Grade: P5
Vacancy no.: RAPS/3/2023/AF/02
Publication date: 7 July 2023
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 7 August 2023
Job ID: 11012
Department: RO-Africa
Organization Unit: RO-Africa
Location: Abidjan
Contract type: Fixed Term
The following are eligible to apply:
- ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the ILO Staff Regulations.
- External candidates.
Staff members with at least five years of continuous service with the Office are encouraged to apply.
Applications from candidates who have already separated from ILO service upon retirement or early retirement, will not be considered.
The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.
The ILO welcomes applicants with experience in working within ILO constituents (governments, employersโ and business membership organizations, and workersโ organizations).
Applicants from non- or under-represented member States, or from those member States which staffing forecasts indicate will become non- or under-represented in the near future would be particularly welcome. A list of these countries can be found here: ILO Jobs: Non- and under-represented Member States
In addition to the interviews and tests that any candidate may be required to take, successful completion of the ILO Assessment Centre is required for all external candidates and any internal candidate applying to a higher category.
Notwithstanding the general considerations set out in the ILO Staff Regulations, this vacancy announcement is the only authoritative document pertaining to the qualifications required for this position. The minimum required qualifications were determined in view of the specific duties and responsibilities of this position.
The specific language requirements for this position are detailed hereunder. However, candidates applying for the professional category vacancies who have not already successfully completed their probationary period within the ILO and whose mother tongue is not one of the working languages of the Office (English, French and Spanish), shall be required to possess a fully satisfactory working knowledge of at least one of the ILO working languages. If appointed they may be required to acquire a knowledge of a second working language of the Office during their initial years of service.
Introduction
This position is located in the ILO Regional Office for Africa based in Abidjan, Cรดte dโIvoire. RO-Africa has overall political and management responsibility for the operations of the ILO's network of country offices and Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWTs) in the African Region, providing strategic guidance and support to the promotion of ILO's principles and policies.
The Chief of the Regional Programming Unit (CRPU) will be responsible for leading and managing the work of the Regional Programming Unit (RPU) of the ILO Regional Office for Africa (ROAF). The incumbent will strategically assist regional management and field offices in the region in programming resources for all sources of funds as well as supporting the coordination, monitoring, and reporting on ILO's activities in the region. In close collaboration with the Strategic Programming and Management Department (PROGRAM) at headquarters, the incumbent will provide support at regional, subregional and country levels in the area of strategic planning, resource allocation, country programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge management. He/she will be responsible for ensuring quantitative and qualitative delivery of the programmes and development cooperation projects and programme in the region in line with results-based management (RBM) principles. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring coherent programming and resourcing of ILO activities in the region in line with identified constituent needs and set priorities, within the overall framework of implementing the ILO's Decent Work Agenda. Moreover, the incumbent will provide support at regional, sub regional and country levels to the implementation of the decisions of the Africa Regional Meetings, as well as decisions of the Governing Body and International Labour Conference, as appropriate.
The position reports to the Deputy Regional Director under the overall guidance of the Regional Director and receives technical guidance and advice from the Strategic Programming and Management Department at ILO headquarters. The position is a part of the Regional Management Team as well as the PROGRAM Global Technical Team.
Specific Duties
1.Plan, manage, and supervise the work of the RPU at the Regional Office and support priority setting at regional and country levels.
2.Provide support to Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWTs) and Country Offices (COs) in the development, implementation, and monitoring of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) or other programming frameworks at national and subregional levels in the region. This includes leading the quality assurance process for DWCPs, facilitating periodic Country Programme Reviews and providing advice on the establishment of programmes' governance mechanisms. Ensure that gender equality, non-discrimination and other cross-cutting issues are given appropriate consideration in programme design, implementation and reporting in line with relevant guidance.
3.Identify and define regional priorities and outcomes within the framework of the Outcome-based Work Plans (OBW) and provide support to DWTs and COs in the region in the formulation of OBW for the biennium. Maintain close liaison with relevant technical units at headquarters to plan, articulate and support the implementation of Country Programme Outcomes. Coordinate the regular region-wide reviews of OBWs in consultation with the responsible lead officials at headquarters and PROGRAM.
4.Coordinate the planning and programming of regular budget and associated resources, RBTC, PSI, RBSA, as well as extra-budgetary resources, in the region. Monitor delivery of all sources of funds and propose appropriate action to regional management and office directors in the region.
5.Coordinate the preparation of the region's Programme and Budget proposals. Plan and coordinate the biennial implementation reporting exercise and provide quality assurance.
6.In consultation with PROGRAM, monitor programme implementation to ensure conformity with the ILO's Programme and Budget objectives and RBM. Propose changes in programme orientation and work methods.
7.Provide guidance on development cooperation policies and procedures and coordinate the formulation of regional development cooperation proposals and ensure quality assurance of proposals, including through building staff capacity on project cycle management and results-based management.
8.Lead the regional monitoring and evaluation function, ensuring the soundness of M&E systems and enhancing evaluation capacity and culture within the region. Ensure that gender equality, non-discrimination and other cross-cutting issues are given appropriate consideration in evaluation design, analysis and reporting in accordance with EVAL guidance and in line with the United Nations system-wide action plan and UN Evaluation Group gender-related guidance and reporting requirements.
9.Lead efforts to enhance programming capacity in the region, including through briefings and capacity development activities for Programming staff, Evaluation focal points and constituents. Guide the development of knowledge management systems and tools to support priority setting and decision-making.
10. Perform other relevant duties as assigned.These specific duties are aligned with the relevant ILO generic job description, which includes the following generic duties:
optional section (only if needed)
Generic Duties
1.Responsible for the review, analysis, and interpretation of economic, social, and political trends in the region to provide recommendations to regional management on technical assistance needs and the formulation of regional priorities. Prepare papers and reports in this respect and oversee the formulation of regional development cooperation programmes and projects in consultation with the relevant technical areas.
2.Coordinate the planning and programming of regular budget resources in the region and the preparation of relevant reports, including the regional department's programme and budget proposals.
3.Coordinate and advise on matters of project design and evaluation in the region, for all sources of funds, and assist regional management in recommending the establishment of new, or modification of existing, regional objectives and priorities, promoting joint collaborative work on programme development and implementation.
4.Identify trends or developments in the region for which further research and programme development work is required. Provide advice to and assist country offices, DWTs, governments, social partners, UN and other funding agencies on the review and formulation of programmes.
5.Establish and maintain relations and negotiations with other UN agencies, funding agencies and other international agencies in the region, and prepare relevant papers, reports, and consultation programmes.
6.Implement a monitoring and evaluation programme to assess the progress attained by activities in the region, of which the monitoring and evaluation reports will serve as the basis for planning future work as well as the foundation for drawing broader conclusions relevant to the general policies of the organization in the region.
7.Coordinate and monitor matters of development cooperation in the region. Serve as focal point and provide advice on policies. Coordinate multi-bilateral project submissions from the region. Advise on relations with development banks, develop monitoring systems for project pipelines, and plan and organize related briefing and staff training programmes.
8.Coordinate the planning, formulation, and implementation of multi-country development cooperation activities across offices, including regional and sub-regional projects, and supervise and manage programme development, and project and resource control.Required qualifications
Education
Advanced university degree (Masterโs or equivalent) in economics, business or public administration, social science or other related field. A first-level university degree (Bachelorโs or equivalent) in in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
Experience
At least ten years of professional experience in programme planning, management, implementation and evaluation, including at the international level.
Languages
Excellent command of English and/or French and working knowledge of the second language.
Competencies
In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:
Technical competencies
Excellent knowledge of the organization's policies, procedures, practices, and programmes, including programming techniques and cycles. Excellent knowledge of the Strategic Management Module in IRIS or other ERP systems, ideally Oracle-based. Demonstrated ability to conduct socio-economic research and analysis, and to write reports. Proven ability to undertake complex policy analyses and to produce policy reports. Ability to represent the Organization and to provide authoritative advice and guidance. Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, and proven ability to motivate and train staff. Excellent managerial skills. Thorough knowledge of international development cooperation policies and procedures.Behavioural competencies
Ability to work in a multicultural environment and demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitude.
Conditions of employment
- Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to ILO Staff Regulations and other relevant internal rules. Any offer of employment with the ILO is conditional upon certification by the ILO Medical Adviser that the person concerned is medically fit to perform the specific inherent requirements of the position offered. In order to confirm an offer from the ILO the successful candidate will be required to undergo a medical examination.
- The first contract will be issued for a twenty-four month period.
- A successful external candidate will be on probation for the first two years of assignment.
- Any extension of contract beyond the probation period is subject to satisfactory conduct and performance.
For more information on conditions of employment, please visit the ILO Jobs International Recruitment page.
Important Information
Any officials of the General Service category interested in applying to this position are hereby informed that, if selected, they will be offered the salary and allowances applicable to the grade of the position applied for, which may result in substantial changes in their take-home remuneration. In accordance with Article 3.4 of the Staff Regulations, the salary of an official, upon promotion, shall in no case be greater than the maximum salary of the grade to which he or she was promoted. For any questions or clarifications, please contact your HR partner at hrpartner@ilo.org
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.
Evaluation (which may include one or several written tests and a pre-interview competency-based assessment centre) and the interviews will tentatively take place during the 3 to 4 months following the application deadline. Candidates are requested to ensure their availability should they be short listed for further consideration.
Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including assessment centres, technical tests or interviews.
The ILO has zero tolerance for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and is determined to ensure that all staff members and all beneficiaries of ILO assistance do not suffer, directly or indirectly, from sexual exploitation and abuse.
To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organisation, the ILO may conduct a background verification of candidates under consideration.Fraud warning
The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.