SDP DIGITAL SUPPORT

UNDP operates in more than 170 countries and territories around the world. UNDP offers global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations that can withstand crisis, and that drive and sustain growth that improves the quality of life for everyone.

In Botswana, the role of UNDP is shaped by the status of the country as an upper middle-income country. UNDP has been collaborating with the Government, civil society and the private sector to develop solutions to meet global and national development challenges. UNDP’s approach has been to develop and sustain strategic partnerships that find innovative solutions to address gaps on both the demand and supply side of development processes.

Botswana has reached a relatively high level of infrastructure development, is well-resourced and able to fund most of its developmental needs. However, Botswana requires best practices, high-quality policy advice on how best to respond to challenges associated with its middle-income status, including widening inequalities and disparities, persistent poverty among population groups, and climate change and natural disaster risks.

This project supports both the public and private sector to adopt the Supplier Development Programme (SDP) as a strategic tool to insert indigenous firms in the supply chains and to build their competitiveness through skills development. Small businesses are associated with low levels of productivity. They rarely get access to financing for innovation, support for exports or access to public procurement tenders. They face unequal relations in supply chains that mean that costs and risks are often pushed down to them by larger firms.

In support of its development mandate, UNDP Botswana has partnered with the Government of Botswana (GoB) and private sector to implement the Supplier Development Programme (SDP). The project creates demand-based, market-driven opportunities for SMEs to increase their competitiveness through the innovative Suppliers Development Methodology (SDM) while connecting essential small-scale producers/suppliers to larger markets locally as well as abroad. Additionally, it strengthens the entrepreneurial ecosystem in country to encourage innovation and create employment.

As a tool, the SDP has a targeted approach to engage large scale companies purchasing (or willing to purchase) goods and services from SMEs.  The SDP focuses on integrating suppliers into a strategic relationship that allows them to improve their productivity, competitiveness and quality of products. The SMEs go through a rigorous six stage improvement process over a period of 10 months with close involvement of the lead/anchor company. The improvements brought about in these SMEs enables them to produce/manufacture more goods in better quality, less time and low costs; enhance their capacity to explore and enter new markets including export markets. This important linkage between large sourcing companies and their small suppliers remains central to the assistance, helping the SME’s to expand and generate employment opportunities. The project currently focuses on eight (8) priority sectors of; Mining, Agri Business / Agro Processing, Leather, Projects (Infrastructure), Textiles, Health, Other Manufacturing and Digital Services, to develop the associated value chains. With recent financial support from the UNDP- Russia Trust Fund, the SDP model will expand its support to women and youth-owned businesses, particularly in the digital, health and agri-business spaces. 

Role Summary:

Under the guidance and supervision of the Business Supplier Development Programme (SDP) Project Manager, he/she provides support to project operations performing a variety of standard ICT/administrative processes as well as identifying digital opportunities and solutions for improved quality and efficiency. The Digital Officer will also work in close collaboration with the head of ICT and the Digital Re-Engineering Advisor as well as the Operations and Programme staff in the CO to ensure consistent service delivery.

Summary of Key Functions:

• Identification and roll-out of digital solutions for SDP and its partners;
• Implementation of ICT management systems and strategies including the database management system (DMS) and consultants’ reporting portal (CRP);

• ICT support to SDP team;
• Design support and implementation of SDP Website, Facebook Page, E-Catalogue
• Digital support to roll-out of #YouthConnekt

1. Identification and roll-out of digital solutions for SDP and its partners;

• Identify, propose and initiate digital process improvement activities for the project, ensuring that they have a measurable effect on cost efficiency and process effectiveness, with associated benefits to the project and its partners
• Support implementation of IT architectural, technology, security and documentation standards and requirements;
• Engage with partners to understand third-party software life cycles and upgrade paths to input into project and partners’ digital domain planning activities;
• Monitor and report on the progress of development projects, ensuring that projects are carried out in accordance with agreed standards, methods and procedures;
• Drive a culture of innovation and undertake horizon-scanning to determine business requirements and specify effective business processes, through improvements in information systems, information management, practices, procedures and organization change.

2. Implementation of ICT management systems and strategies including the database management system (DMS) and consultants’ reporting portal (CRP);

• Ensure compliance with corporate information management and technology standards, guidelines and procedures for the Country Office technology environment;
• Support operational processes through ATLAS and enterprise resource planning for improved business results and improved client services;
• Provide inputs to the CO administrative business processes mapping and implementation of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs);
• Contribute to the development of results-oriented work plans;
• Support and manage the developed SDP DMS and CRP. Ensure easy loading of reports by consultants and collation of output reports. Ensure effective access by authorized staff
• Ensure optimal hosting by the SDP-dedicated server.

3. ICT Support to the SDP team

• Perform specific technical functions, including changing of hardware -          electronic components (disks, memories, network wiring, power sources, etc.) and routine repairs. Assist the installation of commercial and in-house developed software and related upgrades;
• Assist in upgrading patch and antivirus programs on a timely basis, ensuring virus detection, removal and prevention;
• Monitor of file server traffic, usage and performance on a frequent and regular basis
•  Assist in trouble shooting, backing up and restoring files, and monitoring of network problems;
  Assist in backup/restoration procedures for local drives and maintenance of backup logs.

4. Design support and implementation of SDP Website, Facebook Page, E-Catalogue;

•  Provide design support for lay-out, functionalities and content of SDP Website, SDP Facebook Page, SDP Electronic Catalogues etc;
• Manage and troubleshoot all online, digital platforms and their content.

5. Digital support to roll-out of #YouthConnekt

• In collaboration with the Women and Youth Empowerment Project Manager and implementing partners, lead technically on the roll-out of digital spaces, virtual hangouts and hackathons.

Any other function assigned by the SDP Project Manager

Impact Of Results

The key results have an impact on the effective and efficient implementation of the Supplier Development Programme, ensuring it stays abreast of digital transformations and solutions, whilst providing top-quality services to its partners. 

Technical

Information Technology

• Ability to develop, support and maintain applications;
• Ability to identify, preserve, collect, process and review information from electronic data sources;
• Knowledge of IST innovations and concepts and ability to apply them to practical situations;
• Ability to support internal customers with IT assistance.

Core

Knowledge Management

• Shares knowledge and experience and provides helpful advice to others in the office
• Strong presentation skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to structure and articulate messages effectively dot different audiences at all levels

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to solve problems, ensuring that the underlying problem is understood, and a robust approach/solution is developed;
• Ability to perform a variety of standard specialized and non-specialized tasks and work processes that are fully documented, researched, recorded and reported;
• Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust discrepancies, identify and resolve operational problems;
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work.

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Education:

Minimum: Tertiary Qualification in Information Technology or equivalent together with experience in software design and delivery. Microsoft certified professional (MCP) preferred

Experience :

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, in IT or digital sector, at national or international level is required ICT or related field is required;
• Experience in management of software solutions delivery including packaged and bespoke solutions;
• Experience in system development lifecycles and their relationship to project delivery methods

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in English is required.

Women are strongly encouraged to apply. The selection process will be fair and transparent.