ROMA INCLUSION PROJECT SPECIALIST

Location :Skopje, FYR MACEDONIA
Application Deadline :27-Apr-13
Type of Contract :Service Contract
Post Level :SC-9
Languages Required :English  
Expected Duration of Assignment :12 months (with possibility for extention for additional 12 months)

Background

Project Title:  Support Facility for Roma Inclusion

The National Strategy for the Roma (2005 – 2015) was adopted by the Government in 2005, following its commitments embraced with the Decade for Roma Inclusion. To better contextualize national priorities to local needs, 17 Local Action Plans (LAPs) for Roma integration have been prepared, which call for proactive role of municipal authorities and relevant local actors to join forces in designing and implementing programmes that contribute to empowering Roma men and women to take active role in social and economic sphere.

UNDP has recently commenced a sub-regional project ‘Support Facility for Roma Inclusion’, which is aimed to support our country as well as in Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to improve national capacity for achieving tangible and measurable results , this enable them to demonstrate evidences of what has been achieved in the area of Roma inclusion. The project is funded by the Swiss Development

Cooperation.

Over the next two years, the project will focus on the key causes of Roma social exclusion, including unemployment and financial insecurity. It will contribute to increasing technical skills of national stakeholders, responsible for monitoring and evaluation of public policy making. At local level, the project will  develop innovative ways for increasing opportunities for Roma to become active on the labour market and achieve economic independence. To address the specific needs of Roma women, the project will increase the capacities of women’s action groups to ensure they can be as fully involved as possible in income generation programmes. Four municipalities will be selected where new models and approaches regarding Roma employability and access to social services will be implemented. The project will take advantage of the ongoing interventions in the area of employment and social service, undertaken by the Government, UNDP, UN Agencies or other international organizations.
Objective

Under direct supervision of the UNDP Head of Unit of Social Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives and in close consultation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Roma Inclusion Specialis will be responsible to effectively coordinate project activities. The Roma Inclusion Specialist will closley coordinate and cooperate with the Project Manager of the Promoting Sustainable Employments Programme to ensure consistency and coherence with the National Operational Plan on Employment and Active labour market measures supported through this programme. He/she will provide expertise and technical assistance as well as facilitate and support the work of short term local and international experts and advisors.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

1. Ensures quality implementation of project goals  and day-to-day coordination of the project activities by maintaining the delivery of appropriate technical, operational, financial and administrative outputs and tracking the progress of the project by monitoring and reporting
2. Ensures provision of high-quality expertise and technical advise to the project activities in the field of the employment and service provision on a local level
3. Ensure creation of strategic partnership among relevant stakeholders, including coordination activities related to the UN technical level working group; Ensure coordination of activities with UNDP Regional office in Bratislava, and if applicable with other countries involved in the project
4. Ensure Gender mainstreaming within the project
Specific tasks and responsibilities:
1. Ensures quality implementation of project goals  and day-to-day coordination of the project activities by maintaining the delivery of appropriate technical, operational, financial and administrative outputs and tracking the progress of the project by monitoring and reporting, focusing on achieving the following:  
  • Coordinates project activities’ implementation and supervise and guide local and international consultants, with a view to achieving project results.
  • Elaborates and monitors a detailed work-plan, indicating the expected milestone results and role and responsibilities of the stakeholders.
  • Mobilizes goods and services to initiate activities, including drafting TORs;
  • Monitors financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports;
  • Monitors and manages initially identified project risks and alerts the Project Board on new risks for consideration and decision on possible action if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the Project Risk Log;
  • Ensures the existence of successful quality assurance for the project’s financial, procurement and administrative processes in order all procedures are conducted in line with prevailing UNDP rules and regulations as well as project timelines;
  • Prepares Progress /Annual Reports 
  • Performs tasks in ATLAS in line with given function;
2. Ensures provision of high-quality expertise and technical advise to the project activities in the field of the employment and service provision on a local level, focusing on achieving the following:
  • Provision of technical expertise to enhance activities of local partners, with particular emphasizes on employment and employability of Roma population in selected 4 municipalities. 
  • Provision of technical expertise in analyzing the needs and capacities of local partners to support design and implementation of employment related activities. 
  • Provision of technical expertise to strengthen and improve accessibility and quality of the existing social services on a local level, including of local institutions, local NGOs and other local partners.
  • Share relevant substantive and operational experiences with other colleagues and counterparts (develop knowledge products to be shared with the Project partners).
3. Ensure creation of strategic partnership among relevant stakeholders, including coordination activities related to the UN technical level working group; Ensure coordination of activities with UNDP Regional office in Bratislava, and if applicable with other countries involved in this project focusing on achievement of the following results:
  • Maintenance of close partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy as a national partner institution, line Ministries, civil society organizations at various levels, local communities - local action groups, women’s groups etc.  
  • Shares information and explore synergies with UN Agencies present in the country
  • Establishment of effective linkages with the regional UNDP office in Bratislava ensuring efficient implementation of project’s regional component.  Share information with other countries involved in the regional project. 
  • Analyze information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects; recommend approaches to donors in terms of resource mobilization.
4. Ensure Gender mainstreaming within the project focusing on achievement of thefollowing results:
  • Ensures gender is effectively mainstreamed throughout the project activities, work plans, budgets, reports, research and analytical papers and, where specifically relevant, analyzed in detail;
  • Ensure gender equality is embedded in the work of the project team, consultants and staff management activities;
  • Ensures knowledge on gender equality is incorporated in Project Knowledge management activities and products.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR EVALUATION OF RESULTS:
  • Project activities executed in line with UNDP corporate principles (RBM) 
  • Project’s consultants effectively and efficiently guided and backstopped; 
  • New partnership with relevant national and international institutions (incl. UN agencies, EU, bilateral donors and international organizations) promoted; 
  • Delivered funds in accordance to the planned Annual Work Plan.
  • Timely and qualitative reporting in line with the Programme needs and Country Office/National partners requirements.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:
  • Integrity: Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
  • Respect of diversity : Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; Treats all people fairly without favoritism
Core Competencies:
  • Client Orientation: Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
  • Team Work: Participates in teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills
  • Relationship Building: Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors
  • Stress Management: Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
Functional Competencies
  • Development and Operational Effectiveness: Ability to participate in strategic planning, results-based management, monitoring and reporting; Ability to contribute in formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes;
  • Judgment/Decision Making: identifies key issues in a complex situation and proposes course of action for overcoming of the issues.
Technical Competencies
  • Experience in implementing/managing projects of similar scope
  • Experience in Managing Project work plans and budget;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • University Degree in social sciences and/or economics.
  • Master degree is a strong asset.
Professional experience:
  • At least 5 years (3 years for candidates with MA) of relevant professional and project management experience preferably on similar projects;
  • Previous experience in delivering technical experience to projects focused on socially excluded groups 
  • Evident experience in liaising and co-operating with all personnel including government officials, scientific institutions, NGOs and private sector;
  • Previous experience with civil society sector is a strong asset.  
  • Excellent computer literacy (MS Office; Windows XP, Internet); excellent communications, report writing and analytical skills. 
Language Requirements;
Language proficiency in both written and oral English and Macedonian.  Knowledge of Romani language shall be considered an asset.  

This is a national project position. The UNDP strives to assure equitable representation of women and minorities in all its activities.  UNDP offers a competitive compensation package. 
 Interested candidates should submit their applications on-line. Applications received after the closing deadline will not be considered. No telephone calls please. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.