Ethiopia: National Project Coordinator - Employment Intensive Investment Progamme (NOB)

Vacancy no.: DC/JIJIGA/NO/2019/09

Job ID: 1787
Department: RO-Africa
Organization Unit: CO-Addis Ababa
Location: Jijiga
Contract type: Fixed Term

The recruitment process for General Service positions is subject to local recruitment regulations and Article 4.3 of the ILO Staff Regulations.

The following are eligible to apply:

· ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations.

· External candidates

The ILO values diversity among its staff. We welcome applications from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.

Introduction

Large mixed migration movements continue to top the global political agenda, as reflected in the 2016 UN New York Declaration, and remain at the forefront of concerns, discussions and collaboration across the multilateral system and beyond. These movements create considerable challenges for countries of first asylum, transit and destination, as well as countries of origin, including through impact on socio-economic environments, such as labour markets of host countries, particularly where these may have already been under pressure and there is high unemployment.

The majority of refugee populations are hosted by low- and middle-income countries. As displacement has become increasingly protracted, responses are becoming more focused on durable solutions to support more dignified, inclusive and comprehensive programmes for refugees and the communities that host them to facilitate self-reliance and empowerment and strengthen social cohesion. It is paralleled by regional and country-level efforts in several areas, including in the Middle East and North Africa region and in the Horn of Africa.

In this context, the Government of the Netherlands has launched a new partnership initiative – the PROSPECTS Partnership Programme (hereafter referred to as the “programme”) – built on the combined strengths, experience and values of specific development and humanitarian organizations to develop a new paradigm in responding to forced displacement crises. The partners include: the Government of the Netherlands, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the ILO, the UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Bank. The programme aims to help transform the way governments and other stakeholders, including the private sector, respond to forced displacement crises – and in particular: (1) to enhance the enabling environment for the socio-economic inclusion of forcibly displaced persons (to mitigate their plight during years of exile and to best prepare them for their return); (2) to enhance access to education and child protection for vulnerable children on the move; and (3) to strengthen the resilience of host communities through inclusive socio-economic development that also benefits forcibly displaced persons.

The partnership will be grounded on results-based and country-led approaches (“bottom up”) in two identified regions: MENA and the Horn of Africa. The programme aims to accelerate efforts to find sustainable solutions for countries confronted with large influxes of refugees. It will also aim to develop and implement evidence-based solutions, tailored to each context – as well as to test, and learn from, innovative operational solutions, including improving the availability, collection and use of data and evidence.

An “exploratory phase”, from August 2018 to July 2019 was agreed with the programme, during which individual country vision documents, programmes and budgets were prepared. The overall ILO’s vision within the programme is: To strengthen decent work in countries impacted by forced displacement to mitigate stress factors at all levels and support inclusive socio-economic enablers for access to labour markets and empowerment of host communities and of forcibly displaced populations.

The ILO will bring to the programme significant expertise and experience in supporting enabling environments to underpin inclusive socio-economic growth and decent work, strengthen labour markets and promote access to improved working conditions and fundamental rights at work, including through the involvement of its tripartite national constituents The ILO will stimulate labour market demand and immediate job creation through employment-intensive investment, local economic and business development and promotion of specific value chains and market systems. The ILO will provide targeted support to labour market institutions, services and compliance and monitoring mechanisms that facilitate the integration of refugees into the labour market. The ILO will also bring expertise on technical and vocational education and training and on the recognition of prior learning for certifying the skills of refugees to better ensure access to the labour market, and methods for assessing labour market demand to provide the right skills to refugees needed by employers.

The ILO’s Employment Intensive Investment programme (EIIP) promotes, develops and implements interventions in the area of job creation through public investment. The EIIP supports countries in the design, formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies and programmes aiming to address unemployment and underemployment through public investment, typically in infrastructure development and environmental works. EIIP works entail employment-intensive and local resource-based approaches for the production of public assets in a range of sectors such as road construction and maintenance, water and drainage, irrigation infrastructure, reforestation, and soil conservation. Implementation is applicable to a range of modalities from direct implementation by public works agencies to the contracting out to the private sector i.e. small and medium enterprises (contractors) and communities.

The approach entails the application of a well-designed system optimizing local resources, technology and management processes to produce or maintain public social and productive assets to the required technical standards cost efficiently and effectively to meet desired objectives, while generating local employment directly and stimulating the local economy. Central to the effective application of the approach is the development technical skills and management capacity within both the public, private sector and skilled and unskilled workers. This is an integral part of the ILOs technical assistance to ensure quality and continued application and sustainability of local resource-based approaches.

ILO has between March-July 2019 conducted assessments in Ethiopia to identify initial local infrastructure and community asset development needs and priorities in the target areas; assess potential scope and technical areas of possible EIIP interventions to increase employment through public investment;, capacity building needs of national and local implementing bodies (local governments and technical training institutions) for joint implementation of strategies and programmes.

Options for EIIP demonstrations have been identified in Somali and Tigray Regional States including urban and rural road access and routine maintenance. Initial EIIP demonstration sites are therefore proposed to be opened in year 1 in Tigray and Somali regions with complementary support to business entrepreneurship and management during the second half of year 1. Training of trainers, institutional capacity building and technical training will be key components of the proposed EIIP interventions. The objective of the interventions is to create jobs and assets for both refugees and their host communities through public investment, mainly in infrastructure and the environment.

Reporting lines:

Under the overall responsibility of the Director of CO-Addis Ababa, the incumbent of the position will report to the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) leading country-level implementation for operational and administrative issues and will also work under the overall guidance of the EIIP Regional Specialist for the programme based in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) for all programme relevant outputs and overall implementation. Technical supervision and support will be provided by the EIIP Technical Specialist in Mogadishu.

Description of Duties

• Identify and discuss EIIP training needs, demands and priorities at national level with agencies that have a role to play in the implementation of infrastructure and environmental works and in particular the Ethiopia Road Authority (ERA) Agriculture, Irrigation, Construction and Urban Development Bureaus and Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA). Prepare a draft outline for a training programme (topics, participants, timing).
• Prepare a detailed work plan (EIIP component) including a budget and indicators to measure progress towards results for project measures in Jijiga and Shire.
• Develop EIIP-related training materials for all categories of stakeholders.
• Train implementing partners and engineers/technicians in systems, procedures and tools used in EII project cycle management including standard procurement procedures, preparation of required work plans, reports (such as inventory, daily, weekly and monthly narrative and technical reports), maintenance plans as per agreed formats, standards and timing schedules.
• Collaborate with the programme agencies i.e. UNHCR, UNICEF, World Bank and IFC and assist their project teams to incorporate EII procedures in infrastructure project design and implementation.
• Design and implement EII pilot projects in Jijiga and Shire.
• Design and support the training of local small-scale contractors and technical supervision staff and assist with on-the-job guidance of contractors.
• Advice partners on all aspects of construction management including labour management, occupational safety and health, inventory management and the safe-keeping and maintenance of tools and equipment procured by the project.
• Supervise, assist and technically guide the contractor’s technical teams to ensure quality of work and timely delivery of technical inputs.
• Establish community maintenance groups, provide skills and business training for the maintenance of assets. Provide technical backstopping support to the groups; and
• Any other activity as may be requested in relation to the EIIP development and work under the programme in Ethiopia.

Required Qualifications

Education
First level University Degree in Civil Engineering. An advanced University Degree would be an advantage.

Experience
At least three years of experience in infrastructure sector and proven experience on employment intensive approach. Knowledge of governments' refugee programmes and modus operandi will be a plus. Familiarity with ILO policies, technical programmes and procedures, including experience working with officials of ministries of labour and/or education would be an advantage, as would experience of working in crisis settings.

Language

Excellent command of English and good working knowledge of Amharic.

Competencies

• Good knowledge about social, economic development, including labor and employment, trends in the country
• Ability to maintain good working relationships with all project stakeholders.
• Ability to establish and maintain systems within project operations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage technical co-operation projects of international organizations.
• Ability to understand and effectively work with Government, workers and employers organizations, non-government organizations and UN agencies.
• Ability to conduct action oriented research and write analytical technical report in English.
• Ability to conduct policy discussion and high-level political processes.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal, to successfully advocate for and mobilize action to promote freedom of association and right to collective bargaining principles.
• Clear commitment to mainstream gender into project activities.
• Ability to lead and work in a team and good interpersonal relations.
• Ability to train and guide personnel.
• Ability to work under time pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in diversified environments.
• Proficient in basic computer software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Reader) and ability to use other software packages required by the Office
• Ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision.

Recruitment process

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

Assessed candidates who will be considered as appointable but not selected for this position can also be offered to be assigned on another temporary position at the same or at a lower grade provided that said candidates possesses the minimum qualifications for this position.

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