Project Administrator

​​Requisition ID: 1668 
Grade: ISA-Junior Specialist 
Country: Austria 
Duty Station: Vienna 
Category: Project Personnel 
Type of Job Posting: External
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Contract Duration: 6 months
Application Deadline: 2-Feb-2023  

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, oversees the Organization's development of capacities for industrial development as well as industrial policy advice, statistics and research activities and the Organization's normative contribution to Member States and global development community in achieving the SDGs. The Directorate also ensures the application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to Environment, Energy, SMEs, Competitiveness and Job creation, as well as Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute toward effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results and on realizing any potential for scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Division of Circular Economy and Environmental Protection (TCS/CEP) contributes to greener and more circular industries and products by minimizing both resource use along value chains and the emission of pollutants to the environment. The Division promotes just transitions to circular economies, reduced release of pollutants into the environment and other green industrial and economic approaches to help Member States to grow economically while simultaneously addressing the three planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It does so by supporting resource efficiency increases in the manufacturing and use of products along value chains and during the life cycle of the product; by reducing or eliminating the emission of non-fuel-related greenhouse gas emissions; and by assisting in achieving the objectives of and compliance with multilateral environmental agreements. In doing so, its activities further improve competitiveness, as well as the development of and access to markets, particularly for SMEs. This contributes to climate-neutral, resilient, pollution-free industrial development, supporting co-existence that is in harmony with nature.

The Division acts as the focal point in UNIDO for various multilateral environmental agreements and multilateral co-operation in the field of the environment, including the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and emerging international, legally binding instruments such as the instrument to End Plastic Pollution; the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and other partnerships such as the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP), the Partnership for Action for Green Economy (PAGE), the Green Industry Platform (GIP) and other relevant international initiatives and conventions. The Division coordinates its advisory and service delivery with the services offered by other technical departments, and other relevant organizational entities of UNIDO.

This position is located under the Responsible Materials and Chemicals Management Unit (TCS/CEP/RMC) which is responsible for supporting Member States to implement the chemicals and wastes obligations and requirements under the Basel, Minamata, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions and other emerging relevant agreements, in particular where it relates to larger and formalized industries and sectors, and to leverage its experience to address industrial pollution mitigation in general as well as other emerging compliance mechanisms. With novel approaches to materials and chemicals management and to innovation, with training and education, and with implementing circular economy approaches in particular related to the extension of product life by maintenance, the Unit further leverages its experience to facilitate responsible materials sourcing and to support smaller enterprises and entrepreneurs in greening their businesses.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Many African countries have been experiencing rapid industrialization particularly in the agro-industry and agro-allied sector in which the continent enjoys some comparative advantages due to abundance and low cost of raw materials and labour. The rapid industrialization has resulted partly because of the incentive and opportunities offered by the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), a preferential trade agreement to facilitate exports from African countries to the United States through duty-free entrance of certain products into the United States including textiles. However, for African countries to be able to benefit maximally from the opportunities offered by AGOA they also need to minimize the environment impacts and footprints of their businesses in other to remain economic competitive and comply with global standards and norms. There are ongoing global efforts to remove/prevent the use of POPs and hazardous chemicals from the textile and garment (TG) supply chains such as the Apparel and Footwear International Restricted Substances List Management (AFIRM) Group; the European Union Resyntex project; The Greenpeace Detox initiative among others.

Many textile industries in many African countries are still using POPS chemicals in their industrial operations and due to lack of waste management policy framework and infrastructure off cuts and textiles discards are either disposed in open burning operations and or in open landfills. The open burning operations results in the emission of dioxins and furans and greenhouse gases with serious harmful effects on human and the environment. In order to effectively promote Circular Economy in the textile and garment sector, a value chain approach has to be adopted the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and other environmental tools to the entire process from textile manufacturing through apparel and garment production to the disposal of the wastes and end of life products. 

UNIDO is therefore developing the project initiative to promote Circular Economy in the textile and garment value chain in Madagascar, Lesotho and South Africa (GEF ID 10543) and a similar country project in Ethiopia (GEF ID 10683) through sustainable management of POPS chemicals and wastes; and the reuse, recycling and remanufacturing of textile/garment discards and wastes. In addition to promoting the economic competitiveness of the sector the project will also support the adoption of international best practices and compliance with international standards, norms and/or regulations. In particular the project will assist the selected countries to implement the provisions of the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants with synergistic effects of also reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, thereby addressing the issue of climate change. This initiative is also a response to Global Environment Facility (GEF)’s recognition of the need to transit from a linear economy to a circular one as an opportunity to pursue a suite of environmental benefits through public-private partnerships.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established 30 years ago on the eve of the Rio Earth Summit to tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. Since then, it has provided more than $21.5 billion in grants and mobilized an additional $117 billion in co-financing for more than 5,000 projects and programs. The GEF is the largest multilateral trust fund focused on enabling developing countries to invest in nature, and supports the implementation of major international environmental conventions including on biodiversity, climate change, chemicals, and desertification. It brings together 184 member governments in addition to civil society, international organization, and private sector partners. Through its Small Grants Programme, the GEF has provided support to more than 25,000 civil society and community initiatives in 135 countries. Please visit https://www.thegef.org/ for more information.

According to the GEF, the circular economy model provides tremendous opportunities for reducing natural resource extraction and emissions of hazardous chemical and greenhouse gases, along with fast tracking the achievement of commitments by countries with the major international conventions. The project was approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) during its 58th Council Meeting held from 2-3 June 2020.

In particular, the project components will be:

1. Strengthening of regulatory and institutional capacities for adoption and promotion of Circular Economy (CE) in the textile and garment sector: The main goal of Component 1 is the creation of the necessary institutional frameworks, effective policy control and incentives and technical resources to advance in the Circular Economy agenda in the TG sector along the whole value-chain by promoting Best Available Techniques (BAT)/Best Environmental Practices (BEP)/Resource Efficient and cleaner production (RECP) while preventing/ reducing POPs and other hazardous chemicals.
2. Recyclability of textile and garment wastes is enhanced through POPs-free textile manufacturing process and the implementation of BAT/BEP and RECP investments: The main goal of Component 2 is to implement BAT/ BEP/ RECP methodology and Circular Economy concepts for the prevention and reduction of POPs and other hazardous chemicals and materials use in textile and garment production facilities as well as its substitution by Environmentally Sound Alternatives (ESA) including non-chemical alternatives, in line with the requirements of the SC and National priorities, while enhancing the recyclability and reuse of textile and garments wastes through POPs-free textiles and garment manufacturing. The component will also introduce RECP options such as wastewater minimization, pollution control and management, energy efficiency and renewable energy implementation.
3. Introduction of Circular Economy concept for UPOPs emission reductions through ESM of textile and garment wastes and pilot demonstration of textiles/garment wastes recycling and reuse:

The main goal of component 3 is to promote the implementation of Pilot demonstration for the reuse and recycling of textile and garment wastes through the introduction of circular economy concepts, BAT and BEP in existing and future reuse-recycling facilities with the final objective of reusing and recycling 100% of wastes in the future in an environmentally sound manner. In the garment making production process; BAT/BEP will be implemented to avoid the use of hazardous chemicals in garment making and finishing. This will entail the introduction of eco-design design techniques to minimize the generation of wastes; off-specs and offcuts in the production process. The international brands such as  Nike, Puma, ASOS, Levi, Woolworths, Adidas, etc. are already implementing some of these activities under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmers individually and in cooperation with other players in their supply chains. This cooperation will be strengthened and coordinated by the project especially for garment makers that are suppliers to more than one global brand.  The project aims to promote the circularity of textile and garment value chain through adoption of sustainable wastes management plans and strategy. The project will identify opportunities for forward integration by the textile and garment sector through the reprocessing and recycling of TG wastes into the textile manufacturing process. For contaminated wastes the project will support the disposal in an environmentally sound manner through the application of appropriate BAT/BEP.

4. Knowledge management for scaling up:

This component aims to ensure that project results are sustained and scaled at national and global levels. This Component is shared with the UNEP project in Asia, both projects following the same basic structure, although specific activities will be developed as needed in each region. The outcome will be achieved through sharing technical successes and lessons to the wider textile sector via national capacity and awareness raising, including ensuring access to information for regulators to meet international reporting obligations. At a global level, information will be shared between the UNEP and UNIDO projects, via SAICM and international networks, and with global supply chains, to ensure appropriate incentives for textiles facilities are in place. Gender and social impacts are particularly important in the sector and will be addressed under this component.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

The main Roles and Responsibilities of UNIDO as the implementation agency of this project, will be to monitor and supervise the regional coordination of this project. The Government of the participating countries will nominate National Executing Entity (NEE) while UNIDO will identify and select one Regional Executing Entity (REE). UNIDO as the GEF Agency will also be accountable to the GEF Council for the GEF-financed activities, as well as it will be responsible for project cycle management services and corporate activities.

The main Roles and Responsibilities of the National Executing Entity (NEE) will be to execute policy and institutional framework review; capacity assessment, provide specific procurement services; organize awareness raising and public education; national workshops and training programmes, national stakeholders’ mobilization and engagement; coordination of national pilot demonstration; progress monitoring and reporting. The NEE will also prepare national progress reports; provide inputs into regional reports; and arrange national Project Implementation Committee (PIC) meetings. The PIC committee at each country will include representative from concerned agencies/departments to review the implementation and monitoring of the project activities, provide suggestions for the timely implementation of the project, resolves disputes, sharing ideas and provide guidelines and provide recommendations to the Steering Committee. The NEE will establish the National Project Management Unit (PMU); provide necessary administrative and secretarial support to the PIC and host its meetings. The NEE will identify competent national experts, agencies, institutions, business associations, and NGOs/CSOs that will execute country specific activities and monitor progress of implementation.

The NEE will designate project management personnel to form the project management unit (PMU). The PMU will consist of the National Project Coordinator (NPC) and a Project Assistant (PA). The PMU will be responsible for the day-to-day management, as well as monitoring and evaluation of project activities, as to be specified in the project workplan. The NEE will contract qualified service providers for the execution of certain activities. An open and competitive process will be applied to select the service providers. Also, a number of activities, as outlined in this Terms of Reference, will be delivered by the REE - some at no cost to the NEE (i.e. covered from the REE budget) and some covered from the NEE budget.

The main Roles and Responsibilities of the Regional Executing Entity (REE) will be to execute, manage and be responsible for the project regional activities on a day-to-day basis. The regional executing entity (REE) will provide execution, management, and coordination services at the regional level in close consultation and cooperation with the national partners and executing entities.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Project Manager.

• The Project Administrator’ s main task would be to coordinate with execution entities/partners and establish execution agreements.
• Assists in monitoring project execution, identifying problems and utilising information as an input for corrective actions to promote effective project management.

Additionally, the Project Administrator would be expected to carry out the following main duties.

• Develop schedules, arrangements and methods for the management of the execution of individual project/s ((GEF ID 10683 and 10543)), in consultation with project personnel, technical, substantive and administrative service units;
• Exchange information required for project execution with REE and NEE in planning, finance, donor input coordination and sectoral functions, as well as with representatives of multilateral and bilateral donor agencies;
• Monitor and expedite project execution systematically through discussions and correspondence with technical, substantive and project staff, field visits, analysis of periodic project progress reports, participation in tripartite reviews and mid-term project evaluations; utilize information obtained as an input to corrective decision-making and revisions;
• Organize and conduct briefings and debriefings on projects with special regard for the country, sub regional and regional aspects, resources and development characteristics, with a view to maximizing project performance levels.

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree in engineering, environmental studies, physical or natural sciences or other relevant discipline is required.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• At least Three (3) years of professional experience in technical cooperation project management or portfolio project management including some exposure at the international level, is required.
• Experience in research and analysis of information independently and recommending solutions is required.
• The ability to write in a clear and concise manner is required.
• The ability to work effectively in multicultural teams is desirable.
• Experience in evaluating the needs, conditions and problems in developing countries, especially African countries is desirable. 
• Experience working on Global Environment Facility funded projects is desirable.
• Experience with the textile sector is desirable.
• Exposure to the needs, conditions and problems in developing countries especially African countries is desirable.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Fluency and/or working knowledge of French is desirable.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core values:
WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.

WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.

WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.

Key competencies:
WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside.
Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org
NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.
 
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