Principal Portfolio Management Specialist - Asian Development Bank - Manila, Philippines

Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Division, SARD, South Asia Department

Closing Date: 28 February 2013 , 5:00 p.m. (1700 Manila Time, 0900 GMT)

 

Job Purpose:

- Lead in improving the performance of division's portfolio to contribute to achievement of ADB's development results.
- Lead in successfully achieving the envisaged impacts and outcomes at project level, as well as at the country sector level.
- Lead in improving efficient implementation of project activities and effective utilization of project inputs to contribute to full delivery of the designed project outcomes and outputs through
- Achieve satisfaction of clients comprising the borrower, executive agencies, and other stakeholders by enhancing (i) the capacity of division's project implementation and portfolio management, (ii) individual staff skills and knowledge, and (iii) division's operational procedures.
- Work within a framework of broad policies, principles and goals, applying a high degree of autonomy in selection of work methods.

Expected Outcomes

a. Strategy and planning
● Lead in preparing and monitoring annual portfolio management plans, including projections for contract awards and disbursements, completion reports, review missions schedules, and delegation of projects to resident missions (RMs), for the division in consultation with all division staff and RMs.
● Oversee the sector results profiles for the environment, natural resources and agriculture, sectors that are prepared by the country team members, ensuring their consistency with division's strategic goals, vertical integration with the country result frameworks and projects' design and monitoring frameworks.
● Provide guidance to mission leaders to improve project design and monitoring frameworks and project implementation arrangements at project processing stage, in particular their consistency with sector result profiles, appropriateness of indicator setting, and linkage between inputs, outputs, outcome and impact.
● Monitor achievements of division's key result indicators in portfolio performance, and provide guidance to division staff on the status of progress periodically.
b. Portfolio management
● Lead the monitoring, periodic review and progress reporting of project and program implementation, financial progress, compliance with safeguards requirements and covenants, and the achievement of targeted project outcome and impact.
● Lead in coordinating the division staff and RMs to review portfolio performance by sector/country and preparation of initiatives to promote project quality and improve portfolio performance.
● Lead in identifying general issues that are commonly found under division's portfolio by sector/country, analyze the background and key constraints, and propose measures and an action plan to resolve them.
● Represent the division in annual country portfolio review missions, tripartite portfolio review meetings, and other portfolio review meetings that are conducted by RMs and SAOD.
● Lead the review of division's business norms in portfolio management and project implementation, and identify the area where improvement is warranted, and propose new business flows or procedures within the framework of ADB's policies and procedures.
● Share the division's portfolio status with division staff and SAOD periodically.
● Review and comment on other department/office's draft report that are related to the portfolio management and project implementation.
● Lead in identifying project-specific implementation issues and preparing action plans and consolidating into divisions report for the portfolio review meetings of SARD.
c. Project implementation management
● Provide guidance to division staff on the project implementation works in general, including review missions, periodical progress monitoring, and day-to-day communications with the executing and implementing agencies and other stakeholders.
● Provide guidance on the proper consideration of key implementation issues based on the division’s collective experience and knowledge gained through portfolio management in the design and processing of loan and technical assistance (TA) projects.
● Administer complex loan and TA projects within sectoral or thematic area of expertise.
● Provide guidance and functional oversight related to project administration among division staff to ensure timely implementation and performance reporting, timely fielding of missions, etc.
● Oversee the execution of required measures to address project implementation problems.
● Lead improving the quality of division staff's draft back-to-office reports, technical assistance completion reports, project completion reports, and other reports related to project implementation. Review carefully these draft documents and provide advices to division staff to assure the quality of these reports.
● Ensure timeliness, quality, consistency, and protocol of outgoing communications related to the division’s portfolio management.
● Provide guidance to division staff in promptly identifying outstanding implementation issues, review the background and constraints involved, develop possible measures including alternatives and discuss them with the concerned parties, prepare a time-bound action plan that is acceptable to the responsible parties, and monitor implementation of such an action plan.
● Lead the review of implementation arrangements of the newly proposed projects in the Report and Recommendations of the President and the linked documents, and provide practical advices to the mission leaders to improve the quality-at-entry of the projects.
d. Knowledge sharing
● Provide advice on ADB policies, guidelines, practices on project administration with internal and external stakeholders.
● Lead in maintaining the division’s collective experience and knowledge gained through portfolio management.
e. Staff supervision
● Lead a team of project administration unit (PAU), and ensure the overall quality of their work.
● Supervise the performance of teams and individuals providing clear direction and regular monitoring and feedback on performance.
● Coach and mentor team and individuals and ensure their on-going learning and development.
● Assist the division Director in recruiting PAU staff.
f. PAU network and other inter departmental activities
● Actively participate in the departments and inter-departmental network of PAU heads.
● Participate in any other ADB-wide interdepartmental activities related to portfolio management and project implementation, in various capacities such as a leader or a member of a working group, committee, and a community of practice.

Educational Requirements:

Master’s degree in Economics, Finance, Engineering, Social Sectors or other related specialized fields. University degree in Economics, Finance, Engineering, Social Sectors or other related fields, combined with specialized experience in similar organization/s, may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree

Relevant Experience And Other Requirements:

Work experience

• At least 12 years’ relevant experience in project processing and administration at senior levels.
• Experience in applying expertise in an international setting within the sector.
• International experience working in several countries, including developing countries.

Technical knowledge

• Significant expertise within a specific area of ADB's operations (economic, sector or thematic), or breadth across multiple areas with in-depth knowledge within one area
• Credible expert in field of expertise with recognized ability to lead projects and to share relevant knowledge to benefit the broader ADB community, in a way which may further enhance ADB’s ability to:
  • Recommend effective solutions to address developing member countries’ (DMCs)’ specific economic, sector or thematic needs, based on wide range of experience and proven best practices
  • Successfully structure and implement loan and TA projects in a more cost-effective manner
  • Manage risks more effectively by understanding DMCs, their environment (including the political, social and technical aspects), development priorities and economic / sector / thematic issues

People and leadership skills

• Able to perform effectively as a mission leader or team lead, exercising supervision, coordination, and planning responsibilities over multi-disciplinary team/unit
• Able to mentor team members, providing guidance and advice on project or technical-related matters
• Able to coach team members to develop their capabilities/potential
• Has potential for higher managerial responsibilities (for incumbents being considered for the Managerial career path) – able to think like a Director and demonstrate a high level of maturity
• Able to act as an effective OIC of the Division when required

Core Competencies:

Application of Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Provides supervision to others in completing their technical tasks
• Called upon for advice and guidance based on expertise gained by working in different countries and organizations
• Contributes advanced knowledge and expertise to different parts of the Department

Client Orientation

• Proposes effective services and solutions to staff beyond presenting issues and past challenges
• Assists colleagues adapt to the cultural and business norms of diverse clients and country situations
• Gains respect for the breadth and depth of expertise demonstrated in effectively managing diverse clients and country situations
• Called upon to resolve client situations that may impact their long-term ADB relationship

Achieving Results and Problem Solving

• Resolves situations where client needs are not being met
• Shares past experiences from different projects, organizations, and countries to help achieve quality results
• Ensures that thorough analysis includes current and relevant factors from different countries and contexts
• Sought out for guidance and experience in overcoming the most challenging situations
• Draws on long-term relationships with stakeholders to help plan for and achieve results

Working Together

• Addresses team members not contributing to required standards
• Commits to delivering timely and high quality work to assist in the team’s success
• Develops and maintains good internal and external peer and senior level relationships
• Helps teams understand common features to build rapport and overcome challenges

Communication and Knowledge Sharing

• Provides stakeholders with the level and quality of information required to achieve outcomes
• Encourages others to seek long-term solutions to address feedback opposed to focusing on immediate concerns or reactions
• Uses breath of multi-country and multi-client knowledge to equip clients and staff for more effective outcomes
• Designs and implements project and program knowledge and services

Innovation and Change

• Consistently seeks more effective and practical ways for the Departmental delivery of services, products, and processes
• Proposes new ways to improve the quality and relevance of products and services
• Includes the core benefits and reasons for change when developing comprehensive change roll out plans
• Influences and persuades decision makers by presenting business cases supporting the proposed changes

Immediate Reporting Relationships / Other Information:

• Supervisor: Director, SAER
• The following staff positions may be supervised by the incumbent:
  • National Staff
  • Administrative Staff
• Women are encouraged to apply

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