Senior Programme Manager

Background Information – Job-specific

UNOPS Myanmar

UNOPS Myanmar is one of UNOPS leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country. In addition, UNOPS Myanmar is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Myanmar and Cambodia, and for the Global Fund’s Regional Artemisinin-resistance Initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS Myanmar plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The Nexus Response Mechanism

The European Union Nexus Response Mechanism (NRM) is an EU-funded programme designed to operationalize what has largely been a theoretical concept through the funding and implementation of innovative, tailor-made, flexible, and rights-based activities along the humanitarian-development- peace (H-D-P) spectrum in Myanmar. The NRM’s objectives are to contribute to reducing the vulnerability, building the resilience, and protecting the rights of conflict affected communities across the country.

NRM’s interventions are designed to pilot new ways of working and are aimed at contributing to systemic change. Both its short-term and long-term interventions incorporate rights objectives and pathways for advocacy and structural change, ensuring that programming is accompanied by substantive efforts to address rights and structural challenges in Myanmar. To ensure its projects are holistically designed, the NRM utilizes a three-pillared approach focused on the integration of H-D-P sectors and the incorporation of a rights-based approach, the transformation of power dynamics and imbalances through greater localization and inclusion, and accountability to both donors and communities through adaptive project design and a robust learning agenda.

Functional Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

The Senior Programme Manager (Deputy Programme Lead DPL) will play a crucial role in supporting the Senior Programme Manager (Programme Lead) and delivering the Nexus Response Mechanism, providing support to its programme managers and overseeing the NRM’s MEAL system.

• The DPL will bring extensive experience working on programme management and MEAL systems in complex and fragile contexts, on issues ranging from humanitarian to development to peacebuilding. The DPL will demonstrate excellent leadership and organisational skills working with a multinational and multicultural team in a tense environment. They will also be required to develop a nuanced understanding of the Myanmar context and its regional differentiations, in order to ensure contextually-informed programmatic decision-making by the NRM team.
• As the lead for the NRM’s MEAL, the DPL will need to demonstrate experience and expertise in designing, implementing and managing flexible and adaptive monitoring systems while still ensuring adequate capture of critical program data for decision-making and learning. As the NRM primarily works with civil society and partnership-oriented organisations, the DPL will need to demonstrate an ability to build relationships and understand the needs of local partners, and shape the NRM’s response to provide support to these partners as needed.
• Finally, the DPL will also be required to represent the NRM to internal and external stakeholders including UNOPS and the EU Delegation, and to oversee the NRM’s communications activities.
• Under the overall supervision of the NRM Senior Programme Manager (Programme Lead), and in accordance with UNOPS policies, procedures and practices, the Senior Programme Manager (Deputy Programme Lead DPL) will be responsible for:
• Leadership, stakeholder engagement, and partnership
• Engage UNOPS NRM partners and key stakeholders in Myanmar.
• Provide support in leadership on key strategic issues, particularly programme management,  MEAL and communications.
• Under the guidance of the Senior Programme Manager (Programme Lead), build and strengthen strategic relations with stakeholders, in particular the NRM Steering Committee, EU Delegation representatives, and civil society groups.
• Provide strategic oversight on engagement of stakeholders on NRM’s work particularly planning and leading field visits, briefings and other events as needed relating to the NRM’s work.
• Manage consultants and technical experts as needed
• Deputize the NRM Senior Programme Manager (Programme Lead), as required

Programme management

• Lead regular and ongoing reviews of the NRM’s portfolios to ensure alignment and consistency in approach and management.
• Under the delegated authority of the Senior Programme Manager (Programme Lead), maintain oversight over all programmatic activities and provide support to NRM programme managers as needed.
• Ensure principles of human rights, conflict sensitivity, gender equality and women’s empowerment, accountability, ‘do no harm’ and aid effectiveness in all activities associated with the programme.
• Support the implementation of NRM programming by the NRM team, including the implementation of recommendations stemming from learning reviews and evaluations.
• Monitor progress on implementation of activities and budget expenditures, including through field visits as needed.
• Contribute to the development of quarterly reports based on data submitted by partners.
• Maintain critical programme records/documents on the UNOPS Google Shared Drive.
• Manage and guide members of the NRM MEAL team, including MEAL Specialists, Advisors, and Evaluators.
• Monitoring, reporting, learning and knowledge management
• Oversee the NRM’s Monitoring and Evaluation for Accountability and Learning systems, including the NRM’s MEAL Strategy and Results Framework, as well as partner data collection systems.
• Support the adaptation and implementation of MEAL processes, including regular project monitoring, data collection, field visits, and reporting.
• Ensuring the integrity of the NRM’s annual reporting process  and all reporting requirements as per legal agreement as well as ensuring internal UNOPS rules are met before submission to the Senior Programme Manager (Programme Lead).
• Put in place and continuously review solid reporting mechanisms in the programme.
• Review/clearance of M&E reports from the NRM implementing partners focusing on data correctness, quality and analysis.
• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data.
• Support monitoring and evaluation missions commissioned by the NRM.
• Manage, adapt and implement the NRM’s learning agenda by ensuring learning is embedded into NRM projects and that project learning is compiled and synthesized and shared with internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute with project related information and data to the review/production of NRM reports/publications.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Master’s degree preferably  in community development, social sciences, peace and conflict studies, international relations, or other related discipline is required.
• A combination of Bachelor’s degree preferably in the abovementioned fields with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience is  considered as equivalent.

Experience 

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in programme management within humanitarian, development and/or peacebuilding fields is required.
• Experience and/or solid understanding of working in complex and conflict-affected areas is required.
• Experience and track record of developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems is required.
• Experience working in Myanmar is highly desirable.
• Previous successful involvement with, and good knowledge of UN, NGOs and civil society would be an advantage.

Language Requirements

• Full working knowledge in written and oral English is required.
• Knowledge of the Myanmar language is an asset.
• Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=27562