APSW- ASSOCIATION FOR PROFESSION SOCIAL WORKER Project Officer - Livelihood and Enterprise Development (SWAAYAM in Gujarat & Rajasthan) UNDP Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat Apply by: 18 Jun 2013 Relevant Sectors Administration, HR, Management, Accounting/Finance Agriculture, Livelihoods, Microfinance, Rural, Urban UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO. UNDP/SC/2013/38 Date of Issue: 04-June- 2013 Closing Date: 18-June- 2013 I. Position Information Post Title : Project Officer - Livelihood and Enterprise Development(SWAAYAM in Gujarat & Rajasthan) Organization : UNDP Service Band : SB4 Supervisor : State Project Manager Duty Station : Ahmedabad, Gujarat Type of Contract : Service Contract (Taxable) Duration : One Year (renewable) Remuneration package is Rs. 974,360 per annum (taxable). UNDP also offers additional benefits which includes medical insurance coverage and limited pension reimbursement for the contract holder and encourages work life balance to its employees. UNDP strives to have a workforce which reflects diversity and gender balance, and applies an equal opportunities approach. UNDP does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS status. All selection is on merit. II. Project Background Brief Project Description: UNDP in India is implementing a women’s empowerment programme across four states: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The programme applies an integrated approach to women’s empowerment combining social, economic, political, legal and environmental dimensions. The objective of the programme is to increase capacities of women for secure and enhanced income and greater participation, voice and decision making in local development. From Uttar Pradesh, where the programme has worked with 50,000 women from poor and marginalised groups, it is now being scaled up to reach the additional 1.2 million women across four districts (Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar and Sonbhadra) by 2016. In Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, the programme will be replicated to reach 1 million poor and marginalised women across the districts of Banaskantha, Patan, Durgapur, Udaipur, Jalna, Wardha and Yavatmal by 2017. The programme known as SWAAYAM (empowered women) involves mobilising women at the grassroots level who are organised into self-help groups and larger collectives. Women are provided with legal awareness training and information about their rights and entitlements. The economic empowerment strategy involves training in skills, financial literacy and entrepreneurship with linkages established to value chain and market instruments. The women are also supported to participate in institutions of local self-governance and to raise women’s issues and priorities. Women’s leadership is nurtured so that they can play a more active role in domestic and public spheres. The programme is implemented through local NGOs, service providers and technical experts. Linkages with governments at the national, state and district levels are used to ensure integration of the women’s empowerment model in government’s policies and strategies and to establish linkages to government’s schemes and programmes. The programme is funded by the IKEA Foundation and is the largest UNDP partnership with a private foundation. The programme is managed and coordinated from the UNDP Country Office in Delhi. The programme team is led by the Programme Coordinator and comprises Programme Officers and Assistants. The programme has project offices and teams led by State Project Managers who are based in Varanasi (for operations in Uttar Pradesh), Ahmedabad (for operations in Gujarat and Rajasthan) and Nagpur (for operations in Maharashtra). The Project Officer - Livelihood and Enterprise Development will be located in Ahmedabad and will work under the guidance and direct supervision of the State Project Manager. III. Functions / Key Results Expected Summary of Key Functions: The project is seeking to appoint a Project Officer (Livelihood and Enterprise Development) to be based in Ahmedabad for day to day project management of the political and legal empowerment portfolio of the SWAAYAM – Gujarat & Rajasthan project. The Project Officer will report to the State Project Manager. Under the guidance and supervision of the State Project Manager, s/he will be responsible for operationalizing all interventions related to economic empowerment. S/he will be the point person to interact with technical resource agencies, government agencies, and formal financial institutions to develop the portfolio. S/he will travel frequently to the project districts and will liaise with concerned stakeholders to ensure that key performance indicators and project goals under the economic empowerment portfolio are met. S/he will ensure that the project produces results keeping in perspective sustainability and exits issues, to the required standards of quality, as per UNDP compliances and within the specified timeframe and budget. Duties and Responsibilities: The incumbent will carry out the following tasks: Project Planning & Implementation Project Monitoring Partnership Development and Management Documentation, Reporting and Knowledge Development Portfolio Management • Lead the effective, timely and high quality implementation of approved project strategies to achieve key performance indicators, within the financial allocations and ensuring value for money, pertaining to the economic empowerment portfolio of the project. • Commission need based feasibility studies, business planning exercises and market research to support women’s groups in their economic activities. • Identify feasible livelihood sub-sectors that are context-specific for each district after thorough situational analyses and assessment of forward and backward linkages. • Identify experts and technical resource agencies to undertake capacity development and value chain up-gradation programmes for women. • Enhance entrepreneurship and skill levels of women in the selected sub-sectors for setting up micro and small enterprises including generating/selecting business ideas, accessing formal financial credit, assessing market demand, developing feasibility plans and enterprise management. • Ensure women’s access to quality services, expertise and linkages through Women’s Empowerment Centres, MNGO’s, formal financial institutions, technical resource agencies, government bodies and other partners. • Develop and implement district-specific livelihood plans with support from district teams, MNGO’s and theme leads. • Identify and implement improved practices for cotton with women farmers to ensure better cost management, reduced risks, and increased productivity & profits. • Facilitate transfer of strategies, lessons, tools and resources from the pilot districts of UP to the project districts in Gujarat and Rajasthan for building capacities of poor women. • Provide technical and sector-specific advice to MNGO’s, district teams and technical resource agencies on key livelihood and enterprise development strategies, annual work plans, quarterly plans within the overall key deliverables under the economic empowerment portfolio. • Facilitate and support creation of business service providers and ancillary units that cater to the growing requirements of women producers and their enterprises in the project area. • Analyse options for setting up economic institutions of women and assess their viability in the prevailing socio-economic and political context. • Support establishment of profitable, sustainable, women-managed producer institutions and work towards their self-reliance. • Identify relevant government departments, technical and research institutions, civil societies, donor programs and stakeholders for linkages of livelihood and enterprise development programs at district and state level. • Ensure linkages of livelihood plans with existing national and state programmes/schemes to meet the expectations and demands of poor women. • Develop sustainability plans and exit strategies for each of the livelihood components and sub-sectors supported by the project in consultation with theme leads, women’s groups, field implementing partners, project team members, government, other key stakeholders and potential partners and ensure adequate ownership of the same by women and community groups. • Develop/document at least ten successful livelihood prototypes across farm and non-farm sectors, based on the work of the project, for replication by government and other institutions. • Ensure provision of migration support services for migrant women and their families. • Work closely with other members of the project team to ensure effective linkages between different dimensions of women’s empowerment - social, political and economic. • Provide substantive inputs to the development and implementation of the overall project work plans with effective operational strategies, clear deliverables, annual targets with indicators and milestones. • Monitor results under the portfolio (through field visits, desk review/analysis of project data/reports, periodic reviews, regular correspondence with field partners) ensuring adequate stakeholder- especially beneficiary, feedback as the primary means of verification apart from assessment of results and performances. • Provide monthly and quarterly updates to the Project Coordinator for M&E compliance. • Organize/facilitate workshops and consultations, thematic reviews and monitoring missions relevant to the portfolio. Communication • Address bottlenecks pertaining to the portfolio in the field and escalate unresolved issues, off-track activities and possible risks to Project Coordinator for possible resolution and/or upward escalation. • Provide timely and qualitative inputs to standard project information/reports: Annual and Quarterly Work Plans, Quarterly and Annual Progress Reports (substantive and financial), issues/risks/quality/lessons logs, communications & monitoring plans, submissions for reviews, payments, procurement, proposals, and documents for project review processes such as Project Steering Committees, advisory group, donor meetings. • Assure quality of all knowledge products emanating from the project districts pertaining to the portfolio. • Provide inputs, suggestions, material for tool kits, compendiums of good practices/lessons, case studies, photo features, films, etc. for effective implementation of the project communication strategy. • Identify and facilitate documentation of evidence based best practices from the field in livelihood and enterprise development. • Carry out any other work assigned by the Project Coordinator or UNDP Country Office. IV. Recruitment Qualifications Education: Master degree or equivalent in relevant field – development economics/management, rural development, development/business administration from national/international institutions of repute. Experience: • Minimum 5 to 7 years of relevant experience of managing medium to large livelihood promotion and enterprise development projects with poor communities • At least 2-3 years of substantive engagement with projects focusing on women’s empowerment at state/national level • knowledge of gender in development issues and sensitivity to deal with diverse sections of the society • Experience of working in a multi-sectorial team and as a team worker • Familiarity with the work of CSOs/NGOs in the field of livelihood promotion and enterprise development. • Relevant experience in documentation and preparation of reports/ communications material on relevant issues • Experience in value chain development, cluster based development, business planning and livelihood security is an advantage • Relevant project experience in Gujarat and Rajasthan is strongly desired • Prior experience of working with government, international development agencies and/or national NGOs will be an advantage Knowledge and Skills • Management skills in livelihood and Enterprise development projects • Strong knowledge of issues, challenges, policies, programs and current situation regarding livelihood and enterprise development, especially in the context of Gujarat and Rajasthan • Result orientation in planning, execution and monitoring • Ability to work independently and met deadlines • Skills in assessing project performance for successes and lacunae • Strong gender sensitivity • Promoting accountability and results-based management • Highly motivated, responsible, self-directed, resourceful and flexible • Skill to assess performances/initiatives, spot innovations/success factors/good practices and execute suitable adaptations. • Excellent analytical, communication and presentation skills • Excellent computer skills (Word processor, Spread sheet, Power-point) • Field Orientation, Team Work and Partnership Development • Willingness to travel extensively within project districts as required • Sensitivity to interact with disadvantaged groups • Skills to build strong relationships with local partners and government officials • Skills to manage and work with district teams and beneficiary organizations • Partnership development and networking skills • Good interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with people and teams to achieve results. Language Requirements: • Fluency in spoken and written English and Hindi Please apply online by visiting in.undp.org (Careers)
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 04:31:45 +0000
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