With BMZ funding through the German Development Bank (KFW), UNDP and KfW Yemen have established a partnership focused on enhancing water resources management and food security in the country. These collaboration aims to address the critical challenges faced by Yemen in these areas and contribute to sustainable development. In addition, KFW and UNDP Yemen acknowledge the importance of addressing food security concerns in the country. To tackle these issues, the KFW-UNDP partnership focuses on promoting sustainable agricultural practices, supporting small-scale farmers, and strengthening local food systems. By enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring access to nutritious food, these initiatives contribute to reducing hunger and poverty in Yemen.

Recognizing the urgent need to address these challenges, KfW and UNDP have joined forces to implement an integrated water resources management project that aims to enhance the resilience of agriculture and food security in Yemen. The project (Integrated Water Resources Management to Enhance Resilience of Agriculture (ERA) and Food Security) includes the construction and rehabilitation of water infrastructure to increase agricultural production, promoting access to markets, and empowering women in agriculture value chain in Yemen. 

The overall objective of the project to enhance the livelihood resilience of poor Yemenis who depend on primary water sources for productive uses. This objective of this 3 year-project will be achieved by investing in new water harvesting infrastructure aimed to augment existing supplies to efficiently capture surface water as well as sustainable groundwater such as small to medium surface and subsurface dams, dykes, weirs, etc. The objective will also be achieved by rehabilitating existing damaged or unmaintained infrastructure which could include community cisterns, shallow wells, canals, soil erosion control measures, bank protection, low-tech agricultural infrastructure, flood protection structures (gabions, terraces, and embankments).

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 issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

The Project Manager will be responsible for overall management and leadership of the project, playing a lead role in all aspects of project delivery, strategic planning, resource mobilization and provision of technical assistance to its different components and aiming to reach planned targets and expected results with high quality and in a timely manner. The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems.

The Project Manager will undertake her/his duties and responsibilities, under the direct supervision of the UNDP Peace Operations Support Portfolio Team Leader, and overall guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative – Programme.

Summary of Key Functions:

1. Lead the Project Management Unit (PMU) ensuring project administration and implementation are aligned with UNDP policies and guidelines.
2. Ensure effective implementation of project activities through management of project financial resources and timely management of procurement, administrative and logistical processes.
3. Support the mobilization of resources and reporting to the Project Board/Steering Committee
4. Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing with project partners.
5. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

• Ensure that the project is in full compliance of operations with UNDP rules, regulations and policies.
• Ensure implementation of corporate operational strategies, establishment of targets and monitoring achievement of results.
• Successfully manage project operational support by provision of advice on strategies, policies and plans affecting project operations based on business principles.
• Provide strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of the project.
• Prepare, review and adapt project Annual Work Plans, including human resources and procurement plans, in line with Project’s Activity Matrix and Results Framework and compliant with UNDP’s Rules and Regulations.
• Manage partnership and contract arrangements with counterparts and responsible/implementing partners for project implementation.
• Ensure quality and timely preparation of results-focused and accountability reports (quarterly, bi-annually, annually and final, as required) and ad-hoc updates if and when requested and Quantum updates in line with donor agreement and UNDP programme and project management guidelines and ensure timely submission.
• Manage risks and issues, and continually finds ways to systematically identify and integrate efficiency gains and cost reductions in all project operations.
• Ensure quality and timely planning, conduct of and follow up on project oversight and governance initiatives and recommendations – project reviews, audits, monitoring missions, evaluations and project board meetings.
• Ensure implementation of adaptive management approaches, conflict and gender sensitivity in the project.
• Ensure knowledge sharing with regards to management and operations within the project and integrate it into CO learning plans; ensuring coordination with HR for operations trainings, synthesis of lessons learnt/best practices, and sound contributions to UNDP knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Ensure the application of the CO internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Finance, Human Resources Management, Procurement, Administrative services and Results Management.
• Set and monitor targets for Project operational efficiency and ensures the constant monitoring and analysis of the Project operating environment.
• Ensure projects knowledge-building based on the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning programming or the project documents.
   

Ensure effective implementation of project activities through management of project financial resources and timely management of procurement, administrative and logistical processes:

• Supervise and provides guidance to project team members working in the areas of finance, procurement, administration, logistics and community initiatives management.
• Contribute to the design and formulation of Annual Work Plan (AWP) activities and interventions, as per goals, outcomes and outputs as defined in the project document, on the basis of lessons learned and with the input of innovative approaches.
• Proper project planning, expenditures tracking, reporting and audit of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
• Performance as Project Manager (as delegated) in Quantum for financial transactions approvals.
• Ensure accountability for, and management of financial resources of the Project.
• Analyze and ensure alignment of project budget with Activity Matrix and Results Framework.
• Manage and monitor requests for financial resources and ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports.
• Oversee the financial aspects of the project, including budget preparation, expenditure monitoring, and financial reporting.
• Ensure compliance with financial guidelines and regulations set by the funding agency.
• Conduct regular audits to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of project funds.
• Approve requisitions requests in Quantum and ensure continues delivery updates to the Project Manager on financial delivery performance.
• Ensure the integrity of financial system and overseeing the administrative, financial and budgetary aspects of the project activities.
• Work in coordination with Country Office Oversight Support Team (OST) to ensure proper management and accounting for contributions to the Facility ensuring that the money due to the project is properly identified, consistently and uniformly classified, recorded on a timely basis and received.
• Provide technical and managerial advice on the development of systems, processes and mechanism to support discretionary fund distribution, monitoring and accountability.
• Monitor achievement of the financial targets, monitor budget execution rates and provide continuous feedback and advice to Portfolio Team Lead and Country Office on rate of financial delivery. Ensure that financial plans are in place and regularly updated.
• Oversight of timely accounting and reconciliation of all project transactions.
• Ensure the financial integrity of the project through appropriate controls and reporting structures, work in coordination with Country Office OST for efficient and effective DIM project audit exercises.
• Ensure the effective application of cost-recovery (including DPC) systems for the services provided by the Country Office to the project.
• All financial transactions are identified, recorded and verified in compliance with rules as outlined in the corporate policies and procedures.
• Lead the preparation of the annual human resources and procurement plans, as part of the AWP, and ensure the timely procurement of goods and services.
• Lead and ensure timely organization and implementation of audits according to agreed schedule and monitor the follow-up and implementation of audit recommendations.
• Project adherence with UNDP rules and regulations for its submissions to the Country Office to ensure quality management of the project procurement processes for the supply of goods, works and services.
• Management of project assets ensuring full compliance with corporate rules in the accounting for procurement, utilization and disposal of the project assets.

Support the mobilization of resources and reporting to the Project Board/Steering Committee:

• Support the drafting of donor agreements where applicable.
• Monitor and ensure project compliance with donor agreements and their reporting requirements.
• Contribute to the preparation of progress updates and presentations to the Project Board/Steering Committee.
• Ensure timely reporting, including financial reporting, from project partners and sub-contractors.
• Participate in meetings of the Project Board/Steering Committee.

• Support inter-team coordination and knowledge sharing.
• Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices from the project to feed in to project contribution to ROAR, Annual Reports, and other documents as required.
• Organize trainings on UNDP processes for project team members, implementing partners and potential contractors.
• Organize training on UNDP processes for counterparts at national and local levels.
• Contribute to the development and dissemination of knowledge products in line with the approved project document.

• Support gender mainstreaming throughout the project life cycle, including design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Ensure coordination and partnership with national gender mechanisms, women-led organizations, academies, networks, and forums on climate change issues, etc.
• Support the institutional and technical capacity of the project team and stakeholders on gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as social safeguards aspects.
• Support the implementation and reporting of gender-responsive actions and allocating the required resources.
• Contribute to the country office communication, and knowledge management system on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

• Core Competencies:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Cross Functional and Technical Competencies

Business Management - Result Based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Communications - Crisis and Reputational Risk: Ability to prepare for and respond to potential issues that may negatively impact UNDP's reputation.

Digital & Innovation - Team Design & Management: Ability to create a clear sense of shared purpose while leveraging curiosity, expertise and agency at an individual level.

Business Management - Resource Management: Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity.

Business Management - Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization as 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.

Business Management - Partnerships Management: Ability to engage with other agencies, donors and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Business Direction and Strategy - 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.

• Master’s degree in water resources management, water resources engineering, agriculture, or a related field is required, or 
• Bachelor’s degree specifically in Civil Engineering or Agriculture Engineering in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Masters degree.
• Project Management Certification, either Prince 2 or PMP/PMI would be an advantage.

• A minimum of 5 years with (master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in project management, in the field of water resources management, irrigation, agriculture, and food security or related field is required. 
• Experience in construction management is an asset.
• Experience working in post-conflict or fragile contexts is a distinct asset.
• Proven experience in developing detailed financial and programme progress reports is an asset. 
• Proven track record in successfully managing and implementing projects of similar complexity and nature, including budget management and reporting is an asset.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and local communities is an asset.
• Strong experience and understanding of integrated water resources management and its linkages to agriculture and food security is an asset.
• Extensive managerial experience including experience in leading multi-cultural teams in stressful environments is an asset.
• Experience in the Arab region is an asset. 
• Experience in handling of web-based systems with knowledge and experience using Quantum being an asset.

• Proficiency in oral and written English is required.
• Working knowledge of Arabic is an asset.