Programme Advisor, Decent Work & Labor Mobility (3 positions in Research, Programme Design and Evaluation), Multiple positions

Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) is a multi-donor fund that was set up in 2009, marking its ten-year anniversary this year. LIFT aims to strengthen the resilience and sustainable livelihoods of poor households by helping people to reach their full potential. This is achieved through interventions to increase incomes, improve the nutrition of women and children, and decrease vulnerabilities to shocks, stresses and adverse events.

LIFT is a significant actor in Myanmar’s development, which has received a total of USD 509 million in funding from 15 international donors since it was established. The current donors to the Fund are the United Kingdom, European Union, Australia, Switzerland, United States, Canada and Ireland.

LIFT has developed a refreshed strategy for 2019-2023, which has at its heart ‘leaving no one behind’ in Myanmar’s development process. The strategy includes a greater focus on inclusion and social cohesion, intensified commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment, increased geographical focus on ethnic/border states and conflict-affected areas, heightened efforts to bring displaced persons and returnees into LIFT’s development programmes, expanded support for underserved urban and peri-urban areas and broader engagement with Government at all levels on targeted policies that achieve gains in these areas.
Decent Work and Labour Mobility Programme

To expand the opportunities for safe and rewarding migration, LIFT began funding a USD 23 million Migration Programme in 2016. The seven projects supported by LIFT constitute the largest funding window for migration interventions within Myanmar.

Within the LIFT Strategy for 2019-2023, the Migration Programme has been subsumed into the wider Decent Work and Labour Mobility thematic area. This represents a shift in approach to engage more broadly with establishing conditions for decent work within Myanmar’s labour market, while maintaining a focus on internal and international migrants as some of the most vulnerable populations of workers. 

Under the framework of this thematic area, the protection of fundamental labour rights will be the cornerstone for building a foundation for decent work in Myanmar. This approach makes explicit that the path to achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth must be rooted in a labour market that provides fair wages and working conditions, allows for freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, and does not permit forced labour, child labour or discrimination in respect to employment. 

Due to the expansion of the Decent Work and Labour Mobility programme, consultants are required to provide ongoing technical support in one or more of the following three areas: (1) Research; (2) programme design; and (3) project evaluation. The consultant will carry out the following tasks, in accordance with UNOPS policies, procedures and practices. 

1. Research

• Develop data collection tools and approaches for conducting research assignments.

• Collect data using a range of different research methodologies, including both qualitative and quantitative techniques.

• Analyze results to produce research outputs of varying types, such as research reports, manuscripts for academic journals, policy briefs, articles for media outlets and blog posts.

• Present research findings and recommendations for action to key programme stakeholders, including the LIFT Fund Board, implementing partners and external actors.

• Review and provide technical inputs for research conducted by LIFT implementing partners. 

• Other research tasks as necessary.

2. Programme Design

• Develop the data collection tools and strategies for programme scoping missions.

• Review the relevant literature and conduct interviews with stakeholders and potential beneficiaries.

• Identify the most strategic geographic target areas for the programme and map existing interventions and potential implementing partners.

• Develop the programme framework to be included in the call for proposals, including situation analysis, programme objectives, components and interventions.

• Present the key findings and recommendations of the programme framework to the LIFT Fund Management Office.

• Provide technical support to LIFT implementing partners (particularly local CSOs and labour organizations) on programme design and implementation. 

• Other programme design tasks as necessary.

3. Evaluation

• Develop the data collection tools and approaches for mid-term reviews and final evaluations.

• Conduct the project evaluations primarily using qualitative methods, including desk review, key informant interviews with project staff and stakeholders and focus group discussions with beneficiaries.

• Respond to the questions outlined for the evaluation, under the criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and gender equality.

• Distil lessons learned and good practices, as well as identify barriers to effective implementation, in order to provide recommendations for improving the project results or the development of future interventions.

• Present the evaluation findings and recommendations to the implementing partner and LIFT Fund Management Office for feedback and finalization of the evaluation report.

• Provide technical support to LIFT implementing partners on the development and implementation of project-based MEAL plans.

• Other evaluation tasks as necessary.

After consultants are contracted, he/she will be contacted to conduct a specific task in his/her area(s) of expertise. The deliverables and number of days will be agreed upon through a ‘task note’, which will provide the details of the planned assignment.

The consultant’s work will be directly supervised by the Programme Officer (Decent Work and Labour Mobility), under the overall supervision of the Senior Programme Officer. They will be expected to complete all assigned tasks within the allotted timeframe and clearly communicate any unanticipated delays.
Deliverables

The requirements for each assignment will be detailed in the specific task notes developed by the Programme Officer (Decent Work and Labour Mobility), including:

• Background and rationale;

• Assignment tasks;

• Indicative work plan; 

• Administrative and logistical arrangements; 

• Terms of payment;

• Required deliverables. 

Education 

• A Master’s Degree in migration, international development, international relations, public policy, sociology, economics, business administration or a related field is required.

• A Bachelor’s degree in the above fields with an additional two years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

• A Doctorate degree in the above fields will be considered an advantage for research assignments.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience as a researcher, programme designer/manager or project evaluator is required. Experience in more than one discipline will be considered an advantage.

• Technical expertise in labour migration, labour rights, forced labour, child labour, human trafficking, gender or skills development is required. Expertise in more than one area will be considered an advantage.

• Proven ability to write analytical and strategic reports in clear and concise English is required.

• Experience working with government officials, international organizations, civil society and labour organizations and other development stakeholders in Myanmar is considered an advantage.

• Experience working in Myanmar and/or South-East Asia is considered an advantage. 

• Computer literacy in Microsoft packages is required.

• Fluency in both written and spoken English is required.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement  Contract level: IICA 3
Contract duration: Until July 2020 - Retainer not exceeding 100 days per calendar year (possible extension subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability)

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx 

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Contracting approach

Each position will be contracted for up to 100 days per calendar year, extendable based upon satisfactory services. There will be no guarantee of any number of work days under the contract. 

Applicants are requested to:

• Submit a letter of motivation and a CV specifying relevant experience and skills in relation to at least one of the three specialist areas. Applicants may apply for more than one role if they wish to be considered for multiple assignment types.   

• Provide a sample of past work relevant to the specialist area applied for, preferably authored independently.

• Include the names and contact details of three recent professional referees.

• Indicate daily fee expectations in USD.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.