Bangladesh: Senior Institutional Specialist

Background Information - Job-specific

UNOPS’ work in the South Asia region focuses on the construction and operation of high quality sustainable infrastructure and sustainable procurement, project management, timely provision of services, and the use of most relevant technologies. One of the main focuses on UNOPS work in South Asia is to reduce the vulnerability of population to unsafe infrastructure, maximize the impact of public investments in infrastructure, and improve the effectiveness and financial viability of the public services delivered out of key public infrastructures. Such projects provide social and economic benefits to vulnerable populations across the region, and contribute to poverty eradication. Projects target a range of sectors such as education, health, urban development, environmental services, climate change mitigation, as well as a range of “soft” support in Capacity Building, operations and maintenance of public assets, local governance, etc.

UNOPS Bangladesh has received an invitation from the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) to submit proposal for the Establishment of a Climate Resilient Local Infrastructure Centre (CReLIC). The Centre is intended to fill up the gap between the increasingly diverse and competent landscape of think tanks and scientific institutions that provide policy advice and scientific data in Bangladesh and best practices generated within the LGED on the other side. CReLIC is one of the three components of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Mainstreaming (CRIM) Project funded by KFW Development Bank and Green Climate Fund. The other two components are: Climate Resilient Rural Infrastructure and Climate Resilient Urban Infrastructure**.**

In particular, the services to be provided include technical and management support to LGED in the following areas:

• Establishment of a knowledge management system within the LGED to facilitate climate proofing in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of all local infrastructure on a sustainable basis.
• Adjustment of standards, procedures and guidelines of LGED accordingly.
• Mainstreaming climate proofing throughout the LGED organization and their local partners.
• Set-up and development of the Climate Resilient Local Infrastructure Centre (CReLIC) as a staff unit under the LGED top management and initiate the permanent institutionalization structure of CReLIC.

This project has four work packages: 1) Knowledge Management; 2) Guidelines, Standards and Procedures; 3) Communication, Consultation and Training; and 4) Institutional Development.

This 5 year project will lead to the institutionalization of the Centre as a staff unit under the LGED top management which will be responsible for: establishment of the knowledge management system for climate proofing in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of all local infrastructure; and setting of standards, procedures and guidelines for ensuring climate proofing.
Overall, the services will require designing and steering a comprehensive change process in a large organization and establishing a sustainable cooperation network on the national and international level.

Functional Responsibilities

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The overall purpose of the assignment is to contribute to a strong technical leadership, guidance, capacity building and improved organizational effectiveness of LGED in the establishment and management of the Climate Resilient Local Infrastructure Centre. The post will require strong specialist capacity on institutional development to ensure the institutionalization of CReLIC. The objective is to work closely with LGED counterparts for transfer of capacity as well as with other experts in the team to ensure effective delivery of services and assistance to LGED.The Senior Institutional Specialist (SIS) will primarily be responsible for the implementation of Work Package 4: Institutional Development. This will be responsible for the establishment of CReLIC as staff organization under the LGED top management including development of mandate and procedures.

Functional Responsibilities

The SIS will be responsible for the following primary tasks:

• Support to LGED with the sustainable integration of the knowledge management system in daily practice
• Development of cooperation structures between LGED HQ and CReLIC
• Development of cooperation and information structures with the Bangladeshi institutions and development partners for sustainable exchange and dissemination of CReLIC’s good practices
• Development of the charter and business plan of CReLIC
• Development of services for CReLIC to be rendered to LGED and other clients
• Development of sustainable financial plan
• Training of CReLIC management in all fields of business development and management
• Training CReLIC in all fields of project management
• Support to the CReLIC staff in the preparation of project funding acquisition
• Supervision of external services for the development of the Corporate identity, PR materials and website for CReLIC
• Coaching of CReLIC management and staff during the follow-up phase

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Master’s degree in economics, business administration or related fields
• Bachelor's degree with additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in institutional development
• Professional experience in Bangladesh and/or countries in South Asia with similar socio-economic conditions
• High proficiency with developing and implementing business plans and services
• High proficiency in project management
• Experience with providing consultancy to high level partners
• Experience working for international development agencies
• Proficiency in using ICT

Languages

• Proficient English skills (at least C1-level according to the Common European Framework of References for Languages)

Click on the link below:

https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=17378