National Project Coordinator, Safe and Fair

Introduction

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the United Nations specialized agency devoted to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities for all, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues. ILO also has a constitutional mandate to protect migrant workers and has been addressing labour migration issues since its inception in 1919. ILO adopts a rights-based approach to labour migration and promotes tripartite participation in migration policy. 

SAFE & FAIR: Realizing women migrant workers’ rights and opportunities in the ASEAN region (2018-2022) is a project that forms part of the multi-year EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls. SAFE & FAIR is implemented by the ILO and UN Women, led by the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

SAFE & FAIR delivers technical assistance and support with the overall objective of making labour migration safe and fair for all women in the ASEAN region. SAFE & FAIR engages with ASEAN Member States’ government authorities; ASEAN institutions; workers’ organizations; employers and recruitment agencies; civil society organizations; community-based organizations; families and communities; research institutions and academia, media networks, youth, and the general public and supports programming in ten countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam). 

SAFE & FAIR works in close cooperation with governments and social partners to achieve three inter-linking specific objectives: (1) Women migrant workers are better protected by gender-sensitive labour migration governance frameworks; (2) Women migrant workers are less vulnerable to violence and trafficking and benefit from coordinated responsive quality services; and (3) Data, knowledge and attitudes on the rights and contributions of women migrant workers are improved. The programme strategy mainstreams three cross-cutting topics: women’s voice and agency; rights-based approach; and broad engagement of stakeholders.

Description of Duties

Working under the direct supervision of the project’s Chief Technical Adviser and under the administrative supervision of the Deputy Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and in close collaboration with the ILO technical staff in country and at the regional level responsible for migration, trafficking and forced labour, and the project staff in UN Women at the country and regional level, the National Project Coordinator will be responsible for the day-today implementation of the project and realization of the project’s outputs under all three Objectives at the national level by facilitating and coordinating the work of implementing partners.

Specifically, the NPC will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

1.    Develop strategy and identify innovative interventions and approaches for delivering Safe & Fair Project Objectives 1, 2 and 3 within the country and across major migration corridors. Consult with national-level partners to identify appropriate strategies and activities. Ensure that interventions deliver on the ILO’s labour standards for migrant workers, and the project’s commitments to women’s voice and agency, taking a rights-based approach and broad engagement of stakeholders.

2.    Review and analyse country specific development plans and priorities, socio-economic data, reports and other relevant information. Assemble and edit basic data required for planning, reporting and negotiation of project activities, considering different approaches and alternative methods for project design, management, problem identification and problem resolution.   

3.    Contribute to overall project progress and final technical and financial reporting requirements, including preparations for mid-term and final evaluations.

4.    Organise, participate as a resource person, and represent the project in national level consultative meetings, seminars and training workshops. Serve as a focal point for selected technical subjects and prepare speeches, make presentations and address meetings at the national and, where necessary, regional level on behalf of the project. 

5.    Prepare and provide inputs to terms-of-references for partner agencies and consultants necessary to implement activities in-line with the project document in accordance with ILO financial and procurement standards, and oversee all stages of implementation.

6.    Provide inputs to and draft portions of policy briefs, research, tools, guidelines, and other materials developed by the project. 

7.    Monitor progress of the project against agreed targets by reviewing, verifying and analysing implementing partners’ work-plans, progress reports, final reports and other data for clarity, consistency and completeness. Identify problems, propose solutions and action, and follow-up with implementing partners to expedite implementation and meet targets. Follow-up on delays, clarify information and data provided, and act as the primary focal point for partners’ enquiries about clearance and processing requirements. Assist in the development and maintenance of information systems for use in monitoring and reporting activities and performance. 

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8.    Ensure adherence to the ILO rules and regulations for financial and administrative matters and ensure timely fulfilment of all obligations and delivery of expected results of the project activities in the country.

9.    Assist in the programming and control of resources from all sources of funds, prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by analysing and monitoring resources as compared to planned activities, anticipate delays and make recommendations to project management for remedial action.

10.    Brief ILO and UN Women specialists, project staff and consultants, and visiting officials, academics, UN and NGO partners and provide relevant information on project-related matters. Provide interpretation to other ILO and UN Women staff and consultants where appropriate. 

11.    Undertake missions to project sites independently or accompanying other officials, to provide guidance and coaching to partners on implementing the project and reporting requirements, and to identify challenges and propose solutions to resolve them. Specific coaching on M&E and gender is expected.

12.    Establish and maintain close and positive links with the relevant national and local stakeholders such as national local authorities, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international organizations, non-governmental organization, private sector actions and the media – and participate in inter-agency and multi-stakeholders groups – that are active in the area of migration, human rights, women’s empowerment, violence against women and trafficking. 

13.    Ensure visibility of the project and its donor by using the relevant identifiers on all materials and publications, and at workshops and events. Maintain relations with the donor at the national level, in line with guidance provided by project management. 

14.    Identify and document good practices, lessons learned and relevant experiences that may be shared with ILO or UN Women counterparts in your or other countries covered by the project, or at the regional or global level. These experiences may also be used ion the development of sub-regional/regional activities and tools. 

15.    Provide substantive inputs to resource mobilization strategies and proposals.

16.    Draft, edit in, or translate into local language(s) key news releases, media statements, communication materials, official correspondence, statements and speeches and other public information material to communicate project activities.

17.    Maintain regular communication with the Technical Officer in the ILO Regional Office. Follow up on activities and requests for information with other NPCs and regional project staff, as well as relevant UN Women project staff and ILO specialists in the Decent Work Technical Team and in headquarters. 

18.    Supervise the work of the project’s Administrative Assistant and national consultants. 

19.    Perform other duties as may be assigned by the technical or administrative supervisors that are related to the goals of the project. 

Required qualifications

Education

First level university degree in a relevant field i.e. management, economics, social science, law, with demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the relevant technical field. 

Experience

At least two to three years of professional experience at the national level working in the area of labour migration and/or ending violence against women.  

Languages

Excellent command of spoken and written English and national language.

Competencies

•    Proven capacity and experience in working with multi stakeholders including government structures, civil society organizations, research bodies and media.
•    Knowledge of, and ability to perform a variety of conceptual analyses required for project administration, planning, budgeting and evaluation techniques and practices.
•    Ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyse problems with implementation.
•    Ability to justify requirements and approaches to problem resolution, ability to negotiate.
•    Good research and analytical skills to organize and conduct studies.
•    Proven reporting, writing and presentation skills.
•    Excellent inter-personnel and leadership skills; ability to manage and work in a multi-cultural environment and in a team.
•    Commitment to women’s empowerment, gender equality and human rights.
•    Clear understanding of principles of gender equality, and ability to communicate these principles with partners.
•    Knowledge of financial rules and regulations.
•    Good computer applications skills, including a command of the Microsoft suite of programs.
•    Organizational skills.
•    Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team.
•    Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy
•    Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.