Project Manager

In January 2023 UNDP in Tajikistan has launched the ‘“The Project for Promoting Effective Border Management Applying a Human Security Approach for Communities of Border Area with Afghanistan to support the Government of Tajikistan to maintain an ‘open but secure’ approach to the Tajik-Afghan border that defends and extends the human security of border communities. 

Continuing the capacity development of border agencies achieved under previous UNDP Border Management initiatives, the new project seeks to inform policy making, strengthen coordination, and build capacities of State agencies for border security, facilitation of economic exchange in border areas while strengthening security, building, and/or expanding digital border, customs and trade facilitation systems. 

The project will continue to improve border management of the Tajik-Afghan border to ensure that it is open but secure, flexible and prepared for all potential scenarios, including facilitation of humanitarian assistance, emergency refugee response, and maintenance of public health, while able to deliver on its positive potential to promote food security and improved economic livelihoods for the local communities that live on both sides.

The project is funded by the Government of Japan through Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JICA) and is implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tajik Border Force, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Customs Service and Drug Control Agency.  It also ensures close synergies with the Japan funded Livelihoods Improvement in Tajik-Afghan Cross-Border Areas (LITACA) project of UNDP. 

The project is implemented along the Tajik-Afghan border. Main challenges of the project implementation environment are related to security in bordering regions, climate and remoteness. 

• Day-to-day management of project activities;
• Coordinate with relevant implementing partners and UNDP to ensure that expected outputs are delivered in a timely manner;
• Ensure project is implemented in compliance with UNDP Procurement and Human Resources Guidelines, and financial requirements;
• Builds, motivates, and leads a high performing team consisting of JP personnel, experts, service providers, and conducts performance assessments of team members;
• Ensure that project is executed according to work plans and within established budgets;
• Manage requests for the provision of financial resources by UNDP, using advance of funds, direct payments, or reimbursement using the FACE (Fund Authorization and Certificate of Expenditures) form;
• Put in place and facilitate results-based implementation of project activities;
• Perform other duties as required in support of project implementation;
• Support in the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan, promote and advocates for gender equality in all aspects of work. 

Implementation of reporting, monitoring and evaluation policies and strategies:

• Effective monitoring for ensuring implementation of project activities;
• Assess the programmatic impact and oversee the appropriateness and the accuracy of methods used to verify progress and the results;
• Manage and monitor the project risks initially identified, submit new risks to the Project Steering Committee for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the Project Risks Log;
• Be responsible for managing issues and requests for change by maintaining an Issues Log;
• Prepare the Project Progress Reports (progress against planned activities, update on Risks and Issues, expenditures);
• Ensure timely submission of quarterly financial and activity progress reports to UNDP as well as adequate financial management of allocated resources;
• Oversee timely preparation of reports for UNDP to donors and other stakeholders;
• Prepare presentations to donor partners, government and other stakeholders, as required.

Liaison, partnerships and coordination with external and internal partners:

• Create strategic partnerships with government, non-government, and private sector stakeholders and beneficiaries;
• Actively support the implementation of the resource mobilization strategy and maintain close relationships with donor partners;
• Closely liaise with the teams for programme results to ensure coherence and synergy among all projects of UNDP Tajikistan;
• Build relationships with other UN agencies and build upon common activities to ensure maximum impact of project activities especially when targeting vulnerable groups such as children, youth and women;
• Advise team members and management on new developments regarding key partners and stakeholders.

Knowledge building and management:

• Provide quality advisory services to the CO and Ips and facilitate knowledge building and management
• Perform analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional reforms;
• Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned
• Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice including corporate communications repositories; 
• Contribute to the design and implementation of appropriate learning strategies for stakeholders
   

• 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: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
• 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 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

People Management Competencies

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

• Results-based Management
  • Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results
• Effective Decision Making
  • Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources
• Project Management
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Risk Management
  • Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks
• 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
• Relationship management
  • Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding 
• Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions 
  • Community engagement for prevention, response, and social cohesion