Introduction

The ILO, FAO, and UN Women will implement from October 2024 to September 2026 the Joint Programme “Accelerating Employment Creation and Social Protection through Integrated Agriculture Value Chain Development”. The agricultural sector is the main employer of Malawi’s working population and hence has high potential for job creation and social protection extension and comprehensiveness to enhance productive livelihoods. With focus on Malawi’s agricultural sector, the joint programme aims to ensure that a) policies and guidelines on social protection, decent jobs, skills development and agriculture commercialization are reviewed, costed, gender responsive and implemented in an integrated and inclusive manner to enhance job creation opportunities; b) Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) systems are capacitated to design gender responsive skills development programmes that match the needs of the labour market; and 3) the social protection system at national and sub-national level is improved and equipped to implement gender responsive integrated policy packages to enhance coverage. This also requires strengthening public and private institutions, including local government to enhance policy coherence, planning, effective implementation and monitoring of employment creation and social protection in line with aspirations of Malawi Vision 2063.

The project will be implemented in line with Malawi’s Global Accelerator Roadmap, especially its key entry point “Accelerating Agriculture productivity and commercialization”. In a nutshell, the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions was launched in September 2021 by the UN Secretary-General and promotes a job-rich recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as just ecological, technological and societal transitions to more sustainable and inclusive economies and societies. It operates through three complementary and mutually supportive pillars: developing integrated employment and social protection policies, establishing national financing frameworks to mobilize resources for universal social protection and inclusive employment, and enhancing multilateral cooperation. The initiative seeks to create 400 million decent jobs, particularly in green, digital, and care economies, while extending social protection to 4 billion currently excluded people, contributing to poverty eradication and reducing inequalities in alignment with the SDGs.

Reporting lines:

The ILO is the technical Lead UN Agency of the Joint Programme “Accelerating Employment Creation and Social Protection through Integrated Agriculture Value Chain Development”. The Junior Technical Project Officer will provide direct technical and coordination support to the joint programme and contribute to its expected outcomes.
The incumbent will report directly to the ILO Technical Officer, Social Protection, who is coordinating the Global Accelerator in Malawi, and will receive overall guidance from the Director, ILO Country Office for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.

The Junior Technical Officer will receive further technical backstopping from the Project Manager, Social Protection, in CO-Lusaka, and Technical Specialists in the DWT/CO Pretoria in the fields of Social Protection, Employment and Skills. Technical inputs and support will also be provided by colleagues in the Universal Social Protection Department (SOCPRO) and the Employment Policy Department (EMPLOYMENT) of the ILO, which are co-ordinating the Global Accelerator, as need arises.

Description of Duties

1. Contribute to the coordination of the Participating UN Agencies (FAO, UN Women) effective management, timely implementation and reporting on the joint programme activities, as well as administrative backstopping.
2. Support the Joint Coordination Unit with tasks such as the compilation of annual budgets, annual work plans and reports, the coordination of monitoring and evaluation activities towards achievement of annual targets, and the provision of guidelines for partnership with NGOs and other stakeholders.
3. Effectively coordinate and collaborate with the joint programme partners throughout implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the programme activities.
4. Provide inputs to various programme related technical documents. Review and analyse country specific socio-economic data, reports and other relevant information to contribute to programme activities and strategic engagement with relevant counterparts.
5. Support the Technical Officer to liaise with the Government, Workers’ and Employers’ Organisations, UN Organisations, Non-governmental Organisations as part of the joint programme activities.

6. Support the organisation of trainings and workshops on aspects of social protection, skills development, employment creation and in the design, preparation and implementation of training materials. Participate in workshops and seminars as a resource person.
7. Contribute to the organisation of, and participate in, the Joint Programme Steering Committee meetings, Global Accelerator Steering Committee meetings
8. Undertake communication, knowledge-sharing and visibility of interventions. Promote linkages and share good practices and lessons learnt with other relevant ILO projects in the region, ILO units and external stakeholders.
9. Promote the inclusion of gender equality and non-discrimination matters in all aspects of the work.

10. Any other relevant duties as may be assigned by the Supervisor.

Required qualifications

Education

First level university degree in economics, social sciences, law or other relevant fields, with demonstrated focus on social protection or employment issues.

Experience

Relevant professional experience in social protection or employment policy design and implementation would be an advantage. Experience in skills development systems, formalization strategies, or enterprise development, as well as contributing to technical cooperation projects would be an asset. Knowledge of the Malawi context, and experience working with officials of ministries of labour, social welfare or finance and social partners would be an advantage.

Familiarity with ILO policies and procedures including experience working with officials of ministries of labour and/or education would be an advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of English.

Competencies

• Ability to carry out assignments in accordance with instructions and guidelines
• Ability to provide technical support to senior specialists in the implementation of the programme activities.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to draft inputs to reports and guidelines relating to programme implementation.
• Ability to support and participate in technical missions and liaise with programme partners, social partners and the government officials.
• Excellent analytical skills and knowledge of analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques;
• Good computer skills (MS Word Office package) and ability to use other software packages required by the Office
• Ability to work under time pressure and meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently, quickly, precisely and take initiative and responsibility
• Ability to work in a team and to establish good working relations
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.