Background Information - Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organisations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.
UNOPS provides infrastructure, procurement and project management services for a more sustainable world. Firmly grounded in UN values, we ensure our partners maximize the positive impact of their peace and security, humanitarian and development projects. Equality, inclusiveness, sustainability and resilience form the foundations of our work. UNOPS in Sri Lanka is based in Colombo and is responsible for helping the Government of Sri Lanka and partner organizations deliver social and economic rehabilitation in areas affected by the 2004 tsunami and decades of armed conflict. UNOPS in Sri Lanka helps partners achieve their project goals in sectors including physical infrastructure, the environment and poverty mitigation. UNOPS has been actively supporting Sri Lanka since 2005, first in the post-tsunami response and reconstruction process, then focusing on socio-economic development. Working closely with the Government, UNOPS assisted in development of sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure, procurement and project management in education, fisheries, roads, health, water supply systems and integrated solid waste management sectors.
Background Information - Job-specificProject Information
The project โSupport to the Development Partners (DPs) Secretariatโ is jointly funded by the Government of Canada and the United Nations Resident Coordinatorโs Office. It aims to strengthen the Development Partners coordination framework in Sri Lanka, which consists of a DP Strategic Group, a DP Forum, a Bilateral Donor Group, and eight (8) Thematic Working Groups. The DP Secretariat coordinates these groupings, thereby facilitating dialogue among bilateral and multilateral donors/missions, development partners, and entities of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). The Secretariat plays a key role in promoting donor coordination and coherence, knowledge management and information sharing, and gender equality integration, contributing to the countryโs development priorities.
Functional ResponsibilitiesUnder the guidance of the Project Management Support-Senior Officer (Head of DP Secretariat), the Knowledge Management Senior Assistant will be responsible for:
Knowledge management components of project implementation
Support in developing and implementing a knowledge management framework for the DP Secretariat to include an evergreen mapping of donor initiatives organized by sector/working group.
Compile and maintain an evergreen mapping of donor initiatives organized by sector/working group, and ensure the mapping/data is on a platform accessible to all development partners.
Assist the organization and preparation of minutes of DP meetings (i.e. DP strategic group, DP forum, Bilateral Donor Group, and Thematic working groups) and other coordination events as needed.
Gather, maintain and manage contact information of all stakeholders across the development partners structure (i.e. DP strategic group, DP forum, Bilateral Donor Group, and Thematic working groups).
Build and maintain regular contact and professional working relationship with all stakeholders.
Assist the preparation of statistical data from internal and external sources; prepare charts, tables, and reports of different and relevant topics including gender equality. Regularly update and maintain the DP database of contacts per bilateral and multilateral donor/mission, and GoSL contacts.
Support the day-to-day programme/project implementation by following deadlines, commitments made, actions taken, and coordination of collection and submission of the required reports.
Provide information for social media.
Actively support the knowledge management, knowledge networking and visibility of DP Secretariat.
Facilitate the organization of advocacy events, workshops, stakeholdersโ dialogues and round-tables.
Financial management
Support the preparation of project's financial reports.
Process payment requests.
Administrative functions
Draft routine correspondence and communications e.g. to convene the DP strategic group, DP forum, Bilateral Donor Group, and Thematic working groups.Organize and hold introductory meetings to integrate newly arrived DP staff into the DP coordination structures.
Establish and maintain filing systems to record communications with stakeholders.
Update data relevant to the DP coordination structures on a platform accessible to all development partners.
Ensure flow of information and dissemination of materials with all concerned.
Provide logistical and administrative support to missions, travel arrangements and meetings.
Monitoring and progress controls
Gather data under the monitoring framework and prepare draft reports on progress for review.
Ensure all tasks are completed with quality and within the timeline agreed with the Head of the DP Secretariat.
Education/Experience/Language requirementsEducation Secondary School (high school diploma or equivalent) with five (5) years of relevant experience is required. Masterโs Degree or Bachelorโs degree in social science, law or business administration, public administration or relevant disciplines will be considered an asset and might reduce some of the the required years of experience.
Experience
A minimum of 5 years of experience (or less, depending on academic credentials) at the national and/or international level in operations support or coordination roles is required.
Experience in preparing business correspondence and the use of Google Suite is highly desirable.
Experience in the development sector, gender equality and gender mainstreaming is desirable.
Experience in knowledge management and communication is preferable.
Language Requirements
Proficiency in English is required.
Knowledge of Sinhala or Tamil is highly desirable.
Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above) Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground. Contract type, level and duration
Contract type: ICA
Contract level: Local ICA Support - LICA 5/ICS 5
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.
For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx
Additional Information
Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.
Terms and Conditions
For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.