National Project Officer - Grants Monitoring - NOA (DC) 1

Required qualifications

Introduction

Kosovo*’s HoReCa (hotel/restaurant/catering) sector has the potential of driving strong employment growth and local economic development, thereby contributing to the social inclusion of women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and young people and reducing incentives to out-migration. To realize this potential for more and better employment, key sector stakeholders need to work in partnership and overcome a set of complex and interconnected constraints that are embedded in the social, political, institutional and economic systems prevailing in Kosovo*. 

The ILO development cooperation project ‘’Hospital, Resilient, Capable (HoReCa) Kosovo’’ funded by the Government of Italy will support key sectors’ stakeholders in addressing root causes that can be traced to both supply side and demand side factors, i.e. within the institutions that are responsible for providing relevant skills, competences (including entrepreneurial ones), and guidance to the workforce (supply side), and within the enterprises operating in the sector, where employers may not always be aware of concrete steps they can take to improve working conditions, retain talent, and increase productivity overall (demand side).
The overall objective of the Project is to contribute to the inclusion of women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and young people at risk of exclusion and to reducing incentives to out-migration. 

The specific objective of the Project is to generate more, better, and resilient jobs in Kosovo*’s HoReCa sector.  The timeframe of the project is 36 months during the period 2024-2027. 

The incumbent will coordinate implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the grant components of the project. 

Reporting lines

The National Project Officer will report directly to the Senior Programme Officer in Prishtina. The National Project Officer will work under the technical guidance of the Sustainable Enterprises Specialist, the Skills and Employability Specialist and the Employment Specialist of the DWT/CO-Budapest. 

Description of Duties

1 Monitor the implementation of grant-funded activities under the project, including the procurement and delivery of equipment for TVET institutions, as well as grants provided under the Digitalize Your Business (DYB) and Start Your Business (SYB) programmes.
2 Ensure that implementation is in line with approved grant agreements, work plans, budgets, ILO rules and regulations, and donor requirements.
3 Develop and implement monitoring plans, tools, and reporting mechanisms to track the progress, quality, and results of grant-funded interventions. Conduct regular reviews of implementation progress, identify bottlenecks and risks, and recommend corrective actions to ensure timely and effective delivery.
4 Review and verify grant applications, implementation plans, financial and narrative reports, procurement documentation, and supporting evidence submitted by grantees and implementing partners for completeness, accuracy, compliance, and consistency with grant agreements and project objectives.
5 Conduct regular monitoring visits to beneficiaries, TVET institutions, enterprises, and other project sites to verify the implementation of grant activities, procurement of equipment, achievement of outputs, and compliance with agreed standards and reporting requirements. Prepare monitoring reports and follow up on recommendations.
6 Liaise closely with implementing partners, government institutions, TVET providers, enterprises, social partners, consultants, and suppliers to facilitate implementation, resolve operational issues, and ensure timely reporting and compliance with grant conditions.
7 Maintain accurate records and databases on grant implementation, procurement status, beneficiary performance, monitoring findings, expenditures, and project results. Prepare periodic progress reports, briefing notes, statistical summaries, and other monitoring information required by the Project, the ILO, and the donor.
8 Support the National Project Coordinator in monitoring project budgets related to grant implementation and procurement activities by tracking expenditures against approved budgets, identifying variances, and contributing to financial forecasting and planning.
9 Ensure that gender equality, inclusion, environmental sustainability, and other cross-cutting priorities are effectively integrated into the monitoring of grant-funded activities and reflected in reporting.
10 Contribute to the preparation and organization of meetings, workshops, training sessions, monitoring missions, and other project events related to grant implementation. Provide technical inputs, presentations, and monitoring findings as required.
11 Draft and contribute to technical reports, progress reports, donor reports, briefing notes, lessons learned, and other project documentation related to grant implementation, procurement monitoring, and project performance.
12 Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Director of DWT/CO-Budapest.

Experience

At least two years of professional experience at the national level in the area of project management, implementation, grant monitoring and evaluation. Proven experience in working effectively with institutions in charge of policy making and/or with development partners would be an asset. Prior experience in the HoReCa sector would be considered an asset. 

Technical requirements:

Good knowledge of grant management, monitoring and evaluation, procurement processes, and project implementation. Familiarity with skills development, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), enterprise development, and entrepreneurship support programmes would be an advantage. Knowledge of public procurement procedures, donor-funded projects, financial reporting, and compliance requirements is highly desirable.

Education

First level university degree in economics, public policies, development studies or a relevant field. An advanced degree on studies on labour economics would be a strong advantage.

Languages

Excellent knowledge of the working language of the duty station and a good knowledge of English.

Competencies

• Knowledge of programme and budget, project administration, and evaluation concepts and procedures, and of the mandate and structure of labour market institutions in Kosovo*.
• Knowledge of the office’s financial rules and regulations, in particular for procurement processes. 
• Good knowledge of the context and challenges in the fields of skills policies and TVET and sustainable enterprise development, including the enabling environment and productivity enhancement. 
• Strong analytical skills and ability to justify requirements and approaches to problem resolution, and good drafting skills.
• Familiarity with the concept of decent work and how it translates into development cooperation initiatives.
• Good ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyze problems with implementation.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Ability to clarify information.
• Demonstrate collaborative and teamwork experience and ability to work effectively with a multicultural and interdisciplinary team, as well as to work on his/her own initiative.
• Ability to work independently, quickly, precisely, and take initiative and responsibility.
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet the deadline.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, web-browsers and database applications. 
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required.

*as in UNSC Resolution 1244