Team Leader on Community Resilience Building

In the context of UN’s support to the Government of Uzbekistan’s on efforts to tackle the negative consequences of the Aral Sea crisis, with the financial support of the Government of Japan, UNDP and UNFPA Joint Programme “Building the Resilience of Local Communities Against Health, Environmental and Economic Insecurities in the Aral Sea region” is launched, which is being implemented in Karakalpakstan throughout 2020-2021. The Joint Programme aims to address the most urgent and immediate health and economic insecurities in the most vulnerable areas of the Aral Sea region through brining innovative solutions to healthcare and poverty reduction initiatives.

The Joint Programme has two major objectives as follows:

• Improving the quality of healthcare services, particularly in remote rural areas through strengthening the technical and institutional capacity of local healthcare system for maternal, child and reproductive health service provision with the focus on prevention of ill health (breast and cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections, malnutrition, etc.) and promotion of healthy lifestyle and positive health seeking behavior involving also the Community Health Volunteers.
• Enhancing income generation opportunities of the affected population through inclusive business initiatives, promotion of investment for job creation, as well as through improving access to basic services. The programme will select most vulnerable rural communities and help them with participatory decentralized planning and rehabilitation of essential public services such as water supply. It will support the start-up of agricultural cooperatives and small businesses through trainings, funding innovative schemes, establishing pilot “farm field schools”. These will help people, especially women led households to use available resources, mainly land and water in the most efficient way and generate incomes toe sustain their livelihoods.

The UNDP, UNFPA and FAO Joint Programme “Unleashing young people’s and vulnerable citizens’ creativity and innovation by strengthening their adaptive capacity to address the economic and food insecurities in the exposed communities of the Aral Sea region” financed by the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for Aral Sea region (MPHSTF). The Programme will contribute to addressing multiple human insecurities of people, living in the most vulnerable districts of Karakalpakstan, which are fully aligned with the policies and strategies of the Government of Uzbekistan on addressing the Aral Sea crises.

The Joint Programme has three major objectives as follows:

• Reduce the vulnerabilities of unemployed, unskilled youth and women and returning migrants through the empowerment and promotion of essential entrepreneurial skills, and youth-led innovations in the region;
• Create an enabling environment for income generation for rural communities (with focus to youth and women) through promoting innovative agriculture practices and piloting new agriculture initiatives;
• Enable the development of smart communities through digitalization, better access to social infrastructure and community engagement with focus on youth.

The Team Leader will be contributing to address the human security needs of the population affected by the Aral Sea disaster in the region with focus on building community resilience. S/he will be in charge of coordination and implementation of the programme activities related to improvement of community resilience through developing and deploying pilot innovative and comprehensive social projects that have multiple positive outcomes on different domains (e.g. innovative schemes related to using renewable energy, water supply improvement to address both health and food security, etc.), which should be done through establishment of  sound cooperation with multiple stakeholders and through involving target communities.

Under the direct supervision of the Joint Programme Manager and in close collaboration with relevant project partners and UN agencies, the Team Leader on Community Resilience Building will be responsible for the implementation of the programme activities aimed at community resilience building through strengthening the capacity of regional and district authorities.  

Duties and responsibilities:

• Be responsible for the achievement and implementation of the programme activities focused on capacity building and improvement of access to basic services and social infrastructure through innovative projects (drinking water, electricity, renewable energy, digital technology, construction/renovation) engaging youth, adolescent and women in communities.
• Plan and implement the work in accordance with the overall work plan using both human and financial resources available in the most effective and efficient way, elaborate and propose new schemes and effective ways to achieve target indicators.
• Participate in elaboration and execution of the project's work plans, analyze emerging problems and propose adequate measures to ensure timely fulfilment of envisioned tasks.
• Contribute to the development of the relevant M&E tools and conduct progress reviews to recommend adjustments and appropriations on the planned activities as set in the project document.
• Initiate partnership strategies with providers of specialized expertise and possible co-financers, leading to resource mobilization for the relevant programme activities.
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders to obtain support and guidance required for management and implementation of the proposed activities.
• In coordination with relevant partners, coordinate capacity building activities in various areas as planned for target groups including regional and local authorities and members of target communities and lead the work of consultants involved in the implementation of the given project component.
• Facilitate the development of community development plans through engagement of communities in participatory manner based on human security approach and with focus on different insecurity domains, as well as implementation of innovative and comprehensive social projects that have multiple positive outcomes on different domains (e.g. income generation schemes related to using renewable energy, water supply improvement to address both health and food security, etc.).  
• Working with other Team Leaders, facilitate that multi-dimensional changes in communities’ lives are assessed with particular attention on how improvement in one domain has had positive externalities in other insecurities, and results are publicized.
• Capture, synthesize and store knowledge on good governance and access to social services; ensure that knowledge and information generated are institutionalized through creation of relevant knowledge management system.
• Organize and monitor the process of installation works in target communities, ensure that calculations, budgets and design of the projects are accurate and properly prepared.
• Ensure the costs are in conformance with the volume of works and expenditures budgeted.
• Ensure that all procurement, and tendering processes are organized and implemented in the most transparent way and in line with corporate and national regulations.
• Contribute to the promotion of gender equality by reaching, involving and benefiting both women and men in the programme activities (gender mainstreaming).
• Assist the Joint Programme Manager in preparing progress reports, lessons learned and provide relevant recommendations and contribute to the donor reporting process providing relevant information and data   on conducted activities.
• Contribute to the maintaining multi-stakeholder dialogue platform with the aim to create and enable productive environment and improve basis for programme implementation.
• Facilitate knowledge and best practices sharing between projects, UN agencies, national implementing partner, government, communities to deeper integrate the work and idea of the project; participate in relevant networks and meetings of practitioners.
• Serve as a resource person on community resilience building and human security issues for the project and key stakeholders and beneficiaries.
• Facilitate planning and developing analytical reports, information brochures, specific thematic leaflets, infographics and flyers with basic fact sheets and other deliverables aimed at enhancing public awareness of the programme activities and results.
• Contribute to programmes’ advocacy campaigns and facilitate the process of increasing visibility of the programmes activities and results.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:
Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the team through leadership and personal example;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to formulate and manage budgets;
• Solid project and personnel management skills, and a consistent record of managing complex and challenging partnerships with governments and bilateral donors;
• Practical knowledge and skills for resource mobilization focusing on multilateral and bilateral donors;
• Familiarity with UNDP project management.

Leadership and Self-Management

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Education:

• University degree in management, business administration, engineering and socio-economic development

Experience:

• Proven track of at least 3 years of work experience in the area of project implementation, especially in rural areas.
• Experience with projects on social service provision is an asset.
• Experience in construction/engineering sector is an asset.
• Experience in International as well as foreign organizations is an advantage.
• Experience in programmes related to Aral Sea region development is an asset.
• Knowledge of environmental situation/problems in Aral Sea region is an asset.   

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in Russian, Uzbek/Karakalpak and English is desirable.

Others:

• Strong analytical and organizational skills, ability to work in a team.
• Knowledge and experience with development situation in Karakalpakstan.
• Initiative, analytical skills, good ability in partnering and networking.
• Knowledge on digitalization of social infrastructure and communities.
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource.
• Commitment to UN values

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

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