ICT Project Manager

Vacancy code VA/2014/B5106/4726
Position title Project Manager - ICT
Department/office AEMO, Jerusalem
Duty station Ramallah, Palestine (State of)
Contract type Local ICA Specialist
Contract level LICA Specialist-7
Duration six months with possibility of extension
Application period 12-Feb-2014 to 19-Feb-2014


Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.
 
Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.
 
Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner expectations.
 
We employ more than 6,000 personnel and on behalf of our partners create thousands more work opportunities in local communities. Through our headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a network of offices, we oversee activities in more than 80 countries.
 

Background Information - Job-specific

The Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries.  He/she is expected to meet and exceed the organizations performance and delivery goals.
Functional Responsibilities

The project manager is responsible to produce/read the project documents (PID), Legal Agreement and have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project products are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the client. Success of the Project and hence Project Manager will be based on the Success Criteria of UNOPS engagements which are linked to the below responsibilities. A project manager at this level would likely be expected to manage a small or less complex project or work package delivering a limited number of products.  The duties and responsibilities of the Project Manager Level 1 are similar to that of the project manager Level 2, with the difference in grades being determined by the project level, complexity and level of responsibility of the specific position.  A project manager at this level would normally be responsible for a UNOPS Level 1 project.

The project manager is responsible for all aspects of the project life cycle. S/he must be able to apply, with directions, the below duties and responsibilities of the project success criteria:

 
Stakeholder Management:·        

Establish solid working relationship with the project board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders
Manage communications and ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in apposition to accept handover products.
Advise the client on issues that may impact the achievements of their outcomes (including issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance)
Manage the information flows between the Project Board/OC Director and the project

Delivery and Performance:·     
Implement approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the project board· 
Manage the production of the required products, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers.
Authorize Work Packages
Advise the Project Board and OC Manager of any deviations from the plan
Identify and manager risks so that maximum benefit to clients and stakeholders is achieved·
Manager and review product quality and ensure products are accepted·
Monitor and evaluate performance of service providers·
Identify and report potential business opportunities for UNOPS to supervisor
Identify and report threats to UNOPS internal business case to supervisor

Procedures:· 
Follow the Project Management Cycle Instructions and ensure that all organizational policy is complied with (Organizational Directives and Administrative Instructions)
Prepare/adapt the following plans for approval by the Project Board:  I. Project Initiation Documentation; II. Stage/Exception Plans and relevant Product Descriptions· 
   
Prepare the following reports:

-Highlight Reports
-End Stage Reports
-Operational Closure Checklist
-End Project Report
-Handover Report

Maintain the following records: i. Blue File; ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files as required by those practices as per OD12.
Ensure that all expenditure comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR).
Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project
Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel
Manage and remain accountable for expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports)
Where the Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.

Knowledge Management:
Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
Actively interact with other PMs and the PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practice on the Knowledge System.
Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies
Complete lessons learned as per reporting format
Incorporate lessons learned from others as per planning format

Personnel Management:
Lead and motivate the project management team
Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established
Ensure that performance reviews are conducted
Identify outstanding staff and bring them to the attention of the OC Director
Have a thorough understanding of UNOPS personnel contract modalities (including ICA and Staff)
Select, recruit and train team as required by project plans
Perform the Team Manager role, unless appointed to another person(s)
Perform Project Support role, unless appointed to another person or corporate/programme function
Ensure safety and security for all personnel and comply with UN DSS standards

Core Values:
Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity
Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans
Seek opportunities to recruit qualified local staff
Look for wars to build capacity of local counterparts
Harmonization within the UN and beyond
Understand the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and UNOPS; the project’s place in the UN system
Know the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and seek to contribute within the deliverables of the project

Service to Others
As the project is representative of the United Nations it should be firmly rooted in the principle of service to others.  This should be considered carefully in the development of project plans
Accountability for results and the use of resources
The project management processes are designed to deliver maximum accountability, transparency and results. If a project or processes is not in line with this, it is the responsibility of the PM to raise the issue to a supervisor
The Project Manager will have overall responsibility for the management of Software Development Teams along with the ICT Infrastructure Projects.
S/he will manage international and national personnel and consultants, ranging from software developers, technical writers and QA Testers..
S/he will promote high professional standards of project management, software design and ICT Infrastructure design across all disciplines, monitoring and evaluating to ensure conformity with UNOPS rules and regulations plus best practice outcomes
S/he will assist the Programme Manager in the review of project development opportunities and develop project proposals to secure ICT projects for the Project Centre.
S/he will establish and maintain strategies to address the professional development of peers in particular the Software Development Team to ensure that quality and a high level of technical expertise is available at all times for the execution of UNOPS’ services.

Competencies

Key Competencies
Below general Certifications, Contextual Skills and Project Management Skills are desired:

Certifications
Prince 2 Foundation

Contextual Skills
International organisations experience
Management experience

Project Management Skills
Budget Management
Financial Rules and Regulations
Knowledge Management
Monitoring and Evaluation
Project Management
Reporting
Risk Analysis
Stakeholder Management

 
Education/Experience/Language requirements

A-Education
Advanced University Degree in Computer science, Engineering, Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, Political/Security/Development Studies, or other relevant discipline. Additional years of relevant work experience, preferably in combination with a relevant bachelor’s degree, may substitute for the requirement for a master’s degree field
PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification – Preferred
Complete the UNOPS Project Management Foundation course (within one year after signing this TOR)
A relevant combination of academic credentials and / or industry certifications and qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the university education

B-Work Experience:
 
Standard:
 A minimum of 5 years (or more based on academic credentials) of progressive experience in project development and management, with focus on monitoring, reporting, development and coordination in either public or private sector organizations.

Work Experience
At least 7 years of relevant ICT experience at a managerial level.
Experience in the management and implementation of ICT Infrastructure design projects as well as large scale software development projects.
Relevant experience in developing countries for the purpose of ICT development.
Experience in dealing with customers and clients and providing a high degree of customer support, education, and service.
Experience in team management and skills development.
Experience in all aspects of ICT management including, financial management, contract management, risk management, staff management, quality management, and reporting
Experience in all aspects of Software Development Management including, Systems Architecture, Software Requirements Specification, Quality Assurance and Testing, Bug Management, and Documentation Management  
Knowledge of the UN system and familiarity with UNOPS procedures is a distinct advantage.

C. Language
Fluency in Arabic and English is essential.
Contract type, level and duration


Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)
Contract level: Local ICA Level 7
Contract duration: Six Months with possibility of extension

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Additional Considerations
Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. 

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

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