Project Manager (NPSA-10)

UNDP Tajikistan works with the people and Government of Tajikistan, and other development partners to pursue equitable and sustainable human development goals through eradication of poverty, increase in livelihood opportunities, improvement in community resilience against conflict, disasters and impact of climate change, while laying down strong foundations for a society based on rule of law with an inclusive and participatory democracy.

Currently, the overarching priority of UNDP work in Tajikistan is to help the Government and its people build a cohesive society and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Young women and young men are recognized as as “critical agents of change” to achieve the abovementioned strategic goals and are taking proactive actions to ensure youth involvement in creating a more equal and peaceful society as stressed in the UNSC Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security.

In Tajikistan, young people make up 66% of the population. However, they face disproportionate social, economic and political barriers which prevent them from unleashing their full potential. They often face significant barriers to full participation in public life – having adverse impacts on the economy, politics, peace and development at large.

To respond to these challenges, UNDP in Tajikistan over the last years has initiated several projects to promote youth-focused and youth-led development by strengthening the socio-economic inclusion of youth in the country and promoting their active participation in decision-making processes at the local level. Through its initiatives, UNDP promotes inclusive youth participation in local development planning, economic empowerment of youth and strengthen youth engagement in building resilience in their communities etc. Interventions also include enhancing local institutional capacities, strengthening knowledge and skills related to peacebuilding and enhancing youth interaction with key stakeholders.

In 2021 UNDP elaborated a new project on “Strengthening social cohesion through participation and advancement of rights among young men and women vulnerable to radicalism” in close consultations with and in line with proposals provided by the General Prosecutor Office. With the support of the Global Affairs Canada, the project will be focused on building the capacity of the State to establish mechanisms of closer interaction and coordination between key actors involved in the prevention of violent extremism (PVE), strengthening the institutional and individual capacity of key government and national non-government actors, improving collaboration with civil society institutions and the media and provision of technical and substantial support in the implementation of the PVE Strategy II.

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative and direct supervision of Team Leader/Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights and in close cooperation with the Project’s team, the Project Manager will be responsible for the overall management and technical leadership of the projects related to PVE and social cohesion, including:

Management and Delivery of Project Results:

• Day-to-day management through planning and implementing envisaged project activities, management of resources and monitoring progress against the intended outputs and initial quality criteria;
• Oversee and monitor implementation of work plans and budgets for all activities;
• Ensure conformity of results with the Project Document and UNDP rules and procedures through budget preparation and management, planning and general monitoring of the project;
• Ensure activities are well coordinated with programme components led by other partners;
• Ensure timely and high-quality reporting to management and donors against work plans and according to agreed structure;
• Ensure effective governance of the project through the organization of projects’ Steering Committee meetings and preparation of technical inputs on the progress of work and risks management;
• Ensure that human rights-based approach, gender empowerment, and conflict-sensitive programming are mainstreamed throughout activities design and implementation;
• Provide strategic guidance and supervision to project staff as well as national and international experts/consultants in the delivery of assigned tasks/responsibilities as well as develop Terms of References;
• Oversee the effective communication of results and build the visibility of the Programme amongst the government and CSOs in Tajikistan as well as among the international community within and outside the country;
• Ensure overall accountability of the use of project funds as well as the strict and consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations in all programme operations;
• Ensure visibility of the project, including adherence to visibility standards and templates of the donor, UNDP and Government, as required.
•  Support UNDP’s efforts for resource mobilization, including in planning and costing project inputs in close consultations with Senior Management;

Policy and Technical Advisory functions to UNDP and Government Counterparts:

• Provide support to the Government of Tajikistan in the implementation of international commitments and national strategies and programmes on the prevention of violent extremism;
• Provide intellectual or substantive leadership in the subject area through identification of key policy issues and formulation of best possible and alternative policy and programme options at local and national levels;
• Stimulate strategic thinking in the subject area, taking into account the needs of Government, local authorities, non-government and development partners as well as opportunities to develop national public goods;
• Map on a consistent basis the PVE-related development issues, covering the situation and strategic opportunities in the form of reports;
• Identify opportunities to enhance teamwork within the project and with other UNDP projects to capitalize on the specific advantages of multi-disciplinary support within the framework of the project;
• Provide policy advice on the ongoing policy development on peacebuilding and PVE and ensure the optimal design and sequencing necessary for enhancing the existing legal framework and institutional strengthening;
• Contribute to policy briefs, strategic notes, discussion papers on emerging PVE-related issues, for consideration by the Government and other stakeholders;

Coordination and Partnership:

• Establish trustful relationships and maintain a continuous and constructive dialogue with government, civil society, local communities and donors to maximize consistency and synergy on peacebuilding and social cohesion interventions and to maximize impact and results;
• Cooperate with the different actors at various levels supporting their specific roles in peacebuilding, social cohesion and PVE setup.
• Identify stakeholders and partners for the undertaking of various project outputs and activities;
• Develop new partnerships with civil society and/or non-governmental/ community-based organizations; local communities and the private sector to deliver the project outputs and activities, as required;
• Collaborate with ongoing peacebuilding and PVE projects and strengthen the existing initiatives;
• Ensure adequate information flow, discussions and feedback among the various stakeholders of the project according to the agreed management arrangements;
• Ensure regular communication of project results, including producing communication products and visibility materials, and liaison with media in Tajikistan and beyond;

Knowledge Management:

• Contribute to building the corporate body of knowledge in the area of peacebuilding and prevention of violent extremism, by systematically (1) sharing knowledge with respective colleagues, and (2) ensuring that relevant experiences and lessons are well disseminated;
• Contribute written inputs to UNDP flagship products/newsletter/policy briefs, based on project results, data and information, lessons learned and best practices;
• Formulate a framework for data sharing among stakeholders, for project implementation;
• Ensure systemic capturing of key lessons learned generated by the project through feasibility studies, research, surveys as well as other primary and secondary sources to produce knowledge-based products;
• Constantly monitor, and ensure the highest UNDP standards in the provision of technical and advisory inputs, organization of workshops, seminars, training and delivery of outputs (products);
• Serve as a peer reviewer, as and when required.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative and direct supervision of Team Leader/Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights and in close cooperation with the Project’s team, the Project Manager will be responsible for the overall management and technical leadership of the projects related to PVE and social cohesion. The Project Manager supervises and leads the Project Officer and Administrative and Finance Associate for “Strengthening social cohesion through participation and advancement of rights among young men and women vulnerable to radicalism”. In addition, the Project Manager is expected to provide oversight support to other PVE and social cohesion related initiatives implemented by UNDP.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

• Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources
• Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome. Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Results-based management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
• Partnership Management: Ability to 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
• Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
• 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.

• Master’s degree in political science, conflict prevention, public administration, or related field.
• Bachelor’s degree with additional two years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Master’s degree.

• Minimum of five years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in the development sector, with programme/project management responsibilities.
• In-depth knowledge of Government structure and Legal and Institutional framework, and a good understanding of Tajikistan and Central Asia socio-political context.
• Previous experience in working with Government and a wide range of donors, international organizations, INGOs and experience in resource mobilization is an asset.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Tajik (written and spoken). 
• Russian is an advantage.

Required Skills:

• Good knowledge about Tajikistan, Central Asia and its development context in peacebuilding and conflict prevention and prevention of violent extremism in particular; Familiarity with the ongoing security reforms and PVE-related initiatives in Tajikistan.
• Good knowledge of human rights-based approaches, gender mainstreaming, conflict-sensitive programme and result-based management.

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

• Experience in working with the UN is an advantage.
• Computer literate, with proficiency with office software packages, experience in handling web-based management and knowledge management systems.

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.