National PSA - Project Manager

UNDP’s Support to COVID-19

COVID-19 is a critical issue for UNDP. It is as much a health and development emergency as it is a human security crisis. In order to deliver on its mission eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities and building resilience to crisis and shocks, UNDP helps countries to urgently and effectively respond to COVID-19 in the context of the 2030 Agenda.

Urgently and effectively addressing COVID-19 is critical to safeguarding progress on the SDGs. Through its presence in 140 countries and its integrator role, UNDP together with UN and other partners can support countries to immediately scale up evidence- and rights-based multisectoral responses, i.e. whole-of-government/whole-of-society responses, needed to effectively tackle COVID-19. In so doing, the organization can rapidly leverage its extensive presence and networks at global, regional and country levels, its mandate to work broadly – to connect the dots – across humanitarian and development sectors.

The national and international health landscapes are rapidly changing. New health initiatives are emerging, particularly in relation to non-communicable diseases, which brings to light pressing challenges linked to health systems strengthening including, health product procurement and supply chain management. These opportunities go beyond UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund and require a new modus operandi to optimize UNDP’s investments into global health. Increasingly, UNDP is supporting governments in thematic area of health product procurement and supply chain management with funding from national budgets. In addition, UNDP is expanding opportunities for partnerships with key stakeholders including the World Bank group (WBG).

UNDP and the World Bank:

In support of the UN-World Bank partnership framework since 2009, UNDP and the World Bank have had a long-standing cooperation in more than 100 countries, including on analysis and assessments, knowledge products and policy support, capacity development and project implementation to help advance the Sustainable Development Agenda.

Since 2020, UNDP and the World Bank have been collaborating on COVID-19 socio-economic assessments in 24 countries. Procurement of health supplies and strengthening health systems are the scope of WBG-UNDP engagement for COVID-19 response.

World Bank’s Loan Agreement to Turkmenistan

On 28 July 2021 the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan signed an agreement with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank Group on allocation of a $20,0 mln loan to combat COVID-19. The loan allocated by the WB to Turkmenistan will support the efforts of the Government of Turkmenistan on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment in case of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The Objective of the project is to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen national systems for public health preparedness in Turkmenistan. The Objective will be achieved through three components as follows:

Component 1 will aim to strengthen country-level coordination, risk communication and community outreach, early case detection, isolation and contact tracing, testing, and response capacities (activities which mostly fall within the responsibility of the MoHMI Division for Sanitary and Epidemiological Safety and Control).

Component 2 will focus on strengthening infection prevention and control and case management practices in health facilities (activities which mostly fall within the responsibility of the MoHMI Division for Patient Care).

Component 3 will support the project management, and monitoring and evaluation.

UNDP country office (CO) in Turkmenistan will be the implementer of the project, under overall coordination of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan (MoHMI).

In order to coordinate the smooth implementation of the WB funded programme and to achieve the Project objectives, UNDP Turkmenistan is seeking the services of the Project Manager (PM) to coordinate the implementation of the project, provide strategic direction for the programme, ensure institutional capacity development and health system strengthening for national response to COVID-19 as well as related health issues. The Project Manager will provide technical leadership to the implementation of the project, in collaboration with the Government, UN Agencies, donor and other partners, to ensure that the implemented Project will contribute to the broader national strategy and capacity development of national systems.

Overall project management:

• Management of the project implementation team on a daily basis to achieve the performance indicators agreed with the donor and in line with the approved Budgets and Work Plans; Management and supervision of project implementation and evaluation across all components.
• Assess the programmatic impact and oversee the appropriateness and the accuracy of methods used to verify progress and the results
• Analyse programmatic impact and takes decisions to correct possible deviations from targets
• Assurance of successful completion of the project in accordance with the stated outcomes and performance indicators summarized in the Project Appraisal Document.
• Regular communication and coordination with the National Partner, members of the Project Board, and all other partners and interested stakeholders, with regard to all project activities. Organization of Project Board meetings at least twice a year.
• Regular communication with senior UNDP management with regard to all project activities. Assurance of coordination with other UNDP projects and broad strategic initiatives.
• Preparation of Annual Work Plans (AWP), including monthly targets and deliverables as well as annual spending targets in accordance with the Project Document. Tracking of work outputs throughout the year in light of these Annual Work Plans.
• Tracking and managing of project spending in accordance with the project budget, as well as UNDP rules and procedures, to ensure transparency, responsibility, and timely fulfilment of both program targets and budget targets.
• Preparation of regular progress reports (programmatic and financial) as per the requirements of the World Bank spelled out in the Loan Agreement and Output Agreements.
• Preparation and submission of annual Project Implementation Reviews and other required progress reports to the Project Board and UNDP in accordance with applicable requirements, in all required languages (English, Russian, and/or Turkmen, using outside translation as needed).
• Coordination of the work of international and national consultants engaged in the project.
• Supervision of regular data collection and analysis, as well as reporting and public outreach via the mass media, events, and other means, to disseminate the results of the project.
• Oversight of the overall administration of the project office.
• Travel to the project sites within Turkmenistan if required; possible travel outside the country for participation in directly relevant international meetings.
• Support during the project evaluations, if any.

Running a project:

• Plan the detailed actions according to annual work plans of the project approved by the Project Board, lead project implementation and monitor progress against the initial quality criteria.
• Mobilize goods and services to initiate and implement activities, including drafting Terms of References (ToR) and work specifications.
• Performs functions of Project Manager in Atlas for approval of requisitions. Manage requests for the provision of financial resources by UNDP, using advance of funds, direct payments, or reimbursement. Monitors financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports.
• Ensure the project activities are covered by the UNDP communication means regarding the project events, deliverables and key achievements.

Closing a Project:

• Prepare Final Project Review Reports to be submitted and presented to the Project Board.
• Identify follow-on actions and submit them for consideration to the Project Board.
• Manage the transfer of project deliverables, documents, files, equipment and materials to national beneficiaries.
• Prepare final CDR for signature by UNDP and the National Partner.

Developing a Project:

• In cooperation with the Health Programme Specialist, lead the process of developing and mobilizing resources for new projects in the areas of Project Manager’s expertise.

• In the absence of the Health Programme Specialist assist and lead on issues related to overall programme management, development, resource mobilization and policy dialogue.

More specifically, PM will be in charge of the following:

A)  Project personnel management

• A.1) Assume responsibility for all professional staff directly, and for all support staff indirectly (project team); this includes all Consultants and Contractors.
• A.2) Endeavour to create a strong team spirit, cohesive and mutually supportive; encourage collaboration between individuals, the sharing of experiences and the solving of problems as a group; organize regular (weekly or fortnightly) staff meetings for this purpose.
• A.3) Mentor and guide project team to increase their understanding and capacities on project issues.
• A.4) Assign specific duties and tasks to specific individuals according to their Job Descriptions or Terms of Reference; ensure their full understanding of what is expected through agreement on deliverables and timescales; and agree on the resources and support that will be provided by the Project.
• A.5) Undertake individual performance assessments on an annual basis (or other period for Consultants/Contractors), acknowledging achievements and providing analysis and advice on problem aspects.
• A.6) While giving all professional personnel the “space” to carry out their professional duties, ensure that guidance and support are available whenever needed.
• A.7) Ensure that Project staff enjoy the conditions of employment as stipulated by UNDP, together with the responsibilities of their positions.
• A.8) Require regular (as agreed), formal and informal reporting on progress with the achievement of assigned tasks.

B)  Financial resources management

• B.1) Act as financial manager and retain the ultimate responsibility for financial resources for accountability purposes.
• B.2) Ensure total accuracy and the highest level of transparency in the management of the Project financial resources in accordance with UNDP and national regulations and procedures.
• B.3) Work with the project team and PIU to prepare all necessary financial reports to accompany Project quarterly and annual work plans and reports.

C)  Project outreach

• C.1) Serve as the Project’s ambassador and advocate within the broader stakeholder’s community and beneficiaries.
• C.2) Create and foster a good working relationship with the media (print, radio and television).
• C.3) Represent and promote the Project at national and international meetings.
• C.4) Contribute to the production and publication of public information material.
• C.5) Establish and maintain good working relationships and cooperation with peer project managers from other related projects within Turkmenistan and the Central Asia region.

D)  Project planning and implementation

• D.1) Lead the process of quarterly and annual planning of project activities, with the participation of all Project personnel; retain the ultimate responsibility for the finished plans and submit them to the UNDP for their concurrence.
• D.2) As noted under A.6 above, professional staff should be given the “space” to carry out their assigned tasks; but be alert to needs for support and advice; require progress reporting and accountability for resources used.
• D.3) In cooperation with relevant Project personnel build effective working relationships with the Project’s key partners (Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, health specialists, WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, etc.) and UNDP’s other teams working on health and non-health programmes.

E)  Monitoring and adaptive management

• E.1) Lead the implementation of the Project M&E Plan.
• E.2) Carry out monitoring visits to Project sites on a regular basis.
• E.3) Collate the results of monitoring, analyze them, and formulate proposals for adaptive management measures for consideration by the PB.
• E.4) Implement the decisions and advice of the PB.

F)  Reporting and accountability

• F.1) Provide a report to each PB meeting noting progress and achievements, acknowledging difficulties and proposing possible solutions for consideration and guidance by the PB.
• F.2) Assume the lead responsibility for the preparation and content of the annual Project Progress Report, with the full participation of relevant Project personnel.
• F.3) Jointly with the project team, prepare quarterly and annual project plans and reports and present them to the PB, donor, etc.
• F.4) Respond to request for reports on Project management and performance from any key stakeholders.

Institutional Arrangement

The World Bank project will be integrated into the Health portfolio of UNDP country office. At present the portfolio consists of the Global Fund TB grant and health procurement projects funded by the Government of Turkmenistan. The portfolio has active projects with total budget of about $57,0 mln for the period of 2021-2024.

The WB project will be implemented from 1 September 2021 to 30 June 2023. The project will be carried out under a national implementation modality (NIM). As the National Partner, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan (MoHMI) will oversee all aspects of project implementation. The National Partner will appoint staff member who will serve as the National Project Coordinator (NPC) and who will be the lead individual responsible for overseeing the corresponding project. Besides UNDP, two UN agencies: WHO and UNICE will be engaged in the project for technical assistance and risk communication activities, respectively. Overall governance of the project will be carried out by the Project Board, which will include the National Partner and other relevant ministries, UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, other UN agencies, civil society and academic sectors.

The UNDP will hire are dedicated project implementation unit of 8 staff including PM, finance, procurement, admin &logistics staff, monitoring and evaluation, social and environment specialists, customs clerk. The project will engage national and international consultants to provide focused technical assistance to the project as needed. The PM will be responsible for leading the project team in the day-to-day implementation of the Project and managing Project resources effectively and efficiently so as to achieve the Project Objective and Outcomes within the set timescale and available budget.  The PM reports to UNDP Health Programme Specialist.

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients " and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education:

• University Degree in any field.
• University or master’s degree in Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy will be advantage

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in management and implementation of a development project at national and international level.
• Experience in management of a medical or public health project will be advantage.
• Experience in the area of infectious diseases will be advantage.
• Experience in procurement, supply, or maintenance of medical equipment will be advantage.
• Experience in partnership building and management with multi-stakeholders, including government agencies, health donors and civil society organizations.

Language requirements:

• Fluency in English, Russian, and Turkmen.

Travel:

Travel to the regions of Turkmenistan maybe be associated with performing the functions.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
3. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as  reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Important applicant information

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

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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