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 Istanbul Regional Hub for Europe and Eurasia (IRH) is an advisory hub for the region that provides policy and programmatic support to UNDP’s development activities and works towards assisting Country Offices in the development of country-level initiatives, as well as implements regional-level projects with a wide range of partners. Since 2021, the IRH has led the regional implementation of the EU-funded “Mayors for Economic Growth Facility” (M4EG), implemented in five Eastern Partnership (EaP) Countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine).
The M4EG sits within the Innovation Team in the Regional Bureau for Europe and Central Asia. The Innovation team seeks to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by harnessing the potential of the data revolution (Ministry of Data), new technologies, urban transformation (City Experiment Fund and the Mayors for Economic Growth), innovative finance (AltFinLab), and new, systemic ways of working and thinking (Portfolio Design & Management). We take a systems thinking-based approach to addressing the complex development challenges of the region, collaborating closely with public, private and nonprofit sectors.
The M4EG offers resources, networking and learning opportunities to explore new trajectories of growth and to make towns and cities more attractive for people and investment through new ways of local economic planning. The M4EG takes a 'hyperlocal' and whole-of-place approach and offers training and capability development opportunities for local authorities through the Urban Learning Center, as well as grants programmes for municipalities to test new approaches and tools. As of end of 2023, the network of mayors/municipalities totals 425, with close to 50 of those implementing grants or seed-funds at the local level. See M4EG website (eum4eg.com) for more information on the second phase of the initiative.
In the new phase of the M4EG (2025-2028) the main objective of the M4EG is to enhance the economic resilience and sustainability of secondary cities in EaP by fostering inclusive and green economic growth. The Facility will focus on two main outcomes:
- Improved systemic local-level economic development planning and implementation, for societal vibrancy, digital transformation and regeneration of environment and
- Enhanced capability of local authorities for project creation and financing absorption, as well as strengthening own source revenue collection and allocation.
The new phase of the M4EG will have a stronger focus on diversifying the local level financing and connecting the municipalities with additional funding and financing opportunities offered by the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan, IFIs and other funding programmes.
With these in mind, the Innovation Team at IRH is looking for a Regional Project Manager for the Mayors for Economic Growth Facility for the new phase of the M4EG.
More information about the work of the innovation team can be found at innovation.eurasia.undp.org.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the overall guidance Innovation Team Leader, the Project Manager will work closely with the M4EG regional and country teams, as well as collaborate and engage with other teams and projects at the regional and country level. The role of the Project Manager will be to ensure effective and efficient project implementation, based on continuous identification of new opportunities for system innovation, collaboration with other regional teams in exploring local development and local level financing and providing support to country offices in mainstreaming strategic innovation and innovative local development.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Key Duties and Accountabilities include:
Ensure effective management of the “Mayors for Economic Growth” Project by focusing on implementation and quality control with the purpose of achieving the following results:
- Conduct regular horizon scanning to understand emerging trends and actors, as well as provide linkages and investigate opportunities for their application in Europe and Globally.
- Design and formulation of project and programme strategies within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP’s priorities into local interventions. coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies. Introduction of performance indicators/ success criteria, cost recovery, targets and milestones.
- Initiation of a project, presentation of the project in project Boards; determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises.
- Ensuring implementation of the Mayors for Economic Growth project in line with the Annual Workplans.
- Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the project, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions.
- Prepare regular reports on activities, outputs and outcomes.
- Prepare donor reports.
Provides support in the implementation of the regional programme with respect to the Innovation efforts in the region:
- Thorough analysis and research of the political, social and economic situation of the region and preparation of substantive inputs to the regional programmes, CCA, UNSDCF, CPD, CPAP and other documents in UNDP HQ, the regional hubs and as requested by COs.
- Identification of areas for support and interventions related to system innovation, innovative local financing, urban and digital transformation, and other innovative activities related to the implementation of the SDGs.
- Supporting organizational learning by continuously bridging frameworks and practice - ensuring the application of existing and development of new meta-models developed by the regional team evolve based on practice from the country offices.
- Ad-hoc and planned support to COs in design, implementation and evaluation of programmes related strategic innovation, especially as it pertains to achieving of SDGs, transparency, poverty reduction, citizen engagement and strengthening of civil society.
- Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
Actively explores and identifies opportunities for new partnerships and strategic engagements, especially with donors, innovative organizations and relevant stakeholders:
- Identification of emerging sources of funding; assessment of their current usage and potential for the future.
- Development of specific donor and other investors fund-raising strategies and approaches.
- Identification different actors, working on system innovation, local level financing, urban transformation or digital transformation, for collaboration towards project goals.
- Development of partnerships with other UN agencies, IFIs, government institutions, private sector companies, academia, civil society and other types of organizations in areas such as complexity, urban transformation, innovative finance, system innovation and other relevant areas.
Contribute to Team Building and Knowledge Management:
- Facilitates day-to-day functioning of the regional team of the project and the country level coordinators;
- Manages human and financial resources for achieving results;
- Guides and ensures effective recruitment, performance management and staff learning to motivate and promote organizational excellence in his/her teams;
- Leads on the development of a reflective practice in the project and beyond, ensuring that learnings and insights are captured regularly.
Other Duties:
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:
- Supervises the Project Team.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
- Advanced university degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in International Development, Law, International Affairs, Public Administration, Business Administration, Development Economics, or other relevant 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, Knowledge, and Skills:
- A minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience in applying innovative approaches either public sector (national or multilateral, including UN), or private (academia, non-governmental sector, corporate), with increasing level of responsibility.
- Experience in nurturing multi-stakeholder networks and managing collaborative processes with a wide range of partners (public, private, academic, civil society, business community) is an asset.
- At least 2 years of experience managing a team is an asset.
- Proven track record of partnership engagement and resource mobilization skills is an asset.
- Experience in the application of system (portfolio) approach to complex development challenges is considered an asset.
- Experience with managing complex (EU projects) in an asset.
- Experience in working with innovation at the local level is an asset.
- Experience in leading the capacity building programs and events is an asset.
Languages:
- Knowledge of oral and written English is required.
- Knowledge of a regional language is an asset.
COMPETENCIES
Core Competencies:
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
People Management Competencies:
- UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:
Business Management: Portfolio Management
- Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.
Business Direction and Strategy: Systems 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 Direction and Strategy: Effective Decision-making
- Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications.
Business Development: UNDP Representation
- Effectively represent and advocate for UNDP, its values, mission, work, and positions with various constituencies/audiences, shares UNDP knowledge and activities.
Business Development: Knowledge Facilitation
- Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.
Business Management: Partnerships Management
- Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
Digital: Innovation management
- Being able to create the strategies, conditions, structures and systems to enable innovation at an organisational level. Ability to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity, is able manage projects based principles of adaptation and emergence. Ability to shape demand for innovation services, navigate political constraints and make the case for allocation of resources to innovation, connect the appropriate innovation approaches based on business needs and make the case for innovation to be integrated at the planning level within their context. Having in-depth theoretical and experiential knowledge of innovation processes, methods, capabilities.
Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
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