This position is located in Belmopan under a project that is being implemented by the Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean. It is a development cooperation project entitled “Building a resilient Belize through universal, adaptive, and sustainable social protection (BLZ/21/50/UND)”. The project, which is funded by the SDG Fund, will support ILO constituents in Belize to achieve the following results:
Strengthen the resilience of vulnerable and poor groups by establishing a responsive social protection strategy that addresses the minimum living standards needs of people with disabilities, indigenous households, and workers in the informal sector (predominately women) by facilitating their access to, and benefits from, the Social Protection Floor.
Strengthen local economic development (LED) and livelihoods in targeted municipalities, through a gender and youth sensitive value chain development approach to employment and decent work.
The position of National Project Coordinator is located in Belmopan, Belize and is related to a project that is managed by the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean in Port of Spain (DWT/O-POS), Trinidad and Tobago. The DWT/O-POS provides advisory services, capacity building and technical assistance to ILO’s constituents (government, employers’ and workers’ organizations) to 13 member States and nine territories.
The National Project Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the SDG Fund Joint Programme (JP) in the following JP priority: “Strengthen local economic development (LED) and livelihoods in targeted municipalities, through a gender and youth sensitive value chain development approach to employment and decent work”.
Reporting lines: The National Project Coordinator will report to the Enterprise, Cooperatives and Rural Development Specialist of DWT/O Port of Spain.
Description of Duties
Work in close collaboration with stakeholders and constituents to design and revise annual work plans for the JP. Prepare budgets and monitor them to ensure funds are committed and spent in a timely manner using various project management tools and approaches.
Review, verify and analyze workplans, progress- and final reports and other data for clarity, consistency and completeness and monitor the progress of Project activities. Follow-up on documents, clarify information, and answer questions about clearance and processing requirements to support successful completion of agreed activities.
Liaise and follow-up with the relevant technical staff in line ministries, partners and executing agencies, government offices, employer and worker organizations and any other national organization linked to the project to expedite implementation and meet project targets and deadlines.
Assist in the programming and control of resources of the project, prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by analysing and monitoring the resource situation as compared to planned activities and making recommendations for remedial action. Identify problems, propose solutions and actions.
Provide programming and administrative support to cooperation activities. Actively participate in and provide inputs to project implementation and monitoring exercises.
Duties and responsibilities (continued)
Participate in the preparation and conduct of conferences, seminars, workshops, training sessions, and consultative meetings. Speak on behalf of the Project when attending these gatherings alone. Undertake missions to project sites independently or accompanying others.
Ensure the timely implementation of planned project activities in coordination with the Decent Work Team specialists.
Lead in the preparation of briefs, background information, technical reports and periodic progress reports and statistical data on status of the overall activities of the Project.
Work closely with the Decent Work Team and the Communications Unit to ensure communication and visibility of project activities and results.
Review and analyse specific development plans and priorities, socioeconomic data, reports and other relevant information of Belize, including identify potential technical cooperation areas and provide written analysis on the findings to the Director.
Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Director.
Education
First level university degree in economics, social science, international studies or a relevant field.
Experience
At least three years of professional experience at the national level in the area of local economic development, enterprise creation, business development services, programme and/or project management, implementation, monitoring of multi country/multi stakeholder technical cooperation programmes.
Technical requirements:
Good knowledge of project management as well as programming. Knowledge of the policy making process would be an asset.
Knowledge of programme and budget, project administration concepts and procedures and an understanding of the informal and rural sector in Belize.
Knowledge of the ILO’s financial rules and regulations.
Good knowledge of the context and challenges for the project areas of expertise, i.e. local economic development and enterprise creation.
Languages
Excellent command of English is required. Working knowledge of a second ILO working language would be an advantage.
