Project Manager for Recovery projects for SARDI |  EU4Reconstruction Stream 2 

General background 

EU4Reconstruction. The European Union (EU), together with Denmark, Germany, France and Lithuania, launched EU4Reconstruction, a €37 million Team Europe Initiative (TEI) that unites the strength, experience and solidarity of the EU to support Ukraine’s ongoing recovery and reconstruction. 

The initiative aims to strengthen governance, improve public investment management, and enhance coordination across levels of government, with a strong emphasis on EU values. The TEI is divided in two parallel streams; one stream is composed of GIZ (Lead Organisation) and Expertise France (Partner Organisation) and the other gathers the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Lead Organisation) and Central Project Management Agency (Partner Organisation). 

EU4Reconstruction will reinforce the leadership of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, strengthen the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure (SARDI or Agency), empower local governments to manage reconstruction professionally and sustainably, and support civil society and independent media to play an active role in oversight, ensuring public trust and reducing corruption risks. 

The Programme will strengthen the policy dialogue around reconstruction and recovery and will focus in particular on the governance of public investment management, public infrastructure management at national, regional and local levels and how to link this with necessary capacity development to make the system work. Part of this process will ensure that the stakeholders in the programme and their policy and regulatory setup are prepared for EU accession. This will, in particular, ensure resources are allocated effectively, transparently, accountably and with broad inclusion in infrastructure planning and execution, reflecting the subsidiarity principle. 

Denmark together with Lithuania implements Stream 2 of the EU4Reconstruction programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of the SARDI and its subordinated entities to act as contracting authority and Project Implementation Unit for major reconstruction projects. 

This assignment concerns Output 2 of Stream 2 of the EU4Reconstruction: “SARDI has the capacity to operate as a transparent, efficient, and EU-compliant institution, effectively managing sustainable and accountable reconstruction efforts”. 

SARDI and its ecosystem. SARDI was established by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, dated 13 January 2023. It was created through the renaming of the State Road Agency of Ukraine and the merger with the State Agency for Infrastructure Projects. 

SARDI is structured around a central authority in Kyiv and a broad network of regional and subordinate entities, including 24 Regional Offices for Restoration and Infrastructure Development (the SARDI ecosystem). 

SARDI is currently responsible for prioritization, planning and implementation of road infrastructure projects, as well as implementation of other reconstruction projects delegated by the Cabinet of Ministers. 

The implementation of recovery projects within SARDI involves multiple actors, parallel project pipelines, and strict compliance with national priorities, donor requirements, and Public Investment Management (PIM) reform processes. Given the scale, complexity, and urgency of recovery interventions, SARDI requires dedicated expert support to ensure systematic project monitoring, effective coordination between central and regional levels, and timely identification and mitigation of implementation risks. Internal resources are currently focused on operational delivery and do not allow for the consistent application of structured project management, reporting, and coordination practices across the SARDI ecosystem. 

The engagement of a project management expert is therefore necessary to provide hands-on support to SARDI senior management, strengthen internal coordination mechanisms, and establish standardized approaches to project implementation, monitoring, and control. The expert will not only support day-to-day oversight of selected recovery projects but will also contribute to the institutionalisation of best international project management practices through on-the-job coaching, development of standard operating procedures, and facilitation of knowledge transfer aligned with PIM reform and the use of national systems such as DREAM. This approach will ensure both immediate improvements in recovery project delivery and sustainable strengthening of SARDI’s institutional capacity. 

In view of the above, the Agency – supported by the EU4Reconstruction – seeks for a Project Manager for Recovery Projects to support and provide capacity building for SARDI, who will be embedded within the Agency and refer to the SARDI Deputy Head. The expert will work in close collaboration and under coordination of Senior Infrastructure Project Manager engaged by the EU4Reconstruction under a separate arrangement. The coordinated work of the experts will allow combining experience, knowledge and resources to more effectively support the recovery and infrastructure development projects. 

Objective 

The objective of the assignment is to find a Project Manager for Recovery Projects to help SARDI increase its institutional capacity and provide capacity building for SARDI eco-system to design and implement recovery projects through: 

• Monitoring the implementation of specific infrastructure projects in SARDI; 
• Facilitating planning, coordination, and control of project tasks; 
• Supporting project investment management (PIM) reform realization in SARDI. 

Scope of work 

The scope of work of the assignment includes different tasks, including, but not necessarily limited to: 

1. Systematic monitoring the implementation of selected recovery projects of the Agency. 
2. Communication with SARDI central office, RORs, PMU, other stakeholders on the recovery project delivery and relevant risks and issues. 
3. Strengthening internal coordination mechanisms between central and regional levels during recovery project design and implementation. 
4. Ensuring the preparation, planning, coordination and control of project tasks implementation, and control of project tasks in line with national priorities and donor requirements. 
5. Track selected recovery project progress against milestones, budgets, and timelines, ensuring compliance with approved plans. 
6. Prepare reports on the status of project implementation, analytical reports and presentation materials for internal and external stakeholders. 
7. In collaboration with Senior Infrastructure Project Manager, support with the institutionalization of best project management practices through on the job training and coaching of designated SARDI staff, development of standard operating procedures (SOPs), and facilitation of peer learning across the SARDI ecosystem. 
8. Support implementation of PIM reform, including by facilitating the use of the DREAM system. 
9. Participate in workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions to strengthen institutional capacity.
10. Perform other related tasks as required. 

Deliverables 

It is expected that the Consultant will demonstrate tangible progress through the implementation of agreed activities and the provision of deliverables, as detailed below: 

1. Regular project monitoring updates on implementation progress of selected recovery projects for SARDI deputy head (at least 5 projects); 
2. Development and establish project tracking matrices covering milestones, budgets, timelines, and compliance status (at least 5 projects); 
3. Management presentations on project status and key risks for internal and external stakeholders; 
4. Develop standard operating procedures (guidelines regulation, instructions etc.) for recovery project monitoring, coordination, and reporting; 
5. Facilitation and support in the preparation of proposals for recovery projects in accordance with PIM reform; 
6. On-the-job training and coaching materials for designated SARDI staff on project management practices; 
7. Final consolidated report summarizing activities, results achieved, and recommendations. 

Written deliverables should be in Ukrainian, unless otherwise specifically indicated herein or agreed with the EU4Reconstruction. Deliverables should be translated into English upon request of the Agency / EU4Reconstruction. 

Qualification 

The contract will be awarded to the expert meeting the following criteria: 

General qualifications: 

1. Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Infrastructure Management, Economics, Public sector or related field. 
2. Minimum 3 years of professional experience in project management, preferably with a focus on reconstruction. 
3. Proven experience with EU, World Bank, EBRD, or similar donor frameworks will be an asset. 

Adequacy for the assignment: 

1. Proven track record in planning, monitoring, and reporting on infrastructure projects. 
2. Strong analytical, reporting, and presentation skills, with ability to synthesize complex information for diverse audiences. 
3. Excellent interpersonal and coordination skills to engage with multiple stakeholders (government, donors, civil society). 

Experience with the region and languages: 

1. Practical experience working in Ukraine. 
2. Fluency in Ukrainian and English (written and spoken). 

Budget, timeframe, and location 

The maximum budget available for this assignment is EUR 30,000 (inclusive of all applicable expenses and taxes). 

Payments to the Consultant shall be done on a monthly basis against Consultant’s timesheet and invoice for the respective period. Payments shall be based on the actual days worked, the agreed daily fee rate, and the expenses occurred by the Consultant during the period (if any). Payments will require verification of completion of deliverables and approval of the Consultant’s timesheets and expense outlay by the Project Manager for Strategic Development of the SARDI. Travel costs and other reimbursable costs will only be accepted if they are in compliance with the guidelines in the contract. 

The intended commencement date is the date of signature of the contract with the Consultant and the period of implementation of the contract will be 12 months, with a start in January 2026. The assignment includes up to 252 working days per full term of the Contract (up to 21 working days per month). 

The expert is expected to work from the premises of the Agency with possible business travels in Ukraine. 

Reporting and management 

The performance of the Consultant will be judged upon reaching the purpose of this contract as well as obtaining its results, as indicated in the section “Objective” and “Deliverables” herein respectively. Moreover, the performance of the Consultant will be judged upon the successful implementation of all the specific activities indicated in Section “Scope of work” of this document. 

By signing the contract, the Consultant agrees to hold in trust and confidence any information or documents (“confidential information”) disclosed to the Consultant or discovered by the Consultant or prepared by the Consultant in the course of or as a result of the implementation of the contract, and agrees that it shall be used only for the contract implementation and shall not be disclosed to any third party. The Consultant also agrees not to retain copies of any written information or prototypes in its archive and for its use. 

Expert will report to the Project Manager for Strategic Development of the SARDI, who will review / approve deliverables indicated above. The expert will work in close coordination with SARDI Deputy Head responsible for international relations and relevant structural units of SARDI. The expert will work in close collaboration and under supervision of Senior Infrastructure Project Manager engaged by the EU4Reconstruction under a separate arrangement. 

How to apply 

The deadline for submitting the proposal is 5 March 2026, 18:00 Kyiv time. 

All interested candidates should submit the following documents in English: 

• Completed Annex 1, including: CV for Key staff (Section 3), Supplier’s Technical Proposal / Methodology (Section 4) and Workplan (Sections 5) 
• Financial offer (Annex 2, forms 1 and 2) in EUR, including daily fee and other related expenses (taxes, if applicable), with calculation of maximum 252 working days. 

If these documents are not submitted in line with the requirements above, the bid will not be considered. 

The proposal shall include the aforementioned information and should be submitted within the above deadline to [email protected] cc to [email protected] indicating the subject line: “Project Manager for Recovery projects for SARDI [Surname Name]”. 

Bidding language: English. 

Any clarification questions regarding the terms of reference should be addressed to [email protected] cc to [email protected], not later than 26 February 2026, 18-00 Kyiv time. 

Evaluation criteria 

Read details: TOR for Project Manager for Recovery projects for SARDI.