Overview
The Project Manager – Land and Trust-building will be responsible for the overall management, coordination, and implementation of the LANTERN project, aiming to reduce tensions between the state and citizens by promoting equitable, transparent, and efficient land governance systems.
Key Responsibilities
- Providing Strategic and Technical Leadership including policy analysis, high-level technical guidance, and interpretation related to land governance, durable solutions, trust building and reconciliation.
- Leading strategic analysis of emerging political, institutional, and socio-economic developments affecting land governance and state-citizen relations.
- Ensuring evidence-based decision-making through the effective use of research, analytics, monitoring findings, evaluations, and lessons learned.
- Driving high-level stakeholder coordination for the project and representing the project in strategic forums.
- Providing strategic advice to UNDP, IOM, the Resident Coordinator's Office, and implementing partners.
- Ensuring Effective Programme Management including leading and managing the LANTERN project, recruitment processes, and overseeing external consultants.
- Ensuring the project is implemented in line with the approved Project Document, Results Framework, and Multi-year/Annual Work Plans.
- Providing overall guidance and supervision to assigned personnel.
- Leading the preparation and revision of annual, quarterly, and multi-year work plans and budgets.
- Managing personnel, procurement processes, goods and services, training activities, grants, and consultancy contracts.
- Monitoring implementation progress against approved plans and identifying deviations.
- Ensuring effective project risk management.
- Ensuring that project changes are appropriately managed, documented, and approved.
- Supporting audits, spot checks, and other assurance activities.
- Ensuring Strong and Robust Interagency Coordination and Governance by anchoring the LANTERN project within UNDP's Inclusive Governance and SDG 16 portfolio.
- Working closely with IOM, relevant UN agencies, and the Resident Coordinator's Office to ensure coordinated delivery of project activities.
- Ensuring effective coordination between UNDP and IOM teams as well as UN Habitat team.
- Working closely with communications teams from UNDP, IOM, relevant UN agencies, and the Resident Coordinator's Office.
- Serving as Secretary to the Project Board/Steering Committee.
- Preparing annual review reports and other governance-related documentation.
- Developing and Effectively Managing Stakeholders and Partnerships by actively engaging donors and development partners.
- Actively engaging with key government counterparts.
- Facilitating inclusive coordination among civil society organizations, community-based organizations, women and youth networks, and affected communities.
- Monitoring, Reporting, Evaluation and Knowledge Management by providing guidance to the Monitoring and Reporting Officers.
- Ensuring effective monitoring of the Project Results Framework, risk matrix, and quality assurance mechanisms.
- Ensuring timely preparation and submission of high-quality narrative and financial reports.
- Leading the development and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and learning plans.
- Supporting independent evaluations.
- Developing and implementing management responses to evaluation recommendations.
- Capturing, documenting, and disseminating lessons learned, best practices, and innovations.
Required Experience
A minimum of five (5) years (with a master's degree) or seven (7) years (with a bachelor's degree) of progressively responsible work experience in the development sector is required in Law, Human Rights, Economics, International Relations Political Science, Governance, or a related area. Experience working in project management is required. Demonstrated experience in the design, implementation, or management of programmes related to peacebuilding, governance, social cohesion, durable solutions, land governance, human rights, or reconciliation, including engagement with government institutions and multiple stakeholders, is required. Strong background in working with national and subnational level actors. Solid experience in supporting national initiatives, in a government setting, is a strong asset. Strong knowledge of state-citizen land disputes, land governance challenges, and durable solutions in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, including demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, or providing technical support to programmes, policy processes, or multi-stakeholder initiatives addressing these issues, is highly desirable. Solid experience with project planning and implementation is preferred. Prior work experience with a UN entity or development organization will be an added advantage. Experience with good communication and coordination skills is an asset.
Qualifications
Advanced university degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in Law, Human Rights, Economics, Political Science, Governance, Business Administration or Management or a related area is required. OR A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the above fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
