Project Manager

BACKGROUND

The Government of Egypt has offered the United Nations to construct a UN building where the UN entities in Egypt should co-locate. This is to help enable the UN to come together in an integrated way in support of the Government, the people of Egypt, and in line with the General Assembly resolution on the UN reform of the Development System including achieving efficiency gains through common back offices and common premises. The government started the conceptual design of the UN Common Premises and started excavation work at the designated land/plot. The building will be approximately 75km outside of Cairo in the Diplomatic District of the new Administrative Capital City.

Egypt hosts 38 UN country entities, including 20 Country Offices and 18 Regional Offices. In total, 34 UN entities expressed their intention to move into the new UN Common Premises, totaling 1,387 personnel.

The project is implemented under the overall guiding principle of shared ownership and leadership by all the UN entities in Egypt, participating in the UN Common Premises.

The Resident Coordinator convenes concerned Heads of Agencies regularly and triggers relevant decisions. The Operational Management Team and its UN Common Premises task team convene operational heads to gather necessary data and costs, aggregate preferences and make technical recommendations. UNDP as lead agency establishes and signs with the Government the UN Common promises agreement on behalf and for the best interests of participating UN agencies, based on the work of this consultant, in accordance with its rules and regulations and is accountable for its outcomes.

A structured project management environment has been agreed among all stakeholders as the norm for overseeing the construction of the One UN Common premises together with the contents of its Common Back-Office as per the agreed UN Development System’s Business Operations reform.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Cairo One UN Common premises Project Manager will act as the main focal point for all matters related to the One UN Common premises project and coordinate all aspects of efficient project management.

Working under the supervision of UNDP Operations Manager (in the capacity of Lead Agency signatory of the Memorandum of Agreement), key responsibilities and functions are:
Project Management:
Put in place industry-standard project management portfolio with project documents, files, work plan, and risk register.
Create a project filing system that allows project business continuity, external reviews such as audits, and internal information management functions. Some review and repair work on exiting files could be required.
Coordinate and provide technical leadership among multiple stakeholders with varied technical competencies.
Develop a framework for monitoring the implementation of the recommendations from internal UN experts on areas such as IT infrastructure, environmental sustainability, air quality, inclusive access, security, Occupational Health and Safety, etc.
Create a Gantt chart for the overall project, submit periodic status reports and inform the working group and the management regarding progress, challenges, and suggested corrective actions.
Review documentation such as: architectural/engineering drawings, specifications, schedules, health and safety plans, quality control and assurance plans, surveys, inspection report, substantial completion reports, site activity log, material samples, tests and inspection.
Coordinate with the focal points of each participating agency and other relevant stakeholders to understand existing practices and the space programming requirements and prepare design solutions as needed.
Oversee on-site construction, ensuring that the work is carried out in full compliance with the approved project, and that all interests of the UN system are served throughout the construction phase of the project.
Plan and coordinate the move of agencies from their existing offices/temporary swing space(s) or building(s) if necessary, to the new building and respond effectively to problems related to information/communication connectivity.
Develop communications materials intended for technical and non-technical stakeholders around the project implementation to increase UN staff awareness on the One UN Common premises.
Any other duty as required.

Technical quality assurance support and coordination between UN and Government on design and construction issues:
Facilitate and coordinate the sharing of information between the United Nations System and the Government using courtesy and diplomacy in all exchanges.
With full respect for the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders in the project, provide technical support to the UN and the Government towards ensuring the design chosen by the government is respected and adhered to.
Provide proactive and constructive advice to stakeholders actively involved in the construction of the UN building, inc