National Project Civil Engineering Officer

Timor-Leste is a small half-island country, one of the top ten counties most vulnerable to climate change. Approximately 70% of Timor-Leste’s rural population (840,000 people) is highly vulnerable to climate changes, particularly increasing rainfall variability and extreme weather events. Lives and livelihoods are highly exposed in the country’s remote interior and coastal regions. Impacts of intensified extreme events include damage and degradation of decentralized small-scale critical infrastructure, particularly water supply and drainage structures, embankments, and feeder roads and bridges. Damages leave rural populations isolated, lacking basic services. According to climate change scenarios and risk models, occurrences of climate extremes and related damages will at least double towards mid-century.

The project objective is to safeguard vulnerable communities and their physical assets from climate change-induced disasters. It aims to address existing institutional, financial, and legislative barriers, increasing the climate resilience of vulnerable small-scale rural infrastructure. Six municipalities, mainly Baucau, Ermera, Aileu, Viqueque Lautem, and Liquica, were selected for the project interventions. The project has the two interrelated outputs below that aim to achieve the impact potential and create an enabling environment/condition for scaling up/replicating the impact beyond the immediate target areas.

• Output 1: Climate risk information is developed, monitored, and integrated into policies, regulations, and institutions to inform climate-resilient small-scale rural infrastructure planning and management
• Output 2: Climate risk reduction and climate-proofing measures for small-scale rural infrastructure are implemented to build the resilience of vulnerable communities in six priority municipalities.

UNDP helps Timor-Leste honor its Paris Agreement commitments by supporting expanding the “green economy” to tap into new opportunities for jobs and businesses. It partners with other United Nations agencies to provide technical expertise to translate strategies into action, establish a monitoring framework for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and develop plans for transition to sustainable land management, climate-proof agriculture, biodiversity, reforestation, disaster risk reduction, and waste management. By catalyzing SDG and Paris-aligned investments (public and private), UNDP delivers client-focused solutions that respond to immediate, mid and long-term recovery and socio-economic development priorities, and by leveraging on-the-ground presence and networks, we unlock bottom-up solutions towards lasting impacts at the country level, benefitting most disadvantaged and leaving no one behind.

Summary of function:

1. Technical support, planning, and implementation of the project activities
2. Monitoring, verification, and reporting
3. Build partnerships with key stakeholders
4. Knowledge management and capacity building

1. Technical support, planning, and implementation of the project activities:

• Coordinate timely and effective communication with all stakeholders, including local authorities, community members, and contractors, to facilitate smooth project implementation.
• Provide technical support and training to Field Coordinators/Field Engineers on infrastructure project management tools and bioengineering techniques, equipping them to handle their responsibilities effectively.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive infrastructure project implementation, tracking, and reporting documentation system, keeping all infrastructure project records accurate, up-to-date, and accessible for review and reporting purposes.
• Prepare and submit regular progress reports highlighting achievements in infrastructure progress, challenges, and recommendations for improvement.
• Facilitate the exchange of best practices and lessons learned among Field Coordinators/Field Engineers to promote continuous improvement and innovation in infrastructure project implementation.
• Conduct site visits to identify the projects, conduct feasibility studies and detailed engineering surveys, collect required information, and prepare design drawings, BOQs, and technical specifications.
• Present technical designs in public consultation and support the collection of information as per approved ESIA/ ESMP and preparation, submission, and approval of project documents for ANLA license.
• In close collaboration with Field Coordinators/Field Engineers, ensure that all FPIC requirements are fulfilled and documented.
• As necessary, support the municipal procurement teams in the procurement process, including bid document preparation, bid evaluation, contract document preparation, and contract award.
• Support the overall implementation management to ensure that physical construction works are completed on time, within budget, and to quality standards, including taking timely action to prevent potential delays and/or cost overruns that can be avoided. This includes providing technical guidance and support to field coordinators/field engineers who regularly follow up with local contractors to ensure timely and quality completion of the construction works.
• Ensure that the contractor fully follows all the risks and proposed mitigation measures mentioned in the ESIA/ESMP, such as health and safety.
• Check and verify quantities of work done and provide a report to UNDP for each payment certificate.
• Report on the quantities of work prepared by the contractors. Local NGOs/CBOs review payment certificates and financial progress reports and lead the verification of quantities and measured works for the back-to-office report.
• Collate all documentation for the payment requests for each statement (interim/final) for contractors and tranche/milestone disbursements for local partners such as NGOs/CBOs.
• Prepare thoroughly for inspecting the project’s substantial completion, ensuring all major work is finished and meets specified standards.
• Create a snag list to document any minor tasks or defects that need to be addressed before final project completion.
• Lead in preparing the completion/handover event and technical site visit.
• Ensure that the daily records are kept on the site workbook sign on the site workbook.
• Inform the Infrastructure Team Leader and Project Manager of any problem that may arise on-site and with stakeholders, including contractors and local partners (such as NGOs/CBOs).
• Attend weekly and monthly site/office meetings and take minutes of meetings to be given to the Infrastructure Team Leader.
• Support the project manager in refining standards to enable climate-proofing small-scale rural infrastructure and ensure that climate risk reduction measures for small-scale rural infrastructure are fully integrated into the planning and budgeting cycles of village and municipal development plans.
• Coordinate with other project components, such as agroforestry and DRM, to ensure an integrated approach. Coordinate with other project staff, such as Field Coordinators/Field Engineers, Climate Change/ Environment Officers, GIS Officers, and Gender Officers, and provide support as needed. Provide backstopping support to the engineering team as required.

2. Monitoring, verification, and reporting on activities:

• In coordination with M&E specialist, prepare a monitoring plan for the ongoing schemes and ensure joint monitoring through the involvement of the relevant government departments
• As per the approved monitoring plan, monitor construction works per the contractual provisions and design specifications, given schedule/ timeline, and under established procedures, including ESIA/ ESMP, gender-sensitive approaches, and climate-proofing standards.
• Ensure that the contractors follow all quality control measures per the specifications, including the field and laboratory tests.
• Verify that the works are consistent with the designs, technical specifications, and budget and promptly inform them of eventual deviations.
• Regularly take progress photographs and collate these in digital formats for the contract records. Duly maintain an electronic library of photos of the progress of the works. Collate the quality and operational documents in digital formats for the contract records and maintain an electronic archive of the progress of the works.
• Maintain a filing system for all site memos and instructions, measured quantities of work and materials on site, reports, and other documents and correspondence pertaining to the construction activities.
• Timely preparation and submission of required reports, including technical and financial reports to PMU and presentation to national and municipal stakeholders.
• Regular follow-up and monitoring of activities implemented and reporting on risks and mitigation measures.
• Support preparing periodic progress reports, site monitoring reports, stakeholder meetings, client handover documents, and contract close-out reports.

3. Build partnerships with key stakeholders: 

• Engage and maintain direct dialogue with national and local authorities, local community leaders, and stakeholders, including the respective line ministries and departments, to support the implementation of the project activities.
• Contribute to maintaining and strengthening effective coordination and collaboration with key national and local counterparts (government and civil society) and other involved development partners to explore complementarity.
• Work closely with local authorities and communities to affect the implementation of specific project activities, including the training, bioengineering demo, and climate-proofing measures applied to the selected infrastructure units.

4. Knowledge management and capacity building:

• Support on the capacity building, guidelines development, and policy strengthening activities as proposed under activities 1.3 and 2.1 of the project.
• Train relevant staff and key stakeholders (including local contractors, municipal staff, local development organizations, and groups) on designing and implementing climate-resilient rural infrastructures, ESIA/ ESMP guidelines, and gender-sensitive approaches.
• Plan and implement capacity-building and awareness-raising activities for technical staff at the municipalities and administrative posts, as well as representatives of local NGOs/CBOs and other key stakeholders, on topics covering climate resilient infrastructure planning and prioritization, climate change hazards, and disaster risk management.
• Contribute to disseminating and sharing best practices and lessons learned for development planning and knowledge building, including ESIA/ ESMP, gender-sensitive approaches, and climate-proofing standards.
• Provide training and technology to personnel and advice on good construction practices, sound environmental management practices, and appropriate health and safety standards during construction.
• Collaborate and coordinate with MSA/DGDGL and other stakeholders on engineering issues. Participate in the Professional Engineering Community, remaining abreast of the latest developments and professional norms, standards, tools, and methodologies.
• Participate in meetings and related technical events, TWGs, and contribute to discussing climate-proofing measures for rural infrastructure at national and sub-national levels.
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the supervision of the project manager, the National Project Civil Engineer Officeris expected to work closely with the Engineering Team, GIS Officer, and Climate Change and Environment Officers and in close coordination with the Field Coordinators/Field Engineers in the respective Municipalities. The six target municipalities will require extensive field visits, consultations, and travel to assess and monitor civil work construction. Frequent communication and collaboration with the project team and staff from relevant national counterparts are required.

According to this TOR, National Project Civil Engineer Officer will perform duties and facilitate consultation and discussion with key counterparts (national and subnational authorities), partners, and the community, including relevant organizations in Timor-Leste.