Myanmar: Project Manager / Chief Technical Advisor, Governance for Resilience and Sustainability Project (GRSP)

Mar 7, 2020 | UNDP
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The UNDP Country Office in Myanmar is a key interlocutor and advisor to the government at the national and sub-national on sustainable and inclusive growth, (including economic, environment, climate change and disaster risk reduction issues) and is expanding its programme at the state, region and township levels in order to ensure stronger institutions at all levels of government as well as broader civic engagement as part of the effort to support Myanmar’s democratic transition, build and sustain peace and promote more inclusive and sustainable development.

UNDP Myanmar also strives to provide high quality advice on issues related to natural resource management, both because of the importance of this topic to sustainable development, but also because of the potential social tensions related to the equitable and inclusive management of natural resources.

Integrated programming has guided the design of the UNDP Myanmar Country Programme (2018-2022) in order to better address the inter-linkages between peace-building, governance, natural resource management and disaster resilience, inclusive growth, and the vertical linkages between subnational and national governance levels.  The Country Office has aligned the new office structure with the new CPD and designed new ways of working that will facilitate more collaboration across the office, create the foundations for more sub-national level work and higher delivery, facilitate the transition of the country office from Yangon to Naypyidaw during the CPD period, and emphasize learning and support to national staff capacity development.

The Governance for Resilience and Sustainability (GRSP) leverages existing vertical funding and links up to horizontally and vertically with UNDP Country Programme key priority areas working at national and sub-national levels. GRSP is designed to help the Government of Myanmar (GoM) implement recent policy reforms related to environmental governance, climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR), to ensure that economic growth in Myanmar is more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.  The project recognises that environmental degradation, when combined with natural disasters and effects of climate change, undermines the attainment of inclusive and sustainable growth. It also recognises that Myanmar’s environmental assets present unique opportunities for green economic development, which can directly support women’s economic empowerment and community resilience.

Areas of Project support include: strengthening capacities to ensure climate, disaster, and environmental risks are considered in development planning and budgeting at national/sub-national levels; technical assistance to review and improve relevant policies and laws to promote green growth, and build resilient and sustainable communities; strengthen government capacities and mechanisms to prepare for sustainable post-disaster recovery; strengthen government mechanisms to mobilize, access and effectively manage environment and climate finance, including innovative financial mechanisms such as Payment for Ecosystem Services; provide support to assessing the economic, social and environmental impact of selected industries; building linkages with the private sector to influence sustainable practices; and supporting access to justice to address environmental grievances, and supporting civic engagement in monitoring compliance with environmental standards.

The Project also supports Myanmar’s climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and actions, such as the provision of climate risk information and livelihood diversification including scaling up community-based and ecosystem-based approaches to enhance adaptive capacity resilience of vulnerable communities.  Regarding biodiversity, the Project supports initiatives to enhance the management of targeted protected areas and conservation of ecosystems and wildlife focused on promoting community-based natural resource management and conservation, integrated land use, and participatory protected area management.

GRSP acts as an umbrella project for all emerging government priorities on environment, climate change and DRR work including under the Area Based Programme including in Rakhin and Kachin, small scale activities under regional and global projects, while ensuring cross synergies and linkages with GEF, UN-REDD and relevant activities under the Governance for Sustaining Peace Unit under implemented through the CO in Myanmar. The joint UNDP-UN Environment Poverty-Environment Action for the SDGs (PEAS) programme is embedded within GRSP

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Unit, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, the Project Manager /Chief Technical Advisor is responsible for ensuring the direction of project activities and the achievement of project targets and results. S/he plans project activities and inputs, manages the day-to-day implementation of the project and supervises project experts and personnel. S/he maintains close working relationships with relevant government counterparts from various ministries at the Union and sub-national levels.

The Project Manager/Chief Technical Advisor supervises a team of international and local project professional and support staff. S/he works in close collaboration with the UNDP CO Programme, Strategic Results, Gender Specialist, Partnership and Innovation and Programme Support teams and maintains effective working relationships with project Implementing Partners (IPs), donors and other partners such as UN agencies.

The Project Manager/Chief Technical Advisor is accountable for actively engaging in the Country Office integrated coordination and task team structures to ensure full integration of its activities within the Country Programme and projects. The Project Manager will need to manage integration and coordination among different government partners, UNDP project managers and Technical Advisors.

UNDP Myanmar is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

• Ensure direction of project activities and achievement of project targets and result
• Ensure day-to-day management of the projec
• Ensure provision of high-quality technical advice and build partnership
• Facilitate knowledge building and management

1. Ensures the direction of project activities and the achievement of project targets and results, by focusing on the following results:

• In accordance with the Project Document and in close coordination with IPs and the project specialists, plan and develop project Annual Work Plans (AWPs), procurement plan and human resource plan and establish Annual Targets according to UNDP CO timelines. Design project budget. Ensure that AWP activities suggested are in line with the overall direction set by the Project Document and lead to achievements of project targets and results.
• Coordinate and ensure timely updates of all planning instruments in close collaboration with relevant CO units.
• Ensure implementation of activities as per AWP and agreed deadlines as well as according to detailed procurement and HR plans. Identify bottlenecks and develop solutions. Regularly meet with IPs and other project counterparts.
• Assess project impact and oversee the appropriateness and accuracy of methods used to verify progress and results.
• Establish adequate monitoring procedures and systems throughout project activities in close collaboration with the CO Results Team. Ensure that adequate systems are in place to gather data and information for project monitoring and that systematic monitoring of project progress against targets is undertaken, including regular field trips for monitoring purposes. Develop innovative improvements to enhance performance of the project.
• Ensure that UNDP´s results-management systems are kept updated for project results-information including ATLAS project management module.
• Manage the accurate and timely high-quality results reporting on the progress of the project and achievement of annual targets to the Project Board and donors. Ensure that reports are prepared according to UNDP’s SOPs, quality standards and in line with the contractual obligations to project donors. Ensure that all internal and external reports are submitted by deadlines.
• Coordinate and prepare ad hoc thematic and substantive reports/analysis/briefs
• Implement project communications activities in close collaboration with the CO Communications Team.
• Organize and participate in project level coordination meetings and/or technical working groups as per project document and AWP. Share information on technical project-related issues with donors, other partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure internal project level weekly and monthly meetings take place, and overall accountability for coordination and integration within the country office programme and projects.
• Implement project governance arrangements. Oversee organisation of Project Board meetings and ensure timely preparation of agenda, background materials to agenda items and minutes as per CO SOPs.
• Ensure compliance with UNDP procedures for partnerships including development of all required legal documents for partner implementation including letters of agreement, memorandums of understanding, etc. monitoring compliance with agreements and ensure value for money.
• Immediately escalate issues with potential to impact UNDP´s effectiveness, financial soundness or reputation to the Programme Team and CO senior management. Ensure that UNDP´s corporate interest and rules are guarded at all times and that appropriate action is taken to immediately address problems and challenges.

2. Ensures day-to-day management of the project, by focusing on the following results:

• Ensure compliance of all actions and activities with organizational rules, regulations, policies, strategies and internal control mechanisms.
• Mobilize personnel, goods, services and training to initiate activities, including drafting and reviewing terms of references and work specifications and overseeing all contractors’ work. Oversee effective provision of services to IPs as required.
• Ensure HACT and micro-capacity assessments of IPs are undertaken as required
• Oversee the appropriate use of project funds as well as the consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations. Manage requests for the provision of financial resources by UNDP, through advance of funds, direct payments, or reimbursement using the FACE (Fund Authorization and Certificate of Expenditures).
• Develop project budgets. Monitor budget implementation and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of project expenditure. Coordinate preparation of financial reports to UNDP, as required.
• Supervise and manage project personnel and consultants. Develop ToRs/JDs for project staff positions. Oversee recruitment processes. Establish performance objectives and standards and ensure timely and appropriate feedback, guidance and support to ensure optimum performance. Undertake performance evaluation according to UNDP´s policies and deadlines.
• Manage and monitor project risks. In collaboration with the technical project staff, IPs and donors identify new risks and update risk frameworks for consideration of the Project Board for consideration and decision on possible actions if required. Update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risks log.
• Ensure appropriate management of project assets, attendance records, filing system.
• Implement audit recommendations for the project. Provide inputs to audit management responses.
• Initiate operational closure of the project.
• Undertake frequent travel to monitor project implementation at national and sub-national levels including organization of team meetings, and consultations with partners.

3. Ensures and coordinates provision of high quality technical advice and build partnerships, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Oversee, and provide strategic direction for,the advisory activities of the project technical staff. Ensure that technical outputs are provided according to plans and up to highest technical standards. Review and clear technical outputs for quality.
• Establish, maintain and facilitate strategic dialogue between project staff and Government officials at central and local levels, NGOs, partners, donors and other stakeholders in project´s area of work. Cultivate relationships with key government agencies and officials at the Union and sub-national levels, in particular the Environmental Conservation Department and Forest Department within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, the Department of Disaster Management, the Department of
• Meteorology and Hydrology, and the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration.
• Provide technical advice, draft papers/briefs/proposals in project´s technical focus.
• Identify areas of cooperation and coordination with other UN agencies for implementation of joint activities within the area of the project. Implement joint activities with UN implementing partners as per AWP.
• Advocate UNDP with the partners and stakeholders. Consistently promote a positive image of the UNDP:
• Identify resources mobilization opportunities in close collaboration with the Programme Team. Develop funding proposals and concepts as requested.
• Provide effective technical support to UNDP’s vertically funded projects while ensuring technical linkages, through GRSP, between GEF, GCF and other vertically funded projects on climate change, environmental management and disaster risk reduction for coherence, and to leverage opportunities for building synergies. Support the design of new such projects.
• Provide inputs to formulation of UNDP strategies such as of UNDAF and CPD.
• Coordinate project strategies and activities with other UNDP projects to ensure the effective implementation of the Country Programme Document.
• Provide inputs to UN coordination platforms and participate in meetings, as requested.

4. Facilitates knowledge building and management, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensure that the Project systematically builds capacities of Implementing Partners through introduction of innovation and best practices, access to knowledge and expertise and promote its application to project implementation.
• Promote teamwork, information sharing and collaboration within the Project Team and between the Project Team and the CO Programme Team.
• Promote skills development of project staff through coaching and mentoring.
• Ensure capturing and dissemination of lessons learnt during project implementation.
• Facilitate the Project’s representation and/or participation in international knowledge networks to draw on and share best practice and lessons learned for application in Myanmar.

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced University Degree in, Environmental Policy, Natural Sciences, Environmental Law, Development Studies, or other relevant discipline.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in providing hands on project management and strategic direction to environment-related GEF, GCF funded projects, including resource mobilization, project development and management, with focus on planning, monitoring, reporting, and stakeholder and team coordination in international development organizations.
• Strong technical knowledge in environment and climate change, with technical expertise in at least two or more area of the project focus (climate change, disaster risk reduction, environmental risk assessment and management, green growth, environmental policy, environment and climate finance, sustainable practices for extractive industries, access to justice and civic engagement on environmental standards).
• Demonstrated experience in management of a Project of similar  complexity including on building innovative partnerships with the private sector
• Excellent knowledge of project management principles and best practices. Project Management Certification, either Prince2 or PMP/PMI would be an advantage.
• Extensive managerial experience including experience in leading multi-cultural teams in GEF, GCF projects.Computer literacy – MS office applications, web-based management information systems.
• Prior experience of development work in Myanmar, South-East Asia and/or countries in transition would be an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and spoken English.