Field Management Specialist

Close to seven years into the crisis, the scale, severity, and complexity of needs across Syria remain deep and far-reaching. Over half of the country’s population have fled their homes: 5.5 million people have sought refuge in the region and beyond, and 6.1 million people are internally displaced. 13.1 million people remain in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, 5.6 million people face acute humanitarian needs. Millions of people have fallen into poverty, forced to resort to harmful coping strategies and faced with increasing protection risks. If hostilities continue in some parts of the country, humanitarian needs are expected to deepen in these areas during 2018.  In 2018 with no end to the conflict in sight, humanitarian needs are expected to continue to grow in scale, severity, and complex.  Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2018 is expected to play a role in bridging Humanitarian assistance and Development by strengthening Resilience of the affected population in Syria.  The role of Resilience is expected to grow faster in the given situation on the ground to accelerate the transition from immediate Humanitarian assistance to IDPs and affected population to more sustainable and recovery-oriented support, including support to potential returns of IDPs as well as refugees. 

The priorities of UNDP Syria are, as stipulated in the Country Programme Document 2016-2017, which is to be extended till end/2019, to enhance the resilience and socio-economic stabilization of individuals and communities through restoring the disrupted livelihoods of the affected communities; and restoring, rehabilitating and maintaining sustainable basic services and infrastructure in damaged areas and host communities. Embedded in each priority is an institutional crisis response capacity development component for key national and local partners. Mindful of the scale of the crisis, the scaled-up, targeted, and rapidly responsive interventions of UNDP Syria would strive to mitigate displacement and movement of refugees, including forced, illegal, and unsafe migration and the trafficking of refugees, and to support potential returns of the IDPs.

The Field Management team headed by a field management specialist provides overall programme planning and implementation guidance and advice and oversees field teams in implementation of projects to improve overall country programme coherence and implementation in the field.

Under the overall guidance and the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director, and working closely with programme teams, the Field Management Specialist will be responsible for improved programme implementation, leading and managing the overall work of the Area Offices. S(he) will have responsibility and accountability for providing coherent programme planning and implementation guidance and advice, management of area offices leading to a more coherent programme and effective and efficient implementation of projects on the ground.

The Field Management Specialist will supervise the staff of the unit and area managers and will be responsible for fostering collaboration between programme teams, within the area offices, and for working in close collaboration with the Partnership, Advocacy, Results and Communication (PARC), Programme and Operations units and as needed with other UN sister agencies.

• Strategic programme planning, coordination and implementation;
• Management of field team staff and Area Offices;
• Management of communication flow;
• Monitoring and oversight systems;
• Knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

Ensures strategic programme planning, coordination and implementation focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Provide strategic guidance on a more coherent programme planning, implementation and reporting in the field;
• Advise on potential synergies between different programme teams and projects and ensure their implementation leading to a more coherent approach of the country office in delivering results on the ground;
• Devise and implement streamlined programmatic processes for more efficient implementation of activities (e.g. grants, agreements, appraisal processes);
• Prepares area offices for expected programmatic expansion ensuring readiness of necessary capacities, established processes and deployed tools to take an additional workload; 
• Provides strategic guidance for the overall area offices programme development and implementation including planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring;
• Ensures overall efficient coordination of programmes/projects including planning processes and timely delivery of results taking into consideration agreed upon work plans with the UNDP country office programme units and consistency with UNDAF/UNSF/CPD priorities;
• Ensures identification and promotion of joint programming and planning opportunities;
• Guides and supports area managers in identification and development of new programme and project opportunities and ensures involvement of field teams in development of new programmatic initiatives in the office including project documents and proposals;
• Ensures area office staff have requisite knowledge of programme priorities, rules, regulations and processes that will allow for more efficient planning and implementation of projects;
• Establish mechanisms for systematic monitoring of project implementation in concerned area offices through close monitoring of results;
• Ensures effective application of RBM tools, management of delivery targets and other benchmarks;
• Implement and provide new tools for area offices that will help improve project implementation;
• Advises programme teams on engagement of area offices in the development of new programmatic interventions requiring inputs of area offices;
• Ensures full compliance with audit requirements and timely follow-up to audit recommendations; and
• Promotes identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing and learning.

Responsible for effective management of field teams focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures necessary resources are provided for smooth running of the area offices, builds synergies between area offices, promotes team work and an environment that is conducive to delivering results; 
• Oversees appropriate use and management of resources attributed to the areas by tracking use of financial resources, ensuring the integrity of financial systems and consistent application of the Internal Control Framework and/or rules and regulations;
• Strategically assess and advise the expansion and capacity needs of area offices in collaboration with senior management, operations teams and respective area managers;
• Approves Atlas transactions (manager level 2) under written delegated authority from the Resident Representative and/or Country Director. Has Atlas manager rights as delegated. Responsible for the management of field team, monitors their performance, completing performance assessments where necessary;
• Plan and ensure requisite resources are allocated and logistics and administrative support is provided to the area offices;
• Ensures timely and regular reporting;
• Builds capacity of the office staff by identifying capacity needs and establishing training/learning programmes.

Promotes communication flow between area offices and with the Damascus office focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Maximizes internal communication between the area offices and with the Damascus office and ensures smooth flow of information between area office and respective programme and operations teams;
• In collaboration with programme teams, ensures that key local results in the respective area offices are effectively communicated in collaboration with PARC unit in the country office;
• Increasingly engages area offices in developing new projects, concept notes and annual work planning exercises;
• Advises on mainstreaming business processes between Damascus Office and Area Offices to eliminate bottlenecks in project implementation.

Establishes effective monitoring and oversight systems and promotes partnerships in area offices focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Establishes effective systems for monitoring and oversight of project implementation in area offices;
• Guides effective implementation of assurance plans for the CO involving all respective teams (programme, operations, PARC and area offices);
• Solicits ideas and contributions from area offices for the development of the CO Partnership and Resource Mobilization (PRM) strategy, including the most effective ways to implement the strategy;
• Identifies new partnerships and strengthens existing ones at the area offices level through innovative approaches to partnership development;
• In collaboration with programme teams, regularly monitors implementation performance of fields and relevant partners on the ground through field visits, requests for progress updates and through third party monitoring.

Facilitates knowledge building and knowledge sharing as required by the organization:

• Provides guidance and technical advice on project planning, implementation and monitoring to area office staff involved with project work to ensure compliance with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, and policies of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system;
• Conducts analyses of lessons learned and prepares knowledge products to be disseminated within UNDP;
• Advises on training needs, develop training programmes and materials, and conduct workshops on appropriate programme and operations policies and procedures with respect to improving the programme performance and management of activities undertaken in the field;
• Develops and/or revises uniform and harmonized standard operating procedures (SOPs) on key programme business processes, procedures and templates across all implementation modalities, including sub-offices and project offices; and
• Documents lessons learnt, new solutions that works in the area offices and share with the rest of the office, and other corporate platforms.

Core Competencies:         

Leadership:

• Ability to persuade others to follow.       

Innovation:

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.      

People Management:

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication and Relationship Management:

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Technical/Functional Competencies:     

Operational Efficiency:      

• Ability to identify and execute opportunities to improve operational efficiency.

Quality Assurance:

• Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled.      

Internal Reporting and Accountability:    

• Ability to create internal reporting and accountability processes and standards.   

Results-based Management:

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.      

Risk Management:

• Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them.     

Knowledge Management:

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Education:

• Master’s degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Business Administration, or other relevant development areas;
• A first-level university degree in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant experience in development in a governmental, multilateral organization in a multi-cultural setting with people from different cultural backgrounds;
• Experience in working in crisis settings, change management and excellent knowledge of UNDP rules, regulations and procedures is highly desirable but not a requirement.

Language Requirements:

• Strong written and spoken skills of the UN working language of the duty station;
• A second UN language desirable.

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

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.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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