Organization: UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
Location: Monrovia
Grade: Level not specified – Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
Engineering
Project and Programme Management
Closing Date: 2024-07-17
Background
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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
The ACDP (Accelerated Community Development Programme) is directly situated under the UNDP Inclusive Governance Portfolio with a Team Leader, an interim manager and other support staff. The ACDP is a renewed vision of the Government of Liberia to address the real needs of the most vulnerable rural populations of Liberia. The programme was conceived in 2020 after a feasibility study was conducted across Liberia and about 35 to 40 communities were identified and selected as the poorest and most vulnerable populations in Liberia to begin with. Before the feasibility study, a study tour was conducted in 2018 in neighboring countries such as Senegal, Togo and the Gambia by a team comprising UNDP and GoL representatives led by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and comprising MIA, MOE, MPW, MoS, and Health, to see a model of ACDP (PUDC for the French Speaking Countries), how the programme has impacted the lives of poor people, in those countries, and how it could be replicated in Liberia. Upon the team’s return, a National Sensitization Workshop was held in Ganta to garner citizens’ feedback about the PUDC model. The PUDC received overwhelming acceptance, with citizens recommending its immediate replication in Liberia. This led to a feasibility study, and then a high-level meeting followed by several other scoping missions in Liberia and community tours, culminating in the preparation and endorsement of the ACDP Programme Document. Subsequently, on 24th October 2022 (UN Day) the ACDP was launched by the Government of Liberia as a flagship initiative designating the UNDP to implement it for an initial 3 years.
The Liberia ACDP aims to reduce spatial (territorial) inequalities and transform the living conditions and living environment of Liberians living in areas with little or no access to basic social and economic infrastructures and services. Through its targeted interventions for very poor rural areas and those poorly served in social and economic infrastructure and its integrated offer of services (water, electricity, rural roads, health, education, housing, and agricultural processing equipment, tools, and accountability and community-led inclusive governance systems), the ACDP hopes to meet the real demand of rural populations (direct beneficiaries). During its launch in 2022 the Government of Liberia committed itself to providing USD 100 m for the first three years of implementation but to date, only USD 3m has been transferred to UNDP. The ACDP is expected to be implemented over a period of five years (November 2022 to November 2027).
The project Engineer will have a direct responsibility of supervising and monitoring all engineering and civil works under he ACDP thus contributing to the overall objective of poverty eradication (SDGs Goal 1) and reduction of inequalities (SDGs Goal 10), especially in rural poor communities. The Project Engineer is a key team member of the ACDP team and will be directly supervised by the ACDP Manager who will in return report to the Team Leader.
Duties and Responsibilities
The ACDP also targets to achieve the following results by 2027:
Significantly improved living conditions for residents of targeted rural and urban communities through environmentally sustainable and equitable access to basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services by 2027;
Improved social infrastructure investments to create multiplier effects on access to markets, agriculture and fishery production, and other economic activities in targeted rural communities;
A sustainable and inclusive model for a multi-sectoral spatial approach to fast-track rural infrastructure development that provides equitable access to opportunities for women, girls and youth;
Strengthened capacity of public and private sector players to increase economic participation and rural productivity, enabling employment, job creation, and enterprise development in an inclusive manner.
Under the overall guidance of the UNDP IGP Team Leader and the direct supervision of the ACDP Manager, UNDP Liberia intends to hire a qualified and motivated ACDP National National Project Engineer to provide support for the overall management of engineering processes associated with civil works in the country office under Accelerated Community Development Programme (ACDP). The Engineer will work closely with the ACDP Team and other engineers as well as stakeholders (including contractors, community leadership and local authorities) during the contract perform the following duties:
In collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the WASH Commission and the Ministry of Public Works representatives, facilitates consultations with relevant local authorities, community leaders on all construction related works;
Providing technical advice and support for construction Projects Implementation;
Leads on the preparation of drawings and designs and prepares a comprehensive and itemized Bill of Quantities (BoQs) and Statement of Works (SoW) for all construction related works, taking into consideration the materials, labor, equipment, roads network and conditions, and other costs associated with each project component. Ensure that the designs consider sustainability, accessibility (especially for PWDs), gender sensitivity, and cost-effectiveness, while adhering to relevant building codes and regulations;
Submits all drawings and designs to the Ministry of Public Works for approval before bids solicitation;
Provides technical support to UNDP procurement unit in the advertisement of RFQs, RFPs and/ or ITBs and participate in the evaluation of bids and selection of best bidder to the tender for construction works and assessment of the bidder’s competencies and experience against minimum qualification requirements as per the tender requirements;
Organize site visits (in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Internal Affairs and WASH Commission and other relevant institutions) to project and communities to assess the current conditions and gather essential data on existing facilities, infrastructures and community needs;
Develop a detailed timeline with clear milestones/deliverables and deadlines for each phase, ensuring that the project progresses efficiently and meets the desired completion dates;
Establish a robust quality assurance and monitoring mechanism to regularly assess the progress and adherence to project specifications;
Supervises contractors’ performance in all matters related to the civil works, and ensure that the minimum safety requirements are adhered to, in all the ongoing projects sites;
Check and review material submittals and equipment incorporated in the works to ensure the compliance with designs, specification, instructions and safety regulations as per contractual agreements;
Verify the works submitted by contractors/and or consultants, check and record the measurements of the executed works and provide a report to project manager for preparation of payment certificate;
Upon request, provide similar support to other UNDP Projects at assessment and implementation stages;
Performs other duties as maybe requested by the ACDP team, Team Leader and UNDP senior management.
Institutional Arrangement
The ACDP National Project Engineer will be supervised directly by the ACDP Manager but overall supervision will be provided by the IGP Team Leader. The ACDP is part of the Inclusive Governance Portfolio with a current staff composition of five (5) staff including the Project Manager, Procurement Specialist, M&E Analyst, Programme/Finance Associate and a driver. The engineer is a new addition thus making the team composition six (6). (see overview attached).
Competencies
CORE
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross Functional & Technical Competencies
General (across the functions): Public relations
Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organization, its mandate, and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public
Partnership management: Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding
Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms
Partnership management: Resource mobilization
Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities and establish a plan to meet funding requirements
Programme and Policy: Gender
Gender Mainstreaming
Programme and Policy: Inclusive Growth
Poverty and Human Development
Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking
Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Business Development: Knowledge Generation
Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Engineering, Project Management or related field is required. OR
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
Minimum 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant work experience, preferably in the area of engineering, project management or relevant related field is required.
Required skills
Experience in facilitating community development related projects;
Strong organizational, operational and communication skills/experience;
Willingness to travel in-country;
Familiarity with gender issues;
Proven ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource;
Commitment to UN values.
Desired Skills:
Proven ability to lead planning, results-based management and reporting;
Proven ability to formulate and manage budgets;
Solid project and personnel management experience and a consistent record of managing complex and challenging partnerships with governments and bilateral donors;
Practical knowledge, experience and skills for resource mobilization focusing on multilateral and bilateral donors;
Familiarity with UNDP project management.
Language Requirements:
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, in English and national language is required.
Disclaimer
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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