Capacity Building Specialist - Retainer (IICA2/LICA10)

Mid Senior Leadership

Overview

Lead capacity building initiatives for urban service projects.

You have:

• Master's degree required preferably in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Organizational Development, Leadership Development, Human Resources, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in content creation and implementation of digital and self-directed learning experiences.
• Experience in user-centric design is desirable.
• Proficiency in English is required.

Contract

This is a IICA-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's an external contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about IICA-2 contracts.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources.

Working with us We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.

Diversity With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.

Work life harmonization UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background Information - Job-specific

Background Information – Yemen

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has caused significant disruptions to the supply chain and to the overall availability of services. In light of the reduced or even absent provision of public services, communities have adopted various coping strategies, including using alternate water and energy sources, relying on alternate service providers and community-based service delivery initiatives to address the shortfall.

Physical damage to infrastructure and the lack of functionality in one sector often spills over into other sectors with significant consequences on both the access to, and quality of services, that are often interrelated. For example, in some cities, the lack of functionality in the water sector is tied most directly to the lack of electricity rather than to physical damage to water infrastructure. As a result, wastewater continues to overflow into streets, which in turn has significant implications for the health and transport sectors. Similarly, the absence of electricity across many cities in Yemen is not solely tied to infrastructure damage of energy facilities but rather to the lack of fuel, amongst others due to severe transport limitations and access constraints. These cross-sectoral linkages demonstrate the need for an integrated, multi-sectoral approach that provides synergies and responds to the multi-faceted needs on the ground.

To respond to this situation the World Bank launched The Yemen Integrated Urban Services Emergency Project (YIUSEPII) which seeks to restore access to critical urban services and strengthen resilience to shocks in selected cities within the Republic of Yemen. Financed by the International Development Association (IDA) grant to UNOPS, The project is structured around the following three components:

Component 1: Service Restoration

Sub-Component 1.1: Tertiary Municipal Services and Solid Waste Management

Sub-Component 1.2: Urban Water and Sanitation

Sub-Component 1.3: Urban Roads

Sub-Component 1.4: Energy for Critical Services

Component 2: Implementation Support and Capacity Development

The project will be implemented by UNOPS through direct implementation as well as project cooperation agreements between UNOPS and three implementing partners: Public Works Project (PWP) and the Urban Water Project Management Unit (UW-PMU) and the Road Maintenance Fund - Implementation Unit (RMF-IU). The local implementing partners are national government entities that will assist UNOPS in the implementation of activities, particularly in terms of the design, preparation, supervision, and delivery of subprojects.

Yemen Emergency Lifeline Connectivity Project (YELCP)

The objectives of this project are to provide climate resilient road access and employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to the food insecure rural population of Yemen. YELCP will be implemented through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in partnership with the Rural Access Program (RAP) as a local implementation partner. The financing instrument of the project is Investment Project Financing with an operational life of three years and eleven months. The Project will finance the rehabilitation of lifeline rural access roads in selected areas in Yemen to contribute toward addressing road access to food and other humanitarian needs, and unemployment, whilst laying the foundation to (i) build resilience to climate change induced vulnerabilities, (ii) reduce gender gaps, and (iii) build the capacities of RAP and RMF through a dedicated capacity building program.The Project has four components as follows:

Component 1: Rural and Village Access Roads Improvement and Maintenance

Sub-Component 1.A: Rehabilitation of Lifeline Rural Access Roads

Sub-Component 1.B: Employment-Intensive Road Maintenance

Component 2: Strengthening Management Capacity of Transport Sector Public Institutions

Component 3: Project Implementation and Monitoring Support, Studies and Preparatory Activities

Component 4. Contingent Emergency Response

The Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project is a World Bank-funded project that will contribute to efforts by the international community to maintain and enhance health and nutrition services in line with Yemen’s Minimum Service Package (MSP) and respond to health and nutrition crises, and contribute to the provision of safe water and improving the water and sanitation system capacity. The project will target the whole country, with some interventions focused on specific governorates or districts as per the priorities and needs, UNOPS will be responsible of implementing component 2 of the project

Component 2. Improving Access to Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) and Strengthening Local Systems

2.1: Restoring Access and Improving Quality to WSS Services in Selected Urban and Rural Areas (implemented by UNOPS);

2.2: Emergency Support for WASH Interventions in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic and Flash floods (implemented by UNOPS);

2.3: Enhanced Capacity Building of Water and Sanitation Institutions at the Local Level (implemented by UNOPS).

Component 2 of the project will be implemented by UNOPS through direct implementation as well as project cooperation agreements between UNOPS and two implementing partners: Public Works Project (PWP) and the Urban Water Project Management Unit (UW-PMU). The local implementing partners are national government entities that will assist UNOPS in the implementation of activities, particularly in terms of the design, preparation, supervision, and delivery of subprojects.

Institutional Capacity

Traditional public sector institutions (line ministries and local authorities) are currently unable to fulfill their public service mandates for urban service delivery and infrastructure development. Since the conflict began, the local authorities have been struggling to provide local services, including health, electricity, security, and education, because of loss of revenue and technical support. At the local level, district-level authorities used to have autonomous authority to administer some local services through LWSCs and local cleaning funds. The above mentioned projects aim to build the capacity of the local Yemeni institutions to maintain the infrastructure built through the project and ensure continuity of services. The project will provide direct institutional support to local service providers in urban areas, including water and sanitation local corporations LCs, selected branches in peri-urban areas as well as selected branches of the General Authority of Rural Water (GARWSP), the Road Maintenance Fund - Implementation Unit (RMF-IU), Public Works Project (PWP), Urban Water-Project Management Unit (UW-PMUs in Sana’a and Aden) , local cleaning funds and Rural Access Program-Central Management Office (RAPCMO) to sustain their effective and resilient service delivery, and the private sector to better prepare for the impacts of climate change, through critical investments in resilience, technical assistance and capacity building focused on spatial planning to support climate adaptation.

The capacity building programme under these projects can be divided into two main activities: - - Activity one: Training Program

- Activity Two: Development and Establishment of Integrated MIS system for the above NIs-IPs.

Functional Responsibilities

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is looking for home-based Capacity Building Specialist to support in the implementation of the capacity building components under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager, and the overall supervision of the Director UNOPS Operational Hub in Amman and the UNOPS Head of Programme

Accordingly the incumbent will be required to perform the following duties and responsibilities.

Summary of key functions:

• Planning and Roll-out of Capacity Building Strategy
• Delivery and Performance
• Procedures

• Monitoring and Reporting

• Planning and Roll-out of Capacity Building StrategyLead the development of capacity building strategy for the referenced projects detailing the approach, budget,logistics requirements , processes at each level, methodologies and quality assurance mechanism

• Undertake Training Needs Assessment, as and when needed
• Lead development and finalization of training materials in consultation with subject matter experts and other team members, as required

Delivery and Performance

• Lead the execution of the Capacity Development Strategy and the related implementation plans
• Manage the delivery of the required outputs as per the scope of Capacity Development activities, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
• Lead the UNOPS team in monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of capacity development activities.
• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advise mitigating measures to senior management so that maximum benefits to partner(s) and other stakeholders are achieved.
• Assess existing /available guidelines, tools, training materials, and manuals for UNOPS local partners, Local Water and Sanitation Corporations ( LCs), and cleaning funds (CFs) and any other relevant materials, and assess their applicability to coop with UNOPS local partners, activities including providing the technical support such as IT equipment and software, manuals and guidelines preparation, organization structure and contingency plan.

Procedures

• Develop and conduct training activities in line with UNOPS, donors and international standards and best-practices;
• Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender, diversity, and inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into the implementation of the capacity building component.
• Identify and share capacity building programme’s lessons learned and best practices
• Identify and share successful training practices that can be showcased in publications, communication materials, and conferences

Monitoring and reporting

• Establish baseline for pre and post trainings assessments; develop key performance indicators to track the progress of training and to validate if the training is being institutionalized by the participants.
• Produce reports such as training evaluation reports and additional reports on the progress of activities on as needed basis
• Monitor capacity building allocated budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met.
• Submit an activity report which shall include highlights of the activity, process notes, and recommendations
• Develop measurement and evaluation tools to measure the progression of the capacity building programme and document lessons learned, outcomes, and findings;

Monitoring of Progress

• Provide reports, with update progress as requested by the project team/supervisors
• The candidate has to follow the guidelines of UNOPS to ensure the quality of the reports/documents.
• The candidate should be proactive in timely reporting on the progress.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above) Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Master's degree is required preferably in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Organizational Development, Leadership Development, Human Resources, or a related discipline.

• A combination of Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Certificates:

• PRINCE2® Foundation and/or PRINCE2® Practitioner is an asset;
• Prosci/ACMP certification preferred

Work Experience

• Minimum 5 years of content creation and implementation of digital and self-directed learning experiences in an internal or external consulting role with senior leaders to diagnose needs and develop/implement organizational development solutions and/or experience in organizing policy and guidelines related capacity building events, workshops and conferences is required.
• Experience in user-centric design is desirable.
• Experience extracting specific organizational knowledge and facilitating multi-stakeholder interviews is desirable.
• Experience in delivering high quality briefs that have actionable outcomes and recommendations is desirable
• Must be well versed with principles and techniques of Andragogy
• Experience with development partner funded (World Bank/UN) infrastructure projects with similar roles/tasks shall be given preference.
• Expertise in organizational development, including Strategic Workforce Planning, Team Effectiveness, Culture and broad talent management disciplines.

Language

• Proficiency in English is required.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA contractual Modality / Retainer Contract level: IICA2/ LICA10 Contract duration: up to March 2024, 180 Days

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.unops.org