Project Development Officer

UNOPS Sri Lanka

UNOPS office in Sri Lanka provides technical, operational and administrative support to 4 countries in the South Asia region: Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. UNOPS work in this region focuses on the construction and operation of high quality sustainable infrastructure, sustainable procurement, project management for host governments, development partners and UN agencies.

UNOPS’ work in Sri Lanka focuses on the construction and operation of high quality sustainable infrastructure and sustainable procurement, project management, timely provision of services, and the use of most relevant technologies. Such projects provide social and economic benefits to vulnerable populations across the country, and contribute to poverty eradication. This includes construction of schools, hospitals, water networks, urban sewerage and drainage facilities, harbours and anchorages, waste management facilities, climate change mitigation, as well as a range of “soft” support in Capacity Building, operations and maintenance of public assets, local governance, etc.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Project Development Officer (PDO) shall have a direct reporting line to the UNOPS Country Office Director and will support the overall design, development of projects in Sri Lanka and Maldives. The incumbent may be required to assist in the strategic engagement of partners and support the development of projects and proposals in other South Asia region countries as requested. As required the PDO will liaise with stakeholders to assist in the design of projects.

The responsibilities will include, but are not be limited to the following:

Support the Director to develop and strengthen Partnerships and Project development with 3 main focus:

1. identify engagement opportunities within the countries’ of focus,
2. assist the partnership development efforts and its follow up,
3. Representation, inter agency collaboration and partnership development 
4. Identification and dissemination of best practices, knowledge management and foster innovation around the region. 

Specifically the PDO is expected to undertake but not limited to the following responsibilities:

Partnership and programme development planning

• Support the Country Office Director with input to develop a comprehensive partnership and programme development plan in line with UNOPS Strategic Plan and Regional Strategies. This includes country context, analysis of the regional and national development and humanitarian landscape, identification of main partners, strategic positioning of UNOPS in the potential operational niches identified, as well as grow a pipeline opportunities for all countries in scope of the Operational Center. Ensure plan reflects in-house capacity, typology of projects and the internal tools and knowledge resources.
• Examine risks and opportunities presented by the strategic positioning of the Operational Center and make recommendations to the Country Office Director to ensure sustainable growth.
• Coordinate and collaborate with relevant Partnerships personnel at local, liaison and HQ level, as well as Project Managers and project personnel of the country offices to ensure aligned and coherent interactions with partners.

Engagement with clients and stakeholders primarily in Sri Lanka and Maldives but throughout the Hub as requested

• Provide support in identifying new programme/project opportunities for UNOPS building on current strengths and overall UNOPS vision for future development;
• Identify and pursue relevant regional/global funding available for national projects;
• Contribute to the development of a strong and regular relationship with relevant donors; develop and update donor mapping in the region;
• Provide contribution to the development of technical proposals (unsolicited or response to tender) in UNOPS areas of expertise (infrastructure, procurement, project management, disaster response, etc), in liaison with the relevant technical practice groups in CPH, with the regional office and Country Office technical resources;
• Under the guidance of the Director, develop or strengthen on going or potential partnership with key government counterparts, and expand UNOPS engagement;
• Liaise with other UN agencies to identify and develop potential joint programming opportunities;
• Identify potential opportunities to develop projects with involvement of the private sector.

Engagement with Government Institutions in Sri Lanka

• Regularly communicate about UNOPS achievement, objectives and expertise with relevant government counterparts.
• Support project managers to develop or strengthen on going or potential partnership with key ministries, and expand UNOPS engagement;

Support the OC Director to

• Monitor and evaluate humanitarian and development trends and needs to identify areas of collaboration within UNOPS mandate and existing capacity.
• Research events, publications and announcements, to track and screen opportunities for possible UNOPS interventions and identify trends that will drive partnership opportunities.
• Provide input and feedback to UNOPS HQ and Regional Office on the development of framework partnership agreements that can increase opportunities at the regional level.
• Contribute to the identification, design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programs and draft concept notes and project document briefs for discussion with partners.
• Create and maintain oneUNOPS opportunities and engagement functionalities in alignment with UNOPS corporate guidelines.
• Coordinate technical and financial requirements, and facilitate the negotiation of proposals to close new project opportunities.
• Drafts agreements and/or contractual documents required for the signature and implementation of new projects.
• Understand and clearly explain UNOPS pricing policy to partners.
• Contribute to the diversification of the Operational Center in line with UNOPS strategic and Regional objectives.
• In coordination with the Communications and Reporting personnel, when available, gather content for communications and outreach materials for any countries managed by the Operational Center or by the Partnerships Group.

Representation and Inter Agency Coordination

• Assist the Director to establish and further develop partnerships with UN agencies, international organisations, governments, foundations, international NGOs and private sector organisations to diversify project opportunities within the Operational Hub/ Operational Center or Partnership Group.
• Support the Operational Center Director, through participation and reporting on the relevant inter-agency, donor and government coordination meetings including addressing project development issues in consultation with UNOPS project managers and technical experts when required. Take part in UN common planning and programming processes, including strategic country analysis, UNDAF, response plans, etc.
• Build a network of key partners, keeping abreast of evolving trends (social, economic, and political), including the application of innovation to project and partnership development.
• Maintain a log of activities/participation required under the UNDAF framework in each of the countries
• Support any engagement that Director may have with the RC office in Sri Lanka and Maldives
• Support UNOPS involvement in the UNDAF process in Sri Lanka: if required, represents UNOPS in the technical working groups and UNDAF Pillar Groups

Engagement with the private sector in Sri Lanka

• Identify potential partners in the private sector for co-funding or project implementation
• External liaison with partners through meetings
• Document minutes of meetings

Identification and dissemination of best practices, knowledge management and foster innovation around the region

• Implement standards, tools and templates provided by HQ to effectively manage partnership and project development within the team to enhance/maintain UNOPS effectiveness as a provider of project services for sustainable results.
• Contribute to the ongoing research, development and implementation of best practice and innovative approaches to maximise performance and sustain achievements in project and partnership development.
• Support the OC Director to build partnerships capacity and negotiation skills among project managers
• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for planning and knowledge building within project and partnership development.
• Provide regular feedback on existing systems, tools and resources to ensure its relevance to day-to-day operations.

Team Management

• Manage and provide supervision to a team of project development and communication personnel and interns as required.
• Monitor the ongoing work and prioritize the Partnership Development Units work load with the view of ensuring efficiencies

Perform any other duty as assigned by the Director.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Education

• Master’s degree in Developmental Studies , Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences, or related field.  A Bachelor’s degree in combination with 2 years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of master’s degree.

Work Experience

• At least 2 – 3 years of progressively responsible experience in an international business environment this includes a role in partnership and project development and stakeholder management/communication.
• Experience in proposal writing, strategic budgeting and project acquisition a definite advantage
• UNOPS previous experience will be an asset. Previous experience in Asia, or post/crisis environment will be an asset
• Establishing strategic partnerships with Government, UN agencies and other development partners is desired.

• Good organizational and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation frameworks and experience in Monitoring and Evaluation desirable.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (able to prepare and write complex documents) and proficiency in computer skills especially Microsoft office applications.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• 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.  
• This post is open to Sri Lankan nationals only.

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.

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.