Project Coordination Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in some 170 countries and territories, supporting their own solutions to development challenges and developing national and local capacities that will help them achieve human development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated on three main focus areas: • Sustainable development; • Democratic governance and peacebuilding; • Climate and disaster resilience. UNDP helps countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we promote gender equality and the protection of human rights. UNDP has enhanced its support to countries to work towards the eradication of extreme poverty, enabling us to build back better and work towards innovative solutions to the complex global challenges. We have refined our service offering through six signature solutions to provide a more integrated response to the development challenges that we are all facing in this complex global environment. This includes a mix of policy advice, technical assistance, catalytic financing and innovative programmes tailored to country specific needs to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals through six our signature solutions on - poverty, governance, resilience, environment, energy, gender equality.

Context

The assignment will entail regular mission travel to Meheba and Mayukwayukwa, Resettlement Schemes. The Promoting Human Security through Sustainable Resettlement Programme began in January 2017, as the successor to the Local Integration Programme (2014-2016), in two new resettlement schemes located in the refugee resettlements of Mayukwayukwa (Kaoma District, Western Province) and Meheba (Kalumbila District, North-Western Province). It is the primary vehicle for shifting from a humanitarian to a long-term development approach to enable the UN in Zambia to support the local integration of former refugees from Angola and Rwanda and Zambian citizens, with the aim of creating communities that respect Zambia’s core national values of peace, tolerance and security. This programme brings together the knowledge and expertise of other UN Agencies in Zambia to focus on strengthening synergies by reinforcing and complementing each other’s work whilst working within their respective mandates. The overall goal of the programme is that, by 2021, communities living in the targeted resettlement schemes are cohesive, productive, sustainable and fully integrated into development at all levels. This programme recognizes that successful local integration cannot be instant but must be planned and supported over time. The programme has three outcomes: 1. Government at national and subnational levels undertake inclusive and participatory planning and governance processes that incorporate the targeted resettlement schemes 2. Communities in and around the targeted resettlement schemes have access to social services. 3. Resettlement communities are tolerant, inclusive and integrated with the surrounding society, enabling people to live in peace and harmony to realize their aspirations. This programme recognizes that successful local integration cannot be instant but must be planned and supported over time. Specifically, the program recognizes that the following transitions must be managed: I. The transition from the status of refugee to that of new permanent resident of Zambia (and possible future Zambian citizenship); II. The transition of lead responsibility in Government from the Officer of the Commissioner for Refugees under the Ministry of Home Affairs, to the Department for Resettlement in the Office of the Vice President; III. The transition of lead responsibility within the UN in Zambia from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with a humanitarian response, to a cross-UN approach led by the UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, supporting a long-term sustainable development approach; The Sustainable Resettlement Programme brings together the knowledge and expertise of UN Agencies in Zambia (UNDP, UNHCR, UN HABITAT, FAO, ILO, UNICEF, UNFPA, IOM) to seek to create synergies by each complementing each other and following their respective mandates.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager – Sustainable Resettlement Programme (SRP), and overall supervision of the Inclusive Growth and SDGs Unit Head, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Provide internal and external coordination work support with UN agencies and other partners, in partnership with the Department of Resettlement; • Identify areas of cooperation and coordination with JICA for implementation of joint activities within the area of the programme (technical cooperation); • Assist in the preparation of project proposals, project design documents, project intervention concept notes, activity reports, quarterly, mid-year, annual and donor reports and support inputs into UNDP (e.g., ROAR) and UN annual reporting requirements as per UNDP and UN guidelines respectively; • In collaboration with Scheme Coordinators and Managers mobilize and facilitate activity implementation and engagement of implementing/responsible parties; • Facilitate the development of monitoring and progress reports on programme implementation and related field missions in conjunction with the Department of Resettlement, as requested or as per field visit; • Attend partnership meetings and other relevant programmes and UN Result Group meetings when called upon; Identify resource mobilization opportunities with other partners including the private sector and global initiatives in close collaboration with the UNDP Programme Compliance Oversight and Monitoring Unit (PCOM); • Organize and participate in programme level coordination meetings and/or technical working groups as per programme document and AWP; • Provide input and assist with the preparation of communications and public relations materials to increase the visibility of the programme; • Support the systematic building of capacities of Implementing Partners (IPs) through introduction of innovation and best practices, access to knowledge and expertise and promote its application to programme implementation; • Promote teamwork, information sharing and collaboration within the Programme Team and amongst the stakeholders; • Facilitate programme documentation and knowledge sharing of best practices and lessons learned as applicable to Zambia.