Project Manager

 

 

 

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 centred 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 Support to Education – Phase II project. This project builds on ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of the education system in East Jerusalem, and addresses national priorities articulated in the Education Sector Strategy 2021-2023, with a focus on improving access to and quality of education and address the shortages of classrooms. As such the project has two main objectives:

Address the shortage of classrooms in East Jerusalem and resulting overcrowding in schools through the implement alternative mechanisms such as purchasing of buildings and transform them into school facilities. A building complex was identified in this direction to be converted to a school.Complement the national efforts by providing an education package to institutionalize education services and respond to education priorities. As such, the project will target 20 marginalized schools in and around the Old City of East Jerusalem to invest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Moreover, interventions will focus on improving education services for students with learning difficulties, enhancing positive behaviour and reducing the level of violence and negative attitudes among the students by supporting after- school/awareness activities through music, drama and community outreach interventions. The project will be implemented in partnership with local CSOs and NGOs, and jointly with the relevant governmental departments.

 

• • 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.
  • Coordination and building strong partnerships with the implementing partners and relevant stakeholders.
  • Preparation and finalization of the reporting.
  • Knowledge sharing and other relevant responsibilities pertaining to the implementation of assigned activities and contribution to the office’s overall programmatic initiatives.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

The Project Manager will undertake the following functions:

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 in different educational fields and engineering capacities.