Introduction

The position is located in the Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit (COOP/SSE) within the ILO Department of Sustainable Enterprises, Productivity and Just Transition (ENTERPRISES). Established in 1920, COOP/SSE is anchored in the unique mandate of the ILO within the United Nations system to promote cooperatives and the broader social and solidarity economy (SSE). The Unit’s mission is guided by the ILO Constitution, the Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No. 193), and the Resolution, Strategy and Action Plan concerning decent work and the SSE. The Unit’s efforts focus on improving the understanding of related realities and needs and increasing capacities to promote decent work in and through the SSE in a coherent manner.

The main role of the position is to support the effective implementation of the ‘Strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Knowledge Base – Phase 2’ project, which builds on the first phase of the project to enhance the global capacity to produce, use and share reliable statistics on cooperatives and the wider SSE. Funded by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea as part of the ILO/Korea Partnership Programme, this project runs from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2026 and focuses on three main outcomes:

1. Enhancing the capacity to produce, use, and share statistics on the SSE.
2. Improving the capacity to measure the economic contribution of cooperatives.
3. Increasing gender- and disability-inclusive engagement, communication, and publications on the SSE statistical knowledge base.

Under direct supervision and within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and the project, the Technical Officer will assist in the overall activities of the above project by providing technical support to the project to attain the expected outcomes. The incumbent will contribute to the promotion of the ILO policies in the project-related technical areas and other components of the ILO Decent Work Agenda. Responsibilities include providing technical inputs, contributing to the drafting of reports and communication materials, and assisting in coordinating with partners such as the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) and the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE). The incumbent supports the organization and facilitation of Technical Working Groups on statistics in COPAC and UNTFSSE, assists with managing the online Community of Practice on Cooperative and SSE Statistics, and contributes to stakeholder collaboration. Additional duties include supporting the preparation of annual workplans and budgets, contributing to resource mobilization efforts, assisting with research, organization of workshops and seminars, and monitoring and evaluating project activities.

Reporting lines: The incumbent works under the overall guidance of the Unit Head and direct supervision of the Technical Specialist on SSE Statistics.

Description of Duties

• Carry out a range of activities for the implementation of project objectives in conformity with ILO policies, procedures, and practices; the project strategies; and in accordance with ILO programming guidelines and country action programmes, and administrative and financial procedures, with particular attention to gender responsiveness.
• Collaborate with the project professional team and partners in the planning, design, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of activities, in coordination with the ILO Field Offices and HQ.
• Provide administrative and technical backstopping for the project, as required, including contributing to the drafting of concept notes, strategy papers, terms of reference, progress and evaluation reports, knowledge products such as publications, reports and communication materials, and other outputs.
• Support the creation and operations of the Technical Working Group for the Measurement of the Economic Contribution of Cooperatives (TWG-MECC), the Technical Working Group on SSE Statistics (TWG-SSES), and the Community of Practice on Cooperative and SSE Statistics, including developing strategic documents and monitoring tools to track progress, and reporting to the ILO, COPAC, and UNTFSSE.
• Support the coordination and facilitation of the Community of Practice on Cooperative and SSE Statistics for peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders, and to disseminate good practices, lessons learned, and project results.
• Support the effective communication and information sharing within and between the TWG-MECC, TWG-SSES and the Community of Practice to ensure collaboration across stakeholders, alignment of activities, and consistency in reporting.
• Carry out research and provide technical inputs in the preparation of analytical research, reports and publications, and draft technical discussion papers.
• Establish and maintain a database for monitoring and evaluation aimed at tracking progress against Key Performance Indicators. Identify problems and make recommendations for follow-up actions.
• Liaise on operational matters related to the project with different stakeholders from governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, UN agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

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• Provide inputs for budget preparation and other related matters, including preparing relevant documentation for responsible ILO entities.
• Assist in organizing webinars and other events such as meetings, workshops, seminars, and conferences of the ILO, COPAC and UNTFSSE, including the preparation of concept notes, agendas, background materials, presentations, minutes and reports, and participate as a resource person in these events and those of other organizations as relevant.
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts, developing concept notes and project documents to raise extra budgetary resources for cooperatives and the wider SSE in close cooperation with ILO constituents and concerned programmes in the field and at headquarters.
• Collaborate closely with relevant ILO programmes and projects, ILO units and responsible ILO offices and DWT as appropriate to foster synergies, integrate the SSE in relevant outputs and activities, obtain technical inputs and share good practices and lessons learned.
• Undertake missions relating to project implementation.
• Undertake other duties as required.

Required qualifications

Education

First level degree in the field of economics, statistics, social sciences or other related field.

Experience

At least three years of relevant professional experience in areas such as research, statistics, project management, cooperatives and cooperative development, the SSE and its advancement, or related fields. Experience at the international level or in international organizations would be an advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of English, both written and verbal, and good working knowledge of another working language of the Organization (French or Spanish).

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. both oral and written, including the ability to draft clearly and concisely and prepare project proposals, reports, and studies.
• Good analytical skills including the ability to conceptualize, plan, and conduct research work, identify sources and develop methods for data collection, use analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative research methods, identify problems, and make recommendations.
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team. in accordance with instructions and guidelines, planning and organizing own work, prioritizing assignments, adapting to changing demands, and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to carry out assignments in accordance with instructions and guidelines.
• Ability to use analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• Ability to conceptualise, plan, and conduct straightforward research work.
• Good computer skills. Knowledge of IT applications for information collection, management and dissemination and ability to adapt quickly to new IT software and systems.
• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts, and approaches relevant to the area of the SSE Knowledge Base, including familiarity with statistics.
• Ability to liaise, coordinate, and collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders, including ILO staff, government officials, employers’ and workers’ organizations, UN entities and NGOs, with tact, diplomacy, and strong interpersonal skills.
• Capacity and willingness to take initiative and demonstrate responsible behaviour and attention to detail.
• High level of ethical conduct, honesty, and integrity.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate and model gender-responsive, non-discriminatory, and inclusive behaviour and attitudes.