Project Associate - Livelihoods (Open to all Mozambican Nationals)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in 170 countries and territories, supporting national efforts to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, strengthen resilience, and accelerate sustainable development. As the development arm of the United Nations, UNDP collaborates with governments, civil society, the private sector, and communities to build inclusive and resilient pathways for human development.

In Mozambique, UNDP has been a trusted partner since 1976, working with national and local authorities, UN entities, civil society, and communities to promote inclusive growth, resilience, and sustainable development. Guided by the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, UNDP develops targeted and innovative solutions to address the country’s evolving development challenges.

Our Country Programme Document is structured around four interconnected pillars: i) human development, multidimensional poverty, gender equality and public health management; ii) inclusive economic recovery, diversification and sustainable livelihoods; iii) climate resilience and natural resource management; and iv) inclusive and decentralized governance, justice, peace and social cohesion.

These focus areas reflect UNDP’s comparative advantage in Mozambique and align with national development priorities and the UNSDCF. The Country Office works both upstream and downstream to build resilience and expand opportunities, particularly for women and youth. This includes strengthening community resilience to disasters and conflict, scaling area‑based models for integrated recovery and service delivery and leveraging stabilization efforts in Cabo Delgado to support post‑conflict recovery, institutional strengthening, and locally led economic revitalization.

The CO has also been carrying out a review of its structure and organogram to achieve an optimal and sustainable configuration that aligns staffing to respond to new challenges and the expected growth of the CO to enable UNDP effectively support Mozambique’s current and emerging development priorities. 

UNDP upholds the highest standards of integrity and accountability. We maintain a zero‑tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment (including sexual harassment), and discrimination. All selected candidates undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are foundational to UNDP’s mandate and integral to everything we do. Across all programmes and operations, UNDP promotes equal opportunities, inclusive participation, and the advancement of women and marginalized groups so that development gains are equitable and sustainable.

Since 2017, Cabo Delgado, one of the poorest provinces in Mozambique, has been facing an escalating conflict, compounded by a fragile situation of chronic underdevelopment, consecutive climatic shocks, and recurrent disease outbreaks. Violent attacks by Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) have escalated since 2020, heightening protection risks, especially for youth, women, and children. NSAG activities and counter offensive operations have forced mass displacement in the province and brought destruction and fear. 

The Government of Mozambique has responded with military action and, with the support of foreign troops, reclaimed several areas which had been occupied by NSAGs. Under these auspices, UNDP has initiated a stabilization program in July 2021 to assist the Government of Mozambique in its efforts to re-establish the authority and presence of the State in the reclaimed areas, paving the way for a subsequent safe and voluntary return of the currently displaced populations. Activities under stabilization program aim to rehabilitate public, security and social infrastructures damaged by conflict, boost socio-economic recovery, build resilience and social cohesion. 

Since UNDP privileged intervention through state author, agreement has been made to ensure that government entities take the lead and own stabilization activities including livelihood in partnership with UNDP aligned with local government priorities and action plan under provincial plan of social and economic development. 

Intervention that are going to be carried out by state authorities include purchase of good and services, beneficiaries mapping, goods distribution, monitoring and evaluation. Although it represents opportunity to the community’s member who are voluntarily returning to the areas of origin, it cannot produce result that the project is seeking without proper community engagement mechanism. Since all intervention and development goal is to serve people through government institutions as well as improving people living standard in line with UNDP principle 1 …leave No One behind. It is important to stablish a formal and well-known participation mechanism that take into consideration gender equity, protection, and inclusion. In addition, and the most important is that social inclusion is undeniable foundation for social and economic dynamic at all levels. It has been designed to target vulnerable group specially women, youth, elderly, group of people with disabilities as well as group of people with chronic disease. 

There are several avenues to boost local economy. However, while tackle current challenges, it is necessary to prepare the youth and women on capacity to thrive on SMEs as well as pursue career based on opportunities for local community members. Since the stabilization program overall goal is to ‘’stabilize’’ all critical sector that keep society core functions, it will accommodate some transversal elements. To ensure and enhance rapid access to the income generation functions, UNDP activated the cash for work (CFW) that target both economic and social rehabilitation. Parallelly, there are medium to longer term intervention which are linked to local practice of income generation such as farming, chicken faming, fishing, formal and informal commerce. It is important to highlight that government has structure in place that assist community annually, UNDP will be using and build government capacity to strengthen existing structure as well as building youth and women capacity to unleash economic opportunity to them and other relevant actors.  

Scope of Work 

UNDP through livelihood pillar of stabilization program is seeks to recruit a Project Associate – Livelihoods to ensure that all intervention including data are well captured at target areas including but not limited to Palma, Mocimboa da Praia, Muidumbe, Nangade, Macomia, Muidumbe and Quissanga. The incumbent will provide a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system to support and tracking government interventions linked to Pillar 3 of stabilization program. 

The Project Associate – Livelihoods will be performing activities linked to stabilization indicator under the pillar 3, evaluate partner procedure on procurement, Spot check on activities, reporting, lesson capturing and learning. The incumbent will design and implement feedback mechanism in line with UNDP GRM. 

The overall objective of the incumbent is to support monitoring and evaluation of pillar 3 under the government intervention from support service up to delivery of activities including good practice and lesson capturing. 

   1. Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of project implementation.

• With the support of head of pillar develop a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system linked to stabilization indicators. 
• Setup data collection (including beneficiary verification - data); collation; sharepoint storage; analysis and reporting ensuring that data is of high quality and audit worthy. 
• Monitor the government interventions on the beneficiary’s selection in the districts of Palma, Mocimboa da Praia, Muidumbe, Nangade, Macomia and Quissanga to ensure that the process adhere to the UNDP core values in Integrity, Accountability and Transparency. 
• Assist with developing strategic information, including data visuals and reports, that communicates key evidence with diverse stakeholders in collaboration with stabilization M&E Specialist. 
• Any other relevant activity for the development and implementation of livelihood and income generation for the most vulnerable group of people in the target areas 

    2. Support partnerships and resource mobilization. 

• Monitor and evaluate the government progress toward result presented in LOA linked to activities under AWP of stabilization program covering Palma, Mocimboa da Praia, Muidumbe, Nangade, Macomia and Quissanga. 
• Attend working group and coordination meetings on subjects related to government and 
• Conduct periodic field visits to ascertain and promote adherence to agreed standards, targets, and timelines of implementation. 

    3. Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project. 

• Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff. Provide support to other capacity building activities, including to the design and delivery of tools, materials for workshops, or platforms that tap into the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action.
• Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned project.
• Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support compiling and systematizing project knowledge, products and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners. 

 

    Expected Outputs:

• Developed a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system linked to stabilization indicators under pillar 3. 
• Established a data collection mechanism (including beneficiary verification-data); collation; stored at share point storage. 
• Provide monthly reporting data in close collaboration with government and M&E specialist of stabilization program. 
• Established progress tracking mechanism along with agreed standards, targets and timelines of implementation by the government including relevant stakeholders. 
• The government is assisted in problem solving as well as development of grievance mechanism to address feedback issues. 
• Beneficiaries are selected in equitable and non-discriminatory methodology ensuring no one is left behind on livelihood opportunities at target district: Palma, Mocimboa da Praia, Muidumbe, Nangade, Macomia and Quissanga. 
• All collected that data is of high quality and well maintained for reporting and lesson learned. 
• The government stakeholders have access to data collection tools for beneficiary selection. 
• Spot check are conducted in acceptable frequency across the target districts: 
• Compile and analyze data, and prepare weekly progress notes, monthly and quarterly detailed monitoring reports, ensuring all key findings from the monitoring of the reporting period are summarized and highlighted for the management’s attention and 
• Availability to report to Senior Management and other personnel including to relevant stakeholder. 
• Lesson learned are compiled and share within the office and beyond. 
• Oversee financial processes with government partner as well as FACE form filling up aasistance.
• Ensure financial reporting with the acceptable standard as per audit recommendation. 

      Institutional Arrangement

The selected person will be working under the supervision of Project Specialist – Economic Recovery and Livelihoods, Pemba Sub-Office. This including but not limited to liaison with relevant stakeholder that work in the agriculture, fishing, poultry, and innovative income generation activities. He /she will oversee all government activities, timing and delivered status of overall target planned for a month, quarter, and year within the team. No team is expected to manage.          

      competencies as follows:

Core

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

      Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals

Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making

 Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results

Evaluation: Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns

Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

     Min. years of relevant work experience 

Secondary Education is required. OR University Degree (bachelor’s degree) in Business or Public Administration, Economics, Social Sciences and other relevant fields will be given due consideration but not a requirement.

      Min. years of relevant work experience 

Minimum 6 years (with Secondary Education) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or programme experience is required at the national or international level is required.

      Required skills

• Sound knowledge and experience in UNDP’s stabilization approach 
• Knowledge and experience in livelihoods particularly MSMEs, agriculture and fisheries.
• Extensive knowledge of Cabo Delgado 
• Substantial professional experience in implementing, monitoring and evaluation of livelihood projects
• Relevant ability to use windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Note Stickers, email, and all relevant online platform

      Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Relevant experience government engagement in the context of Cabo Delgado.
• High-level understanding and knowledge of economic dynamic in the Northern Region of Mozambique.
• Work experience as/with community linked to livelihood agriculture, poultry, fishing, commerce and, another relevant technical subject for self-employment and entrepreneurship. 
• Experience working with international organisations. 
• Experience/Knowledge of database collection platform.
• Experience working with civil society organizations. 
• Experience working with government entities and 
• Good command and ability to engage stakeholder. 
• Knowledge of statistic and monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities. 
• Excellent public relations skills and/or experience. 
• Good communication skills/experience, both orally and in writing. 
• High level of organization and proven ability to prioritise actions under time constraints. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills/experience; culturally and socially sensitive. 
• Excellent command of database collections tools 

      Required Language(s) 

Proficiency in Portuguese and English is required.