Title: National Chief Technical Advisor
Requisition ID: 3418
Grade: SB5 – Local Professional (Mid-Level & Senior)
Country: Afghanistan
Duty Station: Kabul
Category: National Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Non-staff Regular
Contract Duration: 6 months (with possibility of extension)
Application deadline: 20-Feb-2024, 11:59 PM (CEST)
Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
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.
The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, oversees the Organization’s development of capacities for industrial development as well as industrial policy advice, statistics and research activities and the Organization’s normative contribution to Member States and global development community in achieving the SDGs. The Directorate also ensures the application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to Environment, Energy, SMEs, Competitiveness and Job creation, as well as Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute toward effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results and on realizing any potential for scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.
The Directorate houses the technical Divisions of Capacity Development and Industrial Policy Advice (TCS/CAP); Circular Economy and Environmental Protection (TCS/CEP); Decarbonization and Sustainable Energy (TCS/DSE); SMEs, Competitiveness and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and AI Strategies (TCS/DAS). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET).
This position is located under the Competitiveness, Quality and Compliance Unit (TCS/SME/CQC) which builds national and regional production and quality infrastructure systems, with an emphasis on providing internationally recognized services, facilitating SME participation in regional and global value chains; strengthening institutional quality infrastructure capacities (i.e. standardization, metrology, and accreditation); building conformity assessment capacities (testing, inspection, certification, calibration, etc.); and supporting trade facilitation and quality awareness with the public sector, economic operators and consumers, placing a special emphasis on capacitating SMEs.
PROJECT CONTEXT Overview/UNIDO Project Summary/Project Purpose>
SAP ID 230127 (STFA Joint Programme for the South-Eastern Region of Afghanistan: Addressing Basic Human Needs (‘JP-South-Eastern’).
The current situation in Afghanistan continues to call for life-saving assistance and for the provision of essential services to help meet basic human needs among vulnerable communities in the country: against this backdrop, the United Nations remains committed to ‘stay and deliver’ for the people of Afghanistan. The new UN Transitional Engagement Framework (TEF), launched in January 2024, represents the common basis for the United Nations and partners to deliver a coordinated and effective crisis response after the power shift in August 2021.
The programme contributes directly to two main outcomes of the TEF: to sustain essential services (Outcome 2); and to preserve social investments and community-level systems essential to meeting basic human needs (Outcome 3). It is part of the unprecedented efforts of the United Nations and partners to ‘deliver as one’ in the new socio-economic and political landscape in Afghanistan. As of April 2022, seventeen Agencies, Funds and Programmes (AFPs) have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as Participating UN Organisations (PUNOs) of the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA); seven of these PUNOs are implementing partners under this initiative. For the first time, these PUNOs are engaging in such a comprehensive joint programme to deliver assistance with speed and scale on the ground in Afghanistan.
UNIDO’s contribution to the STFA Joint Programme in Southeastern region focuses on economic recovery through enterprise development, which is captured in outcome 2 of the programme, namely:
Outcome 2: By the end of 2025, more people in Afghanistan, notably women and vulnerable groups, will benefit from an increasingly inclusive economy, with greater equality of economic opportunities, jobs, more resilient livelihoods, strengthened food value chains, and improved natural resources management.
To this end, UNIDO will focus on three outputs.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Chief Technical Advisor will work under the overall supervision of the UNIDO Project Manager (PM) and will have the duties and responsibilities listed below. The UNIDO Country Office in Afghanistan will provide guidance and supervision as necessary.
Main Duties
Project Coordination:
– Coordinate with STFA;
– Collaborate with sister agencies operating in the Southeastern region and contributing to DAO 4, 6, and 7’;
– Establish coordination with both national and local government;
– Coordination with public and private institutions that are sub-contracted to ensure implementation of project activities aligns with the established work-plan;
– Create synergies with ongoing initiatives of other development agencies.
Project Implementation:
– Identify needs for the recruitment of national experts, draft job descriptions (JD), and identify needs for subcontracting services;
– Identify suitable service providers and draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for subcontracted services;
– Undertake missions to the project areas, especially southeastern provinces;
– Execute specific activities such as assessment, training, procurement of equipment, etc., based on the work-plan;
– Follow UNIDO guidelines for the execution of activities;
– Follow up with project experts and service providers to ensure the timely implementation of their activities and achievement of expected results.
Project Monitoring and Reporting:
– Monitor the implementation of project activities in accordance with the work-plan;
– Monitor the activities of project staff, project experts, and service providers, and follow up to ensure timely submission of reports. Provide advice on corrective measures when necessary to ensure the timely completion of activities based on the Terms of Reference (ToR);
– Monitor the disbursement of grants by intermediary organizations. Conduct spot checks and assess the implementation of the grant scheme based on UNIDO grant policy and the achievement of results as per ToR with the intermediary organization;
– Monitor the overall implementation of the STFA joint program in the Southeastern region. Ensure alignment of project activities with the goals of the program;
– Monitor the overall political, social, and economic context at the national and Southeast regional levels, as well as provide input to project management for necessary adaptive measures;
– Draft and submit regular progress reports based on the given template;
– Report on key performance indicators of the project;
– Create and regularly update the database for project Key Performance Indicators (KPIs);
– Coordinate baselines and impact assessment studies;
– Ensure reports from project experts and service providers are complete and based on the agreed template.
Project Communication and Advocacy:
– Stakeholder mapping and understanding of different public and private sector stakeholders;
– Maintenance of transparent and trustful relationships with project counterparts and stakeholders;
– Organization of awareness-raising and promotional activities, playing an active role in mobilizing public and private institutions, the business sector, entrepreneurs, IDPs, and refugees to join the project;
– Provide input for the preparation of promotional and communication materials (e.g., brochure, factsheet, etc.).
Technical Advice:
– Provide technical advice and input to the government and participate in technical meetings with government institutions;
– Provide technical advice to the project management team for designing and implementing impactful activities, ensuring the overall technical soundness of the project;
– Provide technical advice and supervision to project experts and service providers, supporting them in the implementation of their activities;
– Participate in technical meetings and workshops of the STFA, provide technical input when requested.
Provide any others support as requested by the project management team.
MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Education: Advanced university degree in a field related to Science and Engineering, Economics, Business Administration, Sustainable Industrial Development or other relevant discipline is required.
Technical and Functional Experience:
- At least seven (7) years of international professional experience in sustainable development, with a focus on economic development within private or public sector organizations is required.
- Expertise in grants management, securing funding aligned with project goals, enterprise development, market strategies, and optimizing value chains is desirable.
- Proficiency in designing and executing skills development and training programs, with an understanding of training needs in developing countries is required.
- Expertise in gender-inclusive project design, focusing on low-income countries is strongly desirable.
- Expertise in livelihood development, with a focus on MSMEs and the empowerment of women, is desirable.
- Experience in working in developing countries, including in complex contexts and/or remote areas, and as part of multicultural teams is desirable.
- Robust skills in monitoring and evaluation for data-driven decision-making, is required.
- Proficiency in providing advisory services, offering technical guidance and consultative support is desirable.
- Experience in working with the UN system, international organizations or non-governmental organizations and/or with the donors’ community is desirable.
- Willingness to travel to the provinces and within Afghanistan is required.
Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English, Dari and Pashto language is required.
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.
Managerial and Leadership Competencies
WE ARE STRATEGIC, DECISIVE, PRINCIPLED AND INSPIRATIONAL: As managers, we are strategic and fair in driving our team’s performance. As leaders, we are a source of inspiration, stand for norms and standards established in the UN Charter and duty bound to defend these ideals with a principled approach.
WE ARE INCLUSIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE: As managers, we are inclusive in our approach and maintain constructive engagement with all our stakeholders. As leaders, we embrace all personnel and stakeholders and are accountable mutually within UNIDO, within the system, to beneficiaries and the public and beyond.
WE ARE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL: As managers, we go beyond conventional methods to help our organizational units strengthen their own agility and adaptability to change. As leaders in the UN system, we have a vision which is integrated and engaged across the pillars of Peace and Security, Human Rights and Development.
WE ARE COLLABORATIVE AND CO-CREATIVE: As managers, we foster a team spirit and create meaningful opportunities to hear the voices of those around us, while realizing that only by working together can we accomplish our mission. As leaders we see the inter-dependency of imperatives of the UN Charter and personally champion a collaborative inter-agency, multi-stakeholders and cross-thinking approach.
This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.
All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.
Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org
NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.
Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org