Project Associate – Pragati – UNDP India

Apply by 26th Jan 23

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Grade NB3
Vacancy Type National Personnel Service Agreement
Practice Area Inclusive Growth
Bureau Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific
Contract Duration 1 Year
Education & Work Experience Bachelor’s Degree – 4 year(s) experience OR High School certificate- 7 year(s) experience
Required Languages English and Marathi
Vacancy Timeline 2 Weeks

Job Description
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 is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in about 170 countries and territories, working with national counterparts on solutions to global and national development challenges.

In the programme countries, UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in in partnership with the host governments, the United Nations system, the development partners and other partners to help the country to achieve sustainable development by eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development and building resilience to crises and shock. UNDP has worked in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development, from systems and institutional strengthening to inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods, as well as sustainable energy, environment and resilience. UNDP’s programmes continue to fully integrate a global vision for catalytic change with India’s national priorities. With over 30 projects on the ground in almost every state, today UNDP India works to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by transforming traditional models to do development differently. In a rapidly changing global environment, the work of UNDP and the broader UN family aligns with the Government of India’s new national development vision, India 2030, and builds upon the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP India’s country programme for 2018-2022 has three major focus areas:

• Inclusive growth
• Environment and energy
• Strengthening systems and institutions

These are supported by a framework of renewed partnerships and blended finance solutions, a pool of financial and technical resources for greater impact and scale, and South-South expertise.

You are invited to join a team of dedicated development professionals whose primary role is to support the India to achieve the 2030 Agenda. As part of the UNDP team your focus will be to work with multiple stakeholders to find the country specific solutions that lead to sustainable development and to ensure no one is left behind – and we reach those furthest behind first.

UNDP is looking for individuals who have the communication, analytical, planning and implementation capacities that can address links, choices and connections across many issues and sectors. We seek individuals who can apply global best practice to national contexts. We are looking for people who are enthusiastic, motivated, and committed to making a positive contribution to Development in India.

The Inclusive Growth portfolio is anchored in the national priority of ‘accelerated growth with inclusion and equity, employment generation, and skill India’, aligned to outcome 1 of the UNDP strategic plan.
The focus of the portfolio has been primarily women and youth from the marginalized communities across the country. It takes into consideration that women face significant social and economic barriers in participating in India’s workforce. Under the portfolio, there are several projects being implemented, working towards increased awareness, career guidance and counselling, apprenticeships promotion (with industry clusters), micro-enterprise development, strengthening of the farm/non-farm and artisanal values chains, and developing second generations managers, enhancing employability and business skills capacity, facilitation of linkages, mentorship support and nurturing the innovation potential of youth and women of rural and urban areas.
Building on the experience and the partnership base of earlier projects and keeping in view the need for intense work on local livelihoods for green growth and expanding digital capacity and access to social security, PROmoting Inclusive GRowth through Enhanced Access to Local Livelihood Opportunities, Education to Work Transition and Social Protection Schemes (PROGRESS) programme has been initiated in partnership with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

One of the projects under PROGRESS is Pragati which aims to enable 31,000 women to make informed and aspirational vocational choices and transition into gainful employment and productive economic activities. The 3- year project will cover 5 cities in 5 States – Mumbai (Maharashtra), Gurgaon (Haryana), Delhi NCR, Hyderabad (Telangana) and Bangalore (Karnataka). The two main pillars under the project are
Enhancing Access to Apprenticeship and Employment Opportunities wherein the target is to place 24,700 women in jobs/apprenticeship
Entrepreneurship Development and Accelerating Enterprise Growth wherein the target is to establish 600 women-owned micro-enterprises and support 5,700 existing women entrepreneurs to scale-up their businesses

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Associate will be responsible for overall planning, implementation, management, monitoring and coordination of the project and achievements of its targets in Maharashtra. S/he will manage the project’s day to day activities in Maharashtra, provide expertise and technical assistance, and ensure timely achievement of project targets (both quantitative and qualitative) as per project plan. S/he will coordinate with on-ground partners involved in the project for ensuring timely and good quality deliverables.

• S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Project Officer – Pragati and under the overall guidance of the National Programme Manager, Inclusive Growth/Poverty, UNDP. S/he will be based in Mumbai.

​​​​​​​Project Implementation and Management

• Overall responsibility to implement Project Pragati in Maharashtra and ensure achievement of targets. This will include managing the project’s day-to-day activities, including mentoring, guiding, managing and monitoring on-ground partner/s to ensure achievement of targets as per project plan and M&E framework.
  Identification of appropriate local partner/s, technical support agency/s, state government departments etc. and arranging their buy-in to partner with the project and support its implementation.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor the implementation of the project, attend the trainings delivered by the on-ground partner agency/s, identify gaps in implementation and support in bridging those gaps in consultation with Project Manager

Stakeholder Management

• Ensure visibility of the project to key stakeholders and seek their inputs wherever required.
• Liaise and develop strong partnerships with all relevant stakeholders including the Government, private sector and other partners (relevant local institutions, academia and CSOs) to ensure smooth implementation of project activities.
• Coordinate the organization of meetings, workshops, conferences, trainings and related activities relevant to the implementation of the project.
• Support in disseminating high quality knowledge and visibility of the project activities among the relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate regular communication on relevant project issues with the stakeholders with focus on sustainability and exit strategy towards the end of the project

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Project Planning and Monitoring

• Undertake weekly, monthly and quarterly project planning in consultation with the Project Pragati team in the UNDP Country Office in New Delhi.
• Ensure achievement of project targets as per project plans and M&E framework including close monitoring and handholding of on-ground partner agencies.
• Ensure quality of project deliverables in addition to achievement of numbers.
• Ensure MIS of project data is updated on a weekly basis after validation of the outputs being reported by on-ground partner/s.
• Ensure effective information sharing and provision of feedback to all stakeholders as well as to the Project
• Pragati team in the UNDP Country Office in New Delhi.
• Assist in organization of timely review and progress meetings with the project partners and ensure timely reporting by on-ground partner/s.
• Assist in effective risk management for the project with well documented risk mitigation plan.
• Support in organization of meetings, workshops, conferences, trainings, exposure visits, evaluations, interviews, etc. and document the same for effective monitoring of the project

Knowledge Management, Communication and Reporting

• Prepare weekly (if required), monthly and quarterly project reports as per templates designed by the
• Project Pragati team in the UNDP Country Office.
• Document case studies and human-interest stories on weekly basis.
• Document field activities through good quality photographs on a weekly basis.
• Maintain organized records of project data, case studies, photographs and other relevant documents in the appointed folder.
• Carry out any other assignments related to a timely and effective implementation of the project as may be requested by the Project Manager.

Competencies

Core competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL1:  Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: LEVEL1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL1:  Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Management

• Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus a performance and demonstrable results.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, proc protocols to achieve specific goals
• Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and managing risks.
• Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with discovering useful information, informing conclusions and decision-making
• Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results
• 2030 Agenda: Prosperity

Inclusive Growth: Job/employment/decent work promotion

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
High School Education OR Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Economics, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or closely related fields will be given due consideration

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of work experience in the domain of skilling/ entrepreneurship/livelihoods development with high school. OR 4 years for candidates with bachelor’s degree
• Demonstrated experience of skilling and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country
• Excellent project implementation and writing skills
• Excellent skills on MS office (MS word, Excel & PowerPoint)
• Additional years of relevant professional work experience
• Experience of working with government, bi/multi-lateral agency and/or UN Agencies

Language requirement:

Fluency in English and Marathi

Note: This position is open for India nationals only

Remuneration starting at INR 12,38,819 (Annual) / INR 1,03, 235 (Monthly) as per the salary scale depending on qualifications and experiences. The remuneration is excluding 8.33% pension amount paid over and above the salary

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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.

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