Project Manager (Open to all applicants)

Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:

• Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates)   
• Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA) and personnel on regular PSA contracts 
• Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa country office is seeking a qualified and experienced project manager to manage the “Restoring Landscapes in South Africa” (ReLISA) project, within the Nature, Climate and Energy Portfolio in UNDP-South Africa. 

The overall aim of the ReLISA project is to make the economic case for landscape-level restoration and create the conditions for a sustainable land-use sector, to adapt to climate change and address biodiversity loss while improving livelihoods of rural communities and farmers. This will be achieved through biophysical/economic assessments as inputs to planning restoration activities, the leveraging private sector investment through pre-feasibility studies and project development, on-the-ground implementation at landscape level for thicket, grassland and savanna biomes, and dissemination and communication. ReLISA has four interconnected principal outputs, which will be delivered through a consortium of six partners including UNEP, UNDP, UNESCO, Endangered Wildlife Trust, CSIR, Unique and C4ES. 

The core deliverables which UNDP is responsible for include:

1. Within priority project landscapes, understand how land degradation affects people and ecosystems, how land degradation is affected by climate change and contribute towards it. 

2. Facilitation, cross sectoral dialogue and coordination to ensure opportunities for job creation through avoiding, reducing and reversing land degradation. 

3. Leverage Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EbA), Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and Sustainable Land Management (SLM) for sustainable food-systems to increase resilience of communities in critical ecosystems through the UNDP ReLISA Land Restoration Entrepreneurs and Champions support for implementation of land rehabilitation activities in Savanna, Grassland and Sub-Tropical Thicket biomes.

4. Track progress towards sustainability and increased levels of resilience through participatory monitoring and evaluation and ensure continuous improvement through reflection and learning.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Nature, Climate and Energy Team Lead, the Project Manager will be responsible for:

3.1 Ensure effective project planning and implementation:

• Oversee the daily operations of the projects assigned and ensure that the Annual Work Plan (AWP), along with associated budget, HR, procurement, and overall implementation plans, are developed by the relevant technical experts in alignment with project goals;
• Provide quality and timely management of the entire project life cycle, ensuring the delivery of programmatic and financial outputs in accordance with the approved project documents. All implementations must adhere to applicable UNDP policies, programme and project management rules and procedures, as well as relevant government standards and regulations;
• Mobilize all project inputs, consultants, and present key deliverables and documents to the board for review and approval;
• Plan the activities of the project and monitor progress against the approved workplan;
• Provide project management support for the development of all project deliverables, including implementation strategies;
• Prepare and manage all workshops, meetings, seminars, conferences, and training events for projects under your management;
• Support the preparation for all technical meetings (either online or in-person as required), site visits, and implementation monitoring of the different project landscapes for the duration of all the projects to ensure effective and efficient project implementation and reporting;
• Implement activities by managing personnel, goods and services, training and low-value grants, including drafting terms of reference and work specifications, and overseeing all contractors’ work. 

3.2 Financial Management:

• Manage requests for the provision of UNDP financial resources through funding advances, direct payments or reimbursement using the FACE and ICE forms;
• Monitor progress, watch for plan deviations and make course corrections when needed within project board-agreed tolerances to achieve results;
• Ensure that changes are controlled and problems addressed;
• Perform regular progress reporting to the project board as agreed with the board, including measures to address challenges and opportunities;
• Prepare and submit financial reports to UNDP on a quarterly basis; 
• Ensure value for money approach to resource planning, achieving project objectives in the most efficient and cost-effective manner;
• Ensure effective budget and expenditure management in line with the project resources and results framework; 
• Manage the project resources in compliance with UNDP financial regulations and rules, including maintenance of accurate records for CO delivery enabling services and 
• Manage requests for the provision of UNDP financial resources through funding advances, direct payments or reimbursement using the FACE form;
• Monitor financial resources and expenditure to ensure the accuracy and reliability of financial reports in relation with project progress and results report;
• Prepare revisions to the multi-year workplan, as needed, as well as annual and quarterly plans if required;
• Provide support for completion of assessments required by UNDP, spot checks and audits;
• Oversee the quality and accuracy of donor financial reports 

3.3 Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• Monitor events as determined in the project monitoring plan, and update the plan as required; 
• Support in close collaboration with Responsible Parties, project stakeholders, and beneficiaries for the design and implementation of a Participatory Monitoring Evaluation Reflection and Learning (PMERL) Programme for all projects and UNDP-related project activities;
• Ensure regular feedback on monitoring results, adaptive management, and continuous improvement on deliverables and impact of project interventions;
• Engaging relevant partners for the development of the evaluation plan and ensure evaluability of project evaluation. In order to ensure the independence and credibility of an evaluation, they will not manage the evaluation directly. However, they will provide documents and data as requested and support the overall evaluation, including the data-collection mission, and have a clear plan for using the results of the evaluation. Project manager is responsible for development and implementation of management responses and key actions;
• Prepare and submit regular reports on all projects status, challenges, and achievements to stakeholders;
• Perform regular progress reporting to the project board as agreed with the board, including measures to address challenges and opportunities;
• Prepare the annual review report and submit the report to the project board and the outcome group;
• Prepare revisions to the multi-year workplan, as needed, as well as annual and quarterly plans if required.

3.4 Stakeholder Engagement, Project Communications and Risk Management:

• Collaborate with partners, donors, and other stakeholders to ensure strong engagement and support for all the projects.
• Engage relevant partners for the development of the evaluation plan and ensure evaluability of project evaluation.
• Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to address them proactively.
• Conduct risk assessments and mitigation, Social-and Environmental Standards, and other related project governance and management requirements for UNDP-related activities in all projects under management.
• Manage and monitor the project risks initially identified and submit new risks to the project board for consideration and decision on possible actions if required for all projects.
• Provide support for completion of assessments required by UNDP, spot checks and audits.
• Manage and monitor the project risks initially identified and submit new risks to the project board for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risk log.
• Capture lessons learned during project implementation; a lesson learned log can be used for this purpose
• Support project awareness, knowledge management, capacity and skills development programmes and activities for all projects under management.
• Provide inputs towards projects website and social media platforms for effective communication effort.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Manager will report directly to the UNDP Nature, Climate and Energy Team Lead at UNDP South Africa. S/he will work closely with all ReLISA Consortium Partners, as well as work in close collaboration with the Country Office team and coordinate with project focal points in government and other stakeholders.

Competencies

Core

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

System Thinking:

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Relationship Management:

• Ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Results-based Management:

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results.

Knowledge Facilitation:

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Resource Mobilization:

• Ability to identify and leverage funding opportunities for the sustainability of the project.

Project Management:

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Financial Management:

• Ability to create and manage processes to achieve the project’s financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analysing and reporting.
• Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in project management, business administration, or related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level of progressively responsible and relevant experience in project management and/or development, including in managing large and complex projects with multiple stakeholders from various institutions and sectors.
• Excellent: planning and organizational skills; monitoring and evaluation skills, writing skills, coordination and integration skills for reporting purposes. 
• Strong financial, risk and budget management skills.
• Experience in the UN or any international organization
• Proficiency in project management software and tools.
• Good interpersonal skills/experience.
• Proven ability to be adaptable, work with multidisciplinary, diverse teams, communication.

Required Language(s):

• Fluency in English is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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