Background information - Job specific:

Congolese from the Democratic Republic of Congo (1) who are residing outside of DRC at the time of application (2) who have been living there for five years or more (3) who are fulfilling the requirement's stated on this job advert are strongly encouraged to apply.
From 2002 to date, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through its Ministry of Health has been benefiting from the GAVI fund. This support has entered its third funding phase, with a funding cycle from 2020 to 2024 with a value of USD 99,999,999. This multi-year support from the Global Alliance for vaccines and immunization (GAVI) has been used to support the implementation of National Health Development and the Global Immunization plans. These two plans aim to improve immunization services with equity in the vision of Universal Health Coverage “National Health Development Plan” in the world and particularly in the DRC.

This third phase of funding, like the previous phases, will contribute to the implementation of immunization activities for children aged 0 to 12 months and to Strengthening the Health System (National Health Development Plan: PNDS) for five years (2020-2024).

Additionally, the third phase of the GAVI fund supported the DRC Ministry of Health, but with focus on RSS 3.
The key five objectives of this funding phases include:

1. Vaccine Management (Effective vaccines management) from 71% in 2019 to at least 80% in 2024;

2. Ensure increase the efficiency of the supply chain at all levels by increasing the composite score of Effective delivery of vaccination services, vaccine preventable diseases and Adverse event following immunization surveillance in 100% of health areas by 2024;

3. Improve the management of immunization data and surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases with a reduction in the gap between administrative data and those of surveys to less than 15 points;

4. Improve the administrative and financial governance of the health system, including capacity building of human resources, by 2024;

5. Strengthen the role of 90% of community participation bodies supported, to fight the brakes on demand for vaccination for target children and pregnant women, by 2024.

UNOPS has been requested to support the implementation of objectives: 1 and 3. Therefore, UNOPS will be the contracting authority for the following activities:

• For objective 1 of the RSS3 program: “Increase the efficiency of the supply chain at all levels by increasing the composite score of the Effective Management of Vaccines (EVM) from 71% in 2019 to at least 80% in 2024 ”
• For objective 3 of the RSS3 Program: "Improve the management of vaccination data and surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases with a reduction of the gap between administrative data and those of surveys to less than 15 points"

As part of GAVI's new RSS 3 project, UNOPS CDOH has been entrusted with technical and logistical support to the Ministry of Health through the Extended Program for Vaccination in the DRC (EPI). For this, UNOPS will need to recruit a Project Manager expert in logistics, vaccine management and cold chain.

Functional responsibilities:

1. Project Delivery and Performance

2. Develop, complete and update implementation plan(s) (If applicable)

3. Implement the approved plan (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board.

4. Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project life span.

5. Manage the production of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.

6. Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan.

7. Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers

8. Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages

9. Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly

10. Control project and work packages changes

11. Accept goods, services or works delivered by suppliers. (If applicable)

12. Lead contract management duties including supplier performance evaluation. (If applicable)

13. Act as the Employer’s Representative within the FIDIC works contracts. (If applicable)

14. Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Project Board so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved

15. Identify and report to the supervisor potential business opportunities for UNOPS

2 Procedures

• Comply with all organizational policy and specifically the Project Management Manual

• Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Project Board.

• Manage the reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement(s) and in the Implementation Plan

• Draft the requirements definitions for procurement processes. Approving requisitions and requests for non-purchase order payments; Evaluating submissions received, if appointed to the evaluation team. (if applicable)

• Ensure maintenance of the project files and lessons learned are recorded

• Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in conformity with UNOPS rules and regulations. (if applicable)

• Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.

• Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project

• Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel

• Manage expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports)

• Where the Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.

• For project closure purposes, provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager

• Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during the audits and follow up on audit observations/recommendations

3 Monitoring and reporting

• Prepare and issue regular project and/or financial reports in accordance with Partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.

• Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).

• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by the organization’s standard procedures.

• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system.

• Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of projects' life span

4 Stakeholder engagement

• Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies

• Establish solid working relationships with the Project Board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders

• Enable the formulation of project communications plans. Coordinate internal project communications. Monitor the effectiveness of project communications

• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover outputs

5 Quality Assurance

• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements

• Work with procurement/purchasing staff to ensure effective interface with suppliers' quality systems

• Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables

• Provide quality control for management outputs (project documents, reports, etc.)

6 Knowledge management and innovation

• Encourage routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff.

• Actively interact with other Project Managers and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices

• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice

• Research and logging of lessons learned throughout the project life span.

• Provide feedback to Practice Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies

• 7 Personnel Mangement

• Lead and motivate the project management team

• Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established

• Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely

• Select, recruit and train team as required and take into account gender parity and diversity objectives.

• Ensure safety and security for all project personnel and comply with UNDSS standards

• Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harrasement, sexual harrasement and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

Education

• Advanced University degree (Master's or equivalent) in pharmacy, engineering, supply chain, health, logistics or related fields is required.

• First level University degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) in pharmacy, engineering, supply chain, health, logistics or related fields in combination with 2 additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of project management experience in the area of immunization management, cold chain maintenance, supply chain management, primary health care or related areas is required;

• Experience in monitoring and evaluation with knowledge of the expanded Immunization / vaccination program, in particular aspects related to Immunization supply chain and logistics is mandatory;

• Experience in developing countries is an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in French is required

• Working Knowledge (Intermediate) of English is required