Project Manager - Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Job Description
- Agency UNDP
- Title Project Manager
- Job ID 39829
- Practice Area - Job Family Democratic Governance - RULE OF LAW AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE
- Vacancy End Date (Midnight New York, USA) 04/10/2021
- Time Left 13d 21h 38m
- Duty Station Dushanbe, Tajikistan
- Education & Work Experience I-Master's Level Degree - 7 year(s) experience
- Languages
- Required:
- Desired: English, Russian, Tajik
- Grade NB5
- Vacancy Type National PSA
- Posting Type External
- Bureau Europe & the CIS
- Contract Duration 6 months with possibility of extension
Background:
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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.
UNDP Tajikistan Rule of Law and Access to Justice Initiative is designed based on past achievements and lessons learnt of the initiatives in the area of rule of law and access to justice in Tajikistan, and the outcomes of the consultations with the relevant stakeholders both at the national and local levels. The UNDP Rule of Law and Access to Justice Initaitive consists of two interrelated and mutually reinforcing projects: “Access to Justice in Tajikistan” (‘Access to Justice 2015-2021’) and “Strengthening Rule of Law and Human Rights to Empower People in Tajikistan” (‘Rule of Law’). The Access to Justice Project phase II was funded by the Swiss Development Corporation (SDC) and implemented in consortium partnership with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation. The 3rd phase of the Access to Justice Project has launched in August 2021, which will be the final phase of the Project and focus on consolidating and further developing the project’s achievements to date. The Rule of Law Project is funded by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is implemented by UNDP.
The overall goal of the Initiative is to improve access to justice for everyone in Tajikistan. Specific goals include the creation and implementation of a system of state administered and state funded legal aid centers (LACs); implementing the national Rule of Law Policy Dialogue at both the national and regional levels; developing capaciy in state institutions, particularly the Ministry of Justice; providing assistance to the Government of Tajikistan in acceding to and complying with various international conventions on human rights; and public education and outreach. The Initiative also seeks to empower vulnerable populations, particularly women and people with disabilities.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of Deputy Resident Representative and direct supervision of Team Leader/Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights and in close cooperation with the projects’ teams, the Project Manager will be responsible for overall management and technical leadership of the aforementioned projects, including:
Management and Delivery on Project Results:
- Day-to-day management through planning and implementing envisaged project activities, management of resources and monitoring progress against the intended outcome, outputs and initial quality criteria.
- Oversee and monitor implementation of work plans and budgets for all activities.
- Ensure that project produces the results (outputs) specified in the project documents to the required standard of quality and within the specified constraints of time and cost.
- Ensure activities are well coordinated with programme components led by other partners.
- Ensure effective governance of the project through the organization of projects’ Steering Committee meetings and preparation of technical inputs on progress of work and risks management.
- Ensure that human rights based approach, gender empowerment, and conflict-sensitive programming are mainstreamed throughout activities design and implementation.
- Provide strategic guidance and supervision to project staff as well as national and international experts/consultants in the delivery of assigned tasks/responsibilities as well as develop Terms of References.
- Support UNDP’s efforts for resource mobilization, including in planning and costing project inputs in close consultations with Senior Management;
- Oversee the effective communication of results and build the visibility of the Programme amongst the government and CSOs in Tajikistan as well as among the international community within and outside the country.
- Ensure timely and high-quality reporting to management and donors against work plans and according to agreed structure.
- Ensure overall accountability of the use of project funds as well as the strict and consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations in all programme operations.
Policy and Technical Advisory functions to UNDP and Government Counterparts:
- Support the Ministry of Justice to organize and conduct Rule of Law policy dialogue on national and sub-national levels;
- Support key officials in the GoT responsible for legal and judicial reform in proposing, adopting and implementing appropriate rule of law and access to justice related reforms, in particular in development of a sustainable legal aid system;
- Closely work with Ministry of Justice and Executive Office of the President and appropriate Committee of the Parliament within the framework of the National Rule of Law Council in determining legislation, policies, structures, skills and funding that will be necessary to enable a transition from programme-supported and donor-driven arrangement to a nationally owned functioning legal aid system.
- Identify key challenges in Access to Justice and Rule of Law leading to constructive policy dialogue with government authorities, civil society and other stakeholders.
- Identify and share experiences in other countries on consensus building and techniques on how to maintain high level commitments by all parties during and after the national RoL policy dialogue processes;
- Provide policy advice to UNDP Management (including in the context of the work of Development Coordination Council (DCC)), government counterparts, donor and other partners on issues related to rule of law policy dialogue and access to justice initiatives.
- Provide support in organization of the Rule of Law Working Group meetings under Development Coordination Council (DCC).
- Provide support to the Government of Tajikistan in implementation of relevant international human rights agreements (such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) within the scope of UNDP projects;
Coordination and Partnership:
- Establish trustful relationships and maintain continuous and constructive dialogue with government, civil society, local communities and donors to maximize consistency and synergy on rule of law reform and access to justice initiatives, and to maximize impact and results.
- Anticipate a systematic and integrated approach of access to justice that is vertically interlinked between community-local and national levels.
- Cooperate with the different actors at various levels supporting their specific roles in the governance and rule of law set up.
- Collaborate with on-going rule of law and good governance projects strengthening existing initiatives.
Knowledge Management:
- Contribute to building the corporate body of knowledge in the area of Rule of Law, by systematically (1) sharing knowledge with colleagues, and (2) ensuring that relevant experiences and lessons;
- Contribute written inputs to UNDP flagship products/newsletter/policy briefs, based on project results, data and information, lessons learned and best practices.
- Formulate a framework for data sharing among stakeholders, for project implementation
- Sharing international best practices on implementation of climate change adaptation policies and practices through participatory processes and techniques involving civil society, women and minority groups.
- Ensure systemic capturing of key lessons learnt generated by the project through feasibility studies, research, surveys as well as other primary and secondary sources to produce knowledge-based products;
- Constantly monitor, and ensure highest UNDP standards in the provision of technical and advisory inputs, organization of workshops, seminars, training and delivery of outputs (products);
- Serve as peer reviewer, as and when required.
Competencies
- In-depth knowledge of Government structure and Legal and Judicial institutions frameworks, and good understanding of Tajikistan and Central Asia political context.
- Good knowledge of human rights based approaches, gender mainstreaming, conflict sensitive programme and result-based management.
- Proven experience in managing development programmes in the area of rule of law and access to justice.Familiarity with the on-going legal and judicial reforms and access to justice initiatives in Tajikistan, and understanding of the challenges and prospects of rule of law reform and access to justice initiatives.
- Previous experience in developing policy/position papers.
- Practical skills in facilitating dialogue processes.
Required Skills and Experience
- Master degree in law, political science, conflict prevention, public administration, or related field.
- At least seven (7) years of proven professional experience on legal issues , with programme/project management responsibilities
- Experience of working with the UN is an advantage;
- Fluency in written and spoken English, Tajik and Russian.