Job Description
This is an excellent opportunity to manage impactful projects within the health sector in Gambia, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. The position offers a chance to work with diverse stakeholders, apply project management best practices, and enhance your skills in a dynamic international environment.
The Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. He/she is expected to meet and exceed the organization’s performance and delivery goals. The project manager is responsible to produce/read the project initiation documents (PID), Legal Agreement and have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project(s) products are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the client. The Project Manager will be expected to follow the project lifecycle from inception to completion using standard project lifecycle practices and artefacts. They will be provided with guidance and support by the PMO. S/he will rely on a number of external suppliers for its successful delivery, managing tight timelines with agility and solution orientation.
The Project Manager will analyze requirements and synthesize proposals or project options to meet client needs. They will apply conceptual models and policy frameworks to assess new program objectives, judge the soundness and validity of analysis or recommendations from others, and analyze and adapt precedents or previous decisions to solve current problems. The Project Manager will also make substantive comments and contributions to professional documents or plans, prepare detailed reports, analyses, and presentations, and occasionally persuade or influence colleagues on a specific course of action in non-contentious settings.
1. Stakeholder Management
- Establish solid working relationship with the project board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders.
- Manage communications and ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover products.
- Advise the client on issues that may impact the achievement of their outcomes (including issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance).
- Manage the information flows between the Project Board/OC Director and the project(s).
2. Delivery and Performance
- Develop and maintain project plans.
- Implement approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the project board.
- Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into the project life cycle.
- Manage the production of the required products, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
- Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers.
- Authorize Work Packages.
- Advise the Project Board and OC Manager of any deviations from the plan.
- Identify and manage risks so that maximum benefit to client and stakeholders is achieved.
- Manage and review product quality and ensure products are accepted.
- Monitor and evaluate performance of service providers.
- Identify and report potential business opportunities for UNOPS to supervisor.
- Identify and report threats to UNOPS internal business case to supervisor.
3. Procedures
- Follow the Project Management Cycle Instructions and ensure that all organizational policy is complied with (Organizational Directives and Administrative Instructions).
- Prepare/adapt the following plans for approval by the Project Board: I. Project Initiation Documentation; II. Stage/Exception Plans and relevant Product Descriptions.
- Prepare the following reports: i. Highlight Reports; ii. End Stage Reports; iii. Operational Closure Checklist; iv. End Project Report; v. Handover Report.
- Maintain the following: i. Electronic Blue File; ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files as required by those practices as per OD12.
- Ensure that all expenditures comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR).
- Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
- Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project.
- Manage and remain accountable for expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports).
4. Knowledge Management
- Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice.
- Actively interact with other PMs and the PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practice on the Knowledge System.
- Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.
- Complete lessons learned as per reporting format.
- Incorporate lessons learned from others as per planning format.
5. Personnel Management (if applicable)
- Lead and motivate the project management team.
- Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established.
- Ensure that performance reviews are conducted.
- Identify outstanding staff and bring them to the attention of the OC Director.
- Have a thorough understanding of UNOPS personnel contract modalities (including ICA and Staff).
- Select, recruit and train team as required by project plans.
- Perform the Team Manager role, unless appointed to another person(s).
- Perform Project Support role, unless appointed to another person or corporate/programme function.
- Ensure safety and security for all personnel and comply with UNDSS standards.
6. Quality Assurance
- Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements.
- Work with procurement/ purchasing personnel to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems.
- Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables.
- Provide quality control for management outputs (e.g. project documents, reports, etc)
