Senior Project Coordinator -Mekele, Ethiopia

Level: P4

Position Number: 106223

Location: Mekele, Tigray, Ethiopia

Full/Part time: Full-Time

Fixed term/Temporary: Temporary Appointment

Rotational/Non Rotational: Non-Rotational

Duration: One year

Job Description

The Position

The Senior Project Coordinator will  be based in Mekele Tigray, Ethiopia. The incumbent reports to the Head of Sub-Office, Mekele -Tigray, and is guided by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Addis Ababa with close liaison with GBV and PSEA specialist based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations, and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose

The conflict in Tigray broke out on 4 November 2020. It led to major movements of populations into Sudan, and internal displacement of  millions who are living in camps, and among host communities in urban locations. As a result of the conflict, 5.2 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, 2.1 million of whom were identified as internally displaced persons in Tigray region. Furthermore, spillover of the conflict into neighboring Amhara and Afar regions, in July 2021, displaced further, 1.2 million in Amhara, and 700,000 individuals in Afar Regions respectively. 52 percent of whom are women and girls. (DTM, 2021).

Additionally, Tigray suffers from the impact of frequent and extreme weather events (droughts and floods), affecting people’s access to food, crops, pasture, livestock production, and market functionality. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced each year due to floods, and on average approximately 3 million vulnerable people in Ethiopia experienced crisis level of food insecurity due to poor rains and drought conditions in the last few years. The trend of displacement has increased over the last three years from the 3.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) recorded in 2018 to 5.2 million at the end of 2021 (according to DTM data of November 2021). Driven by conflict, population displacement, restricted movement/access, and economic collapse, 4 million people in Tigray, 1 million in Amhara, and 450,000 in Afar have fallen into Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) phase 3+ (Worse). Further IPC analysis for May and June 2021, concludes that 350,000 people  are in IPC phase 5 (catastrophe) in the conflict regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar.

The northern crisis is thus the result of conflict, population displacements movement restrictions, limited humanitarian access, climate change, loss of harvest and livelihood assets, and dysfunctional or nonexistent markets. (IPC, 2021).

The Senior Project Coordinator (SPC) provides overall leadership and management of the project team.  The Project Coordinator builds strategic and operational relationships with key decision makers among funding and national implementing stakeholders, and across UNFPA, essential to sustaining effective project development, implementation and delivery.  S/He is visible, available and accountable to UNFPA CO management and all project partners.

The SPC provides support to the local government and other partners in the planning and implementation process to ensure that the “Improving access to GBV response Services in Tigray is implemented considering the evolution of the context.  She/he is instrumental in facilitating project implementation using and developing appropriate mechanism and systems and ensuring compliance with established procedures.

The Senior Project Coordinator will be responsible for

Project Management and Implementation:

The Project Coordinator will work with implementing partners to guarantee the smooth implementation of the project as follows:

• Oversee and manage the project on day-to-day basis
• Manage the project team (technical specialists, support staff, consultants) and ensure timely implementation, results-orientation and accountability for project results.
• Lead the development of project work plans with delivery targets and guide Implementing Partners and the Project Team to achieve the set objectives and targets.
• Set direction for the team including roles and responsibilities, accountability and reporting ensuring that the work of the team is conducted in accordance with UNFPA’s relevant business processes and that high quality outputs are delivered on time.
• Guide the project staff to perform project oversight, quality assurance, monitoring, reporting, field missions, audits, evaluations, formulations and project support services by providing day-to-day guidance and  enhancing team work within the project and with other Country Office Programme units.
• Monitor the progress on agreed results framework and performance indicators and take action/decision and/or provide timely support to project staff.
• Undertake performance management of staff including establishment of annual results, on-going feedback and mid-term and final assessments in line with UNFPA Rules and Regulations.
• Ensure project meets expectations with respect to quality, budget, delivery timelines, and strategy.
• Brief and consult with the Project Steering Committee on project progress and provide information and advice as required.
• Guide on ways to incorporate and apply HRB/RBM/M(S(DG) approaches as well as addressing cross cutting themes (e.g. gender) in project activities.
• Manage project budgets and ensure timely and accurate reporting.
• Undertake and supervise financial and administrative tasks including ATLAS transactions.
• Ensuring that financial and narrative reporting obligations to UNOPS  are met.
• Contributing to the creation and sharing of knowledge by summarizing and documenting results, lessons learned success and good practices, strategies and approaches.
• Participating actively in meetings and desk reviews and undertaking monitoring missions to assess progress in implementation, including appropriate substantive and administrative follow-up actions with the relevant local government authorities.
• Keeps abreast of new policy developments and strategies analyzing policy papers, strategy documents, national plans and development frameworks, and prepares briefs and inputs for technical assistance and coordination of the midwifery programme.

Technical and capacity building 

The Programme Coordinator works with government and civil society to strengthen national capacity by:

• Working closely with the local authorities and other strategic partners to ensure that high quality, relevant, and cost effective programme interventions are implemented in line with both with national policies and project objectives.
• Serve as a resource of knowledge and information on matters related to GBV in Emergency

Coordination

The Programme Coordinator ensures smooth communication between all partners and stakeholders including the UN, government, civil society and development partners in Tigray and where necessary:

• Ensuring implementing partners working on related activities are communicating adequately with each other to minimize duplication and enhance synergies.
• Ensuring smooth communication with UNOPS as required contractually as to ensure up-to-date information for the donor.
• Contributing to the project regional governance meetings where experience on progress as well as challenges can be shared.
• Contribute to the process of technical/annual and financial reviews of the project
• Undertake any other assignments as may be requested by the UNFPA Representative.

Qualifications and Experience 

Education:  

Master’s degree in health, population, demography and/or other related social science discipline.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least 7 years specialized experience in GBV Programming; minimum 4 of which in the humanitarian context at an international level
• Experience in coordination and liaison with government counterparts and other stakeholders, including NGOs and communities
• Proven relevant experience in working as a GBV Prevention and Response Program manager
• Proven track record in budget management
• Demonstrated strong leadership and management experience within a multinational and multicultural environment.
• Excellent understanding of human rights-based and participatory approach.
• Proved experience in survivors-centered approach
• Experience in capacity development/training.
• Practical experience in GBV case management and referral
• Experience in developing SOPs, guidelines, tools for GBViE response and prevention interventions.
• Direct experience providing support to GBV survivors an asset.
• Proven communications and inter-personal skills, IT literacy, as well as organizational skills and time-management
• Good understanding of international GBV best practices and guidelines
• Experience of working at a global or regional level especially in the developing countries.
• Experience providing direct services to GBV survivors

Languages: 

Fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of Amharic/ Tigray is a plus

Required Competencies

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
• Communicating for impact

Managerial Competencies:

• Providing strategic focus,
• Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders,
• Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance
• Making decisions and exercising judgment

Functional Competencies:

• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering results-based programmes
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, rental subsidy, education grant, home leave, health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

Disclaimer

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.