Project management advisor

Background

The small, low-lying atoll islands of Maldives are highly vulnerable to flooding and coastal erosion. More than 44% of settlements, including 42% of the population, and more than 70% of all critical infrastructure are located within 100 meters of shoreline. Intensive rainfall, storm surges and swell waves are expected to be aggravated through sea level rise and climate change effects on weather patterns. This will compound underlying trends of increasing coastal erosion and pressure on scarce land resources, and increase physical vulnerability of island populations, infrastructure and livelihood assets. The most serious underlying driver of increasing vulnerability to climate change in the Maldives is the absence of systematic adaptation planning and practice. Climate change risks and long-term resilience are not adequately integrated into island land use planning or into coastal development and protection policies and practice, and past autonomous risk reduction efforts have sometimes had mal-adaptive effects.

LDCF support aims to enable the Government of Maldives to systematically assess the costs and benefits of different adaptation options in the fields of land use planning and coastal protection, and to develop the necessary institutional and individual capacity at national, provincial, atoll and island levels to enable decentralized and well-informed decision-making. In order to strengthen the enabling environment for decentralized adaptation planning, climate risk reduction measures will be anchored in key environmental, land use, decentralization, privatization and disaster risk reduction policies. Detailed technical guidelines on adaptive coastal protection, coastal development and land-use planning relevant to the Maldivian context will be developed to assist planners, decision-makers and technical specialists evaluate climate risks when making development and investment decisions. Tangible research cooperations will be set up to address evident knowledge gaps on climate change effects on the Maldives, and a climate risk information system, linked to the national Geographic Information System, will be established to allow universal access to different datasets needed for adaptation planning. The project will demonstrate practical, locally prioritized adaptation options for flooding and erosion control on at least four islands in four different atolls. Lessons learned and adaptation knowledge generated through the project will be systematically analyzed and disseminated both nationally and internationally.

Since the signing of the project document between UNDP and Ministry of Energy and Environment (MEE) as the implementing partner, there have been significant delays on implementation of project activities for three consecutive years. In view of the urgency to fast-track project implementation, it was agreed that a key to success would be to stimulate simultaneous engagement at all levels - from local and national stakeholders to project staff.

The project therefore seeks to hire a project management advisor to support PMU on implementation initially for the first year. This begins with a review progress during the period 2009-2012 and lessons learnt from the mid-term evaluation, particularly with regard to engaging project stakeholders and human resources (consultants and staff), and to initiate key project activities on the ground for full implementation in 2013.

Under the joint supervision of the Project Director in MEE and UNDP ARR (Environment and Energy), the Project Management Advisor is part of the Country Office and Ministry of Energy and Environment Project Management team. The overall performance appraisal of the advisor will be done as per UNDP rules and regulations by the Project Director (MEE) as the primary supervisor while UNDP ARR (Environment and Energy) is the secondary supervisor.

Duties and responsibilities

The overall responsibilities of the Project Management Advisor (AMA) are:

• To enable the project to maintain strategic direction during implementation by helping project management remain focused on overall results, and the quality of those results;
• To sharpen the project’s focus on quality outputs;
• To provide long term support for adaptive management, best practice assessment and implementation support for the project;
• To ensure the project is an active member of a broader learning and knowledge sharing network of similar or related projects (LDCF, GEF and otherwise); and
• To emphasize a learning and adaptive approach to project management and implementation.

Specifically, the PMA is expected to deliver on the following:

• To review progress against the overall project work plan since inception, and to assess constraints to project implementation.
• To assist project management unit draft the 2013 work plan.
• To ensure coordination with all project partners and stakeholders.
• To support inception of the work on technical components of the project including assistance for the formulation of the terms of references.
• To support and advise on project monitoring and reporting as well as tracking of implementation of management responses to evaluations.
• To advise National Project Director (NPD) and UNDP on any other matters, including the necessity to make a formal request to LDCF to extend the project implementation phase.
• Conduct capacity development trainings for project staff on project management.

Expected outcomes/deliverables:

The expected deliverables of the project management advisor are:

• A strategy and Action Plan to implement recommendations of mid-term evaluation
• Established and functioning Project Steering Committee including meeting schedules and procedures
• Revised Project Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Framework
• Updated Project Risk Management Framework
• Project Asset Management Register
• Recommendations for UNDP and MEE
• Revised workplan for 2013 to the end of project
• 2013 Annual Work Plan

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism
• As strong understanding of political sensitivities and ability to work positively with all partners in a politically dynamic environment

Functional competencies:

• Knowledge management and learning

- Demonstrated capacity in knowledge sharing and knowledge management and ability to promote a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
- In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues
- Ability to conduct research and analysis and strong synthesis skills.

• Development and operational effectiveness

- Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting
- Ability to develop innovative approaches to program design, implementation, monitoring evaluation of development programmes and projects.
- Ability to support mobilize resources
- Ability to work with minimal supervision

• Management and leadership

- Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback; consensus-oriented
- Encourages risk-taking in the pursuit of creativity and innovation
- Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
- Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
- Proactive and have the ability to discuss openly with all senior government staff
- Results-orientation and efficiency in a multi-tasking environment
- Capacity to perform effectively under pressure and hardship conditions
- Highly develop inter-personal, negotiation and teamwork skills, networking aptitude, ability to work in multi-cultural environment
- Highly developed inter-cultural communication and skills;

Required skills and experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree in one of the following: Science, Social Science, Business Administration generic Development studies with environmental specialisation.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years professional experience in the area of programme or project management with specific experience in natural resource management projects is an advantage;
• Demonstrated experience with other donor funded development project with at least seven years in a managerial position; Managing climate change projects will be an asset;
• In-depth and proven knowledge on climate change and other development issues, policies, strategies and programmes relating to environment and natural resource management and their impacts promoting sustainable financing, growth in human development and poverty reduction;
• Must have substantial management and planning skills; and experience with demonstrated abilities to develop and manage partnerships with donors, government counterparts, the private sector and civil society;
• Solid understanding of UN/UNDP’s programmes and initiatives on climates;
• Must possess strong analytical and results oriented skills;
• Ability to work in an organised and systematic manner and demonstrate professionalism with high level of integrity in the day-to-day performance of duty;
• Ability to manage and work well in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams;
• Proven record in the writing of research papers, policy analysis and recommendations, reports and publications;
• Excellent computer skills and experience and ability to use information technology as a tool and resource as well as advanced • knowledge of web based management systems.

Language requirements:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.