Project Management Support - Senior Associate( Land Management)

Contract

This is a LICA-7 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA-7 contracts.

Background Information - Job-specific

Background Information - Ghana Multi Country Office (GMCO) GMCO is responsible for managing strategic and operational risks associated with a subset of the regional portfolio of engagements, developing and delivering cost effective services contributing to partners’ sustainable results and achievements of UNOPS management results.

The core functions of the Operational Hub are to: - Liaise and develop engagements, and deliver services responding to partner needs. - Leverage advice and integrate delivery modalities of the three Delivery Practices and the Global Partner Service Office. - Maintain appropriate arrangements and capacity for direct transactional support for delivery of the sub-regional portfolio.

Background Information - Gambia The Gambia has one of the fastest urbanisation rates in sub-Saharan Africa, with the GBA already accounting for 68% of the total population. This has resulted in several environmental and socio-economic problems including deforestation, soil erosion, pollution and waste generation, as well as stress on health, education and employment services.

The Gambia Duty Stations are managed by the Gambia Country Office based in Banjul, The Gambia.

Background Information - Job Specific The Gambia has one of the fastest urbanisation rates in sub-Saharan Africa, with the GBA already accounting for 68% of the total population. This has resulted in several environmental and socio-economic problems including deforestation, soil erosion, pollution and waste generation, as well as stress on health, education and employment services. These have been exacerbated by the lack of an urban masterplan for Banjul (which has not been updated for nearly 20 years) and the absence of a planned response to the growing economic activity of the city. Likewise the absence of an updated cadastral map and insufficient data on taxable properties in the Greater Banjul Area has resulted in the municipalities being able to collect only a small portion of their potential revenue from property taxes. With inadequate funding available from the central government, there is increased pressure on the municipalities to explore innovative revenue generation mechanisms to effectively deliver basic services.

Despite these challenges, the investment climate in The Gambia is growing in attractiveness to investors and is expected to improve with accelerated investments via the next prospective flagship project of the Port Expansion and the current opening of the new trans-Gambian bridge. It is imperative that the city has the proper instruments in place to prepare for increased urbanization, traffic flows and vulnerability to climatic change.

To respond to this potential and address these issues, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has affirmed its support to the Government of The Gambia for the development of a comprehensive, digitized master plan for the Greater Banjul Area. The overall aim of the Greater Banjul Area: Sustainable Urban Development Programme 2020-40 (GBA-SUDP) is to put in place innovative mechanisms to support an increase in local revenue generation and collection, improve the delivery of basic services and roll out the decentralised approach as stated in the National Development Plan (2018-2021).

The project can be defined in two main service lines (a) Urban Master Plan Development and (b) Technical Assistance to institutional capacity development; covering 6 main outputs:

1. A digital masterplan for the Greater Banjul Area, integrating the Port and linking it with the immediate area of Barra Esau (opposite the River Gambia)
2. 5-year urban development investment plans for the 3 municipalities in Greater Banjul Area
3. Study tour to Senegal for benchmarking
4. Technical Assistance (TA) and capacity building, including training for Banjul City Council (BCC), Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), Brikama Area Council (BAC) and the Ministry of Land and Regional Government (MoLRG).
5. Institutions’ (Gambia Port Authority, BCC, KMC, BAC, and MoLRG) staff trained in project management
6. Procurement of ICT and office equipment to support the facilitation of municipal management

Functional Responsibilities

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

This role will provide embedded technical assistance to the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government (MoLRG) for optimal co-creation of project deliverables and knowledge exchange. The Project Management Support - Senior Associate (Land Management) will contribute to the successful delivery of Output 1 and 4. S/he will be located in the Department of Lands and Surveys (DLS) and will work under the guidance of an International Land Management Expert

The role reports to the Project Management Senior Officer (Land Management).

S/he must be results-oriented towards the delivery of Output 1 and 4; a team player, ready to support the land management team and the Project Manager in delivery of the overall project objectives. S/he must be able to accomplish the following duties and responsibilities:

Stakeholder Management:

• Contribute to strengthen the working relationship between UNOPS and the MoLRG.
• Assist in engaging the active participation of other stakeholders in land management related activities (e.g. Brikama Area Council, Banjul City Council, Kanifing Municipal Council).
• Assist the team in their communication with the MoLRG and other stakeholders, including drafting meeting minutes and correspondence.

Land management:

• Assist the land management team on gathering and analysing relevant data on the MoLRG’s policies, plans, strategies, and documents in support of the overall project outputs and outcomes.

• Assist in the cadastre digitization pilot and preparation of the scale-up plan.

• Assist in the mapping of Land Allocation Procedures and in the formulation of recommendations for improvement.

Urban planning:

• Assist the urban planning team in providing technical inputs to the land use plan and the urban management plan in line with Gambian institutional frameworks, laws and regulations.

Capacity building:

• Assist the land management team in the successful implementation of the Technical Assistance Action Plan.
• Assist in documenting progress on the Technical Assistance Action Plan.

Reporting and Communication:

• Provide timely and comprehensive inputs to the monthly progress reports.
• Participate in project-level coordination meetings (Capacity Building Team meetings, Planning Team meetings, project team meetings) as relevant.

Procedures:

• Comply with Project Document Archive as required by the UNOPS Organizational Directive.
• Contribute to work planning, monitoring and adaptation of work plans for effective delivery tracking and project reporting.
• Contribute to procurement activities as per UNOPS Procurement Manual as required.
• Follow UNOPS procurement and financial management procedures. In this respect, active collaboration with the support services team is required.

Knowledge Management:

• Participate in the relevant UNOPS Communities of Practice.
• Actively interact with other relevant communities to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices.
• Share knowledge of past experience that may enrich the impact of project activities.
• Incorporate lessons learned from others in project activities.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The Project Management Support - Senior Associate (Land Management) performance will be measured against the following criteria:

• Timely and quality provision of draft research notes, reports, meeting minutes and presentations as required.
• Timely reporting on progress of tasks assigned.
• Effective and timely project progress and deliverables production as per the project implementation plan.
• Satisfaction of the MoLRG with the technical assistance provided.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

A. Education

• A first University Degree in Geography, Land Economy, Land management, Urban Development, Urban and Regional Planning or other relevant disciplines.
• Master degree is an asset
• A relevant combination of academic credentials and/or industry certifications and qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the university education.

Additional Requirements:

• Familiarity with Geographic Information Systems and related software (ArcGIS, QGIS or equivalent).

B. Work Experience

• Minimum 3 years working experience in Land Management is required.Including but not limited to tenure formalization, cadastre creation and management, land dispute resolution, land information systems, land-based revenue collection.
• Knowledge of land management and related policies in The Gambia is required;
• Previous experience working with UN Agencies or other international development partners is an asset;
• Knowledge of Sustainable Development and SDGs is an asset;

C. Language Requirements

• Full working knowledge of English is required.

Skills Contextual

• Public sector experience
• Sustainability Focus
• Facilitation

Project Management

• Advisory services
• Capacity building
• Gender analysis
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Reporting
• Risk analysis
• Strategic planning
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Mapping

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.

Contract type, level and duration

• Contract type: Local Individual Contract Agreement
• Contract level: LICA 7 / ICS 7
• Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

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.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• 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.

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.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

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

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

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

Background information - AFR

Africa Region

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Africa Region supports UNOPS country offices in the region, providing financial oversight of projects, procuring goods and services and managing human resources. AFR helps ensure that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between projects across the entire region.

Additional information