Senior Regional Specialist, Workers' Activities

Introduction

The position is located in the ILO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Lima, Peru. The Regional Office (RO) has overall political and management responsibilities for the promotion of ILO principles, policies and decent work priorities in the region as well as provides strategic guidance and support to all ILO Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWT’s) and Country Offices (CO’s) in the region.

The Senior Regional Specialist in Workers’ Activities will be responsible for providing technical advisory services in the field of workers' activities to the ILO Offices and assisting workers’ organisations in their efforts to provide their members with improved/new services, thus extending their representation and their capacity to become strong, relevant, independent and representative organisations, able to fulfil their roles and responsibilities in the promotion of workers’ interests, in line with the principles of the ILO. He/she should keep the ILO informed of the concerns, interests and perspectives of workers’ organisations and keep workers’ organisations informed of the work the ILO does, as well as promoting their participation in tripartite and bipartite initiatives in line with the 2002 International Labour Conference Resolution on tripartism and social dialogue.
 

He/she has special responsibility for encouraging the involvement and active participation of workers and their organisation in all ILO activities while ensuring that ILO projects and programmes address the needs of workers and their organisations. He/she will advise and assist on technical questions concerning operational projects including project formulation, technical backstopping and evaluation. The Specialist will also advise and assist trade unions in policy discussions with government and employers’ organisations regarding ILO matters (ratification of ILO instruments, formulation and analysis of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs), UN Cooperation Frameworks, regional cooperation, etc) in order to enhance trade union influence and activities in the defence and promotion of the interests and rights of workers, as representative, democratic and independent institutions of workers and as important actors in sustainable development.

The incumbent will work in close coordination with ACTRAV’s Regional Desk Officer and the technical specialists in the DWT/CO Lima. He/she has double reporting responsibilities, and reports to the Director of ACTRAV for policy, technical and operational aspects and to the Regional Director.

Description of Duties and Responsibilities

In line with the overall objectives of the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities Programme of strengthening and enhancing the development of representative and independent workers' organizations, the Senior Regional Specialist in Workers’ Activities will:

1. Provide advice and support to workers' organizations in the region on matters pertaining inter alia to the future of work, international labour standards, relations with multilateral bodies, regional integration, social dialogue, tripartism and industrial relations, employment and lifelong learning, workers' education programmes and activities. 
2. Design and organize regional and sub-regional seminars, meetings and other activities in the field of workers' activities.  Develop consultancy, research and training activities in cooperation with workers' organizations and participate as a resource person in workers' education activities sponsored by workers' organizations in the region or by the Programme for Workers’ Activities of the International Training Centre in Turin (ACTRAV-Turin).
3. In coordination with ACTRAV and the Regional Office promote trade union research and knowledge sharing activities aimed at enhancing awareness and understanding of the changing and evolving world of work and shaping measures that address the conclusions of the ILO Centenary Declaration on the Future of Work and the four pillars of Decent Work
4. Provide policy advice and training to build capacities of trade unions on union organizational development and modern and democratic management methods, inclusive structures, increasing trade union representation and effectiveness through workers' education and organising and the use of strategic planning and results-based approaches.
5. Foster union structures and activities that will mainstream the participation of women, youth, migrant workers, informal economy workers, etc.
6. Cooperate with ongoing ILO regional projects and activities that include a workers’ focus, and assist in monitoring, including technical backstopping and assistance to project experts.
7. Develop and formulate development cooperation project proposals for submission to donors through ACTRAV for extra-budgetary financing; as well as proposals for submission to the Regional Office in the framework of the decentralization policy.
8. Represent the ILO at major events organized by workers' organizations.

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9. Elaborate the regional plan of activities for the biennium to be submitted to ACTRAV, through the Regional Desk Officers, for approval. This programme should take into consideration ILO’s and ACTRAV’s priorities and programmes including those related to the identification of  the training needs of trade union organisations He/she will promote in close coordination with ACTRAV HQ and ACTRAV Turin the development of methodologies and training packages with a view to reinforcing the technical capacity of workers’ organisations in the region.
10. Prepare and submit to ACTRAV annual reports on implementation of activities based on the work plan, mission reports, technical papers and studies, and information on workers' education development.
11. Prepare briefings and inform ACTRAV on the situation of regional trade union organizations and sectoral trade union organizations on industrial relations, social dialogue and tripartism-related issues in the framework of economic and social integration.
12. Prepare comments and briefing notes on key ILO documents and other relevant publications as requested by ACTRAV, the Regional Office and the DWT/CO Lima.   This could include reactions and comments on documents prepared for the Governing Body sessions as well as internal documents prepared by other technical departments and units at headquarters.
13. Participate in review and planning meetings convened by ACTRAV as well as coordinating meetings, and contribute to the development and implementation of an effective workers' development strategy, which will encompass the full range of potential users in the region concerned.  Inform and coordinate activities with the Regional Desk Officer and Specialists in Workers' Activities as well as with the other technical specialists in the region, where appropriate.
14. Perform other relevant duties as required.

Desirable Profile

The set of qualifications below are indicative of the type of education, experience, language skills and competencies expected for this position.

Education

Advanced university degree with demonstrated expertise in the relevant technical field.

Experience

At least eight years professional experience at the national level, or five years’ experience at the international level in trade union organisations.

Languages

Excellent command of one official language (English, French or Spanish) of the Organization and a working knowledge of a second official language. One of these languages must be English.

Competencies

In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:

Excellent knowledge and understanding of workers’ organisations, including trade union education and labour related programmes, issues, practices and policies;
Excellent knowledge of development concerns and needs in various countries as related to trade union organisations;
Good analytical and problem solving abilities;
Ability to synthesize research and reach empirically based conclusions on related subjects; Provide seasoned advice on best practices, to address broader issues outside the field of specialization;
Ability to formulate new concepts and methodologies including to present and advocate policy changes in difficult circumstances;
Ability to develop training materials, alternative courses of action, project proposals, policy, procedural matters and present them at high-level meetings;
Ability to develop links with and attract major donors in order to ensure adequate resource mobilisation for the implementation of plans and projects;
Ability to design and synthesize strategies for programme development in member States;
Ability to represent the Organisation at a high level in a tripartite environment, deliver speeches and to provide authoritative advice and guidance to constituents and the Office;
Ability to take initiatives, plan and organise work in accordance with ACTRAV guidelines and priorities;
Ability to produce reports (e.g. reports for regional conferences and ILC, technical publications, training manuals and draft resolutions) and evaluate and monitor technical cooperation activities and projects;
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing;
Discretion and high sense of responsibility and judgement;
Ability to work in a team and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
Good working knowledge of standard computer software. The ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender­sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.