Project Manager (Office Based) [Open to all applicants]

Background

UNDP is the lead United Nations agency on international development. UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality  and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP’s work is centred around six core development areas, known as our signature solutions: poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality. 

UNDP in Suriname Country Office has been operating since 1994 working with the Surinamese people, government and organizations to help with and sustain growth that improves Surinamese's lives while protecting the environment.  As highlighted in the Country Programme Document 2022-2026, UNDP in Suriname specifically focses on three programmatic areas of work: deomcractic governance, social development, and environment, climate change and natural resource management. Gender equality and partnerships are embraced as key cross-cutting issues, and critical target groups include women, youth, persons with disabilities and indigenous and tribal peoples.

The Sustainable and Inclusive Development of West Surinmae or the Child Project falls under the environment, climate change and natural resource management focus area. This project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is part of GEF– 8 Amazom Sustainable Landscapes Program Phase 3 or ASL-3. 

Project context

Suriname is a high forest low deforestation (HFLD) country with 93 percent of the country covered by forest. Suriname has dedicated 13.5% of its total land area to a national protection system to preserve forests and wetlands and is committed to maintaining its HFLD status by expanding protected areas and increasing efforts towards sustainable forest and ecosystem management. 

The objective of the Child Project is to strengthen integrated landscape conservation and sustainable management in the West Suriname intact forest landscape. This will be achieved through four interrelated components that will allow West Suriname Amazon intact forests to be effectively conserved and managed, implementing a sustainable inclusive nature-based economy, enhancing governance and landscape planning for conservation and sustainable development, and knowledge management and regional collaboration to promote forest conservation. This strategy will reduce deforestation and the degradation of intact forest landscapes in West Suriname delivering global environmental benefits including 216,386 hectares (ha) of terrestrial PAs created or under improved management, 100,000 ha of landscapes under improved practices, and 16,564,051 tCO₂e of greenhouse gas emissions mitigated over 20 years. In addition, it will directly benefit 2,430 people (1,120 female; 1,310 male).

To achieve the project objectives, the project will work closely with a diverse range of stakeholders, including the Ministry of Oil, Gas and Environment (OGM), Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Natural Resources, and the National Environment Authority (NAM), universties, CSOs etc., At the local level, the most relevant stakeholders are the Districts, Protected Areas (PA) managers, Indigenous Peoples and Maroon Tribes (ITPs) and other local communities (i.e., communities in Kaboeri creek area, Bakhuis Area, Kabalebo Area, Washabo, Kwinti, Tibiti, and Witagron), women's and youth organizations in local communities, NGOs, and logging and mining private companies. 

The project will last 5 years with a total investment of USD 11,742,966, USD 4,742,966 of which will be provided by the Global Environment Facility. The project is implemented under the national implementation modality of UNDP. It will be coordinated through a project management team located at the Ministry of Oil, Gas and Environment. UNDP wil provide support services to the government to ensure project achieves its intended results. UNDP, as part of the support services, is seeking to hire a Project Manager for the Child Project. 

Scope of Work

The Project Manager (PM) has the responsibility to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the project. The Project Manager should facilitate the development of the planned activities, provide technical advise  and work in close collaboration with the ASL Technical experts, OGM, the Sub Directorate Forest Management, the Suriname Forest Service (LBB) cq. Nature Conservation Division (NCD), Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control (SBB) and other project partners. The PM is responsible for generation of outputs in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management (GBB). The PM will be supported by the Project Assistant Technical and Administrative Monitoring, who supports the implementation and monitoring of project activities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Ensure Project management and implementation

• Manage the overall direction of the project.
• Responsible for day-to-day management of the project, including the mobilization of all project inputs, supervision of the Project Management Unit staff, hiring and overseeing external consultants and sub-contractors, and coordination with the project partners and UNDP. 
• Coordinate activities of personnel, goods and services, training and low-value grants, including drafting terms of reference and work specifications.
• Prepare a contingency plan for the project, to be accepted at the inception workshop and updated annually, if measures and restrictions are still in place. 
• Coordinate and organize that all necessary documentation for the Project Board meetings, review meetings and evaluation missions are prepared. 
• Liaise and follow up with the responsible parties for implementation of project activities in matters related to project funds and financial progress reports.
• Participate in or lead field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries, etc.
• Ensure all project-related financial documentation are well maintained and readily available when required.
• Elaborate and deliver progress reports, project implementation reports, final reports and external evaluations.
•  Perform regular progress reporting to the project board as agreed with the board, including measures to address challenges and opportunities.
• Manage requests for the provision of UNDP financial resources through funding advances, direct payments or reimbursement using the FACE form.
• Review project expenditures and ensure that project funds are used in compliance with the Project Document, and the Government of Suriname financial rules and procedures.
• Monitor financial resources and accounting to ensure the accuracy and reliability of financial reports.
• Prepare and submit financial reports to UNDP on a quarterly basis.
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of financial reports.
• In collaboration with the project team, develop annual workplans, monitoring plan and/or revise work plans, project monitoring plan and project budgets according to the decision of the Board (if necessary), and deliver against plans.

2. Lead Partnership building 

• Develop and maintains relationships with main partners and stakeholders within the country (e.g. with government departments, NGOs, ITPs related organizations, community leaders) to ensure buy-in and successful implementation.
• Maintain linkages with the regional Coordination Platform of Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program as well as other regional and national projects, dealing with protection and conservation of forest, indigenous peoples, and climate change related issues and identify opportunities for partnership and collaboration with other agencies, organizations and donors for enhancing the quality of the project.
• Establish/strengthen partnerships with conservation groups working with different protection regimes for protection of different species and promote sustainable livelihoods of ITPs, including through the use of non-timber forest products. 
• Support inclusive and multi-stakeholder meetings and conferences on core project focus areas, inclusding forest conservation, species protection and sustianbale livelihoods 
• Provide substantive support to consultative and other meetings and conferences to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
• Participate in the development, formulation, implementation and evaluation of national activities related to Biodiversity, Landscape and Wildlife management; reviews relevant documents and reports.

3. Facilitate Capacity Development 

• Support capacity building activities, including conduct/oversee training workshops, seminars, etc.; 
• Undertake outreach and advocacy activities to align project partners and stakeholders with project objectives. 
• Oversight of technical and logistical support to OGM, NAM, GBB, LBB and SBB in development of grants and monitor their technical performance.
• Oversight of logistical and technical assistance to GBB, LBB and SBB training events (including institutional coordination) and assist in monitoring impact of training on target audiences, including application of UNDP Capacity Scorecard to OGM, GBB, NAM, LBB and SBB.

4. Support the Communication Strategy in the Organization and Project

• In collaboration with the project team, oversee compilation of insights and knowledge, capture and ensure wide dissemination and visibility of project achievements, particularly research reports, local success stories, and support publication of background papers, reports, studies etc., 
• Oversee implementation of project outreach and awareness rising, with a specific focus on youth, about conservation and management of intact forest landscapes
• Support project contribution to knowledge networks and communities of practice

5. Facilitate Knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation 

• Researches, analyses and presents information gathered from diverse sources related to project focus areas, including protection and conservation of forests, sustainable livelihoods, climate change adaptation; prepares various knowledge products, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.
• Support the work of the  other specialist, including research and data collection, coordinating stakeholder consultations, conducting surveys, identifying strategic partners and synergies.
• Coordinate the development and monitor implementation of detailed work plan for monitoring, evaluation, sustainability and scaling for the project.
• Coordinate the development of livelihood action plan and Enivronment and Social Management Plan (ESMP). 
• Support Project Management Unit  in monitoring of project indicators, stakeholder involvement, gender and Environment and Social Manamgemt Framework (ESMF).
• Ensure the timely measurement of project indicators and make results available for progress reports, Project Implementation Report and external evaluations.
• Ensure all project documentation (progress reports, consulting and other technical reports, minutes of meetings, etc.) are properly included in KM system.
• Ensure project information on Sustainable and Inclusive Development of West Suriname (SID-WS) , generated by the project, is systematized and publicly available.
• Provide guidance on Knowledge Attitude Practice (KAP) survey targeting relevant stakeholder groups to measure impact of communication efforts.

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

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Manager reports to the  Permanent Secretary Environment. On a day-to-day basis, S/he will work in close coordination with colleagues of the Project Management Unit (PMU), the Ministry of OGM, National Environment Authority (NMA), the Ministry of GBB, NCD, SBB,  and the UNDP Suriname Office, local and international consultants, other responsible partners, Key Ministries of the project. S/he will be supported by a Technical and Administrative Monitoring Project Assistant. 

Competencies

Core competencies

Achieve results                           LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
Think innovatively                      LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
Learn continuously                    LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
Adapt with agility                       LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process 
Act with determination               LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously 
Engage and partner                    LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.
Enable diversity and inclusion     LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making 
 

Cross-functional & Technical competencies

Business Direction and Strategy  - Strategic Thinking: Develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight. 

Business Direction and Strategy - Effective decision making: Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications. 

Business Management - Partnership management: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies. 

Business Management - Project management : Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals  

Business Management - Risk Management : Identify and organize action around reducing, mitigating and proactively managing risks.

Business Management  - Customer Satisfaction/Client Management : Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns. 

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. 

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Minimum Education requirements    
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences, international development, sustainable development; natural resource/environmental management, management, economics, or a climate change related field is required; or 
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s Degree) in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s Degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience     
A minimum of 2 years (with master´s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor´s degree) of relevant project management experience.
 

Required skills     
At least one year experience in managing forest conservation and/or broader natural resource management related projects.
Must legally be allowed to work in Suriname
 

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

•    Experience in UNDP and other foreign-assisted project implementation procedures, including procurement, disbursements and reporting and monitoring;
•    Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Adobe Creative Cloud; etc).
•    Advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems. 
•    Experience in using facebook and Twitter; 
•    A working knowledge of Microsoft Project Planner would be an advantage

Required Language(s) 

•    Fluency in English and Dutch is required. 

 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.

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