National Project Coordinator

Introduction

The National Project Coordinator (NPC) will coordinate the implementation of the following two complementary programmes namely, 1) Advancing Decent Work and Inclusive Industrialization (ONEILO Siraye Programme) focusing on SCORE Ethiopia and wage components 2) Setting adequate wages: a focus on agriculture (SAW-A), that focus on improving productivity and supporting wage-setting mechanisms in Ethiopia. The programmes are aligned to the national development framework, Home Grown Economic Reform (HEGR), that outlines improving productivity and working conditions by promoting and nurturing sound labour relations practices and stakeholder dialogue. 

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Advancing Decent Work and Inclusive Industrialization (ONEILO Siraye Programme)

Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) Ethiopia is one of the components of the Advancing Decent Work and Inclusive Industrialization in Ethiopia (ONEILO SIRAYE) Program. SCORE Ethiopia aims to improve the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises at all stages of development in tandem with improving working conditions, social dialogue, and wages.  

The SCORE interventions were initially piloted in the textile and garment sector, followed by the expansion of the interventions into other sectors and sectors that create opportunities for industrialization, job creation, and inclusive economic growth. This will be achieved through interventions at factory, sectoral and national levels to improve worker wellbeing, increase income and achieve higher industry productivity and competitiveness.

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SCORE Ethiopia deliver service at the enterprise level by engaging national trainers and implementation partners through Training of Trainers (ToT), followed by practical implementation of the ToT knowledge through Training of Enterprises (ToE), supports businesses to increase their productivity, competitiveness and working conditions on sustainable manner. SCORE intervention takes into consideration equal participation of men and women in the workplace (gender equality), inclusiveness and reduction of negative impacts of business operations on the environment.

SCORE is one of the components of Advancing Decent Work and Inclusive Industrialization in Ethiopia (ONEILO SIRAYE) programme that brings together ILO’s key technical departments and programmes such as BetterWork, Vision Zero Fund, SCORE, LABADMIN and INWORK to strengthen factory level action, build labour inspectorate capacity, improve working conditions, wage setting mechanism, promote sound industrial relations and, ultimately, provide a blueprint for the rollout of decent work practices at the enterprise, sectoral and national levels.

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Setting adequate wages: a focus on agriculture (SAW-A)

SAW-A project promotes the setting of adequate wages in agriculture through statutory minimum wages and/or collective bargaining as a means to enable decent living standards for workers and their families, while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of enterprises which create the jobs for these workers. As many workers in agriculture are independent workers, the project also seeks to explore how interventions on different economic factors, including measures to increase productivity, might be combined to raise their labour incomes.

Wage-setting mechanisms and institutions are weak in Ethiopia. The government has not yet adopted a national minimum wage and collective agreements are rare. The capacities of the constituents must be built and strengthen in the domain. The project will accompany this process through studies, training and awareness initiatives.

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Low productivity is also one important reason why wages and labour incomes are often low in agriculture. This is particularly the case in the informal economy, where the vast majority of enterprises are micro and small units, and where productivity is on average much lower than in the formal economy. A high incidence of informality also represents one of the most significant challenges to productivity growth. Hence, the project strategy will go beyond the realm of wage-setting mechanisms alone and include consideration of economic factors, such as measures to raise productivity. The project seeks to identify macroeconomic factors and institutions that enable sustainable wage and/or labour income growth and supports measures to raise productivity among enterprises and independent workers in the agricultural supply chains. The project also explores how demand for more sustainable products or trading practices can be a lever for higher wages and labour incomes in producing countries.

Reporting line

Under the guidance of the Director of the ILO Country Office and ONEILO Siraye Programme CTA, the National Project Coordinator (NPC) will establish and maintain working relationships with concerned government representatives and offices, employers’ associations and workers’ organizations, and key project stakeholders.

The NPC will be based in the ILO Country Office in Addis Ababa. S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Siraye Programme CTA and will receive guidance from wage and social dialogue specialists in Cairo and the Technical backstopping of SCORE Global.

Key duties and responsibilities summary

• Responsible for effective management, coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all project activities in conformity with ILO result based management programming principles, reporting obligations and administrative and financial procedures.
• Develop strategies, innovative interventions, and approaches for delivering the project objectives and ensuring gender equality and women’s empowrment in consultation with enterprise, sectoral and national level stakeholders’ government, and other partners.
• Identify problems, propose solutions applying the gender Lense, and follow-up with staff and specialists in the ILO Country Office and Decent Work Team in Cairo, as well as government officials, constituents, and other organizations to expedite implementation and meet targets.
• Organise and promote evidence-based social dialogue on wages and productivity among the ILO’s constituents and critical stakeholders.
• Organise, participate as a resource person, and represent both projects in national/sub-national level consultative meetings, seminars and training workshops related to wages and productivity.
• Prepare and/or provide inputs to terms-of-references for consultants and conduct an organizational capacity assessment of potential partners before engaging them as implementation partners in line with the project document and following ILO financial and procurement standards.

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• Supervise the performance of SCORE trainers, service providers, and implementation partners to ensure gender equality, service quality and sustainability and facilitate the certification of SCORE trainers based on the pre-set evaluation criteria.
• Provide strategic and authoritative advice to SCORE Implementation Partners and Trainers for optimum delivery of activities, outputs and outcomes expected at organizational and national level.
• Establish and maintain close and positive relations with the relevant national and sub-national authorities. Links with employers' and workers' organizations and other stakeholders like international organizations, non-governmental organisations, private sector actions and the media and participate in inter-agency and multi-stakeholders groups regarding wages and productivity to fulfil both projects’ mandates.
• Identify and document good practices, lessons learned, and relevant experiences that may be shared within ILO or other countries covered by the project or at the regional or global level. These experiences may also be used to develop sub-regional/regional activities and tools.
• Keep abreast of changes, adopt and innovate SCORE work procedures as well as applicable standards in consultation with Siraye programme manager, SCORE Global team, SCORE trainers and implementation partners.
• Coordinate wage and SCORE interventions with the rest of the components under the Siraye Programme and other projects in the office to ensure delivering of high-level results as ONE.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned.

Minimum requirements

Education

• University degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in law, engineering, architecture, economics, social science, public policies, business administration, development studies or a relevant field.

Experience

• Minimum of three years of professional work experience in the area of project management, implementation, monitoring & evaluation, and enterprise development. Ability to build relationships with and navigate different priorities of relevant stakeholders. Proven experience in result-based management, working effectively with government bodies in charge of policymaking, the private sector and development partners. ILO or UN experience in the relevant field will be an advantage. Proven experience in overseeing the work of others such as service providers and implementation partners will be an asset.

Languages

• Excellent command of English and working knowledge of Amharic. Knowledge of additional national languages is advantageous.

Competencies

• Understanding of issues related to productivity, wage settings, inclusive workplaces and working condones and decent work in general.
• Ability to create and maintain strategic partnership with ILO tri-partite constituents, development partners, private and public sector service providers and implementation partners.  
• Knowledge of programme and budget, project administration and evaluation concepts and procedures.
• Knowledge of the mandate and structure of labour market institutions in Ethiopia
• Strong analytical skills and ability to justify requirements and approaches to problem resolution.
• Good drafting skills, ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyse problems.

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• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work effectively with a multicultural and interdisciplinary team and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
• Ability to work independently, quickly, precisely, and take initiative and responsibility.
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, web-browsers and database applications.

• Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with people in a polite, courteous, and cooperative manner, with high standards of ethical conduct.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently in an outcomes-based work culture as well as collaborating to the work as a team.