Project Coordination Specialist

In January 2019, the first peaceful transfer of power since independence took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the election of Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo as President of the Republic. The election, which had been expected since 2016, put an end to months of political tension and uncertainty, notably around the debate on the possibility of a third term for the incumbent president, Joseph Kabila Kabange, the shrinking of political space and the expression of public freedoms, and the delays in preparing and organising the elections. It also opened a new chapter in the political history of the DRC.

The governance challenges remain significant and require special attention. They include chronic insecurity, limited rule of law and rampant corruption. Since the signing of the Sun City Agreement in 2002, the DRC has had three electoral processes: in 2006, 2011 and 2018. The latter took place at a time when the eastern provinces – Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika and Haut Katanga – were marked by high levels of insecurity resulting from atrocities perpetrated by more than a hundred-armed groups, combined with repressive actions by the security forces. The country faces cycles of instability and remains underdeveloped despite the presence of significant natural resources in its territory and subsoil. A “state of siege” was declared by the authorities in 2021, resulting in the management of governance responsibilities by the military and the suspension of political activities in Ituri and North Kivu.

Furthermore, the factsheet of OCHA in November 2022 reveals that around 5 million persons have been internally displaced in the three provinces in the east (Ituri 1.5M, North Kivu 2.1M, South Kivu 1.36M). The main reasons for the displacement are armed attacks and clashes (84%) and land and intercommunity conflicts (12%). It is crucial to provide them with access to elections while ensuring their protection and avoiding further violence and conflicts.

Reports of hate speech and information integrity problems are also on the rise, particularly on community radio and community media. Similar trends are present on social media now used by 17.6% of the population. However, the Congolese media landscape is pluralistic, and the legal framework is favourable to press freedom, with 600 television channels, more than 600 radio stations and almost 600 print media. The outbreak of hate speech and messages with tribalist, xenophobic, sexist, and misogynist overtones is a threat to unity and social cohesion around the elections. In view of the rising diplomatic tensions involving Rwanda, hate speech is of great concern to the Congolese authorities and the United Nations. Massively relayed through social networks, such speech and messages could provoke a “hate crisis” during the elections and aggravate community tensions that could potentially lead to violence – especially in areas of instability – if adequate measures are not taken to combat hate speech.

Although not very visible compared to the endemic sexual violence amplified by the armed conflicts in the DRC, violence against women during elections and in politics nevertheless reinforces the discrimination of which women are victims. Their non-reporting raises the fear that forms of violence linked to the elections will reappear as in the past. These include gender stereotyping in the media, as well as physical, psychological (intimidation) and sexual violence against women, whether they are voters, elected officials, candidates, campaign members, supporters, observers, or election workers. These forms of electoral violence are often committed to hinder or manipulate their political participation.

Lack of inclusion is another challenge to better governance in the DRC. While women represent 52% of the population, the differences in representation between men and women remain significant due to the economic, political, and socio-cultural context as well as the deteriorating security situation and violence against women. Young people are also poorly represented in governance institutions, even though they represent around 60% of the population and were at the forefront of political mobilisation in the run-up to the 2018 elections. For the 2023 elections to serve as a catalyst for progress in governance in the DRC, stakeholders expressed the need for increased transparency, inclusiveness, and responsible leadership in the management of the elections.

Under the context, UNDP developed a project supporting the electoral cycle in 2022, ‘Electoral Cycle Support Project (PACE) 2022-2024’. The Japan-funded project ‘Supporting the organization of peaceful and inclusive elections in conflict-affected areas in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023 (the Project for Electoral Assistance)’, and the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF)-funded joint project ‘Supporting the prevention of electoral violence in the provinces of Haut-Katanga, Lualaba and Kasaï-Central in the Democratic Republic of Congo (PREVEL)’ will contribute to the implementation of the PACE, and of UNDP stabilization and conflict transformation initiatives, in an integrated way. UNDP seeks a Project Coordinator who manages and coordinates these projects funded by Japan and PBF.

The Project Coordinator is based in Kinshasa and will travel frequently to other provinces such as Ituri, South Kivu, North Kivu, Haut-Katanga, LUALABA and Kasai Central, etc. The Project Coordinator will be under the overall supervision of the Team Leader for Governance Pilar and the direct supervision of the PACE Project Manager. He/She will regularly work in close collaboration with the Pillar 3 and all Governance projects, the coordinators of the two pillars I and III, and teams supporting implementation of the project, along with focal points of partner agencies UN Women and UNESCO involved in the PBF project. She/he will coordinate all aspects of project implementation, with a view to ensuring that activities support each other, and maintain a clear peacebuilding focus.

The Project Coordinator will ensure project activities remain coherent with and complementary to other electoral and peacebuilding activities in the area, including by coordinating with the Pillar1 & 3 Team. The Project Coordinator will ensure adequate communication and where relevant joint implementation, between participating agencies to ensure coherence and synergies between outputs, with a view towards reaching the results and the overall outcome. The Project Coordinator will regularly visit activities in the provinces of project implementation with a view to ensuring that project components are well-coordinated, so that direct and indirect beneficiaries benefit from all relevant components of the project. She/he will also be in-charge of planning and leading joint missions for members of the Technical Committee, in the lead up to the midterm and annual progress reporting. The Project Coordinator will lead drafting of progress reports, supported by the M&E officer and focal points of the implementing agencies who are responsible for ensuring good quality of data shared with the M&E officer, and ensure that communication about the project is conducted. The Project Coordinator supports the Steering Committee and keeps regularly informed the Resident Coordinator. The Project Coordinator will liaise closely, in due course, with the PBF Secretariat PACE Project Manager.

Summary of key functions

• Lead and coordinate project initiation and rollout phases.
• Lead and coordinate partnership and resource mobilization.
• Manage project activities and achievement of project targets and results
• Coordinate provision of high-quality technical advice and build partnerships

Facilitation of knowledge building and sharing in the CO

• Ensure that technical outputs are provided according to plans and up to highest technical standards. Review and clear technical outputs for quality.
• Establish, maintain, and facilitate strategic dialogue between project staff and Government officials at central and local levels, NGOs, partners, donors, and other stakeholders in project ́s area of work.
• Provide technical advice, draft papers/briefs/proposals in project ́s technical focus.
• Identify areas of cooperation and coordination with other UN agencies and/or development partners for implementation of joint activities within the area of the project.
• Identify resources mobilization opportunities in close collaboration with the Programme Team. Develop funding proposals and concepts as requested.
• Provide inputs to UN coordination platforms and participate in meetings, as requested.
• Lead the organization of project steering committees and technical committees, as requested by the project document.
• Ensure a clear and transparent communication with the RUNOs, RCO, PBSO, donor partners and the Senior Leadership

Lead and coordinate project initiation and rollout phases 

• Coordinate closely with the UN Women and UNESCO (RUNOs) as well as the UNDP Pilar 3, to design, implement and oversee key assessments, feasibility studies and other quantitate and qualitative research in support of projects development and design, including institutional capacity assessments, infrastructure assessments, community and police perception surveys, assessments for behavior change communication campaigns.
• Lead and facilitate consultation and validation workshops with key clients including UN agencies, international partners, and donors to identify key priorities and complementarities between the project and other existing initiatives in support of the same area.
• Draft presentations, briefing notes and concept notes to keep the RCO, the UNDP, UN Women and UNESCO teams abreast of the project development process and ensuring feedback is incorporated.
• In close consultation with the RUNOs M&E teams, develop an effective M&E system, ensuring key data collection tools, reporting templates and data analysis processes are established.
• Mobilize personnel, goods, and services to initiate activities, including drafting and reviewing Terms of References (ToRs), Request for Proposals (RFPs) and work specifications.
• Develop/use rosters of pre-qualified consultants, Implementing Partners (IPs) and other service providers in support of project outputs and activities.
• Oversee or contribute to the recruitment of and orient new staff of the cross-border project, roles/responsibilities, and other parameters to ensure smooth rollout of the project.
• Oversee the work of national and international consultants that support project implementation.
• Develop the project’s Annual Work Plans (AWPs), Human Resources (HR) Plans, Procurement Plans and Communications Plans.

Management of project activities and achievement of project targets and results

• Ensure that AWP activities suggested are in line with the overall direction set by the Project Documents and lead to achievements of project targets and results.
• Ensure implementation of activities as per AWP and agreed deadlines as well as according to detailed implementation, procurement, and HR plans.
• Identify bottlenecks and develop solutions.
• Design and launch Expression of Interests (EOIs) and other scoping measures to assess partnership opportunities with national institutions, firms, and civil society organizations.
• In consultation with the RUNOs M&E Team, ensure that adequate systems are in place to gather data and information for project monitoring and that systematic monitoring of project progress against targets is undertaken, including regular field trips for monitoring purposes.
• Ensure that UNDP ́s results-management systems are kept updated for project results- information including Quantum project management module.
• Manage the accurate and timely high-quality results reporting on the progress of the project and achievement of annual targets to the Joint Steering Committee. Ensure that PBSO and UNDP reports are prepared according to the Peacebuilding Fund SOPs, quality standards and in line with the contractual obligations set in the project document.
• Coordinate and prepare ad hoc thematic and substantive reports/analysis/briefs as requested.
• Implement project communications activities in close collaboration with the RUNOs and their respective Communications Team.
• Oversee the appropriate use of project funds as well as the consistent application of PBF and UNDP rules and regulations. Coordinate preparation of financial reports, as required in the initial planning.
• Monitor budget implementation to ensure accuracy and reliability of project expenditure.
• Supervise and manage project personnel and consultants. Establish performance objectives and standards and ensure timely and appropriate feedback, guidance, and support to ensure optimum performance.
• Manage and monitor project risks. In collaboration with the technical project staff, implementing partners, identify new risks and update risk frameworks for consideration of the Steering Committee and decision on possible actions if required. Update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risks log.

Facilitation of knowledge building and sharing in the CO

• Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: 

The Project Coordinator supervises all programme activities. S/he works in close collaboration with UNDP Country Office colleagues, in particular Pillar 1 (Governance) and Pillar 3 (Stabilization), while maintaining effective working relationships with project Responsible Parties, RUNOs, donors and other partners.