Project Management Support Specialist (Scheduler)

1. Schedule Management Standards & System.

2. Risk-Based Schedules development.

3. Schedule Progress Deviations monitoring and reporting.

4. Schedule Recovery & Mitigation measures.

5. Advisory Support.

6. Project, Programme & Hub Level Reporting.

• Establishes and maintains an effective Schedule Management Standards & System that ensures effective project planning and timely execution.

• Ensures alignment to, and compliance with, the UNOPS defined standards, tools and techniques for scheduling.

• Identifies the most appropriate scheduling tools and techniques for projects; and ensures their proper use by the Programme Leadership and project teams.

• Assures the development of project schedules that are fully aligned with ETMCO’s schedule management standards and system. Where delegated by the PMO Team Leader, the Scheduler shall lead in the development of such schedules.

• Coordinates the development of work breakdown structures; and assists Finance team during allocation of resources and preparation of cost and budget plans at the:

• Pre-Award Engagement Stage: To minimum WBS Level 2 Detail.

• Post Award Planning & Implementation:  To minimum WBS Level 3 Detail.

• Facilitates timely implementation of scheduled activities through highlighting activity prioritization and resource allocation to critical path activities.

• Adds high level progress milestones as checkpoints to the schedule and reviews it regularly to timely alert Project Executives & Managers.

• Engages technical team of projects to identify activities, resources, dependencies, constraints and durations.

• Manages project schedules on behalf of the Project Managers on a temporary or full project basis if instructed by PMO Team Lead.

• Promotes risk-based planning by assisting Project Executives & Managers in the identification and planning of:

  • Scope, Deliverable Schedules & Work Breakdown Structures.

  • Activity Sequencing, Duration & Resourcing.

  • Potential risks during the development and maintenance of project schedules.

  • Schedule Profiling & Optimisation.

  • Contingency Planning with interim and terminal float provisions.

• Ensure risk-based project schedule baseline is created, subject to appropriate approvals and properly used to measure project performance. 

• Positively challenge and support Project Executives & Managers in conducting schedule delay risk analysis and the planning and execution of mitigation measures.

• Conduct overall risk assessment to identify and anticipate potential risks and issues that will affect engagement/project schedules; and alert Project Executives & Managers for timely action.

• Ensures timely, objective and effective schedule change control process, including time tolerance establishment, escalation of deviations and change approval processes. 

• Monitors project schedules and track timeliness of project activities relative to Project Baseline, Project Forecast and Hub Performance Standards.

• Ensures delays that are likely to exceed agreed upon tolerance levels are escalated to the relevant Project Executive and Programme Leadership Team.

• Coordinates reviews of project plans and schedules during amendments; and ensures clear communication of changes in schedule to all stakeholders.

• Ensures schedule forecasts are periodically updated using agreed upon forecasting method; and facilitate change request and approval for major schedule deviations.

• Regularly evaluates the schedule performance of projects, and communicates status with the Project team for timely corrective action, including initiation of time extension requests.

• Objectively support the project teams in developing schedule delay risk analysis by developing appropriate analysis tools and training Project Executives & Managers on how to use them.

• Recommend recovery mitigation and recovery options for consideration by the Project Executives & Managers.

• Supports and monitors timely implementation of effective recovery & mitigation actions reporting progress and deviations to the Programme Leadership Team.

• Documents lessons learnt related to causes of delay, as well as effectiveness of recovery and mitigation measures.

• Ensures that lessons learnt are used as input during future schedule development.

• Uses a systematic approach to predict problems that would affect schedules; and initiate discussion with the project team or propose alternatives to proactively address the problem and keep the project schedule on track.

• Actively interact with the Programme Leadership Team and the wider project team to share lessons learned and best practices in scheduling and monitoring of progresses. 

• Provides feedback to the Programme Leadership Team to achieve continuous improvement of planning/scheduling  tools, techniques and  processes. 

• Help the creation of an environment where any change to the project plan is timely communicated to trigger immediate remedial action.

• Contributes to knowledge management by actively interacting with PMs across the multi country office to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices related to scheduling. 

• Produces and shares schedule performance reports of the projects for timely action and decision making.

• Monitors scheduling updates in oneUNOPS projects ensuring its timeliness and accuracy.

• Conducts key data analysis and provides reporting updates to both the Programme Leadership team and Project Managers on programme and project status and impact on overall portfolio. Report to Programme Leadership Team shall also include:

  • Disputes with Project Team in terms of schedule development, updates, change control and reporting.

  • Deviations in Schedule Plans (Baseline, Forecast & Actuals) with benchmarked Service Standards and proven working practice experience.

• Ensures submission and regularly updates on completion of outputs and achievement of milestones in oneUNOPS Projects.

• Provides Support Services team with necessary project time analysis reports and information to support corresponding resource planning, allocation and monitoring.

• Documents scheduling processes and uploads relevant documents in oneUNOPS projects.

• Ensures that planning/scheduling related lessons are timely captured and entered into oneUNOPS Projects.

The Project Management Support Specialist(Scheduler) directly impacts on the achievement of project results by supporting the Head of Programme, PMO Team Lead, Project Executives & Project Managers to:

• Create the framework within which effective project planning and timely execution is assured by establishing and maintaining an effective Schedule Management Standards & System.

• Ensure Risk-Based Schedules are consistently developed, across the full programme, including the Programme Leadership review and endorsement of Schedule Management Standard deviations.

• Professional advisory supporting role in the schedule management and recovery.

• Ensure the timely identification, evaluation and stakeholder communication of Schedule Progress Deviations following the principles of an ‘Early Warning’ Culture.

• Ensure Schedule Recovery & Mitigation options are timely evaluated and where endorsed by Programme Leadership are monitored to ensure project level engagement and schedule recovery. 

• Directly manage Project Schedules on behalf of the Project Managers where delegated by the PMO Team Lead.

• Support PMO Team Lead in the Project, Programme & Hub Level Reporting.

Key outcomes will be improved project consistency, transparency and success. This consequently reinforces the visibility and image of the 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.