The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, whose primary goal is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity and creating jobs of acceptable quality.
The ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan based in Addis Ababa, implements its programmes and activities in close partnership with the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, in particular with its constituents, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA), the employers' and workers' organizations. The implementation of its activities and programmes are in support of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), agreed by the tripartite partners. DWCP is fully aligned with the country's development goals, articulated in its five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II), the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Ethiopia and the National Plan for Jobs Creation of Ethiopia.
Brief description of the Project
ProAgro is an ILO programme designed within the framework of the BMZ’s Special Initiative on training and job creation. This project puts forward an integrated strategy, combining policy support and social dialogue, skills development, value chain development and entrepreneurship training, with the ultimate objective to create decent jobs opportunities for women and young men in the agribusiness sector. ProAgro has started to be implemented in Ethiopia and Morocco over a period of 42 months in late 2020. The Ethiopia project component is called ProAGRO Ethiopia and has started to develop the capacity of national, regional, and local stakeholders to develop and implement policies aimed at boosting the job creation potential of the agribusiness sector while enhancing decent work conditions. The programme will also contribute to respond to and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on enterprises and the labour market in the targeted sector. The budget for Ethiopia amounts to Euro 5 million. The project agreement as established in 2020 foresees a running time until mid-2024. The ILO is now recruiting a project lead for the rest of the ongoing project phase. Depending on fundraising efforts this could be extended.
The focus of the last 2 years of project implementation is to build on ongoing work and achievements and to further strengthen relationships with private sector actors as to ensure key job creation, enterprise and value chain development results as per the project document.
Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and the project, the Chief Technical Advisor will be responsible for the overall leadership and management of all aspects of the project, including its operational, financial, administrative and human resource management, country operations, the content of training manuals and information materials, and public statements. The incumbent will promote ILO policies in the project related technical areas and other fundamental rights at work.
Reporting lines:
The Project Manager will work under the supervision of the Director of the ILO office in Addis Ababa and will receive technical guidance and support from the technical specialists of the DWT in Cairo and other relevant technical departments in Geneva, such as Employment, Enterprises And Inwork.
The Project Manager will supervise three national officers, an administrative assistant, a driver, all of which are under contract and working from Addis Ababa and will oversee the work of international experts as well as local consultants hired during the course of the project.
Main duties and responsibilities:
Ensure effective coordination and planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of project activities, in conformity with ILO policies and project strategies, and in accordance with ILO programming guidelines and country/action programs, and administrative and financial procedures, in consultation with the responsible field office. Take full responsibility for the effective management of funds/budget assigned to the project.
Establish and maintain a solid M&E framework based on RBM principles to track project performance in accordance with project indicators.
Manage efficiently the human resources of the project / program including recruitment, performance and talent management aspects.
Provide authoritative technical advice to project stakeholders in various technical areas related to the project, particularly in the field of sustainable investment, market system and and value chain development, and mobilise expertise as needed.
Implement project activities and intervention models based on a number of assessments related to labour market issues, value chain development, business development service provision, skills development, investment, social dialogue and industrial relations.
Plan, manage, coordinate and supervise the production and dissemination of technical publications related to the project. Ensure the documentation of lessons learnt, results and good practices. Prepare periodic and ad hoc reports on the status of program planning and implementation and liaise with the donor on a regular basis.
Identify training needs in accordance with the project strategy and organize training workshops and meetings for the tripartite partners, NGOs, other agencies, target groups and staff as appropriate to reinforce the professional capabilities.
Develop and foster contacts and relations with relevant ministries, employers' and workers' organizations, other private sector actors, non-governmental organizations, and donors active in the field of employment and private sector development and promote opportunities for collaboration towards planning and implementation of programme activities.
Ensure the effective engagement of value chain actors, private sector and ILO Constituents in project activities and support ownership of project activities and results t at national and regional levels.
Support the establishment and functioning of the project’s governance structures at national and regional level.
Undertake missions to field locations as part of project implementation and monitoring.
Liaise with UN agencies and other counterparts involved in supporting job creation in the same sector. Ensure close coordination with GIZ and UNIDO within the framework of the programme funded by the Special Initiative in Ethiopia. Ensure effective coordination with a range of relevant national policies and the strategies of various projects under the DWCP and the One ILO programme.
Promote ILO's values, increase the project's visibility and facilitate the scaling-up of the project's interventions. Identify opportunities for resource mobilisations or co-financing through the development of partnerships.
Ensure the development of information systems covering ILO technical activities covered by the project / programme,
Any other duties requested by the responsible chief.
Required qualifications
Education
Advanced university degree in economics, business administration, management, social science or a related field.
Experience
At least seven years’ experience in the management of technical cooperation activities, of which at least five years at the international level. This includes field experience in a leadership role for the implementation of projects, preferably in the fields of private sector development, value chain and market systems development, enterprise development, youth employment and employment in the agro-business sector in developing countries.
Proven management experience, preferably with the ILO or a UN agency, in managing complex and integrated projects requiring multi-stakeholders coordination.
Demonstrated experience in interacting with various actors from the public and private sector, including at high level
Sound knowledge and experience in all aspects of project cycle, i.e. design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Proven experience in partnership building and networking and in effective fundraising, resource mobilization and donor relations.
High level of understanding of gender equality, gender mainstreaming and equal opportunity principles and approaches would be valuable.
