Requisition ID: 5014
Grade: SB4 – Local Professional (Junior & Mid Level)
Country: Costa Rica
Duty Station: COS – Other cities
Category: National Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Non-staff Regular
Contract Duration: 8 months
Application deadline: 02-Jan-2025, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)
Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
Female candidates are 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 Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.
The position is located under the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS). Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization’s application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization’s normative contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora. The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.
The position is specifically located under the Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME). Under the supervision of the Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) works towards increasing the competitiveness of industries in developing countries and countries in transition, especially emphasizing business development of MSMEs engaged in manufacturing and creating jobs therein. It aims at increasing competitiveness among MSMEs in two interconnected ways: first, by modernizing businesses through the transfer of advanced technologies adapted to local conditions, product innovation, productivity improvement and upgrading, developing market and value chain readiness as well as improved access to finance; and second, by improving the quality of MSME manufactured products and their compliance with market requirements through capacity building for the development of industrial production and trade-related quality infrastructure including for standardization, metrology, accreditation and of conformity assessment service institutions (testing, certification, inspection and calibration) and the strengthening of their capacities.
The Competitiveness, Quality and Compliance Unit (TCS/SME/CQC) builds national and regional production and quality infrastructure systems, with an emphasis on providing internationally recognized services, facilitating MSME participation in regional and global value chains; strengthening institutional quality infrastructure capacities; building conformity assessment capacities; and supporting market access and quality awareness with the public sector, economic operators and consumers, placing a special emphasis on capacitating MSMEs.
PROJECT CONTEXT tem
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Global Quality and Standards Programme (GQSP) – Phase 2 (SAP ID 220007)
The Global Quality and Standards Programme is a large-scale programme, which is designed to encourage systematic trade development along specific value chains by strengthening quality infrastructure institutions and service providers, enhancing the compliance capacity of private sector actors, particularly SMEs, and creating a culture of quality among all stakeholders. In 2021, following the success of the first programme phase, UNIDO and SECO agreed to continue the successful efforts during a second programme phase, lasting five years (Dec 2022 – Nov 2027).
In the Phase 2 Framework, four countries are working on small-scale interventions linked to the results of Swiss Free-Trade Agreements (FTA) negotiations. Traceability has become a mandatory quality requirement in most demanding international markets. To demonstrate transparency, traceability, tamper-evidence, immutability, and compliance, it is essential to have traceability systems for agro-industrial value chains that are adapted to new international standards. Ensuring traceability in the coffee value chain is crucial to keeping markets open, as demonstrated by the case of Costa Rican coffee and its success in the European market. The Global Quality and Standards Programme (GQSP) aims to enhance traceability in Costa Rica’s coffee value chain by implementing specific interventions.
Costa Rica’s coffee industry faces important challenges related to productivity, climate change, access to financing for the renovation of coffee plantations, lack of generational integration, among others. In addition to these challenges, there are new international regulations that directly impact 26,645 coffee producing families, 86% of which are considered small producers.
Among these new regulations is that of the European Union, who, as of June 9, 2023, published the “Regulation on deforestation-free products, adopted in the framework of the Green Pact”, which contains new access requirements that will be applied to Costa Rican coffee exports as of January 1, 2025. Café de Costa Rica has been able to systematically establish a baseline with its georeferencing systems, using databases and satellite systems such as Copernicus-Galileo, MOCUPP (in the case of coffee, it is produced by INISEFOR/UNA with the support of the National Geographic Institute and the National Registry), and its own databases with the coffee growing regions in order to comply with the first phase of requirements demanded by the EU in its regulation.
Also, for some years now, ICAFE has been working on a protocol that integrates Costa Rican coffee’s due diligence actions in the Traceability & Sustainability Statement project. This protocol aims to evidencing the most excellent transparency, traceability, and sustainability in Costa Rican Coffee’s value chain, guaranteeing its quality and differential value for its actions.
The Traceability & Sustainability Statement contemplates environmental, social, economic, and ethical parameters, as well as traceability from the plant to the cup. These parameters are supported, for the most part, by Costa Rican legislation, which is outstanding in the region, and specifically through Law 2762: Law that regulates the Relationship Regime between producers, processors, and exporters of coffee, which is unique in the world.
The action will pursue three activities, thus responding to the main compliance challenges identified in the Costa Rican coffee sustainability value chain in alignment with the aim of the Small-Scale intervention:
1. Evaluating the “Traceability and Sustainability Statement” platform design
2. Developing the “Traceability and Sustainability Statement” platform
3. Improving knowledge, managing the new traceability platform and access to information on market requirements for local producers
The contracted web developer will be responsible for:
The web developer will be under the supervision of UNIDO’s TCS/SME/CQC Project Manager, under the coordination of the National Technical Coordinator (NTC) and in straight supervision with ICAFE. The Expert shall provide expert technical advice on all sector-related issues and support the implementation of activities falling under this Project to ensure implementation in an integrated and coherent manner. tionale>
MAIN DUTIES
Working Plan: Establishing Goals, Methodology, and Deadlines for Each Task of the Consultancy Based on the Technical Requirements Report
This document outlines the goals, methodology, and deadlines for each task within this consultancy, as specified in the Technical Requirements Report. It should also include a schedule for bi-weekly reports and progress updates with the project team.
Maintenance of Beneficiary Users on the CR-Café Platform (Development in Oracle APEX)
To ensure compliance, the following tasks must be developed:
– User Management
– Entity (to be taken from the code provided in the SIC system)
– User Status
CR-Café Log-in Module (Coffee Grower Portal):
Data Maintenance and Parameterization (Development in Oracle APEX)
The following tasks must be completed:
Creation of Structure and Maintenance of Questions: The structure must include the following fields (as per the requirements of Component I):
Creation of Structure and Maintenance of Suggested Actions:
Data Capture System (Development in Springboot API and Flutter Framework)
The following tasks must be completed:
Creation of Structures for Storing Responses and Evidence of Questions
Structure for Storing Responses:
Structure for Storing Evidence:
API Development:
Development of the Flutter Framework Application:
The application must include the following modules:
Data Processing and Validation (Development in Oracle APEX)
The developer must create a module to visualize all the postulants submitted by the different users (Producers and Beneficiaries). The module should also allow viewing of each postulant with its corresponding risk level and preventive action and display the uploaded evidence so that ICAFE personnel can follow up and validate the quality of the information. Additionally, the module should allow the generation of a PDF containing all the responses from both producers and beneficiaries.
Once the information has been validated, ICAFE personnel should be able to change the postulant’s status (Accepted, Returned due to lack of information, Rejected).
This section should also generate at least one investigation to begin a process for developing an automated validation procedure for the provided evidence, using RPA (Robotic Process Automation) or artificial intelligence. The investigation process should be documented, including potential requirements for implementation.
Data Output and Publication (Development in Springboot API and Flutter Framework)
To develop this section, the following tasks must be completed:
API Development:
Display the information retrieved from the API according to the prototype selected by ICAFE. The prototype will be developed by a designer and implemented in a web application by the developer. The application must be deployable when scanning a QR code.
Training for ICAFE Staff:
Documentation:
Publication:
Participate in publishing the applications on virtual stores (App Store and Play Store) and ICAFE servers.
The final version of the documents must be delivered in English and Spanish and organised according to the instructions and template provided by UNIDO.
The web designer will have to provide a guarantee of 6 months for the work carried out.
Quality requirements
The development must comply with quality characteristics related to functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability, and portability, which are defined below:
I. Functionality: Represents the software capacity to provide the functions described in “Functionality requirements”
II. Reliability: Software product or component capacity to perform the specified functions when used under certain conditions and a period. Reliability is evaluated through 4 criteria:
a. Maturity: Software capacity to avoid failures when it encounters errors. For example, the way in which the software warns the user when it performs operations on an empty disk drive or when the hard disk where it is storing the data does not find enough space.
b. Fault tolerance: Software capacity to maintain a level of operation in the event of errors.
c. Recoverability: Software capacity to restore its proper function and recover affected data in the event of a failure.
d. Reliability compliance: Software capacity to meet standards or norms related to reliability.
This reliability must be measured in the high availability offered by the load balancing that the contractor must implement to guarantee the adequate resolution of the service according to the architecture model.
Education: Advanced university degree in Systems Engineering or closely relevant discipline is required.
Experience, technical and functional expertise
Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish is required. Fluency and/or working knowledge of another official UN language will be 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.
Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org
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