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28 Oct 2022

Technical Coordinator at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

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Job Description


Job Description

Background
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The Government of Brazil has been dedicating efforts into contributing to improving the human development indicators of countries on the African continent by implementing South-South technical cooperation actions. Such type of cooperation taps into an important body of technical knowledge and solutions that can be readily put in use in countries that face similar social and economic development problems. Worthy of mention is the fact that the Brazilian cooperation strategy is not based on assistance, profit-making or association with commercial interests or other types of conditionalities. Conversely, this strategy is centered on strengthening partner countries’ institutions, being this a requisite for knowledge to be effectively transferred and acquired.

In this sense, the Brazilian Government, through the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) of the Ministry of External Relations (MRE), with the support from UNDP Brazil and the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), acts in response to requests received from Burundi, Kenya, and Tanzania (African countries that traditionally grow cotton), by putting in motion Project “BRA/12/002-S007 Regional Project for Strengthening the Cotton Sector in the Basin of Lake Victoria (Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania) – Project Cotton Victoria”, whose implementation counts on financial resources provided by the Brazilian Cotton Institute (IBA). Just like other projects under the Brazilian Cotton Program, this Project is aimed at developing capacities of local institutions and transferring Brazilian technologies created for improving the cotton sector.

Currently, the Brazilian Government carries out the following cooperation actions with African countries in the field of cotton farming: Regional Project “Cotton-4 + in Togo” (third phase under negotiation); Regional Project “Shire-Zambezi” (second phase under negotiation); Regional Project “Cotton-Victoria”; Country Project “Cotton Soils”, in Mali; Project “Strengthening the Cotton Sector in Zimbabwe”; Country Project “Increase in Cotton Production Potential in Senegal”; Country Project “Increase in Cotton Production Potential in Cameroon; Country Project “Strengthening of the Cotton Sector, Using Best Practices for Grading Cotton Lint Available on the International Market”, in Burkina Faso; and Country Project “Improvement of Cotton Production in the Valley Region of the Awash River”, in Ethiopia; in addition to six other projects in collaboration with FAO in Latin America.

The consulting work hereby procured falls under Regional Project “Strengthening the Cotton Sector in the Basin of Lake Victoria (Burundi-Kenya-Tanzania) – Project Cotton-Victoria”, whose specific objective is to further develop the capacities of institutions and human resources involved in the cotton production system in place in the Project’s target regions, i.e., Burundi (Imbo Nord and Moso), Kenya (Kisumu), and Tanzania (Mwanza). This initiative has the support of UFLA.

With a view to accomplishing such objective, this Project provides for training sessions in specific fields of expertise, implementation of cotton fields for various purposes (technical demonstration units, knowledge transfer units, and seed production units), and performance of tests on seed varieties, among other activities, with a focus on increasing the competitiveness of the cotton sector in the Project Cotton-Victoria’s partner countries.

Duties and Responsibilities
Hiring a consultant to work as the Project’s Local Technical Coordinator aims at responding to the need of providing support to the implementation of activities under “Project Cotton-Victoria”, which include, particularly, setting up and overseeing the Project’s production fields, namely: technical demonstration units (TDUs), knowledge transfer units (KTUs), and seed production units in the three partner countries (Burundi, Kenya, and Tanzania); and overcoming difficulties caused by the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been preventing Brazilian experts from travelling on mission to Africa, since the disease’s onset in March 2020.

The consultant hired shall work in coordination with the focal points in the three partner countries, and under the guidance of the Brazilian teams of the Project’s partner institutions in Brazil (ABC and UFLA). Additionally, the consultant shall be able to participate in the meetings of the National Technical Committees for guidance on other activities underway in the partner countries, such as training sessions, field days, and monitoring of field activities.

So as to fully carry out their duties, the Project’s Local Technical Coordinator must have an educational background in agronomy or related areas, as well as experience in research and agricultural extension in cotton farming, and, also, experience in project management. This consulting position requires full-time dedication to the Project, with the purpose of collaborating towards the achievement of the respective results laid down in the Project Document.

The consultant’s activities will be linked to the following fields of action:

  • Onsite monitoring of technical activities implemented under the Project, in accordance with technical guidelines and UFLA’s guidance, and under the coordination of the Project’s Technical Coordinator designated by UFLA;
  • Submission to UFLA, on a permanent basis, of technical reports on the progress of technical activities underway, and about any difficulties encountered, as well as proposals of corresponding solutions; and
  • Permanent coordination with ABC/MRE, with a view to informing any administrative difficulty related to delays that may affect the implementation of technical activities.

Duty Station:

The Technical Coordinator’s duty station will be Mwanza, Tanzania, with regular travels to Burundi and Kenya. Travel expenses (airline tickets, per diem, and international insurance) related to work trips will be covered by the Project.

Activities:

The Project’s Local Technical Coordinator will be responsible for providing the necessary technical support for the implementation of the following activities:

  • Participating in meetings with each partner country’s institutions to plan and formulate the Project’s Annual Work Plans (AWPs), and set Annual Goals according to the terms of the Project Document. Activities proposed in the AWP must be in accordance with the general guidelines laid down in the Project Document, and lead to a timely achievement of the Project’s goals and results;
  • Ensuring that an adequate system is in place for monitoring the Project’s field activities in each partner country, with the purpose of collecting data and information about the Project, in a systematic way, so as to provide the means for preparing regular progress reports;
  • Providing support to the organization and implementation of technical missions, as well as the Project’s monitoring missions, hence working in coordination with the Project’s focal points; and to the preparation of national technical reports;
  • Monitoring, from a technical standpoint, the formulation of an implementation strategy for the protocol on planting methods and practices;
  • Assessing needs related to technical issues, and suggesting programs and schedules for missions to take place and address such points;
  • Providing technical support to the Project’s mid-term and final evaluation activities, whose implementation is the responsibility of ABC and Brazilian partner institutions;
  • Identifying bottlenecks in the implementation of the Project’s technical activities, and proposing corresponding solutions;
  • Providing support to the National Technical Committees (NTC), regarding the selection and formal appointment of staff (managers and technicians) for the UTDs;
  • Providing support to field visits, demonstration sessions and seminars, visits for knowledge exchange, and other technical activities;
  • Coordinating with the Project’s partners, with a view to ensuring that all reports are prepared and submitted on timely fashion by each partner country’s responsible institution;
  • Coordinating the formulation of quarterly and semiannual monitoring reports, as well as reports on the onsite implementation;
  • Ensuring that communication flows happen smoothly, both within each partner country’s institutions, as well as with Brazilian institutions;
  • Participating in the Project’s high-level meetings, and in annual meetings of the Project Steering Committee (PSC), with a view to providing information about activities that were carried out in the previous year.

Institutional Arrangement

The professional selected will perform his/her duties under the guidance of UNDP, in coordination with ABC and the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), in close collaboration with the Project’s partners institutions, and under the direct supervision of the institutional representative of the Brazilian Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with the purpose of contributing towards the achievement of the Project’s expected results.

Competencies
Core Competencies:
  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes Improvements.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Technical and Cross-Functional Competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy: Strategic Thinking:

  • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
  • Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

Business Direction & Strategy: Business Acumen:

  • Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks.

Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking:

  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management: Results-based Management:

  • Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Business Management: Portfolio Management:

  • Ability to select, priorities and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

External Relations & Advocacy: General (across the functions):

  • Ability to plan, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP’s overall brand and mandate.

Digital & Innovation: Digital thought leadership:

  • Ongoing research into emerging technologies and digital trends and the applications, risks, and opportunities associated with digital adoption, combined with the ability to communicate this synthesis with a broad audience.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
  • Bachelor degree in agronomy or related areas, issued by a Higher Education Institution and recognized by the Ministry of Education of the country of origin;
  • Postgraduate studies  (Posgraduate or Master’s) in agronomy or related areas.
Experience:
  • Minimum two years (with Masters) or four years (with bachelor’s degree) demonstrable experience in managing cotton farming activities;
  • Experience in planning, evaluating, and implementing agricultural production projects, and agricultural production systems, in general;
  • Experience in technology transfer and rural extension;
  • Basic knowledge of organization and analysis of production chains, agro-industrial chains, or agri-food chains;
  • Computer skills related to using the Internet and MS Office package;
  • Availability to travel to perform work-related activities, participate in training sessions, and carry out studies and research;
  • Being ofTanzanian nationality or legally authorized to work in Tanzania;
  • Demonstrable experience in managing cotton farming activities;
  • Experience in international technical cooperation projects;
  • Knowledge of cotton production and processing;
  • Basic knowledge of Portuguese and French.
Language:Fluency in English and Swahili.
Disclaimer
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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Closing Date : 15th November, 2022.







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