Programme Management Office Advisor (Head of Project Support Office)

Functional Responsibilities

The primary role of the Programme Management Office Advisor (Head of Project Support Office) is to provide facilitation, guidance, advice and oversight to ensure the effective portfolio management, including towards the development, delivery and closure of projects in line with UNOPS standards and contribution goals, as well as the respective legal agreements and stakeholder expectations. This includes the rollout of the respective structures, tools and techniques to facilitate project implementation, governance, monitoring and quality assurance.

Under the supervision of the Head of Programme, the Programme Management Office Advisor (Head of Project Support Office) is responsible for the following:

• Strategic Planning/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 primary role of the Programme Management Office Advisor (Head of Project Support Office) is to ensure that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practised according to the organization standards, while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit on behalf of the MMCO Director and Representative (Executive). The Programme Management Office Advisor (Head of Project Support Office) directly impacts on achievement of project results by assisting the Head of Programme, Fund Directors, Senior Programme Managers to implement effective project management methods and strategies, reduce 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.

Under direct supervision of the Head of Programme, the Programme Management Office Advisor (Head of Project Support Office) will be responsible for the following:

Summary of Key Functions

1. Development and planning
2. Set-up and closure
3. Monitoring and reporting
4. Stakeholder engagement
5. Quality assurance
6. Knowledge management and innovation
7. Personnel management
8. Training and Capacity Building
9. Centre of Excellence

1. Development and planning

• In conjunction with the PSO team, provides appropriate levels of programmatic management and administrative support to the Head of Programme and to the MMCO Director regarding all ongoing project activities, while maintaining and implementing appropriate standards and best practices in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.
• Provide advice and support to potential and current engagement of high value and/or risk, supporting Engagement Authorities in strengthening project governance structures and processes to enable achievement of high standards and consistency in line with UNOPS success criteria.
• Directly contribute to strategic oversight, advice and direction on programme and project management activities in line with service agreements and project documents.
• Ensure proper development, implementation and, as and when appropriate, amendments, of project budgets and staffing resources, ensuring synergies across the MMCO.
• Develops and establishes resource tracking systems for use within the PSO, complementary to UNOPS’ online tools, to ensure effective planning, forecasting and tracking of delivery across the MMCO.
• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advise mitigating measures to the Head of Programme.
• Support the drafting of budget, budget revision, submission of EAC and drafting of LA for new projects and amendments.

2. Set-up and closure

• Facilitate the development of high-level programme/project plans, including the collation of lower-level plans into programme/project-level milestones.
• Develop, track and maintain dependencies and provide advice to management to ensure quality of delivery throughout the project lifecycle.
• Liaise closely and support the Head of Programme and Head of Support Services in all project assets and finance related issues.
• For project closure purposes, it acts as (or nominates and supervises) a focal point between the MMCO Units, working in close collaboration with Fund Directors(FDs)/Senior Programme Managers (SPMs)/Project Managers(PMs), Head of Support Services and Head of Finance, and donors throughout the process.
• 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 Workspace (MWS), and effective handover of closed projects to UNOPS HQ for financial closure processes.

3. Monitoring and reporting

• Support the UNOPS MMCO Head of Programme/Fund Directors/Senior Programme Managers/Programme Managers in regular review of project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
• Prepare and issue 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.
• Identify and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues specific to delivery forecasts, and advises mitigating measures to the Project Executive (HoP/FDs/SPMs/MMCO Director)
• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system, using UNOPS ERP system as required.
• Perform 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 track 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 Head of Support Services with necessary project analysis reports and information to support areas relevant to the project management team (i.e. Local Shared Services 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.
• Monitor the implementation of the MMCO Strategies.

4. Stakeholder engagement

• Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Enable the formulation of programme and project communications plans.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications across programmes and projects.
• Coordinate internal programme/project communications.
• Monitor the effectiveness of programme/project communications.

5. Quality assurance

• Support the UNOPS MMCO HoP so that the monitoring of projects is carried out regularly in order to ensure accomplishment of set targets and results for projects/portfolios, delivery of services as per the agreed terms and conditions and in a timely manner.
• Work with internal audit and finance to ensure the programme complies with audit requirements.
• Work with procurement/purchasing staff to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems.
• Ensure compliance with UNOPS defined standards for programme/project management.
• Coordinate quality reviews of programme/project documents and deliverables.
• Ensure adequate quality management procedures are applied across MMCO projects/portfolios and provide quality control for management products (project documents, reports, etc.).
• Forecast and track benefits (outcomes) to be realised based on the EAPMCO Benefit Management system and future corporate guidance.
• Represent the Head of Programme in supporting key stakeholders to continuously identify and improve operational processes relevant to project implementation.
• Support the Head of Programme to ensure there is adequate risk-based internal control system and mechanisms in place which are exercised on a regular basis as per the appropriate guidelines, MMCO SoPs and corporate policies and procedures.
• Represent MMCO HoP in supporting key stakeholders to continuously identify and improve operational processes relevant to project implementation.

6. Knowledge management and innovation

• Act as a focal point for the MMCO maturity enhancement initiatives.
• Make recommendations on policy and tools and contribute to the development of guidance material and tools that advance MMCO strategic project management goals
• Ensure routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of national staff.
• Participate in, and advocate PMs’ participation in, relevant Communities of Practice.
• Actively interact with PMs and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System.
• Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy and supporting guidance working to achieve continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.
• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.

7. Personnel Management

• Exercise control of all staffing issues within the PSO team including recruitment, on-boarding and staff performance reviews.
• Directly contributes to the development and maintenance of budget and resource availability tables in conjunction with project managers and relevant project staff.
• Promote and support a learning culture by empowering individuals and teams to identify critical learning needs and plan/provide easy access to learning opportunities to maintain personnel competency and flexibility.
• Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

8. Training and capacity building

• Provide advice and support to project management practitioners on how to embed best practices of project and programme governance, risk management, project and programme management
• Support and provide training and internal consulting in project and programme management and provide project and programme development advice and assistance to EAPMCO personnel, as required, in support of IPMG initiatives and roll-outs
• Strengthen the knowledge, skills and career development of project management practitioners
• People and skills – identify skills and competence shortages to deliver the portfolio of changes and recommend suitable development.

9. Centre of Excellence

• Through leadership and support, build a recognized centre of excellence in programme management by setting and attaining high standards, defining and encouraging consistent practices and procedures, and delivering reliable quality services.
• Contribute to documenting UNOPS Myanmar fund management and programme/Project management experience and in making that expertise available to other business units within UNOPS.