Grade: NOA
Vacancy no.: DC/PRETORIA/NO/2023/03
Publication date: 25 October 2023
Application deadline (midnight local time): 17 November 2023
Job ID: 11348
Department: RO-Africa
Organization Unit: DWT/CO-Pretoria
Location: Maseru
Contract type: Fixed Term
Contract duration: 12 months
Under article 4.2, paragraph (e) of the Staff Regulations, the filling of vacancies in technical cooperation projects does not fall under Annex I of the Staff Regulations and is made by direct selection by the Director-General.
In order to support the best informed process in the filling of the above-mentioned vacancy by direct selection, the ILO invites interested candidates to submit their application online by the above date.
The following are eligible to apply:
*The recruitment process for National Officer positions is subject to specific local recruitment and eligibility criteria.
Technical cooperation appointments are not expected to lead to a career in the ILO and they do not carry any expectation of renewal or conversion to any other type of appointment in the Organization. A 12 months Fixed-term contract will be given. Extensions of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.
*Conditions of employment for external candidates: In conformity with existing ILO practice, the appointment of an external candidate will normally be made at the first step of this grade. The entry level salary for this position is NOA Step 1 of the UN salary scale.
The Expanding Enterprise Participation in the Textile and Clothing Global Value Chain Project is a sub-component of the broader World Bank funded Lesotho Competitiveness and Financial Inclusion Project (CAFI). The development objective is to expand the participation of Lesotho-based garment manufacturing enterprises in the Textile and Clothing (T&C) Global Value Chain (GVC) through a focus on increased productivity, growth, overall supply chain competitiveness with the aim of employment creation, and especially for Basotho owned and managed firms, many of which fall into the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) segment.
The project is a 42-month integrated set of international Technical Assistance (TA) interventions consisting of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) programme and the International Trade Center’s (ITC) Global Textile and Clothing (GTEX)pProgramme. The international TA phase will be followed by a 30-month national implementation phase. The project is designed and delivered jointly by ILO and ITC with technical support to individual firms that is tailor made to their needs, opportunities and challenges as well as their operational and manufacturing constraints. The technical assistance packages will consist of i) pre-production support to develop firm competencies to improve techniques for material sourcing and yarn and fabric knowledge, improvement of product design and product development; ii) production level support to improve operations and management through Continuous Improvement Projects (CIPs) and productivity improvement interventions and; iii) post-production support to strengthen firms’ abilities to market and brand products to regional and global markets, including coaching and training in high-performance sales and management along with the identification of new business opportunities through training on export and investment promotion, market and client diversification. The Project contributes to the ILO’s mandate to promote sustainable enterprises, productivity and just transition as a means to contribute to decent work in ILO Member States.
Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the National Project Officer (NPO) for GTEX will coordinate activities with the government, institutions and firms related to the implementation of the GTEX programme within the stated time frame and budget. S/he will contribute to the technical assistance to T&C relevant Business Support Organizations (BSOs), local institutions and firms, as well as liaise with the Government, the World Bank, social partners, national implementing partners, beneficiary enterprises (both Basotho and foreign), related NBSO and other stakeholders, under the guidance and direction of the Project Manager
Reporting lines
The position is located in Maseru, Lesotho under the overall responsibility of the Director of DWT/CO-Pretoria and will report to the ILO/ITC Project Manager. S/he will work closely with the National Project Officer for SCORE and other project staff in the team. S/he will also coordinate closely with ITC international experts on all technical issues related to the GTEX programme and be backstopped by ITC, Geneva. Additional technical backstopping will also be provided by the ILO Decent Work Team in Pretoria, the Productivity and Working Conditions team in the SME Unit of the ENTERPRISES Department at ILO Headquarters, Geneva
The NPO will be responsible for coordinating activities with governments, institutions and enterprises related to the implementation of the GTEX programme. Their specific functions are as follows:
1. Support the implementation of the GTEX Programme within the framework of the Project, and ensure that project outputs and targets are met by taking relevant and timely actions.
2. Support the preparation, review and update of workplans, budgets, briefs, progress reports and other project documents.
3. Coordinate the implementation of GTEX related activities at the firm level and in this process work closely with national and international T&C specialists with expertise along the T&C value chain, consultants and service providers to strengthen the pre-production and post-production capacities of firms.
4. Collect and analyse national development plans and priorities including gender analysis and mainstreaming, socioeconomic data, reports and other relevant information required for planning project activities.
5. Support the development of a Monitoring and Results Measurement (MRM) system to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of the project and its impact at institutional, business support organisation and firm levels.
6. Liaise with relevant ITC and ILO technical units, donors, national stakeholders, government offices, employers’ and workers’ organisations, private sector organizations and other organizations as well as beneficiary enterprises (both Basotho and foreign) to expedite implementation to meet targets, and provide relevant information on project progress when needed.
7. Support the organization of conferences, seminars, workshops, training sessions and knowledge sharing session and meetings, both virtual and in person) related to the Project. This includes trade fair participations abroad as well as outgoing or incoming B2B meetings.
8. Perform any other related duties required for the project’s satisfactory progress and delivery.
9. Create linkages between the Lesotho project and ITC GTEX programmes and share experiences and lessons learned with NPOs in other GTEX countries
First level university degree in Social Sciences, Business, Economics, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
At least two years of relevant experience at the national level in the implementation of projects in the areas of value chain development and SME development, preferably in the T&C sector. Demonstrated expertise and experience in the pre-and post-production stages of the T&C sector is an asset.
Fluent in written and spoken English as well as working knowledge of Sesotho.
Required Competencies:
• Ability to take ownership of a wide range of responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical, and organizational norms, and to meet assigned activities and commitments within the prescribed time, cost, and quality standards.
• Good negotiation skills, ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Good decision making and problem-solving skills.
• Good knowledge of programme and budget, project administration and evaluation techniques and procedures.
• Ability to perform a variety of conceptual analyses related to SME development, productivity and supply chain competitiveness
• Ability to analyse problems with project implementation and generate effective solutions.
• Ability to prepare reports, publications and training materials and project proposals of high quality.
• Excellent analytical skills and organizational skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member in a multicultural team.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive partnerships within and outside UN, including with workers’ and employers’ organizations, government agencies and line Ministries, BDS providers and research institutions.
• Clear commitment to mainstream gender into project activities.
• Ability to work under time pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
\"Candidates assessed by the Panel and considered to be eligible for appointment but who are not selected for this vacant post may be offered an assignment to another position at the same or lower grade provided they meet the minimum qualifications required.\"
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.
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