Background
ย Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:ย we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a โleave no one behindโ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
ย 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.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UNโs global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build aย better life, as envisaged by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are on the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP andย our wide range of partners that can bring about results. ย In line with the UNDP Digital Strategy for 2022-2025, UNDP seeks to stay ahead of the ever-changingย digital reality to accelerate progress toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goalsย (SDGs). For instance, UNDP has helped to adopt 580 digital solutions in 82 countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, building on a long history of project-level digital support for partners, UNDP will support Turkmenistan to benefit from the positive international experience accumulated in the region and the world.The Government of Turkmenistan has firmly chosen the course for the digitalย transformation of the country and the transition to a digital economy. In this regard, on November 30, 2018,ย theย Conceptย forย theย Developmentย ofย the Digitalย Economyย of Turkmenistanย and on Februaryย 12,ย 2021, the State Program for the Development of the Digital Economy of Turkmenistan for 2021- 2025 were adopted. Under this program, it is planned to gradually introduce the principles of the digital economy following the Action Plan for the development of the digital economy of Turkmenistan, including the introduction of the Electronic Data Interchange system (hereinafter EDI) in Turkmenistan. ย The United Nations Development Program in Turkmenistan (hereinafter UNDP CO), has been requested to provide its assistance in establishing the EDI system as the main enabler to develop its e-government system. Based on Memorandum of Understanding with theย Agency \"โTurkmenaragatnashyk\"โ of the Agencyย ofย Transportย andย Communicationsย underย theย Cabinetย ofย Ministersย ofย Turkmenistanย (hereinafter referred to as the National Partner), it has been agreed that the development of the pilot Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system will be based on the X-road platform. ย This project will consist of the installation and configuration of the X-road platform, but will also include other tasks such as analyzing the readiness of the legal framework, preparing recommendations for the national partner on the improvement of ICT infrastructure and institutional set-up in the country to accommodate data interoperability, and capacity building of the national partnerโs team. The project will be a pilotย one, involving a limitedย numberย of government bodies. Theย project is expectedย to lastย forย 3ย years while further scaling up of the EDI system will be based on the results of the project. ย In this regard, UNDP CO is looking for a Project Manager who will be responsible for managing all aspects of the project, from developing project plans and budgets to overseeing project activities and ensuringย that they are delivered on time and within budget. Project Manager is supposed to work closely with a range of stakeholders, including governments and development partners, to ensure that the project is aligned with national priorities and contribute to sustainable development outcomes.
ย Duties and Responsibilitiesย
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The Project Manager will be in charge of the following:
Overall project management:
Management of the project a daily basis to achieve the performance indicators agreed with the donor and in line with the approved Budgets and Work Plans; Management and supervision of project implementation and evaluation across all components.ย Assess the programmatic impact and oversee the appropriateness and the accuracy of methods used to verify progress and the results. Analyse programmatic impact and takes decisions to correct possible deviations from targets.ย Assurance of successful completion of the project in accordance with the stated outcomes and performance indicators summarized in the Project Appraisal Document. Regular communication and coordination with the National Partner, members of the Project Board, and all other partners and interested stakeholders, with regard to all project activities. Organization of Project Board meetings at least twice a year. Regular communication with senior UNDP management with regard to all project activities. Assurance of coordination with other UNDP projects and broad strategic initiatives. Preparation of Annual Work Plans (AWP), including monthly targets and deliverables as well as annual spending targets in accordance with the Project Document. Tracking of work outputs throughout the year in light of these Annual Work Plans. Tracking and managing of project spending in accordance with the project budget, as well as UNDP rules and procedures, to ensure transparency, responsibility, and timely fulfilment of both program targets and budget targets. Preparation of regular progress reports (programmatic and financial) as per the requirements of UNDP and National Partner. Preparation and submission of annual Project Implementation Reviews and other required progress reports to the Project Board and UNDP in accordance with applicable requirements, in all required languages (English, Russian, and/or Turkmen, using outside translation as needed). Coordination of the work of international and national consultants engaged in the project. Supervision of regular data collection and analysis, as well as reporting and public outreach via the mass media, events, and other means, to disseminate the results of the project. Oversight of the overall administration of the project office. Travel to the project sites within Turkmenistan if required; possible travel outside the country for participation in directly relevant international meetings. Support during the project evaluations, if any. Plan the detailed actions according to annual work plans of the project approved by the Project Board and monitor progress against the initial quality criteria. Mobilize goods and services to initiate activities, including drafting Terms of References (ToR) and work specifications. Performs functions of Project Manager in Quantum (UNDP online system) for approval of requisitions. Manage requests for the provision of financial resources by UNDP, using advance of funds, direct payments, or reimbursement. Monitors financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports. Ensure the project activities are covered by the UNDP communication means regarding the project events, deliverables and key achievements. Prepare Final Project Review Reports to be submitted and presented to the Project Board. Identify follow-on actions and submit them for consideration to the Project Board. Manage the transfer of project deliverables, documents, files, equipment and materials to national beneficiaries. Prepare final CDR (Combined Delivery Reports) for signature by UNDP and the National Partner. In cooperation with the Democratic Governance Programme Analyst, lead the process of developing and mobilizing resources for new projects in the areas of Project Managerโs expertise.ยFinancial resources management
Act as financial manager and retain the ultimate responsibility for financial resources for accountability purposes. Ensure total accuracy and the highest level of transparency in the management of the Project financial resources in accordance with UNDP and national regulations and procedures. Ensure timely preparation of all necessary financial reports, including the Annual and Final Donor Reports, Quarterly Combined Delivery Reports, etc.Project outreach
Serve as the Projectโs ambassador and advocate within the broader stakeholderโs community and beneficiaries. Create and foster a good working relationship with the media (print, radio and television). Represent and promote the Project at national and international meetings. Contribute to the production and publication of public information material. Establish and maintain good working relationships and cooperation with peer project managers from other related projects within Turkmenistan and the Central Asia region.Project planning and implementation
Lead the process of quarterly and annual planning of project activities, with the participation of all Project personnel; retain the ultimate responsibility for the finished plans and submit them to the UNDP for their concurrence. Build effective working relationships with the main national partner and the projectโs key stakeholders and UNDPโs other teams.Monitoring and adaptive management
Reporting and accountability
Provide a report to each Project Board meeting noting progress and achievements, acknowledging difficulties and proposing possible solutions for consideration and guidance by the Project Board. Assume the lead responsibility for the preparation and content of the annual Project Progress Report. ย Prepare quarterly and annual project plans and reports and present them to the Project Board, donor, etc. Respond to request for reports on Project management and performance from any key stakeholders.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
Working under the supervision of the UNDP Programme Analyst to whom he/she will report and the overall guidance of the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, the Project Manager will be responsible for day-to-day implementation of the Project and managing Project resources effectively and efficiently to achieve the Project Objective and Outcomes within the set timescale and available budget.ย
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Core Competencies: Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making
People Management Competencies: ย UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicatedย site. ย Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies: System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system Financial Planning and budgeting: Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDPโs long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/ or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding Data governance: Knowledge of data science, skills to develop data management tools, organize and maintain databases and operate data visualization technologies Digital business analysis: Ability to support digital business processes across a range of digital projects, programmes and activities E-governance: Knowledge of how it works, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society ย Required Skills and Experience ย Education: Master's degree ย in Public Administration, Business Administration, Management, Change Management, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) or other related fields,ย orย Bachelorโs degree in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Master`s degree Experience: Minimumย 2 years (with masterโs degree) or 4 years (with bachelorโs degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in in providing management advisory services, and/or hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects. Experience in managing complex projects related to infrastructure development, information systems development, public administration, and change management
Languages:
Fluency in English, Russian and Turkmen is requiredRequired Skills:
Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packagesDesired Skills:
Experience in partnership building and management with multi-stakeholders, including government agencies, and other development partners will be advantage. Experience in designing new services, optimizing business processesย inย publicย andย commercialย sectorย willย beย advantage. Professional certification in project management will be advantage ย Disclaimerย Applicant information about UNDP rosters
ย Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
ย Non-discrimination
ย UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.ย ย
ย UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.ย
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