Social protection plays a key role in achieving sustainable development, promoting social justice, reducing poverty and vulnerability and inequality within and across the life cycle, supporting inclusive and sustainable growth by raising household incomes, fostering productivity and human development, boosting domestic demand, facilitating structural transformation of the economy and promoting decent work.  

In 2021, during the 76th session of United Nations General Assembly, President Xi of China launched “The Global Development Initiative” (GDI), calling on the international community to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The same year, and in line with his report “Our Common Agenda”, the UN Secretary-General called for a new Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, (The Global Accelerator) to help countries create jobs and extend social protection for the billions of excluded population. GDI and The Global Accelerator represent concrete global responses towards accelerating results to achieve SDGs. 

Tajikistan and Laos PDR have been identified as participating countries in the project Accelerating universal social protection for achieving the SDGs and ending poverty through strengthened governance and digital transformation that will be implemented in close collaboration with UN DESA and with support of relevant Chinese counterparts. Both countries have a long history of full-fledged bilateral cooperation with China including on social protection. Furthermore, as far as social protection is concerned, the Chinese experience in extending social security to all, including, central-provincial coordination, improved management information systems, the use of inspection systems to increase compliance [3], community services [4] as well as the digitalization of social security administration and services is very relevant for the two priority countries. It is therefore expected that, as part of the proposed project, continued learning and south-south exchanges on governance and digital transformation of social security will benefit from the good practices of China’s social protection system

In Tajikistan, the project will contribute to implement the priority on “Inclusive Human Development” of the United Nations Development Cooperation Framework 2023–2026. The project supports the implementation of the output on “Human Capital Development” of the National Development Strategy, which focuses on poverty reduction, increasing life expectancy and services for the vulnerable. The project reflects constituents’ priority 2: “Improving working conditions and extending coverage with social protection for women and men of the Decent Work Country Programme between the Government of Tajikistan 2020-2024 and the ILO”.  The project is aligned with SDGs 1 (including 1.3.1. target), 3, 5 and 10. 

Importantly, the project will contribute to the implementation of the national social protection strategy which has been adopted in early December 2022 and which seeks to extend social protection coverage to informal economy workers, migrant workers and returning migrants and their families, as well as to refugees. This has become particularly important after the crisis in Ukraine and the expected influx of returning migrants from Russia. Improvements of administrative processes to identify and reach out to these and other disadvantaged groups, the design of tailor-made schemes, a pension reform and increasing fiscal space for social protection have been identified as key elements of the draft social protection strategy. Importantly, there is a recognition that existing electronic management information system, which is currently used to deliver targeted social assistance, is a steppingstone to develop a fully-fledged electronic management information system (EMIS) for the entire social protection system. 

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Review and analyse the country’s specific development plans and priorities, socioeconomic data, reports and other relevant information. Provide written analysis on the findings to the supervisor.
• Work in close collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners to design, align and revise project annual work plans as well as preparation of the budget proposal, considering different approaches and alternative methods, management, problem identification and problem resolution. Lead in preparation of periodic progress reports and statistical data on the status of the overall activities of Joint Programme implemented by ILO. 
• Provide technical advice, in close cooperation with Social Protection Specialist, to relevant national institutions, worker’s and employers organisation and other actors concerned about the concepts, design and implementation of social protection policies, programmes, action plans and mechanisms to establish comprehensive and adequate social protection systems, including national social protection floor guided by the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No.102), the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No.202) and other relevant ILO standards.
• Provide technical advice to national social partners concerning the institutional framework of national social protection system, especially with regards to the governance and administration of national social protection schemes and programmes.
• Lead in the preparation of briefs, background information, technical and statistical reports and training materials . Coordinate preparation of technical reports and papers.
• Participate in the preparation of and conduct 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 other colleagues.
• Collaborate with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Tajikistan , participate in the UNSDCF Working Group on Social Protection in order to align joint programme outputs with UNCT’s plans and contribute to effective coordination and implementation of UN system wide social protection interventions.
• Collaborate closely with the ILO National Coordinator in Tajikistan  to promote international labour standards related to social protection and social security.
• Review, verify and analyze work plans, progress and final reports and other data for clarity, consistency and completeness and monitor the progress of Project activities. Follow-up on delayed documents, clarify information, and answer questions about clearance and processing requirements to support successful completion of agreed activities. 
• Follow-up with relevant technical officers with counterparts in organizations and line ministries at national level, partner and executing agencies, government offices, constituents and in other organizations to expedite implementation and meet targets. 
• Assist in the programming and control of resources of the project, prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by analysing and monitoring situation of resources as compared to planned activities and making recommendations for remedial action. Identify problems, propose solutions and actions. 
• Provide programming and technical support to cooperation activities in the area of social protection. 
• Collaborate closely with Senior Project Assistant in Moscow who will work on administrative processes connected with the implementation of the project.
• Brief ILO specialists, project experts, associate experts and visiting officials and provide relevant information on project matters.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor or Responsible Chief.

Required qualifications:

Education:

• First level university degree in social protection, social or political sciences, economics, public policies, development studies or a relevant field. An advanced degree in social protection  studies would be a strong advantage

Experience:

• At least two years of professional experience at the national level in social protection, in the area of project management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Proven experience in working effectively with government bodies in charge of policy making and with development partners would be an asset.
• Technical requirements: Good knowledge of social protection and social security as well as economic developments, poverty reduction, and social policies. Knowledge of the policy making process. Knowledge of ILO social security standards.

Languages:

• Excellent knowledge of the working language of the duty station and a good knowledge of English.

Source: https://jobs.ilo.org/job/Dushanbe-National-Project-Coordinator-NOA-(DC)/989762501/