Background

The project “Advanced Capacity for Accelerated Delivery Initiative” (ACADI) is implemented in partnership with the Ministry for Public Investment (MPI) with the purpose to increase MPI`s capacity to implement projects funded by loans thus ensuring timely and impactful implementation.  Up to now, ACADI project has been provided with specialised expertise in the areas of project management, public procurement, finance, law, technical sciences, and administration to implement loans and blend loans with budgetary funds.  MPI needs additional capacity to implement projects funded by loans. To ensure timely and impactful implementation and to indemnify the Republic of Serbia from the potential interest and charges which would appear in case of slow pace of project implementation, there is a need to establish the Project Implementation Unit. This position will ensure results oriented, effective, efficient and accountable implementation of the Project activities and achievement of Project results.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Coordination Associate is responsible for providing programmatic, coordination, analytical, and administrative support to ensure effective planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of project activities. The Project Coordination Associate will work closely with project partners, beneficiaries, expert teams, and relevant government counterparts to facilitate smooth execution of activities, ensure timely delivery of outputs, and contribute to the achievement of project objectives in line with approved workplans, budgets, and UNDP rules and procedures.

Specific responsibilities will include assistance in the implementation of activities with the aim of achieving the following project results:

Support coordination and implementation of designated project activities:

• Assist in conceptualization, coordination, and implementation of selected activities/components within the large strategic investment projects in construction and infrastructure areas;
• Provide inputs for development of project monitoring and evaluation framework;
• Prepare regular updates and reports to Project Boards on projects’ progress, implementing issues, emerging risks/problems and proposals for necessary remedial actions;
• Identify and collect policy-related and other relevant information, documents and data; 
• Compile and analyze data for further use in project management;
• Provide troubleshooting support, as required, to ensure that expected results are delivered in line with project outputs and objectives;
• Provide strategic suggestions on decisions related to project implementation, ensuring they are made in a participatory and collective manner.

Coordination with Partners, Beneficiaries and Stakeholders:

• Manage, mentor, and coordinate with project partners and beneficiaries to ensure successful accomplishment of project-targeted activities, trainings, events, and overall performance;
• Guide expert teams to ensure close coordination with project partners;
• Coordinate field visits by external visitors (donors, UNDP CO, evaluation teams, central government representatives, etc.);
• Ensure regular liaison with project partners and other government institutions related to project tasks;
• Maintain communication with stakeholders within the Government of Serbia responsible for tasks pertaining to the project scope;
• Make all efforts as coordinator to provide technical and administrative support for organizing and managing project activities in close cooperation with all stakeholders.

Management of Experts, Contracted Parties and Deliverables:

• Assist in drafting TORs for hiring experts to provide technical and expert support to project partners and beneficiaries;
• Monitor and manage contracted parties to ensure deliverables are submitted as per contracts and workplans;
• Review and analyze progress reports and related financial reports provided by contracted entities;
• Provide support to expert teams and beneficiaries to ensure deliverables ensure value for money and that required staff are recruited following appropriate rules and policies;
• Partnership management and fund disbursement through certification of contracted activities, in coordination with the Project Manager.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

Project Coordination Associate will work under the guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager in cooperation with the Ministry for Public Investments.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1:  Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional and Technical Competencies:

• Business Direction and Strategy - Effective Decision Making        
  • Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.
• Business Management - Monitoring              
  • Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.
• Digital & Innovation - Tech literacy   
  • Ability to apply new digital tools or adapting their original use to create new insights, fresh perspectives or develop solutions. Understand the potential as well as the limitations of certain technological developments; being able to identify how technology can add value when it's used as a ""means to an end"".
• Digital & Innovation - Systems thinking & transformation 
  • Understand that complex problems need a non-reductionistic, holistic approach. Ability to explore challenges from multiple perspectives by zooming in and out, with a focus on relationships and flows rather than individual elements; understand how certain dynamics and conditions are driving and influencing an issue. 
  • Ability to develop a collective understanding by a mapping system and their dynamics (e.g. flows or resources, information; power relations); is able to handle ambiguity and can help others navigate it.
  • Being able to identify intervention points to leverage change and system transformation by setting out a coherent collection of multiple interventions to probe the system for desirable effects. 
  • Understand that change is non-linear and unpredictable; being comfortable and able to work with emergence.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required. OR
• A University degree (bachelor’s degree) in Social (including Legal) or Natural science and related field will be given due consideration but is not a requirement

Experience:

• Minimum 6 years (with Secondary Education) or 3 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant experience in providing project support with involving international organizations/national governments.

Required skills:

• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP.

Desired skills:

• Experience in one or more of the following: procurement, recruitment, legal, finance, logistics, general administration.
• Experience in providing support in coordinating and implementing large investment development projects.
• Experience working in the UN system or other international organizations /and or governmental institutions will be considered an asset.
• Good organizational and time management skills.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. 
• Excellent information technology skills, including MS Office, database applications, presentation software, and internet.
• Responsible, communicative, well-organized, team-oriented person.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Languages:

Excellent knowledge of written and spoken Serbian and working knowledge of English is required.

Important Information

The online application form must be fully completed. Applicants are required to carefully complete their online application form and reflect all of their work experience history in the application. 

Only attaching a CV is not sufficient for applicants to be considered for positions. All applicants have to complete the Experience, Education, Language, and Nationality & Permanent Residence fields fully.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

Scam alert

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