Introduction

This position is located in the ILO Regional Office for Arab States which is co-located with the Decent Work Team based in Beirut, Lebanon. ROAS/DWT-Arab States has overall political and management responsibility for the operations of the ILO in the Arab States Region.

The Chief of the Regional Programming Unit (C/RPU) will be responsible for leading and managing the work of the Regional Programming Unit (RPU). The incumbent will strategically assist regional management and offices and programmes in the region in programming resources for all sources of funds as well as supporting the coordination, monitoring, and reporting on ILO’s activities in the region. In close collaboration with the Strategic Programming and Management Department (PROGRAM) at headquarters, the incumbent will provide support at regional and country levels in the area of strategic planning, resource allocation, country programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge management. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring quantitative and qualitative delivery of the programmes and development cooperation projects and programme in the region in line with results-based management (RBM) principles. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring coherent programming and resourcing of ILO activities in the region in line with identified constituent needs and set priorities, within the overall framework of implementing the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda. Moreover, the incumbent will provide support at regional and country levels to the implementation of the decisions of the Governing Body and International Labour Conference, as well as of the Arab States Regional Meetings, as appropriate.

The position reports to the Deputy Regional Director under the overall guidance of the Regional Director and receives technical guidance and advice from the Strategic Programming and Management Department at ILO headquarters. The position is a part of the Regional Management Team as well as the PROGRAM Global Technical Team.

Specific Duties

1. Plan, manage, and supervise the work of the RPU at the Regional Office and support priority setting at regional and country levels.
2. Provide support to Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWT) and offices and programmes in the development, implementation, and monitoring of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) or other programming frameworks at national and subregional levels in the region. This includes leading the quality assurance process for DWCPs, facilitating periodic Country Programme Reviews and providing advice on the establishment of programmes’ governance mechanisms. Ensure that gender equality, non-discrimination and other cross-cutting issues are given appropriate consideration in programme design, implementation and reporting in line with relevant guidance.
3. Identify and define regional priorities and outcomes within the framework of the Outcome-based Work Plans (OBW) and provide support to the DWT and offices in the region in the formulation of OBW for the biennium. Maintain close liaison with relevant technical units at headquarters to plan, articulate and support the implementation of Country Programme Outcomes. Coordinate the regular region-wide reviews of OBWs in consultation with the responsible lead officials at headquarters and PROGRAM.
4. Coordinate the planning and programming of regular budget and associated resources, RBTC, PSI, RBSA, as well as extra-budgetary resources, in the region. Monitor delivery of all sources of funds and propose appropriate action to regional management and office directors in the region.
5. Coordinate the preparation of the region’s Programme and Budget proposals. Plan and coordinate the biennial implementation reporting exercise and provide quality assurance.
6. In consultation with PROGRAM, monitor programme implementation to ensure conformity with the ILO’s Programme and Budget objectives and RBM. Propose changes in programme orientation and work methods.
7. Provide guidance on development cooperation policies and procedures and coordinate the formulation of regional development cooperation proposals and ensure quality assurance of proposals, including through building staff capacity on project cycle management and results-based management.
8. Lead the regional monitoring and evaluation function, ensuring the soundness of M&E systems and enhancing evaluation capacity and culture within the region. Ensure that gender equality, non-discrimination and other cross-cutting issues are given appropriate consideration in evaluation design, analysis and reporting in accordance with EVAL guidance and in line with the United Nations system-wide action plan and UN Evaluation Group gender-related guidance and reporting requirements.
9. Lead efforts to enhance programming capacity in the region, including through briefings and capacity development activities for Programming staff, Evaluation focal points and constituents. Guide the development of knowledge management systems and tools to support priority setting and decision-making.
10. Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

These specific duties are aligned with the relevant ILO generic job description, which includes the following generic duties:

Generic Duties

1. Responsible for the review, analysis, and interpretation of economic, social, and political trends in the region to provide recommendations to regional management on technical assistance needs and the formulation of regional priorities. Prepare papers and reports in this respect and oversee the formulation of regional development cooperation programmes and projects in consultation with the relevant technical areas.
2. Coordinate the planning and programming of regular budget resources in the region and the preparation of relevant reports, including the regional department’s programme and budget proposals.
3. Coordinate and advise on matters of project design and evaluation in the region, for all sources of funds, and assist regional management in recommending the establishment of new, or modification of existing, regional objectives and priorities, promoting joint collaborative work on programme development and implementation.
4. Identify trends or developments in the region for which further research and programme development work is required. Provide advice to and assist country offices, DWTs, governments, social partners, UN and other funding agencies on the review and formulation of programmes.
5. Establish and maintain relations and negotiations with other UN agencies, funding agencies and other international agencies in the region, and prepare relevant papers, reports, and consultation programmes.
6. Implement a monitoring and evaluation programme to assess the progress attained by activities in the region, of which the monitoring and evaluation reports will serve as the basis for planning future work as well as the foundation for drawing broader conclusions relevant to the general policies of the organization in the region.
7. Coordinate and monitor matters of development cooperation in the region. Serve as focal point and provide advice on policies. Coordinate multi-bilateral project submissions from the region. Advise on relations with development banks, develop monitoring systems for project pipelines, and plan and organize related briefing and staff training programmes.
8. Coordinate the planning, formulation, and implementation of multi-country development cooperation activities across offices, including regional and sub-regional projects, and supervise and manage programme development, and project and resource control.

Required qualifications

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in economics, business or public administration, social science or other related field. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

At least ten years of professional experience in programme planning, management, implementation and evaluation, including at the international level.

Languages

Excellent command of English and/or French and working knowledge of the second language.

Competencies

In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:

Technical competencies
Excellent knowledge of the organization’s policies, procedures, practices, and programmes, including programming techniques and cycles. Excellent knowledge of the Strategic Management Module in IRIS or other ERP systems, ideally Oracle-based. Demonstrated ability to conduct socio-economic research and analysis, and to write reports. Proven ability to undertake complex policy analyses and to produce policy reports. Ability to represent the Organization and to provide authoritative advice and guidance. Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, and proven ability to motivate and train staff. Excellent managerial skills. Thorough knowledge of international development cooperation policies and procedures.

Behavioural competencies
Ability to work in a multicultural environment and demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitude.