Back Project Support Specialist (NPSA10)

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.  

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

 UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels:

By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to Sustainable Development Goal-SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have a transformational impact in reaching the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a broad diversity of SDGs.

The Organization for the Development of the Gambia River (OMVG) was established in 1978 by the Republic of The Gambia and the Republic of Senegal. Guinea and Guinea-Bissau joined the Organization in 1981 and 1983, respectively. OMVG covers the following basins: The Gambia, Kolibal-Corubal and Kayanga-Géba. The surface area of the basins is 118,000 km2, and the population is 6.42 million. The OMVG is a regional cooperation tool with a legal and institutional framework that enables it to carry out its mission of rational and harmonious exploitation of the basins' common resources, the Gambia, Kayanga- Géba and Koliba-Corubal rivers, particularly through the development of its basins. The Organization has proved its capacity to mobilize its technical and financial partners to design and implement large-scale projects that none of the States, taken individually, could have carried out.

UNCDF, in collaboration with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), accompanies and supports OMVG in the implementation of the Blue Peace Financing Mechanism. This innovative mechanism makes it possible to provide technical assistance to strengthen the institutional capacities of the OMVG in the development of the Integrated Development Master Plan (PDDI) and a common investment plan including local cross-border projects in identified pilot areas. The Blue Peace/OMVG program aims to diversify local projects and subject them to cross-subsidies, which allows low-income projects to benefit from investments. This new financing structure mixing public money and private capital can be used to invest in a new type of financial instrument called Blue Peace Bond. The OMVG will therefore create a Special Purpose Entity (SPV), which will issue the Blue Peace Bond for the OMVG Joint Investment Plan and manage the use of the proceeds. During the implementation phase of the program, UNCDF support to OMVG includes the provision of technical assistance, support for policy and regulatory reforms as well as the design and structuring of the financing mechanism, including the company to specific purpose (SPV) responsible for issuing and servicing the bond, as well as providing credit enhancement mechanisms (e.g. partial credit guarantee). UNCDF will also facilitate institutional and implementation arrangements within OMVG, such as the preparation of legal documentation necessary to operationalize the funding structure.

Beyond offering support of OMVG initiatives, the Project Support Specialist will also contribute to the formulation, implementation and monitoring of projects in the Gambia in support of the 2030 Agenda. This will include, but not be limited to, the coordination of UN activities in the Gambia and in the region, supporting the implementation of toolkits at the local and national levels, working alongside consultants and stakeholders in field missions and day to day progress management, and the organization of workshops between government ministries, agencies and local governments to enable an effective policy environment.

The implementation of these projects requires the recruitment of a Project Support Specialist to monitor the conduct and implementation of activities, while ensuring budgetary and financial monitoring and good coordination with partners.

Scope of Work

Under the operational supervision of the National Country Lead and the strategic supervision of the Senior Technical Advisor for West Africa, the Project Support Specialist will assist in the program management, particularly the Blue Peace project but also country programs implementation. The Project Support Specialist will work with the OMVG teams, national partners as well as the UNCDF teams. These arrangements will enable him/her to effectively coordinate the implementation of all programs planned in the Gambia and provide support for other UN activities in the region. S/he will work on the implementation of the project with a Program Specialist based in New York, an Investment Officer who will cover the financial aspects (structuring of investments, setting up of the financing mechanism), as well as an engineer in charge of the technical aspects of land use planning in the fields of water and energy, based in Dakar.   Duties and Responsibilities   Management of relationships with national actors, participation in dialogue and political initiatives providing advice on funding:

Program Management and Business Development:

Enhancing the resilience, accessibility and sustainability of infrastructure assets in developing countries along the belt and road initiative in support of the 2030 agenda:

Other activities:

Core