Grade: NOB
Vacancy no.: DC/MANILA/NO/2024/07
Publication date: 26 June 2024
Application deadline (midnight local time): 10 July 2024
Job ID: 12062
Department: RO-Asia and the Pacific
Organization Unit: CO-Manila
Location: Manila
Contract type: Fixed Term
Contract duration: One year (with possibility of extension)
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:
- ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations.
- External candidates*
*The recruitment process for National Officer positions is subject to specific local recruitment and eligibility criteria.
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.
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 one-year 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 1,745,899 (in Philippine pesos) annual net pensionable remuneration based on the UN Salary Scale for the National Officer Category, effective November 2023.
Introduction
The International Labour Organization (ILO) joined hands with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) to form a programme titled, โInclusive, Competitive and Responsible Digital Philippines (Digital-PINAS).โ The three-year joint UN programme (hereinafter JP), to be funded by the Digital Transformation Window of the Joint SDG Fund, aims to enhance digital skills of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), promote meaningful digital adoption, and create an enabling and gender-responsive policy and regulatory environment, thereby facilitating a holistic and sustainable digital transition in the Philippines. The JP adopts a three-pillar strategyโ Digital Empowerment of MSMEs, Inclusive Connectivity and E-services, and Facilitative Environment โensuring a comprehensive and integrated approach to digital empowerment.
With regard to the ILO assistance under JP, the programme will build on the experience of supporting the digitalization of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the preceding ILO project, โBringing Back Jobs Safely under the COVID 19 Crisis in the Philippines: Rebooting Small and Informal Businesses Safely and Digitally (BBJS)โ as well as other relevant projects and activities on skills and entrepreneurship (Skills for Prosperity; Women in STEM; Rebuilding Better), digital wage payment (Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work), and social protection and the informal economy (Rise from Multiple Crises through the Integrated Formalization of Informal Economy with Social Protection and Decent Work in the Philippines; Support to the Social Protection Floor; Study on Shock-Response Social Protection under the Global Crisis on Food and Energy; Rollout of ILO R204 to the Regional Development Councils) among others.
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ILOโs role under the JP will include: i) demonstrating capacity building at scale through the training-of-trainer (ToT) for the local capacity building partners, ii) supporting specific elements of the e-government services/educational resources/business support tools to MSMEs and entrepreneurs, and iii) supporting the policy dialogue based on the systemic assessment. Some of the important details of each will be as follows:
Under i):
- Massive ToT and coaching on AI-aided digital entrepreneurship (building on the SIYB training programme which incorporated digital apps and AI use cases under BBJS)
- ToT and coaching on digitally- and AI-empowered productivity training for MSMEs (building on the SCORE training programme first introduced to the Philippines under BBJS).
- ToT and coaching on digital financial literacy (building on the Global Financial Education programme that included digital financial services basics under BBJS).
- Replication of ToT and awareness-raising on digital wage payment (in collaboration with the Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work project).
- Training and coaching on ICT hard skills and soft skills in collaboration with the Digitaljobs.PH program of Department of ICT (DICT) (building on the collaboration through Women in STEM).
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Under ii):
- Support the introduction of the digitalized Labour Market Information System (LMIS) and digitalized career counselling services by the select local governments.
- Demonstrate digital access to social security as part of the e-government services in remote areas (in collaboration with Rise from Multiple Crises through the Integrated Formalization of Informal Economy with Social Protection and Decent Work in the Philippines).
- Support operationalization of the AR/MR-aided TVET training and certification at a TESDA Innovation Center.
Under iii):
- Update the MSME digitalization ecosystem analysis (building on the preliminary mapping study under BBJS).
- Promote policy dialogue on the topics covered by the ILO under the JP.
Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and the SDG Fund Secretariat, the MSME Digitalization Coordinator will ensure the delivery and implementation of the expected outputs and objectives under the technical purview of the ILO. Note that there will be an overall project management unit under the purview of UNDP, and that the ILOโs MSME Digitalization Coordinator will be responsible to deliver the ILO activities while closely coordinating with the project management unit and the concerned officials of the three participating UN organizations (PUNOs).
Reporting lines
The Programme Officer will be based in Manila, Philippines. Duty station may change depending on the regional priorities to be agreed with other UN partners.
He/She will work under the supervision of the Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines (CO-Manila) and will closely coordinate with and receive guidance from the principal backstopping officials such as the Enterprise Development Specialist and Senior Programme Officer of CO-Manila.
The MSME Digitalization Coordinator will facilitate close coordination with the overall project management unit of the JP (under the purview of UNDP) for the purposes of programme meetings, presentation, monitoring, reporting and communication as well as generating synergies with other activities conducted by other PUNOs (UNPD and ITC). S/he will also coordinate with the concerned officials of PUNOs as well as the Resident Coordinatorโs Office (RCO) and DICT, both of which are the Co-Chairs of JP Steering Committee.
The incumbent will further coordinate activities under the technical guidance and advice from the technical units of Sustainable Enterprises, Productivity and Just Transition Department (ENTERPRISES) as well as other relevant technical departments/bureaus/units in ILO Headquarters and the concerned specialists of ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and Southeast Asia (DWT-Bangkok). Note that the Enterprise Development Specialist of CO-Manila represents the ENTERPRISES for the Philippines and helps connect to respective technical units and experts as needed.
Description of Duties
The Programme Officer will lead and manage the above-mentioned activities of the JP under the purview of ILO and ensure its timely implementation, including provision of technical and administrative supervision to the ILO project team in line with the ILO policy, rules and regulations and in accordance to the final project document. Key responsibilities include strategic planning, management of project resources, coordination with tripartite partners (government, employersโ, and workersโ organizations both at the national and local levels) and other stakeholders, collaborating with the JP project management unit, liaising with PUNOs, RCO and other development partners, monitoring progress of the ILO-supported activities against objectives, and ensuring high-level communications to increase visibility of JP. The incumbent will also provide high quality technical inputs and advice on key outputs and activities of the project in close coordination with the relevant ILO specialists and, when appropriate, external consultants. The incumbent will ensure that the JP contributes to and leverages ongoing ILO country interventions under the framework of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) of the Philippines (i.e., the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (SDCF).
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