Project Management Office (PMO) - Senior Officer. (Internal Advertisement) at United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Background Information - Job-specific

Kenya Multi Country Office manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks. The KEMCO sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and South Africa. This includes primarily transactional projects in partnership with the Nairobi based UN Agencies, UN-Habitat and UNEP, and multiple ‘operational’ projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and several island states.

The primary role of Project Management Office (PMO)-Senior Officer is to provide Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMC) with the structures, tools and techniques needed to ensure that it has the right programmes and projects in place, that operational and change priorities are balanced, the governance and decision making is facilitated and it has the resources and capability to deliver them consistently well.

The Functions And Services Of The PMO Include

• Portfolio Support: Ensuring UNOPS is focused on doing the right projects by supporting management decision-making.
• Delivery Support: Ensuring UNOPS is doing projects the right way, through the effective delivery of the programme and projects.
• Best Practices: Applying UNOPS standards in project management, encouraging consistent working practices and ensuring appropriate application.


 

The Project Management Office (PMO)-Senior Officer will ensure that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization standards, while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit on behalf of the Director and Representative (Executive). The PMO strongly contributes to moving the KEMC toward achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives. The Project Management Office (PMO)-Senior Officer will be supervised by the Head of PMO (Primary) under the overall direction of the Head of Programme (Secondary)

Functional Responsibilities

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

• Support to Project Management activities

• Provides administrative support to the Head of PMO and the Head of Programme regarding all ongoing project activities and support to the Support Services in relation to coordination with projects.

• Directly contribute to the monitoring of programme and project management activities in the hub in line with service agreements and project documents by providing the back end support required to review project files/
• Support projects with the development, implementation and, as and when appropriate, amendments, of project budgets and ensuring synergies across the hub
• Supports in the development of the resource tracking systems for use within the PMO, complementary to UNOPS' online tools, to ensure effective planning, forecasting and tracking of delivery across the KEMC.
• Identifies, and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to the Head of Programme.

• Set-up and closure

• Liaise closely and support the Head of Support Services in all project assets and finance related issues.
• Oversee and coordinate all project closure activities, ensuring appropriate disposal of project assets, timely and effective final (operational) reporting, initiation of financial disbursements as appropriate during Defects Liability Periods, updating of information on the UNOPS Management Work space(MWS), and effective handover of closed projects to UNOPS HQ for financial closure processes.
• Act as the Hub focal point for all project closure activities, including training project teams and following up on project teams who are undertaking these activities/

• Monitoring and Reporting

• Support in the consolidation of project issues from the regular project reports in accordance with donor guidelines for reporting.
• Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by UNOPS standard procedures and as directed by the Head of PMO and Head of Programme.
• Undertake routine checks of delivery data within the dashboard system, using UNOPS ERP system as required.
• Undertake routine maintenance and implementation of effective monitoring and evaluation systems of programme and project activities, in line with logical frameworks.
• Within the context of monitoring and evaluation, ensure all projects submit and regularly update specific milestones and targets for the duration of projects' life-cycles, and tracks progress, or otherwise, against such information.
• Provide editorial support to programmes and projects, ensuring effective and timely dissemination of reports, in line with project documentation and clients' expectations.
• Provide the Head of Programme and the Head of Support Services with necessary project analysis reports and information to support areas relevant to the project management team (i.e. Locally Managed Direct Costs projections etc.).
• Coordinate and oversee the implementation of requests or initiatives relevant to project management from the Regional Office, IPAS, and HQ Teams, as required.

• Stakeholder engagement

• Support in the management of communications across programmes and projects.
• Coordinate internal programme/project communications.
• Monitor the effectiveness of programme/project communication.

• Quality Assurance

• Work with internal audit and finance to support projects to comply with audit requirements.
• Ensure compliance with UNOPS defined standards for programme/project management.
• Act as the secretariat for the Project Quarterly Assurance exercise and provide relevant documentation and knowledge management
• Support in the quality control for management products (project documents, reports, etc.).

• Knowledge management and innovation

• Support the PMO office in administering effective capacity building activities to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of national staff.
• Support the PMs and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System.
• Contributes to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.


 

Impact of Results

The Project Management Office (PMO)-Senior Officer directly impacts on achievement of project results by supporting the Head of PMO and the Head of Programmes. Implement effective project management methods and strategies, reduced risks, cut costs and improve success rates. This consequently reinforces the visibility and image of the UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project Services

Education

A Master's degree in Project Management, Business Administration or related field is required.
A combination of Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Business Administration or related field
with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

Experience

• A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience is required, specifically in the field of Project Management with experience of successful implementation and/or oversight of programmes and projects.
• 2 years of UNOPS experience is required.
• Previous experience of working within a PMO environment is an advantage.
• Skills in project management support, reporting and financial analytics are required