Iraq: Capacity Enhancement Manager

Nov 27, 2017 | UN Office for Project Services
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UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. 

Background

The UNOPS Peace and Security Centre (PSC) is a principal service provider in the field of mine action with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), UNDP, UNICEF, Governments of mine-affected countries and other mine action partners. The Centre is responsible to administer, provide support and oversight of the day-to-day management of the Project Field offices, both according to the client requirements and in line with UNOPS rules and regulations. 

 It is headed by the Centre Director who has the overall authority and accountability for the performance of the Peace and Security Centre on behalf of its clients.

UNMAS

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) was established in 1997, by the General Assembly, and as per the UN Policy on Mine Action and Effective Coordination (A/53/496, 1998) is the established coordinator of mine action within the United Nations system. UNMAS supports the UN's vision of "a world free of the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance, where individuals and communities live in a safe environment conducive to development, and where mine survivors are fully integrated into their societies."

UNMAS is a unit within the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). When instructed by the Security Council or called upon by Member States, UNMAS deploys under humanitarian, peace and security mandates. UNMAS main headquarters is in the UN Secretariat, New York with a sub-office in Geneva. UNMAS provides direct support and assistance in the areas of Explosive Hazard (EH) mitigation to 18 countries/territories/missions, has a standby rapid response capacity and global technical advisors in the field of Improvised Explosive Devices and (IED) Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM).

UNMAS Iraq

The presence of explosive hazards and explosive contamination in areas ‘retaken’ from the Da’esh occupation in Iraq continues to impede security and stability efforts. Retaken areas such as Fallujah, Ramadi, and Mosul are heavily contaminated with large volumes of explosive hazards through protracted ground fighting and aerial bombing. As a result, the contamination poses a significant blockage for humanitarian response efforts, and in most cases, a mine action response is required before humanitarian interventions can proceed.

The UNMAS Iraq programme (“UNMAS Iraq”)  was formally established in June 2015 and has since expanded to offices in both Baghdad and Erbil and supports multiple layers of operations. The MA AOR / MA Sub-Cluster was activated in 2016 and at the same time, the post of MA Sub-Cluster Coordinator was established.  12 months later, the post has evolved and UNMAS now seeks to increase its focus on capacity enhancement of local mine action authorities, and as such, develop the role of MA Sub-Cluster Coordinator to support this evolution.

In Iraq, the Iraq Directorate of Mine Action (DMA) under the Ministry of Environment and Health is responsible for all traditional MA activities. The DMA more recently has become involved in the humanitarian response in retaken areas and coordinating with the increasing number of Mine Action NGOs. DMA oversees Regional Mine Action Centres (RMACs) in four locations.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA), under the Regional Government Prime Minister’s Office, is responsible for all traditional MA activities in both the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and the so-called ‘grey areas’ under an agreement with DMA. The IKMAA maintain its HQ in Erbil with sub offices in Dohuk and Sulimaniyah.

The Joint Coordination and Monitoring Center (JCMC) of the Federal Government of Iraq (Gol) and the Joint Crisis Centre (JCC) of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) also have a role in humanitarian response. Their mandates relate to coordination of responses to humanitarian crisis, either man-made or natural.

Given the security-related nature of explosive hazard management and coordination in Iraq, coordination mechanisms exist on a multitude of levels, and frequently involve the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense in addition to the Government bodies outlined above. Technical Working Groups and coordination meetings are attended by the Government, the donor community, commercial organisations, the Global Coalition and NATO. Through these coordination mechanisms, military and civilian entities involved in response to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other explosive hazards have the opportunity to deconflict initiatives and enhance harmonization of activities.

In Iraq, humanitarian organisations - both UN and non-UN have functioned under the cluster approach since the Level 3 (L3) emergency was declared in 2014. The cluster approach ensures clear leadership, predictability and accountability in international responses to humanitarian emergencies by clarifying the division of labour among organizations and better defining their roles and responsibilities within the different sectors of the response. It aims to make the international humanitarian community better organised and more accountable and professional, so that it can be a better partner for the affected people, host governments, local authorities, local civil society and resourcing partners. The steady roll out of the Cluster mechanism was done to specifically address the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) resulting from escalating armed violence in Anbar Province between December 2013 to early 2014 and later expanded in 2015 to cover all IDPs in Iraq regardless of their place of origin and place of displacement and encompass the scope of humanitarian efforts across Iraq for the benefit of all those affected by the humanitarian crisis, including host communities, IDPs, refugees and other vulnerable groups.

Responsibilities

Technical Advisory 

      1. Support to national mine action authorities

• Assessment of the current capacities and capacity of the Iraqi Directorate of Mine Action (DMA) in its functional regional offices;
• Review of the relevant policies, legislative requirements, local documentation, to update and consolidate into usable document;
• Development of a strategic capacity development plan and multi-year work plan in partnership with UNMAS and the DMA that covers;
• Develop comprehensive and technically adequate concept notes on topics requested for by DMA and approved by UNMAS in terms of availability of resources, existing capacity and stakeholder expectations;
• Support DMA's coordination responsibilities in Iraq and related support and management functions in its headquarters office in Baghdad;
• Support the UNMAS Iraq programme team in developing systems processes and operational procedures for all aspects of assistance to DMA.

      2. Training for the Ministry of Interior

• Development of planning, managing and implementing training plans and initiatives for the Ministry of Interior, police training component;
• Provide oversight and technical guidance to the Training Officers and carry out quality assurance of training delivery;
• Support experts involved in project implementation in the development of methodological materials and training packages.

      3. Provision of cross-ministerial institutional support

• Provide oversight to the Technical staff supporting this component;
• Engage and build relationships with the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health and Environment, Prime Ministers Office – National Operations Centre and Joint Coordination and Monitoring Centre, National Security Advisor, the Coalition, and the international community;
• Maintain an understanding of Iraqi Government structures; and
• Engage and follow-up on Security Sector Reform processes as it pertains to Explosive Hazards.

      4. Training support to UN personnel at the request of the UN system

• Coordinate and provide the training component for the UN SSAFE course; and
• Coordinate and provide other relevant training as requested by the UN in Iraq.

CE Portfolio Management and Project Oversight

• Ensure duties and administrative actions are implemented according to UNOPS policy, within the scope of UN and UNMAS mandates, and in compliance with agreements with donors; 
• Ensure that project deliverables are achieved on time, within budget and to a high quality;
• Engage the state and national government authorities, implementing partners and local communities and use this opportunity to raise awareness about the scope, timelines, anticipated outcomes/benefits and any relevant aspects of the project;
• Monitor and evaluate all UNMAS CE activities and provide recommendations to improve future project design; 
• Lead project design and new initiatives, support proposal writing, and assist in the development of budgets as required;
• Provide technical oversight and guidance to CE staff in the implementation of activities;
• Supervise CE personnel, provide performance evaluations, take the lead on recruitment processes and staff training initiatives.

Information Management and Reporting

• Capture and report on outcomes related to CE;
• Maintain up-to-date statistics on CE achievements and ensure information has been captured by relevant Government databases;
• Provide input and photos for newsletters, communications and digital media to raise the profile of the portfolio of work;
• Assist in the planning and organization of donor visits and media events/visits when it pertains to risk education activities and partner work; and
• Draft relevant sections for donor and ad hoc reports.

Expected Outcomes:

• A three-year strategic capacity enhancement development plan and operational plan, which shall include an initial assessment report on technical and operational capacities of the DMA;
• Prepare training and capacity building plans and organizational set-up for training on project components; prepare detailed plan of actions and budget estimates for workshops, class room and on-the-job training;
• DMA personnel TOR’s are enhanced, Internal Operational Procedures, training needs are clearly identified in various aspects of mine action including programme management, Ops/QA, advocacy, information management, admin/finance management;
• Advise on how the government can report and honour its obligations under any relevant international conventions concerning ERW and landmines, such as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, relevant to Mine Action, and advocate for mine action within;
• Explore opportunities for wider capacity building with government agencies in order to develop residual Humanitarian Mine Action Capacity;
• Advise on monitoring and evaluation of any ongoing training activities and make recommendations for improvement;
• Advise on how to resource mobilize for mine action national capacity development, from international and national sources, and how to assist the government to ensure the effective utilization of any funds;
• Advise on how information gathered by DMA from monitoring and evaluation can be best used to inform stakeholders of progress and to improve the DMA programme in Iraq;
• Manage and occupy an office within the DMA office block;
• Deliver a brief bi-weekly update to the Programme Manager/Chief of Operations;
• Any other duties as requested and tasked by the Chief of Operations.

Education and Years of Relevant Experience:

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in development studies, business management, project management, or any field related with seven (7) years of relevant experience OR
• First Level University Degree (Bachelor's Degree or equivalent) in development studies, business management, project management, or any field related with nine (9) years of relevant experience OR
• Military experience at the senior officer level (or equivalent) with a minimum of 13 years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced and first level university degrees.

Experience:

• Relevant experience is defined as experience in project development and/or management in support of operations in military, humanitarian, conflict, post-conflict, or development contexts with private or public organizations 
• Within relevant experience, at least 3 years of experience working in capacity development at the strategic level or similar roles involving capacity enhancement assessments of local mine authorities is required;
• Experience as Humanitarian or commercial mine action programme manager is desired;
• Experience working with a government security sector institution providing response services to the general public is highly desired;
• Experience as an Institutional Advisor in fragile states is desired;

• Fluency in English (writing, speaking and reading) is required;
• Knowledge of Arabic (writing, speaking and reading) is highly desired;
• Knowledge of other UN official language is desired

Competencies

• Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.
• Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
• Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.
• Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).
  
• Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries
• Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.
  
• Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.
• Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

Additional Consideration

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• 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.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than 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.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. 
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.