Background
 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
 
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 

The presence of explosive ordnance (EO) can have a substantial negative impact on human development. Landmines, cluster munitions and other EO are a significant hindrance to countries’ achievements in the simultaneous eradication of extreme poverty and reduction of inequalities and exclusion (https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/mine-action-for-sustainable-development.html). According to the results of a government-led survey, "Vietnam National Explosive Remnants of War Contamination Surveying and Mapping", from 2010 to 2014, also known as the Landmine Impact Survey, all 63 provinces/cities across the country were potentially contaminated, and provinces located in the central part of Vietnam are among those most affected. The 15 most contaminated provinces according to the Landmine Impact Survey are also among the provinces that have a high ratio of poor and near-poor households, especially the provinces in the Central region.

Building on the achievements and lessons from the Korea-Vietnam Mine Action Project (KVMAP - https://www.vn.undp.org/content/vietnam/en/home/projects/kvmap-korea-viet-nam-mine-action-project.html), the Korea – Vietnam Peace Village Project (KVPVP) which aims to enable inclusive, safe and resilient local development by reducing the impact of EO on local communities and supporting them to improve livelihoods and health, is structured around two main outcomes and four related outputs. Whereas the first outcome on ‘human security’ and its two associated outputs relate to mine action and its pillars (The five mine action pillars are: Land Release (i.e. Clearance); Explosive Risk Education; Victim Assistance; Advocacy; and Stockpile Destruction. The last pillar is not yet part of the work being done by at least international organizations working on mine action in Vietnam), the second outcome on sustainable rural development with a focus on livelihoods and health and its two outputs provide solutions for EO victims and their local communities affected by EO. It offers various options how cleared land can be effectively utilized for sustainable livelihoods and resilient economic and social infrastructure in the context of increasing impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. The suggested intervention will provide best practices which can help improve the mine action sector in Vietnam overall, as well as provide models how mine action activities can be linked closely with other development solutions.

In order to continue supporting the ERW removal effort in Vietnam, the KVPVP was developed on the close collaboration between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The KVPVP has four sub-projects with four implementing partners, including the Vietnam National Mine Action Center at central level and three selected project provinces of Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai and Thua Thien – Hue.

Given UNDP’s global and local technical expertise in mine action in various countries around the world, including in the region (Lao, Cambodia and Turkey), long standing experience in managing large projects in Vietnam, strong governance and administration expertise, and supports towards sustainable development, UNDP Vietnam has been entrusted by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to provide project management and technical support to the project.

In this context, the Project Manager for Outcome 1 of KVPVP at central level is desired to be overall responsible for the management and implementation of the KVPVP with VNMAC component on Mine Action. 

The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the VNMAC Project Manager cum Head of Planning & Financial Management (Deputy General Director of VNMAC), the Technical Advisor, Head of the International Information Management and Planning and Reporting Technical Advisor. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

The Project Manager on Mine Action will report to the respective Programme Specialist/Head of Programme Unit on all programmatic and administrative issues of the Project. The Project Manager supervises the project personnel engaged within the project.

Assisting Viet Nam to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, with well-recognized project management experience and technical expertise in demining projects in other countries, UNDP has expressed its willingness and readiness to cooperate with KOICA to implement the Korea-Vietnam Mine Action Project (KVMAP). For the implementation of the second phase of the mine action programme in Vietnam, the Korea-Vietnam Peace Village Project (KVPVP), the Project Manager on Korea – Vietnam Peace Village Project (the Project Manager on Mine Action for short form) has the following main functions:

Lead, manage, coordinate, and develop effective project planning and implementation.

  • Manage, coordinate, and supervise project implementation to ensure the overall project of the outcome 1 on Mine Action relevance and performance, the effective realization and quality of outputs within the specified constraints of time and cost as outlined in the project document and the rules and procedures established in the UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) and Government standards, rules, and regulations; Act as a senior advisor on issues related to the project outcome 1 activities;
  • Lead and prepare the strategic planning, annual work-plan and budget for the project outcome 1 in accordance with the Project Document for approval by office management and/or Project Board (on a multiyear basis);  
  • Ensure that the project outcome 1 plan and budget are entered into the corporate management system; Achieve the outputs described in the work plan;
  • Review Accounts Receivable for their projects and following up with donors on outstanding amounts;
  • Review budgets and work plans monthly and bringing to the attention of senior management any proposed changes;
  • Prepare and monitor implementation of project outcome 1 procurement and recruitment plans;
  • Regularly review corporate management system project reports, ensuring that revenue, commitments, expenses, and disbursements are complete and accurate, and detecting erroneous or unauthorized charges;
  • Receipt Goods, Services & Works: verify, document, and record satisfactory receipt of goods, services, and works on a timely basis in accordance with POPP;
  • Ensure that project funds are adequately reserved to cover the full cost of project personnel and direct project costs.

Monitor and report on progress in implementing project outcome 1 activities and achieving the targets set.

  • Provide technical inputs to the project outcome 1 in developing baselines and indicators for project monitoring and evaluation and coordinate the finalization of detailed results framework. Develop clear strategies and an effective system for data collection, means of verification, and information sharing and reporting;
  •  Monitor the project outcome 1 activities and initiating the designation of projects as operationally closed, then financially closed; 
  • Lead the implementation of project outcome 1 monitoring, evaluation, and results framework to identify plan deviations and other problems; and make needed course corrections within agreed upon tolerances to achieve results. Conduct field visits as required to verify project activities relative to stated targets and provide regular field updates to UNDP management; 
  • Supervise and evaluate performance of the personnel working in the project; Coordinate and facilitate various project meetings including Project Board and partnership meetings;  document decisions and follow-up actions; Provide timely the Project Board with detailed and accurate information on outcome 1 project implementation; 
  • Ensure timely implementation of the following project outcome 1 plans as applicable:  Monitoring Evaluation plan, gender action plans, stakeholder engagement plans, environmental & social management plans, etc.;
  • Ensure the project outcome 1 reports meeting the established standards are timely submitted to relevant bodies including the Project Board; 
  • Lead the development and conduct of mid-term and annual reviews, and end line assessment; and coordinate the conduct of independent evaluations. Organize project review and evaluation meetings. Follow up on the implementation of decisions, recommendations, and course corrections;
  • Manage and monitor project risks register, including social and environmental risks, initially identified and submit new risks to appropriate project governing bodies for consideration and decision on possible actions; 
  • Coordinate the preparation of corporate, donor reports in line with the reporting schedule and UNDP and donor requirements. Ensure provision of ad hoc reports and information requested by relevant entities; 
  • Ensure proper operational and financial closure of the project outcome 1.

Develop strategic partnerships, communication, knowledge management and learning

  • Maintain close working relations and regular contacts with the Government partners (VNMAC/MOND and DSA/MOLISA) on the implementation of the project within the relevant competencies;
  • Ensure adequate flow of information, discussion and feedback among the various stakeholders of the project;
  • Closely work with UNDP communication staff to develop communication and advocacy products, including blogs, news, videos, stories, etc.;
    Regularly exchange the information/experience with other UNDP projects, cross-learning and sharing results and good practices; 
  • Share project best practices and lessons at different national platforms;
  • Identify capacity building needs and opportunities. Ensure appropriate training, project workshops and other relevant activities are organized and implemented in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia;
  • Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned and good practices for possible wider application;
  • Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on development and project related issues. Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area;
  • Promote advocacy for UNDP’s work and opportunities for collaboration in addressing development trends in coordination with the project partners, stakeholders, and UNDP communications staff.

Gender mainstreaming

  • Ensure gender is effectively and genuinely mainstreamed throughout the project cycle including context analysis, activities, results framework, budget, knowledge products, reports in line with UNDP Global and National Gender Equality Strategies;
  • Ensure gender sensitive recruitment throughout teams, consultancy and personnel management activities to the extent possible;
  • Ensure knowledge on gender equality is incorporated in Project Knowledge management activities and product 
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

People Management competencies:

  • UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

2030 Agenda

  • Engagement & Effectiveness: SDGs Integration - South-South and Triangular Cooperation knowledge sharing
  • Peace: Governance - People with Disability
  • People: Gender - Women's Economic Empowerment including labour issues 
  • Prosperity: Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility - Mine Action

Business Direction and Strategy        

  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
  • 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

Partnership Management        

  • Strategic engagement: Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives
Required Skills and Experience
 
Education:
  • Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in business administration, economic sciences, political sciences, social sciences, public administration, project management or related field is required. 
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
  • Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects, and/or leading and managing projects in the fields of mine action, social assistance, poverty reduction/livelihood development for vulnerable people, such as persons with disabilities and social assistance beneficiaries. 
  • At least five years of experience in project management in international organizations will be strong asset.
  • Experience of capacity building theory and capacity building/assessment methodologies is an asset.
  • Demonstrated experience and skills in project management (planning, implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation and reporting) will be strong asset 
  • Proven experience and skills in international organizations/ UNDP system will be an asset.
  • Good communication, analytical and partnership/network building skills in English and Vietnamese is an assset. 
  • Experience and proficiency in Microsoft Office programs.
  • Proven experience in working, liaising, and collaborating with UN agencies, governments (MOND, MOLISA), NGOs, civil society organizations, and public international organizations is an asset.

Required Languages:

  • Fluency in English and Vietnamese is required.
Disclaimer

 

 
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

 
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

 
Applicant information about UNDP rosters

 
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

 
Non-discrimination

 
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

 
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

 
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