Project Coordinator for Post-Earthquake Recovery Project

Location : Tirana, ALBANIA

Application Deadline : 02-Apr-21

(Midnight New York, USA)

Type of Contract : Service Contract

Post Level : SB-4

Languages Required : English

Expected Duration of Assignment : 1 (one) year

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.

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

About the Position and/or Portfolio

Women and girls are differently and often disproportionally affected by disasters and crisis and have different and uneven levels of resilience and capacity to recover. Experience from past outbreaks confirm that natural disasters and pandemic magnify existing inequalities, including related to economic status, ability, age and gender.

The Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) conducted in Albania following the deadly earthquake of November 2019, points out the disproportionate impact of the earthquake on women and girls in the affected areas. Their economic empowerment will stagnate as they will be pushed further towards traditional roles and activities, including caretaking for children and elderly, family members with disabilities and engaging in agriculture to support their household. They also have less mobility to search for jobs, further aggravating the inequality gap and constraining their ability to recover quickly and to build back better. Women and girls in affected communities are also faced with the impact of COVID 19 pandemic, which is widening gender inequalities and exacerbating their socio-economic situation and existing vulnerabilities.

Existing evidence shows that women and girls are at risk of increased exposure to intimate partner violence due to tensions in the home in the face of dwindling family resources and under confinement conditions, while the economic impact can place women and girls at higher risk of sexual violence and exploitation. Women are hit harder by economic impacts caused by the earthquake and COVID-19 because they are more often engaged in short-term, part-time or informal employment which offers limited social security, pension and health insurance. In addition, women are also faced by unequal burden of care leading to increased vulnerability of COVID-19 transmission and they have low access to life-saving health information, especially women and girls most left behind. In addition, policy response mechanisms do not systematically incorporate gender analytical data or gender-responsive plans.

The Albanian legal framework pertaining to disasters risk reduction (DRR) presents gaps, and the country lacks a comprehensive and countrywide disaster risk management strategy. The DRR and management/recovery systems lack gender responsive measures and the ability to systematically mainstream gender in the design, planning and implementation of relevant interventions.

Reporting to National Programme Officer, the Project Coordinator is responsible for supporting the implementation of the UN Women managed post-earthquake recovery project funded by the Government of Sweden through the UN SDG Acceleration Fund, which aims to ensure gender-responsive disaster risk reduction, earthquake recovery and pandemic response. The project also aims to provide support to the Albanian government to mainstream gender in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and crisis response frameworks and ensure the authorities and society are well prepared to address gender-specific capacities and needs of the most vulnerable segments of the population. At the same time, the project will support efforts towards formalising women's role in the earthquake and COVID 19 recovery process and help allocate roles and resources to affected women for more resilient recovery. Finally, it will support the government to address gender-based violence as one of the greatest threats to women affected by the earthquake and health crisis.The intervention will focus on some of the most affected communities, agreed on by the Government for the PDNA process: Shijak, Durres, Kruja, Tirana, Kamza, Vora, Kavaja, Rrogozhina, Kurbin, and Mirdita.

The incumbent will support the Country Office to promote adequate gender mainstreaming in national DRR interventions, as well as specific post-earthquake and COVID 19 response action. To this end she/he will work in close collaboration with relevant national institutions at central and local levels, civil society and international partners, as well as UN Women program team and other UN Agencies that are actively engaged in the area of DRR and post disaster recovery for ensuring successful UN Women project implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Coordinator will work under the direct supervision of the UN Women CO Albania National Programme Officer and perform the below functions:.

  • Project Implementation and Technical Support
  • Results based monitoring and reporting, knowledge building and communications
  • Finance and Administration
  • Other support

Project Implementation and Technical Support

  • Ensure timely and adequate implementation of activities according to the project activity plans;
  • Prepare a detailed work plan and performance monitoring plan to implement UN Women activities as per the approved project document;
  • Design, oversee, and coordinate the implementation of relevant project activities with implementing partners, UN Women staff in Albania, and other UN agencies implementing post-earthquake recovery projects/interventions;
  • Ensure proper identification of and follow up with national/local institutions, civil society organizations and groups, consultants and other partners who will be involved in the implementation of activities under the relevant result areas of the project;
  • Provide technical support and guidance to implementing partners and key stakeholders on specific issues related to the project scope;
  • Assume responsibility for the smooth functioning of all operational activities related to project implementation;
  • Record and maintain documents on relevant Programme activities, issues, and risks.

Results based monitoring and reporting, knowledge building and communications

  • Regularly review planned activities, and make necessary modifications/ramifications when needed in response to any emerging circumstances;
  • Monitor the implementation of activities, conduct monitoring visits and the expenditure of funds;
  • Coordinate the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
  • Gather and compile all information necessary for monitoring and reporting on the project and draft regular project progress reports including project-related inputs to quarterly and annual reports of the Country Office as well as for the UN Albania joint reporting;
  • Provide evidence-based advocacy inputs to inform UN Women and the project's advocacy efforts, as well as its communications and partnership strategies related to the programmatic area;
  • Take the lead in preparing and implementing the project communications and visibility plan, as well as the project advocacy related activities;
  • Prepare inputs to project related knowledge products in line with UN Women standards including plans for the dissemination and use;
  • Prepare project briefs, updates for the donor and other partners, talking points and other related materials as requested.

.

Finance and Administration

  • Manage the activities' financial resources including budgeting and budget revisions, and expenditure tracking and reporting in accordance with UN Women rules and regulations;
  • Monitor the allocation and disbursement of funds to implementing partners;
  • Supervise Project Assistant (as relevant) and consultants;
  • Prepare terms of reference and other technical documents for consultants and services, agreements with government institutions and/or civil society organizations; prepare relevant package of documents for submission to review committees;
  • Support Finance and Administrative assistance in project procurement/recruitment/evenmt management procedures related to the project (evaluation of Offers/consultants, logistics, tavel, and etc);
  • Manage project files and support information collection and dissemination;
  • Ensure proper project documentation (filing) & communication, and tracking system for effective project closure.

Other Support

  • Provide programmatic and technical support to UN Women in Albania on the thematic area as deemed necessary.
  • Draft concept notes and follow-up on resource mobilization efforts at the country level in coordination with the National Programme Officer/Head of programmes and the Country Representative;
  • Contribute to Country Office annual work planning and budgeting processes
  • Support CO's efforts in building partnerships at the country level and coordinating with the relevant stakeholders as deemed necessary.

Key Performance Indicators:

  • Timely and quality implementation of Project activities against set workplans, timelines, and budgets, in line with the Strategic Note, project document and Joint UN workplans
  • Quality and timely reporting
  • Strong relations with partners and stakeholders
  • Regular and timely monitoring of activities
  • Enhanced best practices and lessons learned documented and circulated

Competencies

Core Values:

  • Respect for Diversity
  • Integrity
  • Professionalism

Core Competencies:

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
  • Accountability
  • Creative Problem Solving
  • Effective Communication
  • Inclusive Collaboration
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women's Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637

Functional Competencies

  • Strong knowledge on gender equality and women's empowerment and applicable policies and practices;
  • Good knowledge of programme development, implementation, results-based management and reporting
  • Strong networking skills
  • Ability to interact with government and non-government partners and Builds strong relationships with clients, by focusing on impact and results;
  • Ability to advocate and provide policy advice
  • Good budget and financial management skills
  • Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings and recommendations
  • Ability to formulate and manage budgets;
  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
  • Mature judgment combined with a proactive, resourceful and energetic approach to problem solving;
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
  • Strong organizational and time management skills;
  • Strong analytical skills and team building skills;
  • Ability to handle conflict and sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner; and
  • Capacity to work under pressure and to meet strict deadlines;
  • Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, internet, etc.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

  • Master's degree or equivalent in human rights, gender, international relations, international development, international law or other social science fields is required
  • A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
  • A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

  • At least 5 years of progressive experience in coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development and/or humanitarian programmes, with a particular focus on gender equality and women's empowerment.
  • Proven track record and experience in reporting and communicating results, and developing programme and project planning documents;
  • Experience or understanding of issues of gender equality and women's empowerment, including violence against women, inter alia Albanian normative framework, government and non-government actors working on gender equality and disaster response and recovery in Albania;
  • Experience working with, and building partnerships with governments, donors and civil society organizations at the country level;
  • Experience working with the UN system or similar international organizations is an asset.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English and Albanian is required.

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This vacancy is archived.

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