Project Manager

From 2014-2017 the ILO carried out two projects to support entrepreneurship and Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSME) development in Myanmar with funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). These projects aimed to support MSMEs in both urban and rural areas to start-up and grow through business management trainings. By their completion in October 2017, these projects had trained a network of 1000+ trainers via 400+ partners organizations and over 20,000 entrepreneurs.

In November 2017, the second phase of this work began under a single project funded by NORAD and SECO, and conducted under the framework of ILO Global SCORE project. Through this project, the ILO plans to expand support to MSMEs throughout Myanmar by working in three technical areas:

• Continued support to the existing SIYB (www.ilo.org/siyb) trainer and Master Trainer network with a focus on commercially viable service provision and long term sustainability
• SCORE (www.ilo.org/score)  roll-out through a network of BDS providers to SMEs, creating a long-term financially sustainable delivery structure
• Value Chain Development in the aquaculture and tourism sectors (www.ilo.org/valuechains)

More information on the project here: https://www.ilo.org/yangon/projects/WCMS_628834/lang--en/index.htm

The Project Manager will lead the project on “Entrepreneurship Development and SME support in Myanmar”, for now until the end of the second phase (31 October 2021). In this phase the project will consolidate existing service provider, trainer and Master Trainer networks in the areas of entrepreneurship and SME management training and related business services for micro, small and medium sized enterprises in Myanmar. A continued effort to ensure commercial viability of the service delivery structure and technical leadership in this regards is expected from the Project Manager. Furthermore, in its two remaining years project management should focus on the following areas:

1. Ensuring a financially sustainable Myanmar-wide delivery structure able to provide SME management training and related support services to existing and potential entrepreneurs (including SIYB, Let li, SCOIRE, SCORE HoCO, Business Eye Opener, GET Ahead)
2. Expanding the work under value chain development in tourism and sea-bass farming, including the development of a new value chain development effort by the project using a market systems development approach, with a full cycle application and implementation of ILOs VCD for DW guide
3. Extracting lessons learned by measuring impact and documenting implementation models of the project with a focus on future financial and technical viability of training products and value chain development
4. Scoping and fund-raising for work that builds on achievements and expands the job creation potential in Myanmar

The Project Manager is expected to lead the project team consisting of one additional international professional, three national professionals, three local support staff and a number of consultants. He/She will oversee the execution of the project activities, as well as conducting impact measurement and knowledge creation, and liaising with its donors and partners.

The Project Manager will be responsible for the overall leadership and management of all aspects of the projects including its operational, financial, administrative and human resource management.

The Project Manager will work under general supervision of the ILO Liaison Officer in Myanmar and will receive technical guidance and support from relevant technical specialists from the SME unit in HQ (SCORE and VCD and Entrepreneurship leads) and in the region (ILO Bangkok).

1. Project management: Lead and oversee the overall execution of the project, including staff contracting, planning, implementation and monitoring, ensuring compliance with ILO rules and regulations

2. Financial management: effectively manage the funds and budget assigned to the project, ensuring on time delivery

3. Technical Expertise: Provide expert technical advice on SME management training, Value Chain and Market Systems Development, Business Development Service (BDS) and enterprise development to constituents and implementing partners

4. Partnerships: ensure quality of partner organization selection and capacity building, trainer and master trainer development. Cooperate with potential partner organisations and agencies, including the government, social partners, private sector institutions, media channels, donor agencies and implementing partners in Myanmar in enabling capacity building for job creation and enterprise development.

5. Liaise with the other UN agencies counterparts to promote ILO's values, increase the project's visibility and facilitate the scaling-up of the project's interventions. Ensure a more effective coordination with a range of relevant national policies and the strategies of various projects, including those being undertaken by other agencies or in complementary fields of activity.

6. Fundraising: Build and maintain strong relationships with multi-lateral and bilateral donor communities and prepare proposals for the mobilisation of additional human, technical and financial resources for up scaling the projects’ work. 

7. Knowledge management: document the achievements and challenges of the project ensuring that new technical approaches developed in the first 5 years of the project can be applied and expanded upon, in Myanmar but also in other ILO projects in SME development globally, including a close coordination with the Inclusive Markets team in the SME unit, the SCORE programme lead and other relevant technical and field units.

8. Any other duties requested by the responsible chief.

Advanced university degree in Economics or a related field in Social Sciences with demonstrated expertise in the field of private sector and small enterprise development, preferably with a focus on management training.

Eight years’ experience of which at least five years at the international level in the field of enterprise and private sector development, ideally linked to market systems development.

Demonstrated experience in applying project cycle management and SME development approaches and practical knowledge about Monitoring and Evaluation.

Proven management experience, preferably with the ILO or a UN agency, in partnership building and networking and in effective fundraising, resource mobilization and donor relations.

Excellent command of English. Knowledge of Myanmar would be an additional asset.

• Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organisational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards.
• Ability to develop clear strategic goals consistent with the project/programme’s objectives, and to design and synthesise strategies for programme development.
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice.
• Excellent leadership skills, ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to develop training materials, alternative courses of action, project proposals, policy, procedural matters and present them at high-level meetings.
• Ability to promote knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office, and to focus and guide others to meet objectives at individual and group level.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write accurate reports and to build networks to obtain cooperation with partners.
• Proven capacity to initiate and implement development co-operation programmes and activities with ILO constituents and NGOs, including negotiation skills with governments, social partners and to mobilise the support of international donor agencies and provide quality services.
• Ability to plan and support the development of individual’s skills and abilities for a more effective fulfilment of job/role responsibilities.
• Ability to maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or environment, and to adjust effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures;
• Drive to seek or encourage others to seek opportunities for different and innovative approaches to organisation challenges and opportunities for improvement.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.