity of the Canton to make certain that vulnerable groups have equal access to employment opportunities and economic sustainability through activities such as income generation projects and vocational training. 

The project will work with all the 6 municipalities of Canton 10, including the Canton-level authorities and institutions. It will address the most pressing needs of direct beneficiaries, which are specified under each of the outputs. Direct beneficiaries are divided between institutions and organizations, while final beneficiaries are mainly returnees and other vulnerable categories (social cases and single-headed female households). It is envisioned that approximately 55,000 indirect beneficiaries will be positively affected by this intervention, which is the number of citizens in Canton 10. Beneficiary institutions are cantonal level government partners for social welfare, return and reintegration, finance, municipal authorities and other relevant departments in the municipalities of Drvar, Glamoc, Grahovo, Livno, Tomislavgrad and Kupres. In addition, the project will directly work with relevant State- and Entity-level ministries and institutions. 
The project is primarily funded by the United Nations Human Security Trust Fund (UNHSTF) and implemented by UNDP (lead), UNICEF, UNHCR, and IOM.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

 
Under the direct supervision of the UNDP Regional Manager / UN Project Coordinator and in close coordination with the Rural and Regional Development sector, Project Officer will have the following main functions:

• Ensuring the implementation of the project goals;
• Project management and supervision of the Project Team;
• Establishing partnerships, advocacy and provision of advice to the government counterparts;
• Mobilizing appropriate governmental and non-governmental participation in the project implementation  by facilitating stakeholder ownership;
• Ensuring gender mainstreaming within the project.

1. Ensuring the implementation of the project goals:

• Provides overall leadership and takes management responsibility for successful implementation of the project’s activities and sub-activities, as per the project document;
• Provides conceptual guidance and technical advice to the project team and project counterparts;
• Coordinates project activities to deliver intended outputs and achieve desirable impact of the project applying programming tools and policies in line with the UN Results Based Management Approach;
• Ensures that all project-related issues and risks are identified and reported in a timely manner and suggests corrective measures;
• Ensures close interaction and synergies with other UNDP local/regional development interventions and regional offices, relevant projects of other UN agencies and donors, maximizing the impact and the efficient and effective use of resources.

      2.    Project management and the supervision of the Project Team:

• Manages project implementation on the basis of the best  UNDP practices;
• Co-ordinates the work of the Project Team, individual consultants and contracted companies;
• In coordination with other UNDP interventions, prepares annual activity and procurement work plans, as well as budgets based on expected year-end outputs, and ensures close monitoring of activities and delivery;
• Monitors and analyses project progress, also using applicable monitoring & evaluation and risk management tools in ATLAS;
• Ensures the existence and implementation of successful quality assurance for the project’s financial, procurement and administrative processes in order to attain the project goals and desired impact in line with prevailing UNDP rules and regulations as well as in line with the project timelines;
• Provides the Project Board with regular reports on project progress, including risks and issues;
• Presents the project to all relevant stakeholders and acts as UNDP lead focal point for the project;
• Participates in UNDP programme-level committees and working groups;
• Approves procurement actions according to authority delegated and adjusts procurement plans as required;
• Manages project staff, conducts staff performance reviews in accordance with UNDP rules, regulations and procedures; ensures they understand all the aspects of the project;
• Complies with security and safety requirements and regulations and ensure the same are respected by all project personnel.

         3. Establishing partnerships and advocacy:

• Establishes good working relations with relevant institutional and organisational partners at state, entity, cantonal and local levels, as well as with main international organisations working in the domain of local development, as well as sustainable return in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Provides policy and technical advice to the relevant government institutions and partners;
• Coordinates activities of the project with government stakeholders to provide strategic advice and technical assistance related to the attainment of the project results;
• Identifies sources of information related to policy-driven issues, identifies and synthesises best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to project goals;
• Plays, within the local governance/local development team, an active role in policy advice and strategic thinking on local governance, local, regional and rural development, sustainable return in BiH;
• Facilitates knowledge building and management.

         4. Mobilizing appropriate governmental and non-governmental participation in the project implementation by facilitating    stakeholder ownership:
? 

• Facilitating stakeholder ownership by ensuring reliable coordination mechanisms for information sharing, coordination and reporting;
• Provides guidance in conceptualising and organising awareness-raising and knowledge-sharing events on Human Security concepts, goals and practices;
• Facilitates development of sustainable collaboration mechanisms between governmental and non-governmental organizations;

         5. Ensuring gender mainstreaming within the project:

• Provides support to mainstreaming gender equality in the project implementation;
• Ensures that all relevant project documents are written using gender sensitive language;
• In the preparation of meetings/consultations/trainings ensures gender balance of participants as much as possible.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:    

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda

Level 1.2: Preparing information for advocacy
?

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

Level 1.2: Contributes into results through primary research and analysis

• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work
• Researches linkages across project activities to identify critical points of integration
• Monitors specific stages of projects’ implementation
• Analyzes country situation to identify opportunities for project development
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly
• Knowledge of PRINCE II principles

Building Strategic Partnerships 
Level 1.2: Maintaining a network of contacts
?

• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

Level 1.2: Enhancing processes or products
? 

• Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing thing
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches

Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations)
Level 1.2: Providing inputs to resource mobilization strategies

• Analyzes information/databases on potential and actual donors
• Develops a database of project profiles. Identifies opportunities for project proposals for presentation to donors

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
Level 1.2: Basic research and analysis
? 

• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
Level 1.2: Fundamental knowledge of own discipline
? 

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals
Level 1.2: Preparing information for global advocacy
? 

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences
• Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities for advocating for UNDP’s mandate

Client Orientation
Level 1.2: Establishing effective client relationships
? 

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines
• Anticipates client needs and addresses them promptly

Core Competencies:
? 

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity 
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
• Self-development, initiative-taking
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
• Creating synergies through self-control
• Managing conflict
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Informed and transparent decision making
• Ability and willingness to travel within BiH

Required Skills and Experience

• University degree in public administration, development studies, economics, political sciences, social sciences, or other related areas. Advanced degree is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated knowledge and previous direct experience in local and regional development , capacity development of local governments and socio-economic partners and community engagement;
• Previous experience related to projects dealing with marginalized groups, social inclusion, human security, sustainable return and reintegration, etc. Specific relevant experience in Canton 10 is considered an asset.
• Familiarity with key public documents, strategies and trends related to sustainable return and reintegration, local governance and integrated local development in Bosnia and Herzegovina is preferred.
• Fluency in English and local languages, with excellent drafting and presentation skills.

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