Introduction
The Local Government & Community Development (LG & CD) Department of Lahore has been contributing towards the improvement of local governance, the delivery of public services as well as the development of the local community through different programs and activities. In pursuit of such incessant endeavors to expand and improve infrastructure, social services and local governance, the department seeks for a talented Project Development Specialist to become a part of its pool. This position participates in community development projects’ planning, developing and implementing phases so it has a great importance to the community.
In this presentation, we shall go through the major areas of activities a Project Development Specialist is responsible for, the needed qualifications and skills as well as what he or she can accomplish by working in LG&CD in pursuing its objectives.
Role and Responsibilities of a Project Development Specialist
The Project Development Specialist at the LG&CD Department will be the first in line in the creation, implementation, and supervision of projects geared towards enhancing the life of the residents of Lahore. The position is involved in the overall project lifecycle including conceptualization and detailed design to implementation of the project through coordination with the local governments, the community and the international organizations.
Functions and responsibilities and requirements:
- Project Planning, Design and Implementation Management of Initiation and Scale Up New Programmes.
- Assist in the commencement and scale up of new community development initiatives.
- Conduct community need assessment through community surveys and feasibility studies to determine what the requirements for the projects will be.
- Write down components, goals, objectives, duration and costs of the projects that fall within the department’s key areas and the local government requirements.
- Focus on finding the opportunities in ensuring that the project proposals submitted are compliant with the set standards of the local government and the other requirements.
- Project Implementation and Management
- Help and guide all the project managers throughout the project project life cycle.
- Advise and guide all the contractors, consultants, and community leaders of all the projects in relation to time schedules, budget scope and other target parameters.
- Monitor and control the progress of the activities to find and solve problems that arise during the course of the project.
- Communicate with the relevant stakeholders, provide updates and respond to problems and requirements.
- Financial Resource and Budgets Management
- Ensure that each project has a well-organized financial plan to control the funds required and their expenditure properly.
- Estimate the project costs and evaluate the estimated budget against the resources allocated to all the projects to check whether they are exceeded or not.
- Community members and stakeholders that are put into focus such as the government should bring forth and cultivate the relationship with the local community.
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Design and set up simple systems for monitoring and evaluating the progress of each community development project.
- Make sure to write down regular status updates, evaluations, and impacts to be able to appraise the project’s success.
- Take into account the feedback obtained from evaluations and stakeholders and recommend ways to improve the project.
- Policy and Strategy Development
- Help in formulating policies and strategies necessary for successful implementation of community development and local governance.
- Project compliance with regional development plans and national development objectives.
- Advise top management on issues of interest, community development aspects and latest development in the field.
Required Qualifications
A Project Development Specialist has to hold an adequate qualification in order to perform duties mentioned above.
The best candidate would have the following education and professional status:
Educational Requirements
- Among the nice degrees, a Master’s Degree in Project Management, in Public Admin, in Urban Planning, in Social Science or any field related.
- Higher academic qualifications will be an added advantage.
- Other certifications in project management (PMP, PRINCE2, etc) are an advantage.
Professional Experience
- Has worked a minimum of three to five years in project management, community development and or public sector governance.
- Has worked with local governments, NGOs or international development agencies would be an added advantage.
- Proven expertise in directing and administering large community development projects.
