Project Management Specialist- Anti Corruption

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Background:

UNDP Afghanistan’s Rule of Law and Human Security Unit (ROLHS) Programme Unit supports the Afghan Government in implementing its strategies for Rule of Law, developing its institutional capacity and providing services to the Afghan population. This includes supporting the implementation of the Afghanistan National Strategy for Combatting Corruption.

UNDP has developed a Project Initiation Plan (PIP) for Anti-Corruption, “Development Plan for a Nation-Wide Anti-Corruption Project”. The PIP started implementation in January 2018. The PIP is an instrument for UNDP to initiate programmatic engagement on anti-corruption, while developing a full-fledged multi-year Anti-Corruption Project. The programmatic engagement includes technical and logistical support to the Anti-Corruption Justice Centre (ACJC) and the establishment of a grants mechanism for civil society.

The PIP has the following three outputs:

1. Evidence-base established to inform UNDP’s anti-corruption programming in Afghanistan in the security and justice sectors;
2. Implementation strategies developed for prioritized anti-corruption measures with a focus on supporting the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy in consultation with relevant stakeholders (institutions, media, civil society, communities, religious leaders, etc) and on supporting the Anti-Corruption Center;
3. Advocacy, public-outreach, awareness-raising campaigns developed and implemented in target areas, including through the initiation of a small grants facility for the implementation of community outreach initiatives, to increase ownership and support for anti-corruption measures.

Each output of the PIP will lay the necessary foundation to build the output of the subsequent Anti-Corruption Project. The activities of the PIP will establish the evidence-base, partnerships and related implementations strategies and modalities that are required for effective implementation of the broader Anti-Corruption Project and its successful implementation. It is anticipated that the upcoming broader Anti-Corruption Project will be focused around two main pillars namely support the Government in its implementation of the newly adopted National Strategy for Combatting Corruption; and contribute to building more demand from communities, civil society and media for increased transparency and accountability.

The PIP contributes directly to the targets of the broader Rule of Law and Human Security portfolio, and works in close coordination with other projects in this cluster and other development actors.

• Ensure direction of project activities and achievement of project targets and results
• Manage project implementation
• Ensure the design of the small grant mechanism and its effective implementation
• Ensure provision of high-quality technical advice and build partnerships
• Facilitate knowledge building and management

Ensures the direction of project activities and the achievement of project targets and results, by focusing on the following results:

• Ensure implementation of activities as per AWP, in line with the Anti-Corruption PIP document as well as according to detailed implementation, procurement and HR plans. Identify bottlenecks and develop solutions.
• Establish adequate monitoring procedures and systems throughout project activities in close collaboration with the CO Results Team. Ensure that adequate systems are in place to gather data and information for project monitoring and that systematic monitoring of project progress against targets is undertaken, including regular field trips for monitoring purposes. Develop innovative improvements to enhance performance of the project.
• Ensure that UNDP´s results-management systems are kept updated for project results-information including ATLAS project management module.
• Manage the accurate and timely high-quality results reporting on the progress of the project and achievement of annual targets to the donors, in line with reporting obligations as per the PIP document. Ensure that donor and UNDP reports are prepared according to UNDP’s SOPs, quality standards and in line with the contractual obligations to project donors. Ensure that all internal and external reports are submitted by deadlines.
• Ensure the timely delivery of the Project Document for the full-fledged Anti-Corruption Project including the development of the project Annual Work Plan (AWP) and establish Annual Targets according to UNDP CO timelines, design project budget and oversee and coordinate development and formulation of detailed implementation plans, procurement and human resources, communication and risk management plans for the Project.
• Coordinate and prepare ad hoc thematic and substantive reports/analysis/briefs.
• Implement project communications activities in close collaboration with the CO Programme Unit and the Communications Team.
• Implement project governance arrangements.
• ​Immediately escalate issues with potential to impact UNDP´s effectiveness, financial soundness or reputation to the Programme Team and CO senior management. Ensure that UNDP´s corporate interest and rules are guarded at all times and that appropriate action is taken to immediately address problems and challenges

Manage project implementation, by focusing on the following results:

• Ensure compliance of all activities with UNDP’s Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Mobilize personnel, goods and services, training and grants schemes to initiate activities, including drafting and reviewing terms of references and work specifications and overseeing all contractors’ work. Oversee effective provision of services to national partners as required.
• Oversee the appropriate use of project funds as well as the consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations. Develop project budgets and oversee the appropriate use of project funds as well as the consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations
• Supervise and manage project personnel and consultants. Develop ToRs/JDs for project staff positions. Oversee recruitment processes. Establish performance objectives and standards and
• ensure timely and appropriate feedback, guidance and support to ensure optimum performance. Undertake performance evaluation according to UNDP´s policies and deadlines.
• Manage and monitor project risks. In collaboration with the technical project staff, IP’s and donors identify new risks and update risk frameworks for consideration of the Project Board.
• Ensure appropriate management of project assets, attendance records, filing system.

Ensures and coordinates provision of high quality technical advice and building of partnerships, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Establish and maintain close working relations with relevant national and international counterparts.
• Establish, maintain and facilitate strategic dialogue between project staff and Government officials at central and local levels, NGOs, partners, donors and other stakeholders in project´s area of work.
• Provide technical advice to national counterparts on anti-corruption strategies of the highest standards.
• Identify areas of cooperation and coordination with other UN agencies for implementation of joint activities within the area of the project and contribute to interagency coordination on anti-corruption.
• Contribute to positioning UNDP as leading partner to support anti-corruption initiatives and consistently promote a positive image of UNDP.
• Identify resource mobilization opportunities in close collaboration with the Programme Unit. Develop funding proposals and concepts as requested.

Ensure the design of the small grant mechanism and its effective implementation, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Design the small grant mechanism for the implementation of community outreach initiative in partnership with CSOs both at national and subnational level and develop guidelines and procedures for the management and administration of the grants.
• Develop in coordination with the UNV M&E specialist a simple and efficient monitoring and evaluation system to ensure measure of the quality of the initiative, impact of the activities and replicability in the national context, among other things, of each of the grants.
• Develop selection criteria for the recipient of the grants and manage the selection and contracting of CSOs.
• Lead awareness-raising activities through town-hall type introductory sessions in key population centers with an open invitation to interested CSOs, journalists and networks.
• Establish a Fund Steering Committee with the mandate of overseeing the operations and decision making on grants.
• Monitor progress of all the small grants from a financial and operational perspective including through field visits and direct liaison with the grantees.
• Ensure the communication and knowledge management around the project.
• Prepare regular update reports on the implementation of the small grants mechanism and conduct a lessons learnt exercise at the end of the year.
• Keep donor(s) informed about progress of the grant mechanism as required.

Facilitates systematic knowledge and capacity building by the Project, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensure that the Project systematically builds capacities of Government partners and other national partners through introduction of innovation and best practices, access to knowledge and expertise and promotion of their application to project implementation.
• Promote teamwork, information sharing and collaboration within the Project Team and between the Project Team and the Project Partners.
• Ensure capturing and disseminations of lessons learnt during project implementation.
• Promote skills development of project staff through coaching and mentoring
• Facilitate the Project’s representation and/or participation in international knowledge networks to draw on and share best practice and lessons learned for application in Afghanistan.

1)Building Strategic Partnership

2)Promoting accountability and results-based management

3)Job knowledge/technical expertise

4)Promoting organisation learning and knowledge sharing

Education:

• Master´s Degree in Law, International Relations or public policy/ sector management or political science or public administration or similar. Post-graduate training in project management is an asset.

Experiance:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in programme and project management, experience in management of complex multi-sector/multi-component/multi-donor programmes is a requirement.
• Experience in management of programmes and/or projects within anti-corruption, justice and security sector is strongly desired.
• Experience in evidence-based project design is desired.
• Experience in working at the country level, preferably in post-conflict environments is desired.
• Experience in risk management, financial planning, management and oversight of projects/programmes is an asset.
• Experience on designing, administering and overseeing small grants to CSOs at the national and sub-national level is strongly desired.
• Experience in conducting due diligence on CSOs is desired.
• Experience in public outreach in particular in rural areas and/or conflict environments is an asset
• Experience in mentoring / capacity building in project management is a strong asset.
• Strong communication skills both written and verbal, excellent report writing and organisational skills.
• Experience in working in multi-cultural teams.
• Computer literacy – MS office applications, web-based management information systems

• Fluency in written and spoken English is essential;
• Knowledge of Dari/Pashto an asset.

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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.

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