- Job Identification: 9926
- Locations: Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Posting Date: 14/04/2023, 17:19
- Apply Before: 29/04/2023, 06:59
- Degree Level: Advanced/Postgraduate Degree
- Job Schedule: Full time
- Agency: UNDP
- Grade: NB4
- Vacancy Type: National Personnel Service Agreement
- Practice Area: Governance
- Bureau: Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS
- Contract Duration: 1 Year
- Education & Work Experience: Master’s Degree
- Other Criteria: Bachelor’s degree with 2 years of qualifying experience will be considered in lieu of Master’s degree
- Required Languages: English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian
- Vacancy Timeline: 2 Weeks
- Mobility required/no mobility: no mobility required
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.
Financed by the Government of Switzerland, European Union and Government of Sweden and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Municipal Environmental and Economic Governance (MEG) Project is a 12-year intervention in the domain of local governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Project overall goal is to contribute to the democratisation of local governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina and more equitable, effective, and efficient public services for the citizens, particularly water supply and wastewater management services. Good local governance policy dialogue and policy changes, together with regulatory improvements in the area of water supply and wastewater management services, will provide for more effective, fair and sustainable delivery of essential local services. The intervention envisages three outcomes:
Outcome 1: State, entity and cantonal governments set in place a more conducive policy and regulatory environment that affirms result-oriented local governance and improved water supply and wastewater management services.
Outcome 2: Local governments improve their performance, are more accountable, inclusive and gender-responsive, and provide high quality services, in particular in the water sector.
Outcome 3: Citizens, including the most vulnerable, benefit from water supply and wastewater management services provided in a more efficient, accountable, and sustainable manner.
The Project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Justice of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government of Republika Srpska, Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska, Associations of Municipalities and Cities and Associations and networks of professionals in the water sector.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Environment and Water Management Field Officer will have the following key functions.
Coordinate and implement Project support packages for partner LGs and water utilities in the designated area of responsibility:
- Support and offer process-based assistance to partner LGs in the design and setting in function of a performance management system (including good governance benchmarks in the environmental governance area);
- Support capacity development of environmental/communal affairs departments and water utilities in partner LGs;
- Provide technical advice and support to partner LGs (LG Councils and administration) in the process of introducing new tools and solutions, aimed at improving environmental management and quality of water supply and sanitation service delivery;
- Support the Project’s efforts to strengthen financial and operational performance of local water utilities;
- Support institutionalized partnerships between LGs and water utilities, towards sustainable service delivery based on oversight by LG Councils and the citizens;
- Assist in the anchoring of adequate disaster risk management policies and frameworks in relevant LGs;
- Analyse, identify and support needed regulatory changes at the local level, from viewpoint of environmental governance and good municipal performance;
- Facilitate productive interaction between citizens, water utilities, LGs, higher government level institutions, as well as assist in conducting annual citizens’ satisfaction surveys;
- Pro-actively promote and support LGs and water utilities to introduce and apply good governance benchmarks in their work;
- Coordinate the work of selected service providers, acting as conduit and facilitator between contract agents and designated LGs’ and water utilities’ management;
- Organize Project field events, including training, workshops, meetings, etc. and ensure oversight and quality of delivery;
- Provide regular updates to the Project Manager with substantive data inputs based on project experiences and monitoring of progress against set targets;
- In his/her designated area of responsibility, support strengthening of water sector professional organizations to act as knowledge and advocacy hubs for sector-specific improvements in the relevant legislative frameworks;
- Duly collect data and all relevant information at the local level, so as to contribute to measurable review of results and longer-term Project effects, as per the Project monitoring and evaluation plan and logical framework;
- Support sharing and scaling-up successful approaches in the broader UNDP local governance, and the environment teams.
Provide assistance with the selection, design and implementation of environmental infrastructure projects in the designated area of responsibility:
- Contribute to designing and promoting of the Project-set performance criteria within partner LGs and water utilities, and regularly monitor progress against set targets;
- Support the annual performance assessment of LGs and water utilities, serving as entry point for determining the on-budget support for environmental infrastructure projects;
- Assist in the identification of critical environmental infrastructure projects originating from local development strategies to be supported through on-budget support provided by the Project;
- Provide support in the development of project proposals and the necessary technical documentation, including pipeline projects (with focus on environmental infrastructure);
- Provide quality assurance, oversee and report against the implementation of project-funded environmental infrastructure projects in the designated area of responsibility;
- Prepare analytical reviews, systematically capture lessons learnt and development effects from the on-budget support to partner LGs;
- Provide assistance to partner LGs and water utilities to access public/other types of funding and implement priority projects originating from integrated local development strategies;
- Provide partner LGs and water utilities with information on public financial mechanisms supporting local development in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and support, in close cooperation with the Project team, specific efforts geared towards linking public funding institutions or mechanisms with local strategies and their strategic priorities regarding environmental governance, underlining provision of water supply and sanitation services;
- Prepare relevant ad hoc and periodic reports related to the implementation of this function within the region.
- Support partnership building, networking and advocacy in the Project implementation, as well as in the broader UNDP local governance/local development/environment programme:
- Capture and ensure wide promotion and visibility of Project achievements, particularly with regard to local success stories;
- Support building ownership of partner LGs to project outputs and objectives;
- Encourage inter-municipal cooperation and environmental governance within the designated area of responsibility;
- Ensure regular communication and coordination with Project counterparts and develop and maintain effective mechanisms for integrating and responding to their feedback and insights;
- Encourage active participation of all stakeholders in order to promote empowerment and ownership of local counterparts and stakeholders;
- Contribute to knowledge sharing among the wider local governance thematic team within UNDP.
Gender equality mainstreaming and knowledge management
- Supports the Project Manager in ensuring gender mainstreaming throughout the Project activities, work plans, budgets, reports, research, analyses and, where specifically relevant, analyze it in detail.
- Provides assistance with the overall monitoring and evaluation of the project/programme and ensures that all data gathered during project implementation is disaggregated by sex.
- Ensures that all the data, when collecting and compiling inputs related to the project, are gender and age disaggregated and evaluated from the gender point of view.
- Ensures minimum 30% participation of the other gender in the preparation of meetings/consultations/ trainings/commissions.
- Supports the Project Manager in knowledge management on gender equality issues as well as that knowledge is incorporated in activities and products of the Country Office (CO).
- Based on the afore-mentioned functions, the incumbent will agree on the workplan with the direct supervisor
Institutional Arrangement
The incumbent will report to the MEG Project Manager as part of the UNDP Good Governance Sector.
Competencies
Core Competencies
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: 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 at improved performance and demonstrable results
- Business Management – Partnership Management
- Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and public sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies
- Business Management – Communication
- Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
- Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
- Partnership management – Resource mobilization
- Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements
- Business Direction & Strategy – Entrepreneurial Thinking
- Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate
- General (across the functions – Event planning and execution
- Ability to plan, manage and execute public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP’s overall brand and mandate
Desired additional skills and competencies
- Ability to apply knowledge of empirical facts about gender aspects within the activities, and the ability to correctly classify and interpret gender-disaggregated facts and data.
- Knowledge of and previous experience in the duty station region
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree in engineering and other relevant areas.
- Bachelor’s degree in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience can be considered in lieu of Master’s degree.
Experience:
- Minimum 2 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in the field of water supply and sanitation.
- Previous experience in the implementation of development cooperation projects is an asset.
- Experience in UN-implemented projects is an asset.
Language:
- Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills in English and official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian).
Required skills and competencies
- Knowledge and expertise in the capacity development of LGs and water utilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Understanding of the overall administrative and institutional set-up of water supply and sanitation service provision in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Familiarity with key public documents, strategies and trends related to water management sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- Treats all people fairly without favouritism
- Ability to identify discrimination, address it, and maintain an enabling working environment based on fairness, respect and freedom from any forms of harassment and abuse.
- Understand the language associated with gender, equity, inclusion, and diversity
- Ability to strategically and effectively communicate results from gender lens
The following documents shall be required from the applicants:
- Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
- A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
- Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.
Disclaimer
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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