ILO Project Officer Job in Nairobi

Post Title: Project Officer

Level: NOA

Duration: 10 months (with possibility of extension)

Duty station: Nairobi, Kenya

Community Security through engaging with Youth at Risk

Background

The challenges of implementing a high profile project such as the Community Security through engaging with Youth at Risk, the project, in the environment of Somalia should not be under estimated.

The security setting, the political landscape and the (often) conflicting expectations of communities, local and central authorities and international donors presents a challenge to any organisation. This assignment will support delivery of the project components in various regions of Somalia and will require an ability to work in a complex, changeable, environment where the need to manage process is paramount if tangible benefits are to be delivered.

However, regardless of the operational, political and security challenges the project may face, the ultimate responsibility of the UN agencies (UNICEF is also a partner alongside UNDP and ILO) involved is to deliver tangible benefits to people through working with local teams and partners.

Due to the security situation in southern Somalia, significant aspects of all UN agencies’ international teams currently operate out of Nairobi thus the skills of distance management are to the fore and the need to have both systems and people in place able to manage in this manner is critical to the ability to deliver both quality and at a quantity to make a difference in terms of employment related benefits.

The project will reintegrate youth who have become involved, or could be susceptible to becoming involved, in some form of crime detrimental to community security.

On the reintegration side, the approach is to use employment intensive work, a process of skills development founded on individual assessment, employment-related surveys as a springboard for building longer term job opportunities generating longevity in decent work opportunities created.

This means, once immediate jobs have been created through intensive labour practices, further skills development will be undertaken alongside priming of local economies. This position will work in close collaboration with Programme Officers and Technical Advisors and Programme Managers/Coordinators in both UNDP and ILO linking to UNICEF.

The position will contribute to coordination with parallel/complementary projects and programming. For example, close linkage with the UN’s Joint Programme Local Governance and Decentralised Service Delivery, will be required to take forward the results achieved fitting to other work on employment generation in the target areas for the project.

ILO’s work with Somaliland, Puntland and southern Somalia to develop an interim Decent Work Country Programme will be a guiding example of how collaboration is to be developed. UNDP’s Country Programme Strategy 2010-2015 also promotes complementary results and has followed a similar participatory path. All programming fits within the UNSAS and builds on the ethos of delivering as one UN.

Project Context

The project document will be made available to those candidates meeting the initial requirements for second round of interviewing.

Responsibilities

The Project Officer will be expected to:

• Contribute to the overall delivery of the project., through team work and supervision of specific delegated responsibilities for running aspects of the project
• Manage specific targets as set out in the project document related to the reintegration of beneficiaries of the project
• Coordinate to ensure effective, efficient delivery of components deemed the responsibility of specific agencies, notably ILO and UNDP but also ensuring coherence with UNICEF’s undertakings
• Work within the project team to define work plans
• Undertake a supervisory role for the implementation of work plans when so delegated by managers and advisors associated with the project
• Ensure close collaboration between technical experts and individual agency financial and administration systems for the effective delivery of multi component processes in different geographical locations

Further, the Project Officer will:

• Supervise processes within the relevant organisational finance and administration, draft service agreements/other contractual arrangement with partners and prepare terms of reference (ToR), work plans and budgets; as well as means to supervise and monitor such agreements. Support the procurement process including the adjudication of tenders.
• Participate and contribute to project and thematic collaboration and other processes
• Complement the work of ILO and UNDP technical advisers and team members, ensuring linkage between the project and other components within the ILO and UNDP Somalia Strategies
• Contribute to “one UN” harmonization processes; participate in specific clusters/working groups of the UN joint programme framework.
• In close collaboration with other UN partners, develop strategic entry points to enhance linkages among similar UN supported initiatives, in particular support to macro-level policy, institution building and common systems
• Promote the ILO Decent Work and UNDP Country Strategy agenda as it applies to project activities.
• Liaise and co-ordinate with NGOs, other UN Agencies and government departments operating complementary activities and initiatives
• Under the guidance of the Project Manager and relevant Managers in UNDP and ILO, take an active part in specialist fora with regard to employment related work in the UN system.
• Under the guidance of the Project Manager and relevant Managers in UNDP and ILO and in liaison with colleagues, take forward UNDP’s and ILO’s position in cross cutting themes such as gender, disability and environment.
• Promote full participation of all the stakeholders in order to promote empowerment and ownership and contribute to the ‘one UN voice’ on gender, human rights and HIV/AIDS in particular.

Qualifications, Experience and Personal Attributes

• University degree in public administration, development project management or related field.
• At least 5 years professional work experience in youth focused or demobilisation and reintegration or employment generation programmes
• Experienced in active labour market programme development and implementation.
• Knowledge of the Somalia context.
• Demonstrable extensive working experience in project management,
• Have high degree of professionalism, consistently approaches work with energy and positive, constructive attitude. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.
• Maturity to peer manage partner relations in all facets of project work.
• Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view
• Aptitude and attitude to learn and develop personally within the present and future requirements of the programme
• Planning and Organizing: Develops work plans consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve defined project results; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Ability to work in a multi-disciplined and multi-cultural team.
• Communication: Ability to write in clear and concise manner and to communicate effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Ability to speak, read and write in Somali a distinct advantage
• Willingness and ability to spend 50percent of time on mission in various parts of Somalia a prerequisite

Submission of Applications

Please send your curriculum vitae marked “Project Officer- Nairobi” by 06 April 2011 to:

The Chief Technical Adviser,
ILO Somalia/Employment for Peace Programme,
UNOPS Compound, UN Avenue, Gigiri,
P.O Box 39981, 00623-Nairobi, Kenya.

Email: hrsomalia@ilo.org

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