Provincial Project Officer - NOA

Introduction

Drawing from the ILO’s extensive experience in technical cooperation initiatives on the promotion of decent work in the rural economy, and in particular the agro-food sector, and taking into consideration the multifaceted nature of challenges faced by workers at the base of agricultural supply chains, the project aims at promoting sustainable rural livelihoods and decent work through improved access to labour rights in Indonesia’s palm oil supply chain.

.

The project’s objective is to ensure that, after two years, unions in the sectors/sub-sectors of the palm oil supply chain are better equipped to effectively represent and advocate for their members, promoting their access to fundamental workers’ rights, in particular freedom of association and collective bargaining, and contributing to sound industrial relations. This initiative, which builds on the ongoing ILO work in Indonesia’s palm oil sector, will help to improve workers’ access to labour rights – and, correspondingly, to better-quality jobs – contribute to improved compliance, through strengthened capacity of enterprises to implement core labour standards and national labour laws, and to expanded rule of law at both national and local levels. It will do so by inter alia promoting social dialogue and strengthening the capacity of unions to effectively engage in it with employers and government and advocate for their members; supporting the strengthening and enforcement of national legislation on labour issues and collecting and disseminating knowledge on employment and labour issues in the palm oil supply chain.

.

The project objective will be achieved through four outcomes. Outcome 1 will focus on generating in-depth knowledge about opportunities and challenges for the promotion of freedom of association and collective bargaining and effective social dialogue in the sector. Building on an earlier assessment of working conditions in the sector through a combination of innovative qualitative methods of sociological research with quantitative methods, studies on labour rights and in particular freedom of association and collective bargaining in the palm oil sector will be developed to generate in-depth knowledge on the situation concerning this right and devise strategies to effective address the gaps. Based on the findings, the project will develop new tools and adapt existing tools to local realities and needs. Outcome 2 will result in strengthened national-level coordination and engagement among trade unions in the palm oil supply chain, as well as their capacity to advocate for their members, through the effective functioning of the national palm oil union network. The project will enable continued support to the functioning of the network, the establishment of which was one of the results under the current ILO initiative. In addition, unions’ capacity to effectively engage in social dialogue will be strengthened, including through extended access to information and training, networking and organizing. The overall focus of Outcome 2 is on institutional capacity building of labour movement actors at the national level and will include needs-based training and education programmes for trainers from federations/confederations.

.

Outcome 3, for its part, will ensure that at the enterprise/local level, labour unions and workers in the sectors/sub-sectors of the palm oil supply chain, in particular plantation workers, have better capacity to advocate for and access their rights. Thus, the focus is on provincial and local-level work, with specific activities aimed at advancing access to knowledge about labour laws and regulations and advisory services and supporting local unions in organizing outreach campaigns, routine meetings, events, and organizing at plantation and factory level. Finally, under Outcome 4, sound industrial relations will be facilitated through strengthened capacity of the tripartite constituents to participate meaningfully in social dialogue. Thus, in addition to workers, the project will target employers’ and government institutions. Training programmes and courses as well as a series of bipartite and tripartite dialogue forums will be organized at national and provincial levels.  The project will operate with a core staff of three people comprising a National Project Coordinator (NPC), a Provincial Project Officer who will manage the project at the provincial level and an administrative finance assistant.

This selection and recruitment is part of an ongoing project document and budget revision request/process for the Project, which would advance implementation in Indonesia. Therefore, the ILO will only be able to offer employment to the successful candidate should the ILO’s request for project and budget revision to advance implementation in Indonesia is approved.  

The Position

To ensure quality delivery of this project in Indonesia, the ILO Country Office for Indonesia and Timor-Leste is hiring a Provincial Project Officer  to focus on supporting the direct intervention of project activities in selected palm oil plantation and factories in targeted province. The main responsibilities of the incumbent include project planning, implementation and delivery of outputs; liaising with project implementing partners and stakeholders including providing technical coaching for trade unions in implementing project activities; technical guidance; monitoring, evaluation and reporting; coordinating with other ILO projects. He/she will work closely with ILO tripartite constituents, related partners and key stakeholders in the targeted province in Indonesia.

The position will be based in Jakarta for the initial 3 months of the project and then at the designated province of Indonesia (Kalimantan), where the project is going to be implemented. The NPO will work under the technical supervision of the National Project Coordinator, and the overall supervision of the ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor Leste (CO-Jakarta). Furthermore, he/she will also work in close consultation with the designated Jakarta-based Programme Officer on all technical as well as managerial aspects of his/her work, including with the Sectoral Policies Department (SECTOR) in ILO HQ in Geneva, and relevant technical specialists of the Decent Work Team in Bangkok will provide technical guidance.

Description of Duties

1. Support the management and monitoring of the implementation of the Advancing Workers’ Rights  in Indonesia’s Palm Oil Sector project.  

2. Manage and monitor the progress of activities related to capacity building, training, workplace improvement, trade union meetings and other relevant activities in the targeted palm oil plantation and factories to ensure the activities are completed in a timely, consultative and efficient manner.

3. Provide support for targeted trade unions at the province level, which include coaching, and providing technical inputs on various activities that are going to be implemented under the project.

4. Take responsibility for mainstreaming sustainable development and international labour standards principles in all activities.

5. Coordinate the implementation of the follow of the study on collective bargaining and freedom of association that will be conducted in the three targeted provinces.

6. Promote the development of common training standards for trade union in the palm oil plantations and factories; train local trade unionist, employers’ representative specialists in the preparation of training materials and their integration in the implementation of the project activities at the plantations and factories level.

.

7. Assist in the programming and control of resources of the project, prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by analysing and monitoring situation of resources as compared to planned activities and making recommendations for remedial action. Identify problems, propose solutions and actions.

8. Undertake technical advisory missions independently or in collaboration with other ILO staff.

9. Disseminate information on programmes through publications and press releases.

10. Lead in the preparation of briefs, background information, technical reports and periodic progress reports and statistical data on status of the overall activities of the Project.

11. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Required qualifications

Education

First level university degree with relevant experience in finance, economics, management, social science, agriculture or another related field with demonstrated expertise in the technical areas covered by the project.

Experience

At least two years of professional experience with technical background in working condition improvement, sustainable rural livelihoods, economics and social science. Familiarity with ILO policies and procedures particularly of technical cooperation projects would be an advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of English and Bahasa Indonesia in speaking and in writing.

Competencies

• Proven ability 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;
• Demonstrated skills and ability to analyse a wide range of factors, policies and priorities for the assessment and implementation of the project;
• Ability to promote knowledge-sharing and learning culture, and to focus and guide others to meet objectives at individual and group level
• Ability to plan and support the development of individual's skills and abilities for a more effective fulfilment of current or future job/role responsibilities
• Excellent report-writing skills both in English and Bahasa Indonesia, communication skills and ability to build networks to obtain cooperation with partners;
• Proven experience and expertise in the area of labour inspection and industrial relation, including in the rural economy and in particular the agricultural sector
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.