Background Information - UNOPS
“UNOPS plays a critical role in providing management services for our life-saving, peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. I have seen many examples of how these activities help suffering people in troubled parts of the world.”
-Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General
UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.
Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.
By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and other development partners, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground.
UNOPS employs around 3,500 personnel annually and on behalf of its partners creates thousands more work opportunities in local communities. With its headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, a network of five regional offices and a further 20 operations and project centres, UNOPS oversees activities in more than 80 countries.
UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.
Background Information - Afghanistan
With more than 10 years of experience in the country, the UNOPS Afghanistan office supports national reconstruction and development efforts by providing projects with goods and services - from stand-alone, one-off solutions to long-term management and capacity development support. Based in Kabul, UNOPS in Afghanistan has sub-offices in every region of the country. The team implements projects in support of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, in a wide range of sectors including infrastructure, education, environment and agriculture, and governance and rule of law.
Under Japan’s Grant Aid Scheme for Conflict Prevention and Peace Building, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of Afghanistan have partnered with UNOPS AGOC to provide management and implementation services for a substantial series of interventions. The overall goal of the project is to improve the accessibility of suburban areas in Kabul through rehabilitation of unpaved roads, and roads in poor condition, within the pre-identified target areas.
Functional Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programmes, the Project Manager is responsible for the overall management and implementation of the project, including but not limited to:
Project Management
•Establish, and maintain throughout the duration of the project, the project Blue File;
•Develop and submit for approval, and subsequently update and maintain, the project implementation plan;
•Manage project commitments, ensuring effective application of project management tools, and monitor achievement of results and other benchmarks;
•Manage contractor performance, as well as full compliance to the terms of contract, and provide substantial advice to overcome constraints;
•Compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations and policies;
•In conjunction with the Head of Programmes and the UNOPS AGOC M&E Advisor, establish project milestones;
•Ensure financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the project, against approved milestones and targets;
•Provide accurate and concise delivery forecasts, using the AGOC Delivery Forecast (DFC) template, and ensure delivery conforms to forecasts submitted;
•Provide advice on strategies, policies and plans affecting the project and compliance with the project agreement;
•Constantly monitor and analyze the work environment, make quick readjustment of operations, and advise on legal considerations and risk assessments;
•Timely preparation and submission of comprehensive project reports on a regular basis or as may be requested on an ad-hoc basis by the Head of Programmes and/or stakeholders;
•Ensure the effective and accurate archiving of project material and files in accordance with the UNOPS Records Retention Policy;
•Manage and supervise the work of project staff including technical and project support teams working on the different components of the project. Manage the delegation of responsibilities among the project teams.
Monitoring and Reporting
•Conduct periodic reporting to Senior Management, including financial status reports on commitments and disbursements, monthly, quarterly and annual reports (including resources’ allocation and project performance), the project completion report, and evaluation report;
•Develop and operate a quantitative and qualitative Project Performance Monitoring System (PPMS) to monitor and evaluate the performance of the project in relation to its goals, purposes and outputs;
•Disseminate relevant information and PR materials that demonstrate good practices.
Technical advisory
•Review all surveys, field investigations, designs, drawings and specifications, recommending required changes needed to provide more cost-effective solutions, and approving the design, drawings and changes in the specification;
•Administer, assess and, where appropriate, make recommendations on applications for extensions of time, claims for additional payment and other contractual disputes;
•Issue site introductions, variation orders, provisional sum orders and day work orders, as appropriate.
Financial Resources Management
•Ensure integrity of financial systems, review of budget requirements and the consistent application or rules and regulations;
•Proper planning, expenditures tracking and audit of financial resources in accordance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations;
•Organization and oversight of project cash management processes, including liquidity management, timely accounting and reconciliation of all transactions, security for cash assets on site;
•Routine monitoring of financial exception reports for all activities and transactions, and ensure that the burn rate is in accordance with the project budget and forecast; oversee and place internal control mechanisms to avoid over-expenditures.
Procurement and Logistical Services Management
•Compliance with UN/UNOPS rules and regulations in the field and management of the procurement strategies including sourcing strategy, supplier selection and evaluation, quality management, customer relationship management, e-procurement promotion and introduction, performance measurement;
•Management of the contract strategy including tendering processes and evaluation, managing the contract and contractor, as well as legal implications. Oversight of procurement processes and logistical services in accordance with UNOPS rules and regulations;
•Establish procurement procedures for deployment of the equipment as stipulated in the project agreement (vehicles, computers and other equipment as described therein);
•Ensure proper management of project assets, facilities and logistical services;
Competencies
•Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
•Good understanding of UNOPS business, operational environment and its clients as well as the UN mandate;
•Ability to multi-task and prioritize work schedules;
•Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
•Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
•Ability to develop, maintain and supervise accountability systems for materials and services;
•Demonstrated planning and organizational skills and ability to coordinate the work of others, work on tight deadlines, and handle multiple concurrent activities;
•Ability to manage and mentor a technical team by demonstrating leadership;
•Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
•Excellent communication skills (spoken, written and presentational), including ability to present sensitive issues/positions and to write reports and technical decisions quantitatively justified;
•Strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement;
•Be able and willing to travel to visit project sites when required;
•Enhanced and demonstrable ability to use project control software, including MS Project.
Education/Experience/Language requirements
•Advanced University Degree (Masters) in Civil Engineering, Construction Project Management, Business Administration, or a relevant field. A Bachelors Degree in a relevant field with an additional 2 years of experience will be accepted in lieu of the Masters requirement;
•Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in successfully managing projects, including construction activities, in challenging environments;
•PRINCE2 certification, at least at Foundation level, is desirable;
•Previous experience within a conflict and post-conflict/conflict zone setting is essential;
•Previous monitoring and evaluation experience is essential;
•Knowledge of UN/UNOPS rules and regulations is an advantage;
•Previous experience in Afghanistan a distinct advantage;
•Fluency in both written and oral English is essential.
Submission of Applications
Qualified candidates may apply for a vacancy on-line by creating account on the UNOPS GPRS system www.unops.org . For detailed information on how to create a profile please click here http://www.unops.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/GPRS_help/How%20to%20create%20a%20profile%20in%20GPRS.pdf
Additional Considerations
•Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
•Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
•Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
•Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
•UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level below the advertised level of the post
•The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
Contract type, level and duration
Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)
Contract level: International ICA 4
Contract duration: 12 months, with possibility of extension
For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
