Project Manager

 

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

 

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) was established through a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 1978, calling upon UNDP “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people”. Since its establishment, UNDP/PAPP has delivered over USD

1.7 billion in development assistance to the Palestinian People.

 

UNDP’s Palestinian Programmatic Framework (PPF) 2023-2025 sets out a vision of “a world in which all Palestinians can enjoy a dignified life and fulfil their own vision of a unified, peaceful and free society”. The PPF is centered around the concept of ‘Transformative Resilience’ and its three elements: a cohesive Palestinian identity, self-reliance, and ownership and leadership.

 

Over the next three years, UNDP/PAPP will build on its experiences and achievements to make critical contributions to the priorities defined by the Palestinian national development plans and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), through interventions in three programmatic priority areas: i) democratic governance and quality services; ii) inclusive economic opportunities; iii) sustainable natural resources management.

 

UNDP/PAPP is seeking a candidate to fill the position of Project Manager based in Jerusalem, to manage the Socio-Economic Resilience project in East Jerusalem. The Project aims to address the multidimensional vulnerabilities of Palestinian Jerusalemites and strengthen their resilience against deteriorating socio-economic and political conditions, as well as foster Palestinian self-reliance and shared identity at the individual and community levels. The project seeks to link immediate response with medium- to longer-term solutions - thus strengthening the HDP Nexus, through an integrated package of socio- economic interventions through an area-based approach.

 

Specifically, the project will respond to immediate support to the health system in East Jerusalem including medications for cancer treatment and relevant supplies and equipment, will assist the continuation of the residency programme at East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN) and intend to develop new solutions for the uninsured Palestinians who are living in East Jerusalem. Additionally, in the medium and long-term, the project will contribute to enhancing the revitalization of the tourism sector in the old city and will scale up interventions through focus on economic revitalization and preservation of culture heritage and aiming to introduce new solutions for housing and urban planning in the city.

 

The project will be implemented in full partnership with the Palestinian counterparts over two phases: the first inception phase (6 months), aims to deliver immediate health support (component 1), and simultaneously test and finetune the implementation approach and programme strategy for the economic revitalization and cultural tourism (component 2) and urban planning and housing (component 3). This will allow for greater stakeholder understanding, agreement and ownership of the project vision throughout the process. Accordingly, the project will be rolled out for full implementation upon the finalization of the inception phase. The project is harmonized with other UNDP initiatives, in specific, education, TVET, solar energy, and the Transformative Resilience framework.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Manager will undertake the following functions:

 

1)    Ensuring effective project management by maintaining the delivery of appropriate technical, operational, financial, and administrative outputs, while tracking the project’s progress through monitoring, evaluation:

•    Implement and manage the project on a day-to-day basis, coordinate the implementation of the respective activities based on the relevant project document, including, as needed, supervision and guidance of other project staff, consultants and experts with a view to achieving project results;

•    Ensure the timely and quality delivery of planned project activities;

•    Develop comprehensive/detailed project work-plans that include all project activities and roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders and set-out corresponding milestones;

•    Monitor the progress of implementation of project activities and key event schedules, review the work- plans and set deadlines, and monitor the financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports;

•    Mobilize goods and services to support project activities, including Call for Proposals, drafting TORs and works/product requirements and specifications;

•    Manage and monitor project risks initially identified, submitting information on the new risks and possible mitigating measures to the Project Board for consideration and updating the status of these risks by maintaining a Project Risk Log;

•    Assume responsibilities in line with the office Internal Control Framework and act as a `first authority` for Project transactions;

•    Ensure the adherence of project activities to the existing financial, procurement and administrative processes that are in line with prevailing UNDP rules and regulations and, at the same time, observe

the project timelines;

•    Ensure that gender equality is pursued in all project activities and reflected in work plans, budgets, reports, research, analyses and, where relevant, analyzed in detail;

•    Ensure that accessibility for persons with disabilities is reflected in all project activities;

•    Consult regularly with other UNDP projects and programs on related activities, where synergies are possible.

 

2)    Coordination and building strong partnerships with the implementing partners and relevant stakeholders, focusing on achievement of the following:

•    Maintain strong relationships with the implementing partners, line ministries and other relevant partners and donors;

•    Finalize the contractual agreements with implementing partners;

•    Maintain regular coordination and quality assurance of expert inputs and products, as well as among project partners to ensure coherence and complementarity of project activities;

•    Identify opportunities for deepening the cooperation and recommending adequate approaches to dealing with different stakeholders based on information on all relevant stakeholders gathered during projects’ implementation;

•    Maintain regular communication on relevant project issues with the local and international counterparts, consultants and experts and ensuring quality and timely delivery of all agreed outputs;

•    Maintain effective linkages with current and potential donors;

•    Engage with groups and communities in project activities to reflect their needs and elements of success to the planned interventions.

•    Communicate project goals and activities clearly to both stakeholders and the wider public.

 

3)    Preparation and finalization of the reporting, focusing on the achievement of the following:

•    Prepare project progress and ad hoc reports (progress against planned activities, update on risks issues, expenditures…) and ensure timely submission of the reports to the project board and relevant donor(s). The developed reports are expected to be of good quality with proper analysis of the results.

•    Assist in periodical corporate reporting, including Atlas quarterly progress and ROAR;

•    Develop presentations and other materials that are needed to share information on achievements, challenges, etc.

•    Update and file the relevant documentation.

 

4)    Knowledge sharing and other relevant responsibilities pertaining to the project implementation and contribution to the office’s overall programmatic initiatives, focusing on the achievement of the following:

•    Ensure compilation and synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices throughout project implementation;

•    Support the strategic sharing of relevant knowledge and information gathered throughout the project implementation phase, in close collaboration with the Communications & Partnerships Specialist;

•    Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;

•    Actively commit to learning for advancing professional skills and career.

 

5)    Perform any other duties as assigned by the Supervisor.

 

Institutional Arrangement:

 

The Project Manager will undertake duties under the guidance of Assistant Special Representatives and direct supervision of the Programme Design and Implementation Analyst and will supervise personnel, mainly project coordinator at level NPSA 7, in addition to a pool of experts as deemed necessary within the project scope.

 

Competencies:

 

Core competencies:

 

Achieve Results:  Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively:  Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility:  Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination:  Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner:  Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:  Facilitate conversations to bridge differences,considers in decision making

 

People Management:

 

The Project Manager will be responsible for managing the personnel and experts who will be hired and contracted to assist the implementation of the project. A project coordinator will be hired at level of NPSA 7, to support the Project Manager in carrying out the day-to-day management in line with the above- mentioned functions. Additionally, a pool of experts will be contracted under the supervision of the Project Manager at different specialties for insurance systems, economic revitalization, tourism, and urban planning and housing.