Requisition ID: 5618
Grade: P3 (Specialist)
Country: Nigeria
Duty Station: Abuja
Category: International Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Non-staff Regular
Contract Duration: 6 months (with the possibility of extension)
Application Deadline: 20-May-2025, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)
Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.
Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.
Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization's application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization's normative contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.
The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.
The Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) works towards increasing the competitiveness of industries in developing countries and countries in transition, especially emphasizing business development of MSMEs engaged in manufacturing and creating jobs therein. It aims at increasing competitiveness among MSMEs in two interconnected ways: first, by modernizing businesses through the transfer of advanced technologies adapted to local conditions, product innovation, productivity improvement and upgrading, developing market and value chain readiness as well as improved access to finance; and second, by improving the quality of MSME manufactured products and their compliance with market requirements through capacity building for the development of industrial production and trade-related quality infrastructure including for standardization, metrology, accreditation and of conformity assessment service institutions (testing, certification, inspection and calibration) and the strengthening of their capacities.
PROJECT CONTEXTUNIDO Project Summary/Project Purpose>
ID 240104 - Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme – ECOWAS
The EU-funded Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, a Sub-Saharan African initiative aims at sustainably increasing intra-African and EU-Africa trade. In addition to a continental component, the programme comprises five regional components in the ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, ECCAS and EAC regions, building on existing or previous regional programmes (WACOMP in West Africa, MARKUP in East Africa, PIQAC in Central Africa, RECAMP and SIPS in Southern Africa).
The programme is implemented jointly by UNIDO and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
ITC is the joint technical cooperation agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in charge of the sustainable promotion of trade and exports from developing countries and economies in transition. The ITC aims to make micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries more competitive in global markets, accelerate economic development and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, the organization contributes to creating jobs along product value chains and promising services sectors, especially for young people and women.
The overall focus of this four-year ATCMA ECOWAS Programme is to address market access challenges faced by selected value chains in the West Africa region and enhance their competitiveness, through two pillars:
Supporting countries to benefit from trade opportunities by enabling them to conform with standards and technical regulations, requiring quality infrastructure and conformity assessment services, as well as by streamlining regulatory and procedural frameworks at the regional and national levels. The programme will help the African countries to benefit from trade opportunities by being able to conform with standards and technical regulations, which requires establishing efficient testing, certification and accreditation mechanisms that conform to the requirements of the SPS and TBT agreements and benefit from international recognition. It will also strengthen governmental institutions in their capacity of creating a more conducive business environment for MSMEs.
Maximizing MSME export potential and access to new markets by overcoming constraints or developing enablers like value addition, and export capacities: In order to maximise MSMEs export potential and support them to enter new markets, the Programme will also address other market access constraints or enablers: enhance value addition and export capacities through marketing, labelling, branding strategies, sustainability and environmental issues, technology transfer and processing for export, business promotion through market linkages and capacitate trade and investment support institutions. Support will be provided both at institutional and policy level, as well as at private sector level, with a primary focus on selected key export-oriented regional priority value chains. Particular focus on intra-African exports as well as exports to the EU will be given, so regions can fully exploit their trade-driven growth potential, with a view to contribute to sustainable growth and jobs creation.
The programme is thematically structured into five components leading to 5 outputs as follows:
In relation to Specific Objective 1:
Output 1.1: Market access barriers identified and reduced
Output 1.2: Strengthened quality compliance and standards
Output 1.3: Value-chain revision mechanism facilitated
In relation to Specific Objective 2:
Output 2.1: Enhanced value addition and diversification
Output 2.2: Enhanced SME capacities and opportunities for business and export
While UNIDO is in charge of implementing output 1.2 and 2.1., ITC is responsible for the implementation of output 1.1, 1.3 and 2.2.
To ensure an overall coherent umbrella ATCMA framework, coordination and complementarity between the Continental component and sub-regional components will be ensured throughout the overall programme implementation.
FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The International Monitoring & Evaluation Expert works under the overall guidance of the UNIDO Industrial Development Officer responsible for the project (Lead Programme Manager), Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) at UNIDO HQ, in close collaboration with the Industrial Development Expert at UNIDO HQ, the Regional Programme Manager in Abuja, and the UNIDO-ITC project teams in Abuja.
Overall Monitoring and Evaluation
- Development and Implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems: Design a monitoring and evaluation framework aligned with program objectives, EU OPSYS requirements and the specific M&E frameworks of UNIDO and ITC. This will include key performance indicators (KPIs), data sources, and collection methodologies, and develop data collection tools, tracking forms, and methodology guides adapted to the different types of data required (quantitative and qualitative).
- Data Collection and Analysis: Prepare monthly reports summarizing ongoing activities, results achieved, and gaps in relation to objectives. Identify potential obstacles and propose recommendations. Conduct in-depth analysis of semi-annual performance in relation to set goals. Include comparative analysis and identify trends.
- Support to Planning and Information Management: Create and maintain centralized database for the storage of means of verification and tracking of key indicators, facilitating access to and analysis of collected information. Provide analytical support for the development of operational plans based on monitoring data and evaluation results.
- Organize and facilitate training sessions for team members and local partners on monitoring and evaluation practices.
- Support regular reporting on the status of the achievement of the indicators of the logical framework of the programme and provide inputs to the progress reports.
- When required, assist project teams in conducting internal mid-term reviews of the programme in line with EU’s Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) in order to evaluate overall performance and progress and submit a report including findings, shortcomings and recommendations for corrective measures/actions and improvement of the projects’ interventions.
- Monitor, where relevant, the implementation of recommendations of ROM missions and provide guidance on M&E related recommendations and adjusted project activities.
- Provide inputs to the programme team for briefing project partners, donor, government and relevant stakeholders based on project highlights and experiences such as regional and country factsheets.
- In collaboration with the Regional Outreach & Advocacy Expert, provide inputs for programme narratives on impact for the beneficiaries.
- Prepare a final report covering the activities and the results of assignment.
- Carry out any other assignment as requested.
REQUIRED COMPETENCIES
Core Values
WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.
WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.
WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.
Key Competencies
WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.
WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.
WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.
WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.
MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS