Introduction

The position is located in the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific (ILO DWT-Bangkok), which provides technical support to governments, employers’, and workers’ organizations in 23 countries in East and South-East Asia and the Pacific in their efforts to promote decent work. The team provides a wide range of support services related to labour issues and labour markets, including private sector development support.

The incumbent will provide technical support to two development cooperation projects: Building Youth Capacity and Network in Asia Pacific (RAS/22/51/JPN) and Strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in Asia – Phase 2 (RAS/21/53/KOR).

The Building Youth Capacity and Network in Asia Pacific project aims to capacitate and connect development organizations which support the youth and vulnerable communities to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystem for inclusive growth and productivity in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Philippines, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. To achieve this objective, the project collaborates with international and local organizations to empower 50,000 youth using sustainable, scalable, and impactful training tools. The project is funded by the ILO/Japan Fund for Building Social Safety Nets in Asia and the Pacific (SSN Fund) and is from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024.

The Strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy in Asia – Phase 2 project aims to improve understanding on the social and solidarity economy’s contribution to decent work and sustainable development, and create policy dialogue among policymakers, workers’ and employers’ organizations and practitioners in Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The project is funded by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea as part of the ILO/Korea Partnership Programme and is from 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2023 (potentially 30 June 2024, subject to approval of no-cost extension by the donor).

The incumbent will be based in Bangkok within ILO DWT-Bangkok through a fixed-term contract to work closely with staff in the DWT-Bangkok team, country offices, and units in the Enterprises Department, including Cooperatives Unit and other HQ departments.

Reporting lines:

The incumbent will report directly to the ILO’s enterprise specialist on the DWT Bangkok. She/he will coordinate closely with the development partners and ILO country offices in target countries. She/he receive guidance from the ILO COOP Manager for the implementation of SSE in Asia – phase 2 project.

Required qualifications

Description of Duties

1. Provide technical support to the strengthening the social and solidarity economy in Asia project – phase 2, in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and communication & dissemination activities and the organization of meetings and events, i.e., national and regional advisory committee meetings, and the conference and study tour in Bangkok, Thailand in 14-15 November 2023;

2. Provide technical support to the building youth capacity and network in Asia Pacific project, by organizing online events to connect international and local partners in the region, organize regular progress meetings with development partners (i.e., AISEC, JILAF, Impact Hub), supporting tourism and hospitality sector in Timor-Leste with ACT/EMP, engaging with the donor to respond to their requests, monitoring and evaluation, and communication & dissemination activities;

3. Support the development, adaptation, and implementation of training tools in the region, including the Activity-Based Learning (ABL) programme, which focuses on groups of micro-enterprise owners, ILO tools for capacity building and training of cooperatives (Think.COOP Start.COOP, Manage.COOP and My.COOP), the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) and other ILO programmes;

4. Participate in resource mobilization efforts, developing concept notes and project documents to raise extra budgetary resources for entrepreneurship and enterprise development, cooperatives, and the wider SSE in the region in close cooperation with ILO constituents and concerned programmes in the field and at headquarters;

5. Under the guidance of the responsible supervisor, maintain close liaison with governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and UN/non-governmental organizations, to discuss matters and follow up on a broad range of country programmes and projects;

6. Co-ordinate, promote linkages, document, and share good practices and lessons learnt with other relevant ILO projects/programs, ILO units and external stakeholders;

7. Contribute to building partnerships with other international organizations, support institutions, and the donor community;

8. Undertake missions in relation to project development and implementation;

9. Undertake other duties as required.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Public or Business Administration, International Development or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

At least three years of professional experience in the entrepreneurship and/or the social and solidarity economy. Demonstrated experience in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of development cooperation projects related to job creation, entrepreneurship, cooperatives and/or wider SSE development.

Languages

Fluency in English. Working knowledge of Lao, Thai, Khmer and/or Vietnamese and other official ILO languages (French and Spanish) will be an asset.

Competencies

– Ability to draft clearly and concisely, and prepare project proposals, reports and studies.
– Ability to identify problems and make recommendations
– Good interpersonal and communication skills.
– Good analytical and research skills.
– Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team.
– Ability to carry out assignments in accordance with instructions and guidelines.
– Ability to conceptualise, plan, coordinate and conduct straightforward research work, discussion papers, reports.
– Ability to provide technical support to senior specialists, carrying out research, project formulation and implementation.
– Ability to participate effectively in technical missions and to provide technical inputs for the ILO Decent Work Agenda.
– Excellent analytical skills and knowledge of analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques.
– Excellent computer skills.
– Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required.