Consultant - Project Management Specialist

Purpose of Consultancy

A consultant is sought to provide support in the early set-up of the WHO Country Office's earmarked project contribution, with a specific focus on a new Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) initiative. This initiative is in support of Uzbekistan's national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). The primary objective of the consultant would be to provide support for the MPTF funded project on Maternal and Perinatal Care, specifically in terms of coordination and management during its initial phase. Additionally, the consultant would be required to assist WHO Uzbekistan with partnership building, resource mobilization, advocacy, and communication initiatives, which would be funded through the Uzbekistan Vision 2030 Fund.

Background

The Uzbekistan Vision 2030 Fund has been established by the United Nations (UN) as an inter-agency pooled fund with a specific focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Uzbekistan by 2030. It is established within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the years 2021-2025, and their subsequent frameworks. The development of the Uzbekistan Vision 2030 Fund has been carried out through inclusive participatory consultations with national stakeholders, contributors, UN entities, and international financial institutions. The primary aim of the fund is to support the Uzbekistan government's national reform agenda complemented with principled, transparent, and effective programs for asset restitution, primarily targeted towards the achievement of SDGs. In addition, the fund is intended to enhance accelerated progress towards the SDGs, contributing to socio-economic development. The fund supports various programs that align with its mandate's principles. The project, focused on maternal and child health, has started implementation as of October 1st, 2023 and will run for 30 months. A consultant is therefore required to provide crucial operational and management set-up support during the initial phase. It is essential that the consultant is available for in-person assistance to ensure effective project implementation and smooth operations.

Deliverables

Objective 1: First implementation stage delivered and project management structure established

• Develop and establish a comprehensive project management system during the initial period of the project. This includes creating a clear accountability and workflow structure, defining monitoring and evaluation (M&E) requirements, setting communication and visibility guidelines, and developing a detailed project workplan.
• Implement a robust financial expenditure monitoring system for the project, ensuring compliance with individual donor agreements, WHO quality standards, rules, and regulations. Pepare an intermediary financial report that accurately reflects the project's financial status.
• Meet all reporting obligations in a timely manner, adhering to high quality standards and donor expectations. This includes submitting an intermediary technical report that provides a comprehensive overview of the project's progress and achievements.
• Generate monthly progress reports throughout the initial phase of the project to effectively monitor activities and ensure adherence to the project workplan's timeline. These reports should provide a clear overview of the status and delivery of project activities on a monthly basis.

Objective 2: Strengthens stakeholder engagement

• Organize regular internal and external coordination meetings as needed. This includes preparing meeting agendas, creating consolidated presentations, hosting the meetings, recording detailed minutes, documenting action items, and ensuring the storage of supporting materials on a SharePoint site for easy access and reference.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for stakeholders, actively engaging and coordinating with UN agencies, health development partners, and civil society organizations on relevant issues. Proactively convene meetings and discussions to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between these entities.
• Facilitate coordination and active involvement of health partners in planning, information-sharing, interventions, monitoring, and quality assurance in the health sector and other related domains. Provide regular reports on the delivery of health services to the target population, highlighting key achievements, challenges, and recommendations for improvement.
• Organize and facilitate inclusive, consultative, and results-oriented meetings, aligning with the principles of partnership. Foster an environment conducive to effective collaboration, knowledge sharing, and consensus-building among stakeholders, ensuring that all perspectives are heard and considered in decision-making processes.

Qualifications

Educational Qualifications

Essential:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in public health, social sciences, business administration, management or another relevant field.

Desirable:

• Training on resource mobilization, partnership building, development and/or humanitarian work, and general project management (Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Project Manager (CPM), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), PRINCE2, Professional in Project Management (PPM), or similar.

Experience

Essential:

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience at an international level in management and administration of development projects or programs, as well as in resource mobilization, partnership development, and proposal/report writing.

Desirable:

• Relevant work experience at WHO, other UN agencies, relevant non-governmental or humanitarian organizations.

Skills and knowledge

Essential:

• Project management principles and techniques, especially with respect to large administrative operations at national, regional and/or global levels.
• Ability to facilitate and strengthen the involvement and collaboration of a broad range of internal and external partners, through strong interpersonal, representational and organizational skills.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills.
• Ability to clearly and articulately present concepts and procedures on a broad range of issue.
• Sound judgment and initiative.
• Emotional awareness (the ability to identify and harness one’s emotions and apply them to tasks, and the ability to manage emotions, which includes both regulating one’s own emotions when necessary and helping others to do the same).
• Ability to work and produce results under pressure and meet deadlines.

Desirable:

• Demonstrated understanding of the health cluster at the global and country level.
• Proven expertise in writing strategies or guidance and tools.

Language

Essential: Expert knowledge of English

Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of Russian

Location

On site: The consultant will be assigned to WHO Uzbekistan, Tashkent on full-time basis.

Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel when required within Uzbekistan as well as other locations within EURO region and will be covered according to WHO rules.

All travel arrangements will be made by WHO .

WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO.

While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.

Remuneration

• Remuneration: 3 months at USD 10,000 per month (Band level C), for a total of USD 30,000.
• Living expenses****: USD 160/day (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited).

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
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• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
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