State Project Manager – UNDP India

Apply by 26th July 24

UNDP has worked in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development, from democratic governance to poverty eradication, to sustainable energy and environmental management. UNDP’s programmes are aligned with national priorities and are reviewed and adjusted annually.

Job Schedule Full time
Agency UNDP
Grade NB4
Vacancy Type National Personnel Service Agreement
Practice Area Effectiveness
Bureau Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific
Contract Duration 1 Year with Possibility for extension
Other Criteria Minimum 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of experience of programme / project management experience.
Required Languages Fluency in Odiya and English is mandatory.
Desired Languages Fluency in Hindi is desirable
Vacancy Timeline 2 Weeks

Job Description
Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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.

With projects and programmes in every state and union territory in India, UNDP works with national and subnational government, and diverse development actors to deliver people-centric results, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As the integrator for collective action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the UN system, we are committed to supporting the Government of India’s national development vision and priorities and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs for the people and the planet.

UNDP India’s new Country Programme (2023 2027) builds on our prior work and aims to provide an integrated approach to development solutions in three strategic portfolios:

• Strong, accountable and evidence-led institutions for accelerated achievement of the SDGs.
• Enhanced economic opportunities and social protection to reduce inequality, with a focus on the marginalized
• Climate-smart solutions, sustainable ecosystems and resilient development for reduced vulnerability.
• South-South cooperation, gender equality and social inclusion are promoted across the pillars. The programme is supported by a framework of renewed partnerships and blended finance solutions, strategic innovation and accelerator labs, and data and digital architecture.

You are invited to join a team of future-smart development professionals to support India in achieving the national and globally agreed goals. As part of the UNDP team, your focus will be to work with diverse stakeholders to find country- specific solutions that lead to sustainable development and reach those furthest behind first.

Office/Unit/Project Description

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) project – on “Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities” supports the Government of India and the state governments in the project states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra, to enhance the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities to climate change through ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). The project combines GCF grant finance with significant leveraged co-finance from central and state governments to shift the paradigm towards a new approach, integrating ecosystem-centred and community-based approaches to adaptation into coastal management and planning by the public sector, the private sector and civil society.

The project supports the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India and the nodal departments of the target State governments, to enhance the resilience of the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations, particularly women, in the coastal areas of India to climate change and extreme events, using an ecosystem- centered and community-based approach in three target states. This project as well contributes towards the achievement of climate priorities outlined in India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008), the State Action Plans, as well as commitments outlined in India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (2015).

The Action for Climate and Environment portfolio at UNDP is currently working in various thematic areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation; disaster management and resilience; and access to clean and efficient energy. The project works at national, state and community levels to enhance capacities for ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and enable climate policy and finance shifts to catalyze climate action in all of India’s coastal states and union territories.

The project will enhance the resilience of coastal communities throughout India, through the implementation of interventions under the following inter-linked outputs:

Output 1: Enhanced resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems and their services.
Output 2: Climate adaptive livelihoods for enhanced resilience of vulnerable coastal communities; and
Output 3: Strengthened coastal and marine governance and institutional frameworks for climate resilient management of coastal areas.

The above will be achieved through interventions outlined below in target landscapes in the three states -Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha:

• Protect and restore ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass, saltmarsh and coastal watershed.
• Help communities adopt climate-adaptive livelihoods and value chains.
• Mainstream EbA principles into coastal planning and governance, enabling intersectoral coordination for addressing climate risk across all of India’s coastal states.

The target districts and landscapes in Odisha are as follows:

District-  Landscape

Ganjam – Chilika-Ganjam, Bahuda

Puri Chilika-Puri, Mahanadi Mouth,Devi Mouth

Baleshwar – Talasari

Kendrapara – Bhitarkanika

Job Purpose and Scope of Work:

• The State Project Manager (SPM) will be overlooking the implementation of the project in Odisha. S/he will be based atthe respective State duty stations (Bhubaneshwar, Odisha). S/he shall work under the direct  supervision of the Programme Specialist and the overall guidance of the State focal point of the respective
• Government counterpart. S/he would be responsible for overall implementation of the approved project in Odisha. As this is a full-time position, s/he cannot hold any other job/assignments during this assignment.

Main Purpose:

S/he will manage day-to-day project management and oversee regular monitoring of project results and risks, including social and environmental risks in the respective state. To ensure engagement of all direct stakeholders and delivery of state objective. As this is a full-time position, s/he cannot hold any other job/assignments during this assignment.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Project management and implementation to ensure achievement of the project:

• Establish linkages and work in close coordination with the Programme Specialist. Assist the Programme Specialist in planning, implementation, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of all the project activities in the state of Odisha.
• Foster partnerships with key state government and relevant technical institutions working on climate change issues in Odisha.
• Prepare detailed workplans for the State, outlining key activities, deliverables and their timelines for the State PMU.
• Based on the overall project annual workplan, develop state specific annual work plans and ensure accurate and timely reporting to UNDP and MoEF&CC for activities of the project in Odisha.
• Provide information and inputs for developing Terms of reference for consultants/ consultancy firms to be hired to undertake project activities.
• Commission activities like research studies, state level assessments training workshops etc. and manage the operational aspects of procurement, event management, logistics etc. in coordination with UNDP;
• Identify capacity development needs of implementing partners and arrange for necessary trainings.
• Coordinate with national team and other state teams under the project to share lessons and experiences

Ensuring the project monitoring and review, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensure coordination with state program unit and other district Govt. officials for smooth functioning.
• Manage and track contracts with project partners and flag any potential risks and suggest its mitigation measures.
• Undertake review meetings with partners and field visits to track progress made in implementation of the project and take corrective action as required.
• Review quality and consistency of reports and deliverables by partner institutions/ responsible parties including financial reports from all project partners,
• Prepare quarterly project progress reports, provide necessary information and inputs for preparing presentations and other documents for project steering committee and review meetings as required by Programme Specialist;
• Facilitate and participate in the periodic review meetings and discussions related to project implementation, monitoring and follow-up.
• Supervise the work of team members or consultants, as may be recruited under the Project at the state level;
• Any other responsibility related to the project assigned by the Supervisor(s).

Institutional Arrangement

Reporting To: Programme Specialist, NPSA-10, ACE, UNDP

Reportees to this position: State Project Management Unit, Odisha

Competencies:

Core

Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making