General Background
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is a United Nations body responsible for infrastructure, procurement and project management (General Assembly Resolution 65/176 of 2010). Our mission is to help people improve their lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. UNOPS’ three priority areas are:
i) Sustainable Infrastructure: Designing, building, repairing, and maintaining infrastructure in challenging environments, focusing on transportation, education, and health infrastructure.
ii) Public Procurement: Serving as a central procurement resource for the UN system and governments, emphasizing efficient, transparent, and sustainable delivery of goods and services.
iii) Project Management: Managing over a thousand humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding projects annually for various partners, ensuring quality, effectiveness, and results that meet the highest standards.
UNOPS’ work seeks environmental, social, and economic sustainability, which contributes to the progress of equity and the common good of the countries in which it operates, thus promoting the improvement of the living conditions of the most needy people. UNOPS has a presence in 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The services, products,s and technical assistance comply with the principles of public administration of transparency, equity, integrity, free competition, impartiality, morality, effectiveness, efficiency, and respect for national institutions.
Project Information
This position is a shared resource supporting two critical infrastructure initiatives in Sint Maarten:
Rule of Law Facility (Prison): A project to strengthen the justice system by constructing a new detention facility that meets modern standards for security and human rights.
Sanitation Project (Dutch Quarter): A project aimed at improving access to reliable and sustainable sanitation services for the local population in the Dutch Quarter
About Our Culture
Our work contributes to building the foundations for countries and communities to achieve peace and sustainable development, guided by our values: Inclusion, Integrity, Humility and Humanity.
Under the direct supervision of the Senior Project Manager, the Contract Management Officer is responsible for supporting the procurement processes and the day-to-day administration of contracts.
The Contract Management Senior Officer will ensure that goods and services are purchased according to UNOPS rules and that, once signed, contracts are managed efficiently to ensure suppliers deliver on time and within budget.
Contract Compliance & Monitoring:
Serve as the administrator for contracts.
Monitor the contractor’s compliance with all clauses, including insurance validity, performance security (bonds), and requirements.
Track key contract dates, such as expiration dates, delivery milestones, and renewal periods to ensure no lapses in coverage.
Ensure that service management is well structured, with understanding of the guidelines by both parties, and that suppliers understand the service they must provide and are provided with the information and contacts necessary for such.
Contribute to the development of a comprehensive and objective performance management framework to be implemented when the contract is signed, providing incentives for the supplier to meet or exceed agreed performance standards.
Draft communication to suppliers (other than technical) for the PM review and submittal
Liaise with relevant UNOPS office to ensure adequate follow up on action to be taken
Financial Management & Payments:
Manage the interim payment process certification by the technical team and document record/control)
Ensure strict control over the project cash flow by tracking actual payments against the forecasted payment schedule.
Maintain a complete financial register of the contract, including all approved payments, pending invoices, and retentions held.
Implement the use of contract management software to record key information and to provide, for example, search capability so that ongoing contract management information and documentation is retained, managed, and easily accessible when needed.
Put in place mechanisms (preferably technological) to identify key contract “trigger points” such as notice periods, health certificates and/or expiration dates of goods.
Develop indicators and dashboards and maintain regular and ad hoc reports of contract management information.
Follow established procedures for handling administration around contract closure or termination.
Ensure that payments are made to suppliers in accordance with the contract and that payment mechanisms are documented, clear, and well understood by all parties (including incentives, penalties, and non-standard charges).
Liaise with relevant UNOPS office to ensure adequate follow up on action to be taken
Variations & Change Management:
Draft and process “Change Orders” or “Variations” when the scope of work changes.
Ensure that all changes are formally documented, approved (amendment), and signed before work proceeds to avoid disputes.
Liaise with relevant UNOPS office to ensure adequate follow up on action to be taken
Claims & Dispute Support:
Assist the Project Manager in analyzing claims submitted by the contractor.
Maintain a daily log of events and correspondence that may be used as evidence in the event of a dispute.
Draft formal letters and notifications to the contractor regarding performance issues, defects, or delays under the guidance of the Project Manager.
Establish formal methods for capturing and considering changes in user requirements as part of formal change and contract management processes.
Liaise with relevant UNOPS office to ensure adequate follow up on action to be taken
Management of Contractual and Supplier Risks
Ensure that contractual and supplier risk management is implemented with clear responsibilities and processes.
Ensure that risks are formally identified and monitored regularly, with mitigation actions developed and implemented where possible, and that “obsolete” risks are removed from consideration where appropriate.
Establish and communicate escalation and reporting routes for risk governance.
Ensure that contractual terms around security and confidentiality (in particular issues related to the security/confidentiality of personal data), warranties, indemnities, insurance, and termination are understood and monitored by those responsible for the contract.
Procurement Support
Contribute to planning the different stages of the procurement process, including strategy, definition of requirements, and sourcing.
Manage the purchase process: handling requests, evaluations, and review.
Participate in the evaluation of technical and financial proposals from contractors and suppliers, providing specialized input.
Ensure that the transition from the bidding/awarding phase to the contract management phase is planned and ownership is clear.
Oversee the finalization and issuance of contracts and logistics.
