Project Manager - Social Protection P4 (DC)

Introduction

The ILO Country Office for the United Republic of Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda (CO-Dar es Salaam) represents the ILO in Rwanda.

Despite significant progress in extending social protection in many parts of the world, the human right to social security is still not a reality for the majority of the population. Only 17.4% of Africa's population is covered by at least one social protection cash benefit, leaving more than 80% - the vast majority of workers in the informal economy and their families - without any protection at all. 

To respond and contribute to this situation, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has set up a multi-donor programme to support the implementation of the second phase of the ILO Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All. This programme, launched at the end of 2021, currently supports the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Burundi - the Great Lakes Region - as well as an Asia component. The programme aims to strengthen universal social protection. The three country components in the Great Lakes Region (DRC, Burundi and Rwanda) are complemented by a regional and global component, which will aim to extend the impact of the project beyond the three initial countries, by promoting global and regional partnerships and transfer of knowledge and experience.

Social protection in Rwanda comprises contributory and non-contributory schemes. Social security is administered by the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB). Established in 2010, RSSB is comprised of six schemes:

1. Pension Scheme
2. Occupational Hazards Scheme
3. Maternity Leave Benefit Scheme
4. Medical Scheme
5. Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHI) and
6. EjoHeza (a long term saving scheme covering salaried workers and non-salaried population).

Despite the ambitious programmes, RSSB covers less than 10% of the working population. Although over 80% of the Rwandan population has access to health insurance, estimates suggest only about 60% of the poorest quintile have access despite the presence of premium subsidies for households in the first Ubudehe Category. Coverage of safety net programmes are generally low despite Government’s effort to device innovative approaches. The Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme has coverage rates of less than 1% of the population, while the Ubudehe benefits only 8% of the population. The first National Strategy for Transformation (2018-2024) reaffirms the central role of social protection in eradicating and enhancing the standard of living of Rwandans. Rwanda’s third National Social Protection Policy (2018 - 2024) reconfirms the country’s commitment to advance towards the establishment of a social protection system that delivers “universal protection for all citizens”. The Policy proposes a comprehensive vision for social protection that encapsulates social security, short-term social assistance, social care services and targeted livelihood and employment support.

The NSSP Social Protection Sector Strategic Plan (SP-SSP) 2018/19 – 2023/24 highlights the following priority areas:

• Increase access to social security and income support programmes, particularly among vulnerable older people, people with disabilities, households with low labour capacity and other poor families.
• Enhance social protection sector’s contribution to reducing malnutrition.
• Strengthen support for households and communities affected by disasters and shocks.
• Strengthen the provision of social care services for the protection and inclusion of the most vulnerable
• Strengthen linkages between social protection and complementary programmes that support sustainable graduation from extreme poverty
• Promote values of self-reliance, respect for rights and community-based support for the vulnerable
• Strengthen institutional capacity for evidence-based policy development and social protection service delivery. 

The ILO Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All will support Rwanda in:

1. Within the framework of the National Social Protection Strategy, identifying and developing social security products and services, including unemployment protection responding to the priorities and needs of workers in the formal and informal economy;
2. In alignment with the RSSB Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025, strengthening administration of social security schemes;
3. Strengthening the capacities of national actors to effectively implement social protection schemes and advocate for their sustainable financing.

At the regional level, the programme provides for the development and sharing of knowledge on social protection financing and capacity building to build systems for the collection and compilation of national statistics on social protection. 

The 24-month programme will be implemented jointly and in close coordination between the ILO Country Office in DRC (for the DRC component and the regional component), the ILO Country Office in Dar es Salaam (for the Rwanda and Burundi components), and by the ILO Social Protection Department (SOCPRO) in Geneva and with support from the ILO Decent Work Teams in Pretoria and Yaoundé. 

The ILO is seeking to recruit an international Project Manager in Social Protection to ensure the implementation of the project in Rwanda. The position will be based in Kigali, Rwanda.

Reporting Lines

The Project Manager will report directly to the Director of CO-Dar es Salaam. S/he will also work closely with the Social Protection Specialist in the ILO Decent Work Team in Pretoria, the Technical Adviser in charge of the DRC component based in Kinshasa and the Social Protection Department (SOCPRO) at ILO headquarters in Geneva.
He/She will oversee the work of the national social protection expert of the project in Kigali, Rwanda, as well as the national project coordinator and the administrative assistant based in Bujumbura, Burundi and any other international and local consultant hired during the course of the project.

Description of Duties

The Technical Adviser will :
 

Project management:

• Ensure effective implementation of the project components in Rwanda and Burundi through the development/ update of the project work plan, timely provision of inputs, timely and efficient delivery of outputs, and planning, control of the project activities, in close collaboration with the relevant line ministries, RSSB and social partners as well as key stakeholders in the social protection sector and especially Enabel. S/he will ensure that activities will be implemented in conformity with ILO policies and the projects’ strategy, and in accordance with ILO programming guidelines and administrative and financial procedures in consultation with the CO-Dar es Salaam. 
• Ensure that implementation of activities is effectively monitored, that information needed for reporting is collected in a systematic way in line with the project indicator framework at sufficiently disaggregated level and that information is regularly updated in the ILO social protection Results Monitoring Tool and inputs provided in a timely manner to the global annual report of the Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All. 
• S/he will be responsible for the effective management of funds/budget assigned to the project, identify delivery challenges and remedial actions and liaise with the CO-Dar es Salaam and the Flagship Programme Manager in SOCPRO as needed. 
• Manage efficiently the project staff in Rwanda (national social protection expert) and Burundi (national project coordinator and administrative assistance) including recruitment, performance and talent management aspects. S/he will provide technical support to the national project coordinator in Burundi. 

Technical Leadership and Advice:

• Provide technical support to relevant line ministries and RSSB in Rwanda, and backstop the project in Burundi in several areas of social protection (pensions, maternity, unemployment, social health protection, financing/fiscal space social protection, social security administration and service delivery, digitalisation, social protection statistics) and for several target groups (informal economy, formal sector, rural, etc.), develop technical briefs, keep close relations with line ministries and RSSB in order to achieve the outputs and results of the project. S/he will specifically provide technical advice on the extension of social protection to the informal economy. 
• Identify training needs and organize training workshops and meetings for line ministries, RSSB, tripartite partners, NGOs, other agencies, target groups and staff as appropriate to reinforce the understanding of universal social protection in line with ILO standards and the good practices guides and thematic approaches developed by the ILO through its Flagship programme, improve capacities for advocacy raising and for implementation of social protection.
• Promote the project’s alignment/coherence and contribution to national, regional and global goals, strategies and initiatives. 

Advocacy, Networking and Partnership:

• Strengthen relationships to cooperate and coordinate with the line ministries and Ministry of Finance, RSSB, and the employers' and workers' organizations, Enabel, non-governmental organizations, and the donors, in the planning and implementation of activities under the project. Engage also with financial partners (development banks in particular). S/he will provide support to the coordination in the social protection sector as required and requested by the relevant national institutions. 
• Liaise with other UN agencies counterparts and IFIs (the World Bank as appropriate) to establish ILO as a key actor in the social protection sector including through active involvement in coordination mechanisms in the sector, promote ILO's values, increase the project's visibility and facilitate the scaling-up of the project's interventions. 
• Promote ILO policies on social protection as well as other fundamental rights at work and the relevant International Labour Standards in collaboration with other technical/labour standards specialists.

Mobilization of Resources:

• Undertake local resource mobilization activities with multi-lateral and bilateral donor community for the development of future activities linked to social protection in coordination with the CO-Dar es Salaam. Support ILO Flagship Programme and the regional specialist in preparing concept notes and project proposals as part of global and regional project proposals.

Knowledge Management:

• Write and disseminate information materials on the project in close collaboration with Flagship Programme management team at regional level and at SOCPRO.
• Any other duties requested by the responsible chief.

Education

Advanced university degree in economics, social protection, actuarial science, development economics, management, social science, or a related field.

Experience

• Seven years' experience in development cooperation, of which at least three years at the international level, this includes field experience in leadership role in management and implementation of social protection projects.
• Advanced knowledge of social protection, including a strong understanding key issues in Rwanda, Burundi, Africa and global trends and developments.  
• Considering the scope of the project in Rwanda and Burundi, strong demonstrated knowledge on unemployment protection, pensions, financing/fiscal space for social protection, service delivery enhancements, digitalisation, social health protection, social protection statistics and extension of social security to the informal sector including efforts formalisation – is highly desirable. 
• Familiarity with ILO policies and procedures as well as experience in project cycle management including identification, implementation, donor reporting, project visibility, monitoring and evaluation. 
• Experience in maintaining and creating partnerships and networks with national counterparts and development partners including resource mobilization. 
• Sound understanding of social protection policies, ILO standards on social protection and the Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All. 

Languages

Excellent command of English and a working knowledge of French are required. Knowledge of Kinyarwanda or Kirundi would be an asset. 

Competencies

• Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organisational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards;
• Ability to develop clear strategic goals consistent with the project/programme’s objectives, and to design and synthesise strategies for programme development; 
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice;
• Excellent leadership skills, ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills; 
• Ability to formulate new concepts and methodologies, and to synthesise research and reach empirically based conclusions on related subjects by understanding both the qualitative and quantitative approaches in social science research;
• Ability to develop training materials, alternative courses of action, project proposals, policy, procedural matters and present them at high-level meetings; 
• 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;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write accurate reports and to build networks to obtain cooperation with partners;
• Should be open to and able to make changes to accommodate culture and gender differences in order to interact effectively with individuals; 
• Proven capacity to initiate and implement technical co-operation programmes and activities with ILO constituents and NGOs, including negotiation skills with governments, social partners and to mobilise the support of international donor agencies and provide quality services;
• 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;
• Develop self-awareness and show empathy by demonstrating the qualities, traits, or attributes that contribute to the ability to effectively relate to and identify with others. 
• 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;
• Drive to seek or encourage others to seek opportunities for different and innovative approaches to organisation problems and opportunities for improvement.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required.