The Project Manager is responsible to have a
thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and
responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project(s) products
are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the client. Success
of the project(s), and hence Project Manager, will be based on the Success
Criteria of UNOPS engagements which are linked to the below
responsibilities.
The project relies on a number of external
suppliers for its successful delivery, managing tight timeline with some
flexibility. The Project Manager is responsible for supporting the Project
Leader in all aspects of the project life cycle. S/he must be able to apply, with a high degree of autonomy, the
below duties and responsibilities of the project success criteria:
Stakeholder Management:
●
Establish solid
working relationship with the project board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior
Suppliers), client and key stakeholders;
●
Establish solid
working relationship with the project Steering Committee members
●
Coordinate
communications and ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities,
progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover products;
●
Advise the Project
Leader and client on issues that may impact the achievement of their outcomes (including
issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance);
●
Manage the information
flows between UNOPS and the Ministry of Energy (MOE) and the Project Board/Hub
Director, Project team and Programme Management Office.
●
Coordinate the
Steering Committee and Project Board secretariat functions
Delivery and Performance:
●
On behalf of the
Project Leader, coordinate and provide assurance over the development and
maintenance of project plans;
●
Manage the
implementation of approved project plans (including the establishment of
milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board;
●
Embed sustainability
dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic
aspects into project life cycle;
●
Oversee and provide
assurance over the production of the required products, taking responsibility
for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action
where necessary;
●
Liaise with any
external suppliers or account managers;
●
In consultation with
the Project Leader, authorize Work Packages;
●
Alert the Project
Leader and Head of Programme (as required) of any deviations from the plan;
●
Identify and manage
risks so that maximum benefit to client and stakeholders is achieved;
●
Review product quality
and ensure products are accepted by the Project Leader;
●
Monitor and evaluate
performance of service providers;
●
Identify and report
potential business opportunities for UNOPS to the Country Manager;
●
Identify and report
threats to UNOPS internal business case to the Project Leader
Procedures:
●
Follow the Project
Management Cycle Instructions and ensure that all organizational policy is
complied with (Organizational Directives and Administrative Instructions);
●
Prepare/adapt the
following plans for approval by the Project Board: I. Project Initiation Documentation; II.
Stage/Exception Plans and relevant Product Descriptions;
●
On behalf of the
Project Leader, prepare the following reports:
i.
Highlight Reports
ii.
End Stage Reports
ii.
Operational Closure
Checklist
iv.
End Project Report
v.
Handover Report
●
Maintain the
following: i. Project Document Archive; ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files
as required by those practices as per OD12;
●
Ensure that all
expenditure comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR);
●
Manage budgets, cash
flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to
contractors and personnel are received on time;
●
Understand and manage
UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply
to the project;
●
Understand the unique
structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel;
●
Manage and remain
accountable for expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial
reports)
●
Where the Project
Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these
responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the
relevant commitments and disbursements.
Knowledge Management:
●
Participate in the
relevant Communities of Practice
●
Actively interact with
other PMs and the PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best
practice on the Knowledge System;
●
Provide feedback to
Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous
improvement of UNOPS policies;
●
Complete lessons
learned as per reporting format;
●
Incorporate lessons
learned from others as per planning format.
Personnel Management:
●
Lead and motivate the
project management team;
●
Ensure that
behavioural expectations of team members are established;
●
Support the PM and
Resources Pool Managers to ensure that performance reviews are conducted;
●
Identify outstanding
staff and bring them to the attention of the Project Leader;
●
Establish a thorough
understanding of UNOPS personnel contract modalities (including ICA and Staff);
●
Support the selection,
recruitment and training of the team as required by project plans
●
Perform the Team
Leader role, unless appointed to another person(s)
●
Perform Project
Support role, unless appointed to another person or corporate/programme
function
●
Ensure safety and
security for all personnel and comply with UNDSS standards
Core Values and Principles:
●
Understand and respect
UNOPS sustainability principles:
I.
Look for ways to
embed UNOPS sustainability principles in day to day project management
II. Seek opportunities
to champion gender equality at work place
III. Champion and
communicate project’s sustainability aspects with key stakeholders
●
Understand and Respect
National ownership and capacity:
i.
Understand the
principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them
into the project plans.
ii.
Seek opportunities
to recruit qualified local staff
iii.
Look for ways to
build capacity of local counterparts
●
Partnerships and
Coordination Understand the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework
(UNSDCF) and UNOPS and the project’s place in the UN system:
i.
Strive to build strong
partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors (e.g.
United Nations, governments, and non-governmental organizations or other
relevant partners)
●
Accountability for
results and the use of resources:
i.
The project management
processes are designed to deliver maximum accountability, transparency and
results. If a project or processes is not in line with this, it is the
responsibility of the PM to raise the issue with a supervisor
●
Excellence:
i.
Contribute to innovation
and the adaptation of best practice standards of sustainability and quality.
3. Monitoring and Progress
Controls
-
Project meets its
annual delivery targets
-
Accuracy of project planning
-
Stakeholders
satisfaction
-
Personnel satisfaction
and engagement
-
Effective project
governance
-
Timeliness and
accuracy of reporting
-
DFID annual review
rating of “A” or higher
-
Unqualified Audit
General:
●
Ensure that the
project produces the required products within the specified tolerance of time,
cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits;
●
Responsible for the
project producing a result capable of achieving the benefits defined in the
Business Case(s) and as monitored through the Logical Framework;
●
Establishes and
maintains effective performance management and control systems that ensures the
project meets its delivery targets;
●
Coordinates the work
of a diverse multi-disciplinary team with satellite offices in 3 districts;
●
Ensures effective
resources (and talent) management within the project team;
●
Creates an inclusive
work environment that promotes the principles of shared outcomes, mutual
respect, consultation, and information sharing;
●
Demonstrates
leadership in the application of the Hub and Region’s Operational Excellence
plans and ensures the project is fully compliant with the Project Management
Manual;