Senior Officer, Innovation and Knowledge Management - P4 (4 positions)

Introduction

This position is located in the Innovation and Knowledge Management Unit (IKMU) in the Management and Reform Portfolio. The Senior Officer, Innovation and Knowledge Management will work under the supervision of the Head, Innovation and Knowledge Management Unit. 
The IKMU was formed to respond to the strategic imperative of equipping the Organization for the challenges posed by the Centenary Declaration on the Future of Work and the continuing commitment of the ILO to deliver quality work and better value for money.  In addition, the nature and pace of continuing transformative changes in the world of work make it vital that the ILO itself be in a position to innovate in its own work and better manage knowledge.  The IKMU also plays a central role in developing Organizational culture by putting into practice the working methods and behaviours that respond to the demands for continuous improvement,
The work of the IKMU is structured as projects, and the Senior Officer, Innovation and Knowledge Management will coordinate these and be required to guide, coach and support staff temporarily assigned to the agile project teams implementing the change initiatives. The projects can originate from the Senior Management Team and be of an Office-wide, strategic nature or from the grassroots level which are applicable to units or field Offices and address business operations, specific issues and/or cultural change.
Following a participatory approach, the IKMU has the objective to improve the quality of services provided to constituents through innovation, knowledge management and capacity development.  The Senior Officer, Innovation and Knowledge Management will work hand in hand with functional managers and staff to achieve the following objectives:

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•Fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation by introducing principles, practices and behaviours to enable and promote ways of working together more effectively and participating actively in continuous improvement and the testing of new approaches. 
•Leading improved data and content management to facilitate easy and effective access to various types of information, data and documents through Office-wide systems that facilitate knowledge-sharing and collaboration. 
•Spearheading knowledge-sharing, both internally and externally, to ensure that the knowledge generated by the ILO has the greatest possible impact. 
•Developing the institutional capacities in knowledge management and innovation to ensure that the required tools, skills and competencies to collaborate, share knowledge and innovate are further enhanced. 
•Facilitating the formulation and implementation of innovative policies, products and services to better respond to constituents’ needs and optimize service quality and process efficiency in both technical advice and delivery mechanisms.
To deliver the above objectives, the Senior Officer, Innovation and Knowledge Management will collaborate with the relevant staff to identify improvement opportunities in the following areas:
-Innovation and change management – helping staff put new ideas into practice and managing change
-Knowledge management – helping staff improve collaborative work processes and the capture, storage and sharing of knowledge
-Capacity development –helping client groups to improve team dynamics and effectiveness. 
The incumbent will work closely with ILO colleagues in both the client group and other Units across the Office supporting innovation, knowledge management and capacity development.  This will include regular contact with ILO directors, managers and staff in the Department, Unit or field Office where the project is implemented.  The Senior Officer, Innovation and Knowledge Management may also represent the ILO in networks of partner organizations, including other UN Agencies, sharing information on innovation, business process reviews, knowledge and change management.

Specific Duties

1. Design and plan innovation and knowledge management projects in consultation with mangers and staff in business units, including for example establishing objectives, milestones, resource commitments, timelines etc.  Partner with team leaders to actively support the implementation and sustainability of change initiatives.  Ensure adequate monitoring and follow-up mechanisms are put into place.  
2. Conduct situation diagnosis with the objective of identifying needs and recommending opportunities to improve the way ILO staff work, including for example, stakeholder analysis, process mapping, interviewing service recipients, designing surveys, identifying the needs, practices and norms for collaboration, communications and information sharing, etc.  
3. Collect and analyze data, such as processing and user demand statistics and financial information to identify areas for potential improvement in both effectiveness and efficiency.
4. Direct change initiatives through a user centred approach; support participatory ideation and solution development using structured problem solving and root cause analysis methods.  Guide formulation of change initiatives and implementation of the new solutions and working methods. Develop guidelines and other tools such as standard operating procedures.
5. Design and facilitate workshops, training sessions, retreats and other types of working session involving a large number of participants, in both virtual and in-person settings, covering innovation and knowledge management methodologies and the ILO’s Continuous Improvement Management Tools.
6. Develop initiatives for collaboration; facilitate task forces and working groups and promote a culture of knowledge sharing and innovation; provide expert advice and guidance on improving working methods through knowledge management and innovation.
7. Lead the development of approaches to key workflows to enable the capture, sharing and application of information, knowledge and good practices across the Organization.  
8. Consult with INFOTEC or other system owners on recommendations that have an impact on existing IT systems and technology to ensure feasibility and cost/benefit of the proposed change.  Prepare functional design and users’ requirement documentation.
9. Work with managers to maximize team effectiveness by improving collaboration, communication, knowledge sharing and other critical behaviors through implementation of the ILO’s Continuous Improvement Management Tools; implement systems for organization of work and work planning.
10. Help managers prepare for the future through foresight and visioning exercises, trend analysis and skills mapping.
11. Prepare periodic reports on project status, lessons learned and accomplishments; support managers in their reporting to management and their teams.
12. Perform other relevant duties, as assigned.

These specific duties are aligned with the relevant ILO generic job description, which includes the following generic duties:

Generic Duties

1. Organise and manage a specialised service related to a substantive field or specialised functions in the library. Supervise the work of professional and support staff assigned to the area of work. 
2. Analyse and discuss the information needs of the organization and its information clientele. 
3. Make recommendations concerning collection development, the acquisition and exchange of materials, the development and production of bibliographic and other databases, the development and production of printed and electronic information sources, the development of cataloguing, indexing and abstracting standards and the organisation of reference services to users. 
4. Ensure that relevant standards are correctly applied and adhered to. 
5. Formulate and implement projects and provide advisory and training services in setting up, expanding and/or reorganising libraries or information resource centres. 
6. Provide technical expertise in the speciality area

Required qualifications

Education

Advanced university degree in knowledge management, information science, information management, international development, business administration, management, communication, social science, or other relevant field. A first level university degree (in one of the aforementioned disciplines or other relevant field) with two years of additional relevant experience in complement to the experience required below may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience

At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in innovation/change management and information or knowledge management, including relevant project management and supporting tools and techniques, and experience at the international level.

Languages

Excellent command of an official language (English, French, Spanish) of the Organization and a working knowledge of a second official language. One of these must be English.  A working knowledge of a third official language would be an advantage.

Competencies

Technical competencies

In addition to ILO core competencies, this position requires:  
1.Sound knowledge of the Office’s policies, administrative procedures and practices. Ability to research and interpret various guidelines and policies. Decision making and problem solving skills. Excellent drafting skills. Good communication and presentation skills. Negotiation skills. Computer applications skills. Demonstrated ability to effectively monitor work programme.
2.Knowledge of user centered design methodologies for innovation, e.g. interview, survey, demand analysis, behavioral insights, etc. 
3.Knowledge of knowledge management concepts, principles, tools and methodologies
4.Knowledge of structured problem solving methodologies and root cause analysis
5.Knowledge of design and facilitation of in-person and digital workshops and consultations
6.Demonstrated ability to train (must be able to conduct group and one-on-one training) both in person and remotely
7.Decision making and problem solving skills
i.Clear and concise description of problems
ii.Ability to build arguments based on fact-based analysis
iii.Ability to find pragmatic and implementable solutions
8.Strong analytical skills (i.e., can conduct root cause analysis, make recommendations and track results).
9.Ability to assess quality and efficiency of process execution, to develop project proposals and implement improvements to processes.
10.Knowledge of Lean Management or another change management methodology for continuous improvement practices and cultural change a plus.
11.Knowledge of innovation principles and techniques such as Design Thinking, Behavioral Insights and the UNIN Toolkit.

Behavioral competencies
1.    Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organizational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards.
2.    Absolute discretion in dealing with confidential matters.
3.    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.
4.    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.
5.    Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to build networks to obtain cooperation with partners.
6.    Tact and ability to work collaboratively and effectively in cross-functional teams.
7.    Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitude.

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