Project Associate - Convergence and Planning

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

Tribal Development Department, Government of Maharashtra is the nodal department for overall policy, planning and coordination of programmes for development of Scheduled Tribes (STs). The department has accorded high priority and adopted multifaceted development strategies to promote socio-economic growth of the STs. Specific interventions are being implemented including implementation of protective legislations such as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act. The programmes and schemes for tribal people are intended to support and supplement the efforts, primarily of other state departments to fill critical gaps within institutions and programmes, taking into account the situation of STs. These schemes comprising of economic, educational, and social development through institutional building, are administered by the line departments. Notwithstanding numerous developmental interventions, the STs continue to face developmental deficits with respect to health, education, livelihood, development infrastructure as well as other socio-economic indices, many of which are well below the national average.

The Tribal Development Department is committed to providing equitable access to opportunity for the tribal communities, through participatory approach and adoption of innovative methods including e-governance and increasing use of technology to provide strategic inputs into the development process. To accelerate the implementation of the development agenda for the tribal communities and strengthen the institutional delivery systems at the State and district level, it is important to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of the officials and stakeholders to deliver on the issues related to tribal empowerment and create robust systems for monitoring and implementation of the tribal development schemes of the Central and State government.

The Department is working in collaboration with UNDP to fast-track development in difficult geographies inhabited by tribal populations, enhancing capacities of government functionaries and expanding opportunities for better livelihoods, health and education to vulnerable tribal communities.

UNDP proposes to engage a Project Associate- Planning and Convergence to support the PMU at Tribal Development Department, Govt. of Maharashtra to support in documentation, monitoring and compilation of progress of various schemes/programmes pertaining to the Tribal Welfare department.

The Project Associate-Planning and Convergence will be part of the Project Management Unit and will work under the overall supervision of the PMU State Coordinator and in close collaboration with Programme Lead, Tribal Development, UNDP. S/He will ensure engagement of all direct stakeholders and delivery of project objectives with other team members.

• Support in compilation of the achievement under different programmes with respect to livelihood and quality of life improvement under different activities pertaining to Tribal Development Department • Assist in facilitating access to basic services and infrastructure facilities to the tribal villages by providing inputs on critical gaps through data analysis of significant developmental indicators and information about availability of resources • Provide handholding support to district administration and below for addressing critical gaps through the process of planning their developmental works in the villages identified under PMAAGY scheme, in accordance with the gaps identified. • Support in designing Training and Capacity building framework for enabling community leaders and elected representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions to take charge of the program implementation. • Technical support for data base management; End to end computerization, from household survey to preparation of Village Development Plan for smooth implementation of the scheme, to monitor the execution of convergence initiatives and guiding the field functionaries on the execution of the activities. • Assist in putting into place a strong, near-real time data base management system framework and process of monitoring, along with GI tagging of created assets and households for achieving the expected outcomes • Support in forging partnerships with national and international stakeholders for the sustainable development of tribal communities and maintain close liaison with line departments/agencies like Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, TDCC etc. • Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work.

• Achieve Results: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline • Think Innovatively: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination • Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need • 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 • Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making • Multi stakeholder engagement and funding: Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms • Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented. • Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations. • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities. • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity, and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.

the domain of livelihood and advocacy related to tribals schemes and programmes • Prior experience in research and analysis of policy and programmes related to Tribal development. • Experience in Planning and Monitoring of Village development Plans with focus on convergence of resources • Demonstrated experience of working on issues of tribal and rural development projects with focus on convergence • Good understanding of tribal development related schemes and legislations • At least one year of experience of working in government/international agency funded projects is desirable. • Domain knowledge in areas like governance, convergence, tribal affairs, social justice and social inclusion • High-level of IT/computing skills (minimum: Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) • Knowledge of and experience in gender mainstreaming is an asset. • Willingness to travel when required

Mumbai – Maharashtra: Mumbai, is the most populous city in the Indian state of Maharashtra, offering a wide variety of jobs from conventional industries to IT services. It is also home to the Bollywood film industry. As India's capital of finance, Mumbai has the greatest number of fin-tech startups, and the cost of living and rental prices remains reasonably high.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in Mumbai. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

This assignment is part of the special programme initiative ‘Strengthening Health Systems and Access to Services for Marginalized Communities’. As per the UN Volunteer Conditions of Service, Section XVIII, the Conditions for this assignment are amended as follows: - The Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) will be INR 90,000/- per month - The UN Volunteer is not eligible for entry lumpsum or travel costs - Health insurance will not be provided to dependents of the UN Volunteer - Access to UNV learning will be restricted to mandatory courses and free-of-charge learning resources provided by UNV.