IT Project Manager for Fiji’s Social Protection Reform

Job Description

Project

Partnerships for Social Protection (P4SP) program

Contract Term and Inputs

Consultancy contract for up to 40 days until 30 June 2024 (used flexibly) to focus on Tasks 1, 2, &3.

Other tasks outlined in the job description are subject to a possible extension, and allocation of days to be negotiated.

Position Location

This is a home-based role. The position location is based in Australia or the Pacific region. Travel to Fiji and possible other Pacific Island Countries may be required.

Reports To

P4SP Senior Social Protection Specialist

Purpose

Lead procurement and management of an IT supplier/firm to develop a social protection management information system for the Government of Fiji. Where directed, engage on MIS project management activities across other P4SP partner countries including Kiribati.

Background

P4SP supports government partners in the Pacific region and Timor-Leste to strengthen their social protection programs, systems and policies. As a part of this mandate, P4SP has been working in close collaboration with the Government of Fiji (namely the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection (MWCSP) to support their social protection reform agenda.

As a part of the reform, P4SP is providing technical assistance to MWCSP on strengthening the operations and delivery systems of their key social assistance schemes. The development and implementation of a robust and appropriate information management solution, commonly referred to as Management Information System (MIS), is essential for effective program delivery, and therefore a critical component of P4SP’s technical assistance.

The MIS will facilitate the end-to-end delivery chain for social protection programs and associated data management solutions to support analysis, reporting and informed decision-making for social protection services.

Summary of the position

The IT Project Manager will be responsible for the successful planning, execution, and delivery of the MIS that P4SP will be commissioning in Fiji, responding to the unique challenges of the Pacific region such as remoteness, limited internet connectivity and infrastructure.

As a part of this mandate, the IT Project Manager will be responsible for the procurement, onboarding and management of an MIS development firm – including the successful delivery of milestones and Government of Fiji/P4SP satisfaction with the vendor’s services.

Job Specification

The key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

(Contract commencement to 30 June 2024)

1. Project Planning and vendor selection (up to 18 days):

· Review Terms of Reference and other project plans for the Fiji Social Protection Reform MIS procurement, including key milestones, timelines, and resource dependencies for MIS workstreams.

· Ensure that project and resource plans are realistic, considering the complexity of the project and the availability of suitable resources to meet project requirements.

· Manage Expressions of Interest and Request for Proposal processes for vendor procurement, in accordance with the P4SP procurement rules, including proactively encouraging firms to apply.

· Lead on vendor assessment and interviews, in accordance with P4SP’s Procurement and Contracting Procedure.

· Lead on negotiating the final services with the successful vendor, in accordance with the P4SP Procurement and Contracting Procedure and value for money principles.

· Provide accurate and timely information to the contracting team, regarding the required vendor services to be included in the Services Agreement.

2. Stakeholder Management (up to 10 days)

· Act as a liaison between MIS development teams (IT vendor), government clients and other relevant stakeholders.

· Address client expectations and ensure alignment with project goals, including ensuring the IT solution is appropriate for the specific needs for social protection program delivery in the Pacific region.

· Develop a good understanding and represent P4SP for the implementation of best practice and standards for integrated social protection information management and beneficiary data management.

· Conduct regular status meetings to update stakeholders on project progress.

· Establish and maintain effective communication channels with government clients and other relevant stakeholders (through virtual meetings and travel to Fiji as needed).

3. Vendor Management:

· Oversee the selection and onboarding of the IT vendor for software development, testing, and other project-related activities, including leading the procurement and selection, and active involvement in the contracting of a suitable vendor and development team.

· Scrutinise vendor-provided resource plans to ensure adequacy, appropriateness, and value for money.

· Monitor vendor performance and adherence to project timelines.

· Facilitate regular meetings with vendors to address resource-related issues and ensure project alignment.

(1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025, subject to a contract extension

4. Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC) Management:

· Lead the project through all phases of the SDLC, including scope and requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and operational maintenance and handover.

· Ensure that development teams have the necessary resources and skills for each phase of the project.

· Collaborate with technical teams to oversee the development of the MIS and associated digital solutions to ensure they are in line with client expectations.

5. Quality Assurance:

· Manage traceability of requirements through development, testing, and implementation phases.

· Oversee a comprehensive testing strategy, including test plans, test execution, and reporting.

· Oversee User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with the vendor and government client.

· Ensure that testing processes align with project requirements and standards.

· Facilitate the resolution of defects and issues identified during testing.

· Ensure that UAT sign-off is obtained from the government client before moving to deployment.

6. Training, Empowerment and Skills Building:

· Develop a training plan and training materials that can be handed over for end-users and stakeholders.

· Coordinate and conduct training sessions for relevant personnel on the use of the MIS.

· Ensure that training materials are documented, comprehensive, accessible, fit-for-purpose and able to be handed over to the government client and stakeholders.

· Identify opportunities to empower and build skills within the government team for the ongoing management and sustainability of the solution.

· Collaborate with local teams to transfer knowledge and skills, ensuring their ability to independently manage and maintain the MIS in the long term.

7. Post-Implementation Support:

· Develop and implement a post-implementation support plan.

· Establish a support framework to address issues and concerns after deployment.

· Coordinate with vendors and development teams to provide ongoing support as needed.

8. Handover to Government:

· Working with the vendor and development teams, develop a comprehensive handover plan to transfer ownership, design outputs and management of the solution to the government client.

· Coordinate with relevant stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition.

· Provide documentation and training to government personnel for effective system management.

9. Reporting and Documentation:

· Prepare regular progress reports for stakeholders and P4SP senior management.

· Maintain comprehensive project documentation, including meeting minutes, change requests for scope and plan adjustments, and other relevant records.

· Maintain a risk register through the course of the project and ensure strictest adherence to data protection and privacy across all facets of the project.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Management or a related field.
• Proven experience as an IT Project Manager, with a successful track record in managing complex projects through the entire SDLC.
• Experience with vendor management of IT firms, from procurement, contractual negotiations through to day-to-day management.
• Experience with managing the delivery of multi-tiered enterprise-scale software development projects with a good variety of IT development architecture across projects, such as web-based portals, mobile app development, and data warehousing.
• Experience with government and public sector solutions and/or the Pacific region is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with social protection programs and the associated MIS / database / digital solutions desirable.
• Excellent verbal and written communication/presentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively across teams and in cross-cultural contexts.
• Flexibility, adaptability and problem-solving skills.

Special Conditions

• The successful applicant is required to gain a National or International Police Clearance, prior to being engaged, and as determined by Development Pathways. The police clearance is required to be renewed periodically and as advised by Development Pathways.
• Some intra/interstate or international travel to Australia and the Pacific region is a requirement of this position. The successful candidate will be required to obtain a medical clearance prior to undertaking any travel, which is required to be renewed as determined by Development Pathways.
• The successful candidate will be required to undertake mandatory trainings as advised by Development Pathways.
• Some out of hours and weekend work may be required.

Child Protection

• Development Pathways is committed to protecting the rights of children. We will require you to provide a police check(s) and reserve the right to conduct other screening procedures, if required, to ensure a child-safe environment.

Gender Equality, Disability & Social Inclusion

• Development Pathways is committed to technical excellence in gender equality and our team will work closely with our partners to ensure a context-specific and consistent approach is applied to all our programs to improve the livelihoods of the world’s most marginalised groups.

Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment

• Development Pathways is committed to respectful workplaces and does not tolerate sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment of any kind.

Diversity Statement

• Development Pathways is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and a work environment that values diversity and inclusion. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, female applicants, and people with a disability who meet the requirements of this position are strongly encouraged to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.

Selection Criteria:

Essential

· Bachelor’s degree in management/IT/Business Administration.

· At least seven (7) years of IT project management experience.

· Experience with vendor management of IT firms, from contractual negotiations through to day-to-day management.

· Proven experience of managing a minimum of five (5) IT project implementations.

· Strong understanding of the software development life cycle, critical path outputs and methodologies.

· Demonstrable skills in managing risks and dependencies.

· Demonstrable skills in managing resources, activities, and plans.

· Excellent command of the English language.

· Excellent communication, reporting, and presentation skills.

Desirable

· PMP/Prince2 certification is an advantage.

· Masters degree in Management/IT/Business.

· Systems analysis or software development experience.

· Experience working in the Pacific region, particularly Fiji.

· Experience working in social sectors e.g. education, social protection, health etc.

· Certification in Scrum or Agile Methodologies.

· Willingness to participate in meetings that occur outside of AEST business hours.

Enquiries: Please send your enquiries to admin@p4sp.org. This mailbox will not be monitored between Saturday, 23 December 2023 and Sunday, 7 January 2024 as the office will be closed during this time. We will respond to queries when the office reopens on Monday, 8 January 2024.

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