Project Specialist

Background

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Background and Organizational Context

Since 1964, UNDP has been active in Malawi, aiding the Government in its development agenda by supporting policies, establishing partnerships, and enhancing institutional capacities to achieve national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP Malawi’s Country Programme Document (CPD) for 2024-2028 aligns with the Malawi Vision 2063 and its first 10-Year Implementation Plan, aiming to support Malawi in meeting the SDGs by 2030. This comprehensive programme addresses the interconnected challenges of poverty, inequality, and vulnerability to shocks, organized within two portfolios, Governance and Resilience and Sustainable Growth.

The RSG Portfolio adopts a multifaceted approach combining inclusive growth, sustainability, climate adaptation, resilience to shocks, and agricultural development. It integrates natural resource management, poverty-environment linkages, disaster risk management, and agricultural value chain commercialization. The RSG Portfolio also includes a dynamic private sector development programme that employs various de-risking financial instruments to support private sector investments in the country. 

Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi's economy, employing over 70% of the population and significantly contributing to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 24.7%. While subsistence farming has predominated, there is a growing emphasis on commercialization to unlock the sector's full potential. 

Through collaboration with private sector entities and leveraging relevant past experiences, the UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project will provide the technical expertise, resources, and networks necessary to tackle challenges related to agricultural commercialization and generate market and financial opportunities for smallholder farmers (SHFs). The project advocates for market-oriented business practices and stimulates market and financial opportunities within priority value chains. 

The Project Specialist will play a pivotal role in supporting the UCHI Project Manager in the implementation and management of the UCHI Project, ensuring that activities are executed efficiently and in accordance with the expected outcomes. This role involves assisting the Project Manager in developing project work plans, allocating resources, identifying potential risks and opportunities for improvement, and ensuring that project activities align with the overall project strategy and goals. Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Specialist will collaborate closely with the project team, government officials, and other stakeholders to ensure that project activities are responsive to the needs of beneficiaries and stakeholders and are carried out in a timely and effective manner.

The Project Specialist for the UCHI Project in Malawi will report directly to the Project Manager for UCHI and indirectly to the Programme Coordinator for Inclusive/Green Business. This role involves managing and coordinating within UNDP and other technical teams under the UCHI umbrella project, advancing agricultural commercialization initiatives. Responsibilities include quality assurance, tracking project progress and implementation, financial resource management, and donor relations. The Specialist will serve as the project focal point, coordinating the various structures within the project under UNDP and ensuring alignment with other UNDP engagements in private sector development, governance, and other programming areas.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Position Purpose

The Project Specialist will play a pivotal role in supporting the UCHI Project Manager in the implementation and management of the UCHI Project, ensuring that activities are executed efficiently and in accordance with the expected outcomes. This role involves assisting the Project Manager in developing project work plans, allocating resources, identifying potential risks and opportunities for improvement, and ensuring that project activities align with the overall project strategy and goals. Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Specialist will collaborate closely with the project team, government officials, and other stakeholders to ensure that project activities are responsive to the needs of beneficiaries and stakeholders and are carried out in a timely and effective manner.

The Project Specialist for the UCHI Project in Malawi will report directly to the Project Manager for UCHI and indirectly to the Programme Coordinator for Inclusive/Green Business. This role involves managing and coordinating within UNDP and other technical teams under the UCHI umbrella project, advancing agricultural commercialization initiatives. Responsibilities include quality assurance, tracking project progress and implementation, financial resource management, and donor relations. The Specialist will serve as the project focal point, coordinating the various structures within the project under UNDP and ensuring alignment with other UNDP engagements in private sector development, governance, and other programming areas.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1.) Ensure effective results-based project management.

• Takes responsibility for the (technical) content of a project, ensures the quality of the deliverables, and ensures sufficient technical input to meet the quality standards;
• Facilitates the development of and approval of annual work plan and leads the administrative tasks of the UCHI activities at both the national level and district levels;
• Coordinates with UCHI partners aiming at strengthening partnerships with line ministries (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade) development partners, District Councils; 
• Conducts program planning and tracking and review of the proposed projects against risks for continuous delivery of the quality results of the UCHI Program;
• Lead the preparations of activity plans, budget review and facilitate approval of national and district-level activities;
• Facilitates the development of terms of reference for service providers, consultants, and procurement of goods and services for the smooth operation of the UCHI Program;
• Ensures that district coordinators and other project team members deliver the project components per the agreed donor guidelines and UNDP Policies and Programming;
• Facilitates project monitoring and review of progress with the project team and provides recommendations to the project manager;
• Ensures that follow-on recommendations are implemented, from program spot-checks to audits and project steering committees;   
• Facilitates regular coordination meetings with the UCHI Program team and the donor; 
• Facilitates development of preparation of quarterly and annual reports for UNDP and donor progress and impact reports as require; 
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with team, external partners and the donor(s). Signals and acts on the potential for positioning, innovation, upscaling and potential follow-up on projects.

2.) Provide technical and policy support to the UCHI Project

• Facilitate inclusive, evidence-based dialogues to generate a shared understanding of UCHI agriculture commercialization in national and local contexts and further explore priority areas of interventions; 
• Guide the Ministry of Agriculture to develop and review national policies and strategies about Agriculture and Food Security and Agriculture commercialization;
• Facilitate establishment of institutional linkages between the UCHI project and other Agriculture Commercialization Projects in Malawi;
• Liaise with government staff to promote an enabling national environmental and regulatory environment that would facilitate mainstreaming sustainable agriculture and agro-ecosystems management into district and sectoral plans and policies;
• The incumbent shall work in close collaboration with the UCHI implementation team in defining the policy dialogue agenda and in working with Government of Malawi counterparts the from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade, local government entities, and other partners to identify policy reforms needed to increase the production and marketing of agricultural products, agribusiness expansion, and private investment in Malawi; 
• He/she will collaborate with local and international experts to review policy problems which have been identified and provide recommendations to alleviate these constraints; 
• The incumbent also coordinates activities with other donors and keeps abreast of what other donors are doing in the agriculture and rural development sector, including large-scale agriculture commercialization and other components of related to UCHI. 

3. Strengthens partnerships with government and other partners across the 10 Districts of UCHI

• Facilitate dialogue with the government and other key partners to provide knowledge-based advisory services and to ensure proper integration and coordination of other related development efforts;
• Facilitate regional dialogue meetings and national forums as platforms for exchanging ideas for fostering knowledge and implementation of the UCHI Program;
• Strengthen partnerships with government, partners, and stakeholders across the 10 Districts of UCHI, ensuring effective collaboration and coordination;
• Support the development of partnership agreements, memorandum of understanding, and other collaborative arrangements;
• Maintain a knowledge management system, ensuring that program data, reports, and other materials are accurately documented and easily accessible to stakeholders;
• Facilitate in organizing regional dialogue meetings and national forums, providing technical support for the exchange of ideas and knowledge sharing on UCHI Program implementation;
• Facilitate the development of knowledge products, such as briefs, reports, and presentations, to support evidence-based decision-making and program implementation.

4.) Facilitate Knowledge Management

• Facilitate the creation and dissemination of knowledge products related to private sector engagement in agriculture production, productivity and value chain;
• Facilitates close and integrated collaboration with key stakeholders in the development and delivery of high-quality technical advice and support;
• Facilitate the development of quality of all knowledge products, reports and services, and ensure effective integration and compatibility with other effective programs within RSG;
• The program specialist coordinates the visibility of UNDP’s agricultural and resilience work, UCHI programme through knowledge sharing and well-developed communication materials; 
• Selects and brings lessons learnt to help achieve the outputs of the programme and facilitate the use of global knowledge networks in the field.

5.) Oversee Financial Management and Monitoring 

• Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the projects, identification of operational and financial problems, and development of solutions. of NEX projects;
• Participation in audits and follow-up on audit recommendations;
• Aggregate reports on activities, outputs, and outcomes are regularly prepared. Preparation of development partner reports;
• Initiation of the project, entering project budget into QUANTUM, determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises, closure of projects through review;
• Facilitates national and international agriculture and value chain development policy debates within the overarching UNDP’s resilience policy framework and supports the development of policy briefs and recommendations.
• Provides oversight on the endorsement and implementation of the work plan for the UCHI Project, ensuring alignment with program goals and objectives;
• Facilitates engagement with program stakeholders, including steering committee meetings, and ensures effective communication and coordination;
• Works with district coordinators to ensure timely and effective program implementation and provides technical support as needed;
• Facilitates the review and ensures risk monitoring and management during the implementation of the program and develops mitigation strategies to address potential risks;
• Facilitates knowledge sharing and learning among implementing partners and ensures that lessons learned are documented and used to improve program implementation;

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the UCHI District Coordinators and supervise Programme Associate 

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results:  LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 

Think Innovatively:  LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 

Learn Continuously:  LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:  LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands  

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:  LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion  LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity 

People Management Competencies:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Functional Competencies

Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritize plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.  Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends: to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Portfolio Management: Ability to select, priorities and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

EU Partnerships: Knowledge and understanding of EU strategies, approaches, processes and systems.

Private Sector Engagement: Ability to identify, conduct outreach, and manage relationships with the private sector

Required Skills and Experience

Education 

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Agriculture, Economics, Development studies, Business Administration or related field is required.  Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-stated areas, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant work experience in the Private Sector Development, Agriculture, Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Sustainable Agriculture, vulnerability reduction is required; 
• Progressive and professional experience in programme or project management in the context of private sector development, agribusiness development or agricultural and rural development is required;
• At least four (4) years of experience within the national government systems at a senior level, non-governmental organizations and/or international organizations in Malawi or a similar country in the sub-Saharan Africa is required;
• Experience with programmes implemented jointly with agencies within the UN system and donor community in Malawi or a similar country in sub-Saharan Africa is required;
• Familiarity with and contributions to policy dialogues and advisory functions involving high-level government counterparts are assets; 
• Proven experience and knowledge of the country’s institutional framework and policies on agriculture commercialization, value chain development, private sector development and grants management is an asset;
• Experience in advising on grants, agriculture commercialization and Agri-value value and development policy development is a major asset;
• Demonstrated knowledge of the international development agenda and strategic issues on economic transformation, sustainable food systems, circular economy and climate change is desirable;
• Experience in working with a UN Organization is desirable.

Languages: Fluency in English and Chichewa is required with proficiency in effective written and oral communications

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.