Team Lead - Project / Partnership Management Coordinator at UNDP

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights, capacity development and the empowerment of women.

We are recruiting to fill the following position:

Job Title: Team Lead - Project / Partnership Management Coordinator

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Background
Under the overall supervision of the UNDP Resident Representative and direct supervision of the Country Director, the incumbent will be primarily responsible for managing the ECOWAS/UNDP/EU project. He/she will provide technical advice to senior management and ensure coordination of partnerships among the multilateral actors, as well as, between UNDP Nigeria and the UNDP project cluster office in Liberia. The incumbent will work closely with the Governance Unit and the Deputy Country Director/Programme to ensure that project is aligned to CO programme delivery.
The Team Lead- Project/Partnerships Management Coordinator supervises and leads a team of staff and experts (international and national consultants). The Coordinator will also work in close collaboration with the Project cluster and national coordinators and UNDP Nigeria to deliver on project results.

Additionally, he/she will liaise with colleagues in UNDP liaison office in Brussels, Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), and the Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA).

Duties and Responsibilities
Functions / Key Results Expected
Summary of key functions:

• Manages formulation and implementation of work plans for the ECOWAS Small Arms pilot programme in the Mano River Union and the Sahel region.
• Coordinates partnerships among all relevant stakeholders i.e. ECOWAS, European Union, UNDP Nigeria, as well as, UNDP liaison offices and cluster offices in the pilot countries.
• Leads and manages project deliverables and identify strategies for mobilizing resources and partnerships.
• Facilitates communications, knowledge building and knowledge sharing of project development results.

Manages formulation and implementation of work plans for the ECOWAS Small Arms pilot programme in the Mano River Union and the Sahel regions:

• Provides programme execution and administration oversight, by leading cluster teams to deliver on the project, gives direction and validates project deliverables for approval by the steering committee.
• Leads cluster teams to engage and formulates Annual work plans to ensure efficient implementation of the project deliverables.
• Provides guidance and leadership in the coordination of steering committee meetings composed of high level representation from the European Union, ECOWAS and UNDP.
• Ensures preparation of projects progress reports, as well as, accurate financial reporting on the project to steering committee.
• Ensures the provision of quality assurance for the project and takes responsibility for monitoring project deliverables based on the quarterly report.
• Coordinates project teams to achieve satisfactory evaluations and audits as agreed upon in the financing agreements.

Coordinates partnerships among all relevant stakeholders i.e. ECOWAS, European Union, UNDP Nigeria, as well as, UNDP liaison offices and cluster offices in the pilot countries:

• Leads and coordinates the setting up of cluster offices in Mano River Union and selected Sahel pilot countries.
• Provides guidance and leadership in the coordination of steering committee meetings composed of high level representation from the European Union, ECOWAS and UNDP.
• Provides high quality advice on partnerships management to Cluster manager based in Liberia to ensure effective coordination.
• Ensures high quality reporting and liaison with UNDP- European Union office in Brussels, as well as, HQ bureaus.
• Leads UNDP focal partners in the respective countries to also ensure that national partners, such as, the NATCOMs and the CSO's are constantly involved in the project implementation and dissemination of information.
• Leads the effort to promote co-ordination and integration for the effective delivery of services by exploring partnerships as appropriate with Regional Centers of Excellence, Regional CSO organizations, the UN Africa Regional Office for Peace and Disarmament, as well as, non-traditional donor partners.

Leads and provides advice to identify strategies for mobilizing resources and partnerships building:

• Leads and manages project team to conduct external and internal analysis for assessing additional opportunities in resource mobilization for respective NATCOMS;
• Leads the development of a detailed Partnership and Resource Mobilization (PRM) Strategy for the project;
• Champions the formulation of a detailed Partnership and Resource Mobilization (PRM) Strategy for NATCOMS to address capacity gaps identified during project design stage;
• Leads in the negotiation, drafting and revision of agreements with donors.
• Monitor overall implementation of agreements to ensure that reporting is adhered to.

Facilitates Communications, knowledge building and knowledge sharing as required by the development partners, focusing on the following results:

• Manages the cluster team and coordinator and ensures communication of development results of the project are shared with the ECOWAS EU partners, as well as, within UNDP.
• Lead the team to identify and formulate lessons learned and recommendations to be integrated into broader ECOWAS knowledge management efforts.
• Ensure lessons from project are shared as contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Impact of Results
The key results of the post are coordination of the efforts of the respective pilot countries in the MRU and Sahel region to deliver significant reduction in the proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light weapons and substituting them with concrete development interventions which affect livelihoods positively; and strengthening of the existing NATCOMs to perform their functions in accordance with the provisions of the ECOWAS convention.

Competencies
Functional Competencies:
Results-Based Programme Development and Management:
Contributing to results by leading programme implementation:

• Leads and manages project team to ensure quality assurance in project implementation in line with the UNDP programming principles.
• Provides leadership through information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
• Manages the team to ensure project outputs are achieved in line with desired outcomes.
• Provides leadership in identifying challenges to programme inplementation and addressing them.
• Identify opportunities for further project development and leads formulation of proposals for scale up.

Building Strategic Partnerships:
Identifying and building partnerships:

• Effectively networks with partners notably ECOWAS, EU and Governments and seizes opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP's mandate and strategic agenda;
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts especially NATCOMS in the area of resource mobilization and effective partnerships building;
• Coordinates cluster office in MRU to ensure effective partnerships building;.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter:

• Demonstrates sound knowledge in the area of Small Arms and Light Weapons proliferation, as well as, the fundamental concepts of related discipline.
• Keeps abreast of new developments in the area of Small Arms and Light Weapons and  seeks to develop his/herself professionally in this area.
• Demonstrates sound knowledge of Information Communications Technology (ICT) and applies it in the context of managing programmes.
• Demonstrates expert level knowledge and skills in managing complex partnerships.
• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Client Orientation
Contributing to positive outcomes for the clients:

• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between all actors in the partnerships;
• Demonstrates understanding of partners perspective and procedures;
• Solicits feedback on service provision and quality of project delivery.

Core Competencies

• Promotes ethics, integrity and creating organizational precedents;
• Builds support and political acumen to foster project implementation;
• Builds staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
• Builds and promoting effective teams;
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills;
• Exhibits respect for diversity and divergent views;
• Creates and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
• Creates an emotionally intelligent team to achieve results;
• Builds and promoting a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
• Ensures fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking;
• Promotes gender equality and human rights principles.

Required Skills and Experience
Education

• Master and 's Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences or related field.

Experience

• 10 years of relevant experience at the national or international level;
• Demonstrated experience in Partnerships management, donor relations and communications for development;
• Experience in Project formulation, design, monitoring and evaluation is essential;
• Sound knowledge of Small Arms and Light weapons related issues in the ECOWAS sub region;
• Good knowledge of UNDP programme management procedures is critical;
• Knowledge of EU and ECOWAS procedures is an advantage.

Language Requirements
Fluency in English and knowledge of French.

Application Closing Date
7th October, 2014

Method of Application
Interested candidates should:
Click here to apply online