The Project Management Support Specialist reports to the Infrastructure Projects...
The Project Management Support Specialist reports to the Infrastructure Projects Team Leader who provides broad supervision and guidance. The role is responsible for coordinating and supporting the Infrastructure Projects Team Leader with the day-to-day operations and liaise with the donor, government stakeholders and working group focal points on all project related matters.
The Project Management Support Specialist will also maintain a close eye on the operational and financial performance, identifies probable issues that may need attention, supports in problem analysis and solution identification as necessary, coordinate resolution as per action-items assigned, drafting required correspondences to stakeholders concerned and preparation of reports. He/She is most likely required to work in complex and challenging environments with limited resources.
The specific responsibilities of the Project Management Support Specialist include:
1. Project implementation
- Preparation and
maintenance of project files, including internal and external project reports.
- Manage information
flows and oversee change controls, risk registers and issue management by
establishing document control procedures
- Manage assigned
delivery of work packages and take responsibility for progress.
- Coordinate and liaise
with the Infrastructure Projects Team Leader on the implementation
progress.
- Advise the Infrastructure
Projects Team Leader of any deviations from the plan and update plans.
- Work with the Infrastructure
Projects Team Leader to identify and manage risks.
2. Financial and procurement management
- Maintain all
supporting project financial documents for audit and review processes.
- Ensure accurate data
entry into UNOPS ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.
- Monitor project budget
and financial expenditure and all administrative procedures in line with the
work-plan.
- Process direct
payments and advance requests and prepare project budget revisions.
- Produce financial
reports; including developing financial monitoring and reporting formats as per
UNOPS requirements.
- Support the Infrastructure
Projects Team Leader by monitoring budgets, cash flow and reporting on expense
obligations to ensure that deliverables are met.
- Alert the Infrastructure
Projects Team Leader or any financial shortfalls and over-expenditures.
- Propose budget
revision and initiate corrective action when necessary.
- Coordinate vendor
communications, meetings, and reports as necessary
- Supervise the Project
Office procurement/call for proposal processes, including tendering processes
and evaluation and supplier/implementing partners (IPs) selection, to ensure
viable procurement solutions that meet operational needs and compliance with UNOPS
procurement procedures, regulations and standard of accountability, ethics,
integrity and performance.
- Establishment of
shortlist of suitable contractors/suppliers/IPs, and the preparation and issue
of local tenders/calls for proposal. Evaluation of bids or proposals received
and of recommendations for contract awards.
- In consultation with
relevant colleagues, review, administer and issue contracts, grants agreements,
agreements/amendments.
3. Grant Management
- Responsible for
preparing grant agreements.
- Supervise finance
related action for timely disbursements of funds to Grantees.
- Maintain a financial
management system, controlling budget line expenditures and encumbrances,
including record keeping to reflect all transactions related to the projects
activities in proper categories in accordance with the finance SOPs of the
Partnership and the UNOPS financial rules and regulations.
- Help with the
preparation of Terms of References for external consultants as needed and
manage their activities based on agreed Terms of Reference.
- Prepare and maintain
Donor Agreements, including any reports requested by Donors.
- Manage the procurement
of PPE, coordinating efforts between vendors and Grantees.
- Using the Grant
Management System, perform ongoing review, analysis and reconciliation of
accounts, investigating discrepancies and initiating timely corrective actions;
implement effective risk management actions as per partnerships risk management
system.
- Support the
maintenance of technical and financial reporting, to ensure that all Grantees
execute their contractual responsibilities.
- Review and provide
comments on administrative and financial aspects for finalization of contract
documentation for undertaking engagement for implementation of the activities
by stakeholders.
- Liaise with the Admin
Associate dealing with HR matters of the Partnership to keep the HR work plan
updated with respect to costs and using correct HR cost allocations for
preparing financial reports for management, donors and the Coordinating Board.
- Assist and act as a
back-up role when other team members are out of the office.
- Perform other related
duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.
4. Project monitoring and reporting
- Provide substantive
inputs to assist the Infrastructure Projects Team Leader in the preparation of
project reports and documents.
- Maintain records of
project files and other supporting documents.
- Maintain the following
records: Quality Register, Configuration Item Records and all other
registers/logs delegated by the Infrastructure Projects Team Leader
- Support the Infrastructure
Projects Team Leader in maintaining the following:
i. Complete and update project documentation
in oneUNOPS Projects
ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files as
required by Organizational Directive (OD) 12.
- Manage the
compilation, consolidation and analysis of relevant data.
- Assist the Infrastructure
Projects Team Leader in the preparation of project completion reports and
ensure compliance with contractual obligations.
5. Stakeholder management, coordination and
liaison
- Support the
coordination and management of communications.
- Liaise and build
relationships with other United Nations (UN) agencies and international
non-governmental organizations (I/NGOs) for the purposes of facilitating
activities and improving the quality and relevance of information analysis.
- Participate in
meetings with UN agencies, NGO’s and other Stakeholders as required.
6. Knowledge management and innovation
- Support the
compilation of lessons learned as per defined reporting format.
- Ensure that Local
capacities are built at every level and opportunity for Project Support.
- Contribute to the
dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for planning
and knowledge building.
- Contribute to
expertise in tools and techniques
7. Development and Planning
- In conjunction with
the project team, provides appropriate levels of programmatic management and
administrative support to the Infrastructure Projects Team Leader regarding all
ongoing project activities, while maintaining and implementing appropriate
standards and best practices in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.
- Directly contribute to
strategic oversight, advice and direction on programme and project management
activities in line with service agreements and project documents.
- Ensure proper
development, implementation and, as and when appropriate, amendments, of
project budgets and staffing resources, ensuring synergies across the different
implementing partners.
- Develops and
establishes resource tracking systems for use within the project team,
complementary to UNOPS' online tools, to ensure effective planning, forecasting
and tracking of delivery across the Programme.
- Identifies, and
anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises
mitigating measures to the Infrastructure Projects Team Leader.
The Project Management Support Specialist directly impacts on
achievement of project results by assisting the Infrastructure Projects Team
Leader to adhere to project management methods and strategies, reduced risks,
cut costs and improved success rates. This consequently reinforces the
visibility and image of UNOPS as an effective service provider in project
services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner
of choice in sustainable development and project services