Project Manager- Digital Skilling

Contract

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

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kenya in partnership with the Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy and Microsoft propose to co-create and prototype a Center of Competency on Public Sector Digital Upskilling. This center is envisioned as a multifunctional space focused on strengthening local digital ecosystems and cultivating multi-stakeholder partnerships that will accelerate digital transformation by enhancing the culture, competencies, and capacities of Governments. This project, established through the signing of the MoU between UNDP Kenya and the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy (MICDE), aims to support Kenya's digital transformation by strengthening digital skills development. The project of digital skilling aligns well with Kenya's National Digital Master Plan (2022-2032), which identifies digital skills as a critical pillar. UNDP's development expertise and partnership with the State Department of ICT and the Digital Economy position them to provide valuable technical assistance to the Government’s ambitions on digital transformation. The partnerships will range from academia, public service, private sector, and the development sector and aim to drive digital inclusion, a prerequisite to ensuring the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal.

The objectives of the Centre of Competency are. 1.To improve digital competencies within the public sector to accelerate digital transformation of the public sector in Kenya. 2.To enhance access to advanced technologies and thus increase efficiency, inclusion, and service delivery within government. 3.To promote a culture of innovation and experimentation embedded within the public sector, resulting in a mindset and cultural shift among public servants to drive and lead inclusive transformation towards a digital government.

UNDP Kenya is looking for a Project Manager to provide strategic and operational support and project management of the Center of Competence on Public Sector Digital Skilling. Under the direct supervision of the Program Analyst- Governance and Inclusive Growth Program, and in collaboration with the relevant teams in the country office, the position will support the development and implementation of strategic initiatives driving public sector digital skilling in the Country.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Building a Digitally Savvy Public Sector (Coherence & Coordination): •Strategic Planning and Support: Collaborate with the Kenyan country office on strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring of initiatives focused on digital skilling for public sector workers. This includes aligning program goals with national digital transformation strategies and UNDP's broader objectives. •Internal & External Collaboration: Champion internal alignment among UNDP teams and forge strong relationships with external consultants and advisors, ensuring everyone works cohesively towards the success of the project. •Project Management Expertise: Provide support for project execution, including managing timelines, milestones, and progress reporting for digital skilling initiatives. •Cross-Functional Liaison: Act as a bridge between different UNDP workstreams and external stakeholders to ensure seamless implementation of the digital skilling initiatives. 2. Scaling Up Digital Skilling Impact (Scaling Impact): •Developing a National Skilling Strategy: Lead the development of a national or regional strategy for scaling up of UNDP's digital skilling initiatives in Kenya. This strategy will identify priority skills gaps within the public sector and outline a plan for implementing the Center of Competence. •Delivery of High-Impact Initiatives: Support the delivery of initiatives designed to maximize impact and address critical skills gaps within the Kenyan public sector workforce. •Scaling Up Success Stories: Develop regional or global expansion strategies for existing successful digital skilling projects, providing guidance and operational support to replicate their effectiveness in other contexts. •Identifying Best Practices: Continuously identify and document best practices in digital skilling, ensuring program design leverages cutting-edge approaches for maximum impact. 3. Fostering a Collaborative Ecosystem for Digital Skilling (Stakeholder Engagement): •Driving Strategic Partnerships: Spearhead partner engagement initiatives to position UNDP as a leader in supporting Kenya's digital skilling efforts. Partnerships can include government agencies, international organizations, development agencies, private sector entities, and civil society actors. •Building Coalitions: Identify new areas for programmatic partnerships and actively engage in coalition building with key public and private sector stakeholders to strengthen program reach and effectiveness. •Organizing High-Profile Events: Plan and manage high-profile events that bring together key stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, and civil society organizations, to foster collaboration and advance the digital skilling agenda in Kenya. •Aligning Programs with Partnerships: Work collaboratively with UNDP country office teams to ensure digital skilling programs are strategically aligned with existing and new partnerships to maximize impact. 4. Reporting and Efficiency (Proposal Writing and Reporting): •Concept Notes and Project Planning: Support the development of concept notes, project planning documents, and budget forecasts for digital skilling programs in Kenya. •Donor Reporting and Compliance: Coordinate all donor reporting activities, ensuring timely collection of key results, lessons learned, and other essential data for comprehensive and transparent communication with donors. •Internal Process Management: Guide the program team on internal UNDP procedures related to program implementation aspects like budgeting and contracting, ensuring compliance and smooth operation. •Progress Reporting and Monitoring: Manage progress reporting for all digital skilling program activities, providing clear and concise information on program advancement. •Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate with relevant units (communications, finance) to ensure their activities support the program's overall impact on digital skilling within the Kenyan public sector. •Financial Strategy and Efficiency: Participate in decision-making regarding funding sources and financial structures for digital skilling programs, ensuring these decisions align with the program's resource allocation model and optimize efficiency. •Developing Cost-Effectiveness Benchmarks: Establish benchmarks and other methods to assess the cost-effectiveness of technical assistance provided through contracts, grants, and other program expenditures related to digital skilling initiatives.

I. Achieve Results: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

II. Think Innovatively: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.

III. Learn Continuously: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.

IV.Adapt with Agility: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

V.Act with Determination: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

VI.Engage and Partner: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

VII.Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

strategy consulting, technology, government, international organizations systems, leadership, program management). I. Exceptional program management skills, including an entrepreneurial drive to develop and execute self-designed initiatives. II. Ability to lead large, complex initiatives with a diverse, multi-disciplinary set of internal and external stakeholder groups. III. Comfortable interacting with leaders across public, private, and civil society sectors. IV. Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive team player, with the ability to engage and influence peers and colleagues, generate buy-in and trust, and positively and productively impact at the programmatic level. V. Strategic thinking with a drive and passion for collaboration and tactical execution. VI. High-level analytical and organizational skills with intellectual rigor and flawless execution. VII. Values-based, collaborative working style with a demonstrated commitment to the highest standards of ethics and confidentiality. VIII. Demonstrate understanding of the latest trends and developments across technology, science, innovation, and talent. IX. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to use common software tools for word processing, presentation, and spreadsheets (especially Google Sheets, Slides, and Docs).

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighboring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO).

Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP.

The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate.

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