Project Management Specialist, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, P3

The Position:

The Project Management Specialist is located in UNFPA Burkina Faso country office. Under the general guidance of the Resident Representative and the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Project Specialist will be responsible for providing strategic and technical support of the project coordination, management, implementation and reporting. She/he will work closely with the Office staff and particularly the project team. 

She/he assists in advocating and mainstreaming the rights-based approach and result-based management to development programming and implementation. The job also involves maintaining constructive relationships with stakeholders; the Government and Local administrative authorities, civil society organizations, other UN agencies, donors and the private sector.

The project called «Basic Rights, Peace and Equality for all in the Sahel and Northern regions of Burkina Faso» is the result of strategic partnership between UNFPA and Korea International Cooperation Agency. The goal of the project is to contribute to the improving of gender equality, protection, empowerment of women and youth and strengthening peace building and social cohesion in conflict affected areas of the Sahel and Northern regions of Burkina Faso.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in program results.

Job Purpose:

You would be responsible for:

1.Technical Assistance

• Carry out screening of project activities and help to prepare Implementing partners  annual workplans and their implementation;
• Contribute substantially to the development/strengthening of national strategic and technical plans when required;
• Assessment of the technical assistance needs and delivery of technical assistance including partner reports when required, to ensure timely delivery of project targets.
• Support data collection and analysis of the project;
• Produce project analytical inputs for defining IP capacities for delivering integrated SRH, AYFSRH, GBV, Women empowerment, peace activities in the project areas;
• Prepare position papers on critical issues related to the project implementation through provision and analysis of information, preparation of speaking points and briefing notes, and through internal information dissemination;

2. Capacity Building and System Efficiency

• Contribute in the planning and organizing of training activities and act as resource person and facilitator during such events;
• Support in the design of project training modules along with partners, when needed;
• Design and deliver capacity building inputs for ensuring the implementation of the entire project;
• Contribute to the documentation of results and impacts of project activities;
• Contribute when needed, to the procurement procedures in support of the review of projects/fund requests and the monitoring and tracking of allocation and utilization of budgeted resources for project process.   

3. Risk Management

• Identify the project risks and triggers;
• Develop and share a plan that links each risk to a mitigation;
• Monitor for risk triggers and communicate risk status throughout project;
• Implement the project mitigating action plan if any risk materializes.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Support a monitoring and evaluation team aiming by organizing regular (quarterly) monitoring filed visits to cover selected activities.
• Support the production and presentation of the local implementers’ annual reports and the public presentation of the final report;
• Substantively contribute to the preparation and review of quarterly financial and programmatic (performance) reports, and in the consolidation of reports to the Donor;
• Prepare updates or briefings with regard to implementation of the Project;
• Contribute to the production of the project periodic (quarterly, mi-term an annual) report.

5. Partnership building and resource mobilization

• Facilitate partnerships with a wide variety of governmental, non-governmental, UN Agencies, multilateral and private sector to strengthen project achievements;
• Contribute to the overall resource mobilization strategy by analyzing information on potential donors, identify opportunities for cost sharing, initiation of new projects and support proposal formulation, submission and approval;
• When required, contribute to the work of UNSDCF working groups and humanitarian clusters;
• Undertake advocacy tasks such as preparing statements, advocacy materials, presentations, and strategy papers in the specific thematic areas.

6. Communication, visibility and Knowledge sharing

• Identify, pursue and develop section inputs to UNFPA and UN and other publications and working documents for programme development and promotional purposes. This includes the preparation of case studies, best practice guidelines, briefing notes, related to the project;
• Identify, pursue and develop news stories, case studies, and briefs for publication in UNFPA, UN, UN Agency and other publications. This involves close consultation with UNFPA Communications Unit;
• Use effectively the social media to ensure the visibility of UNFPA and the project;
• Contribute to the visibility of the Donor;
• Support the provision of regular synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices with regard to the implementation of the project areas;
• Contribute to the annual compilation and dissemination of UNFPA Burkina Faso results in building community resilience.

7. Other

• Any other responsibility specifically related to the concerned program portfolio as assigned by the supervisor

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in International Development, Public Administration, Social Sciences, Project Management, or another related field;
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant experience working with government and project managements including in humanitarian and crisis settings;
• Minimum 5 years of experience working on project management including in humanitarian and crisis settings, of which 2 are at the international level;
• Experience in capacity building and training in the areas of planning, preparation and implementation of community resilience projects would be an asset;
• Strong experience in Result-based Management;
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder processes;
• Familiarity with UNFPA/UN systems;
• Proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Experience of working with KOICA funding projects would be an asset

Languages: 

Strong oral and written communication skills in French and English;

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Functional Competencies:

• Conflict Management ;
• Result orientation ;
• Teamwork;
• Self–management and emotional intelligence;
• Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things; documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches;
• Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management;
• Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise, Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures;
• Client Orientation: Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion.

Compensation and Benefits:

 This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.

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