Closing date: Saturday, 11 March 2023
Job Identification : 8771
Locations : Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Posting Date : 02/24/2023, 01:24 PM
Apply Before : 03/11/2023, 04:59 AM
Job Schedule : Full time
Agency : UNDP
Vacancy Type : National Personnel Service Agreement
Practice Area : Effectiveness
Bureau : Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS
Contract Duration : 6 months
Required Languages : Fluency in Uzbek
Desired Languages : English
Vacancy Timeline
2 Weeks
Job Description
Background
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
In 2021, the IsDB new loan Program on “Sustainable Rural Development ” to the Republic of Uzbekistan was signed, the main partner of this project is the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Project is designed to provide priority support to the rural people by improving access to basic infrastructure and related services.
This UNDP Project is an integral component of above broader Uzbekistan – Sustainable Rural Development Project. UNDP is involved in implementing the Component on “Engineering Services & Strengthening Capacity in Infrastructure Management” (2022-2025). The overall objective of UNDP Project is to empower and build capacities of local partners (communities, architects, engineers, local authorities) in developing and implementing local development plans and promoting locally relevant green and energy efficient as well as digital solutions. The Project aims to build capacities of targeted communities and partners in adopting and implementing environmentally friendly solutions. Climate-related concerns will be mainstreamed into decision-making at all levels, facilitating climate-resilient and energy efficient development from the community level up to the regional level. The project takes a people-centred, gender sensitive and climate risk-informed holistic approach.
The project will be implemented under the National Implementation Modality (NIM) with the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverity Reduction of the Republic of Uzbekistan playing an executing entity’s/implementing partner’s role for it. This project will be executed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) County Office in Uzbekistan.
The Project has 4 main interconnected components as follows:
- Output 1. Capacities of targeted local communities increased to identify local needs and to develop plans of actions, i.e., Community Development Plans (CDP), by identifying priority infrastructures for investments that have optimum and long-term benefits through an inclusive community engagement (including women and youth) and consultation with sub-regional and local authorities.
- Output 2: Capacities of local architecture-design institutions and regional departments of architecture and construction are enhanced for development of improved engineering designs and master plans that are responsive to the sustainability aspects (economic, operational, and environment sustainability), innovative energy and water efficient, low carbon technology, climate resilient and gender responsive, and promoting local resources.
- Output 3: Capacities of construction, architecture-design and public service delivery sector are increased on the local governance and community participatory mechanism in the planning and implementation of rural development programs and initiatives by using digital transformation, gender-sensitive approaches, innovative IT solutions, including development of digital infrastructure and information systems to ensure better access to social facilities and services in rural areas, including green redevelopment/regeneration and increasing resilience in post-disaster situations (such as COVID-19 and other pandemics).
- Output 4: Local communities are strengthened empowering women, youth, elderly, people with disabilities, involving in decision making processes and national/sub-regional/local government capacities and institutionalization in operation and maintenance of the infrastructure to ensure sustainable functioning.
The Infrastructure Development Associate will contribute to address needs of rural communities in target communities. S/he will be particularly contributing in achieving the output 1,2 and 4, while also supporting the implementation of other project outputs and will be in charge of ensuring successful implementation of the project’s activities related to ensuring community mobilization, enhancing people’s skills on community development planning in remote rural areas.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Support introduction of energy and water efficient, new agriculture & farming technologies, ozone-friendly and low GWP (global-warming potential) based technologies in different sectors/applications in a balanced proportion of pilot projects providing infrastructure projects’ documentation including cost estimates and technical proposal, etc..
- To the extent possible the implemented project should incorporate an energy-efficient and water efficient, new agriculture & farming technologies, ozone-friendly and low GWP based technologies in different sectors/applications: Healthcare (rural medical facilities), Public education (schools, kindergarten), Agriculture (cold-rooms, warehouses), Public buildings, in the infrastructure of the Small Economic Zones, etc.
- Work in selected vulnerable rural communities with local government to facilitate decentralized planning and rehabilitation of essential public services as identified in CDPs such as water supply, agriculture infrastructure and access to digital solutions, etc.;
- Visit the Programme target communities and collect data on each community needs;
- Study the needs identified in target communities;
- Work with the cost estimation institution(s) in calculation and creation of necessary engineering schemes of the infrastructure projects;
- Prepared the tender documents and launch the tender process jointly with Procurement specialists of the project;
- Ensure quality control over the water supply and social infrastructure activities and conduct cross-checks between the signed work amounts and factual fulfilments at project sites; Report on inadequacies;
- Assist the relevant staff to make wider dissemination of tender announcements infrastructure projects;
- Monitor and report on the process of realization of infrastructure projects in accordance with the given time schedule and ensure timely fulfilment by the company;
- Record any mistakes and provide consultations to the contracted company for timely correction;
- Provide timely reporting to the Project Manager on any issues regarding the infrastructure projects implementation process;
- Monitor and collect data on direct and indirect beneficiaries on the prospective infrastructure projects with gender disaggregation;
- Prepare final report of completed activities to be cleared by the Project Manager;
- Ensure activities are aligned with the GoU renewable energy and green development national priorities;
- Enhance participation of women and vulnerable groups and ensure throughout the project cycle to support their empowerment;
- Support in developing and deploying methods for effective and sustainable development of infrastructure in rural areas through promoting the local resource-based approaches;
- Contribute to facilitate Learning and Knowledge-Sharing: Promote peer-to-peer learning, knowledge-sharing, and documentation of best practices to make local action more effective, sustainable, and replicable.
- Perform other duties as required by the direct supervisor and/or Project Manager in the scope of the current position.
Institutional Arrangement
The Infrastructure Development Associate will work under the direct supervision of Project Analyst (Task Manager on Community Development and Sustainable Infrastructure) in Navoi and overall supervision of Project Manager, and in close collaboration with relevant project staff and partners. The Infrastructure Development Associate in Navoi will be responsible for successful achievement of the project results towards ensuring enhanced rural community development and on the overall project activities.
Competencies
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
- Business direction & strategy – Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome. Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks
- Business Development – Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need
- Business Management – Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme
- performance and results
- Business Management – Evaluation: Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
- 2030 Agenda: People: Gender: Gender and Institutional Development.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
- I. Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- II. Functional Competencies:
1. Knowledge Management and Learning
- Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the team through leadership and personal example
- Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
- 2. Development and Operational Effectiveness
- Ability to lead planning, results-based management and reporting
- Ability to formulate and manage budgets
- Solid project and personnel management skills, and a consistent record of managing complex and challenging partnerships with governments and bilateral donors
- Practical knowledge and skills for resource mobilization focusing on multilateral and bilateral donors
- Familiarity with UNDP project management
- 3. Leadership and Self-Management
- Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
- Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Completion of Secondary education is required
- Bachelor’s degree in Construction, Engineering Sciences, Mathematics, or Economics or similar areas.
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years with Secondary education or 4 years with Bachelor’s degree and relevant experience in construction or architecture preferable in rural areas. Experience in training coordination and management, work in rural communities and implementation of community development plans. Experience with UN and/or other international development organizations is an advantage.
Languages:
- Fluency in written and spoken in Uzbek. Knowledge of English is an asset.
Others
Women candidates are strongly recommended to apply.
Travel:
Official travel is expected in all regions of Uzbekistan.
The following documents shall be required from the applicants:
- Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
- A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
- Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.
Disclaimer
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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