Social Protection Officer - P3

Introduction

The position will be located in the ILO Regional Office for Africa (RO-Africa) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The RO-Africa has overall political and management responsibilities for the promotion of ILO principles, policies and decent work priorities in the region as well as provides strategic guidance and support to all country offices and Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWTs) in Africa. Furthermore, the RO-Africa is responsible for promoting collaboration on decent work issues with continental institutions like the African Union, African Development Bank and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The main objectives of the ILO in Africa are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

Africa’s population is rising the fastest. The pressure to provide decent work opportunities for new labour market entrants will be particularly acute in Africa. The ILO in the region has given priority to promoting employment in the rural and informal economies, and underscored the need for action to tackle youth unemployment. Building the capacity of its constituents to contribute more effectively to the achievement of equitable and inclusive growth is a major urgency.

The Social Protection Officer will work on the second phase of “Accelerating action for the elimination of child labour in Africa” project which will commence its implementation in July 2023. The project has the overarching goal to accelerate the elimination of child labour in Africa, through targeted actions in selected supply chains in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda. To achieve this goal, it adopts an innovative system-building approach to tackling child labour that moves away from project-based downstream interventions towards strengthening existing systems, in particular social health protection, that are critical to tackling the root causes of child labour. The project aims at achieving three outcomes at the sub-national, national, regional and global level: 1) Policy, legal and institutional frameworks are improved and enforced to address child labour in global supply chains; 2) Innovative and evidence-based solutions that address the root causes of child labour in supply chains are institutionalized; and 3) Strategies to address the root causes of child labour in global supply chains are upscaled through knowledge sharing, partnerships and financing. At each level, it will target the root causes of child labour including access to social protection, including social health protection, decent work for adults/improved livelihoods, the transition from school-to-decent work for youth, and a safe and healthy work environment. 

Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO, and in coordination with the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) and National Project Coordinators, the Social Protection Officer will be responsible for leading the implementation of the social protection components of the project and will coordinate project activities related to social protection across the different countries covered as well as the regional component. The social protection component of the project is in line with the Africa Regional Social Protection Strategy 2021-2025.

Reporting lines

The incumbent will report to the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) of the project and will receive technical guidance, support and collaboration from the Social Protection Department (SOCPRO) in ILO headquarters, Social Protection Specialists in Africa and from the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch (FUNDAMENTALS). He/she will work under general supervision of the Deputy Regional Director for Africa. 

Description of Duties

1.    Assist the Project CTA and the project team in the implementation of the project by providing technical inputs, particularly in the areas of social protection.

2.    Under the guidance of the Project CTA and SOCPRO Specialists, organize consultations with ministries responsible for social protection, social security institutions and relevant stakeholders on the extension and financing of social protection to develop an action plan for the activities to be implemented by the Project. 

3.    Develop and implement institutional arrangements for the implementation of social protection activities of the Project.

4.    Support the development of country or regional policies and programmes to accelerate the extension of social protection, including social health protection as a tool for addressing the root causes of child labour, in particular in the lowest tiers of supply chains. 

5.    Support the monitoring of progress in the extension of social protection and its impact on the reduction of child labour through support to capacity building activities for national, sub-regional and regional stakeholders on social protection.

6.    Support the monitoring of progress in the expansion of social health protection coverage among the target population in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Kenya and Uganda and its impact on the reduction of child labour through support to capacity building activities for national, sub-regional and regional stakeholders on social protection. 

7.     Contribute to the further development, coordination and implementation of partnership frameworks, notably with the AU, UN Agencies, the World Bank and the AfDB, EU, ILO DC projects and other partnerships.

8.    Support the identification of capacity building needs of ILO constituents and partners in the extension of social protection as a solution for addressing the root causes of child labour. Support design, planning and delivery of appropriate capacity building activities.

9.    Support the development of social protection mechanisms and tool to facilitate access of target communities to social protection scheme in the target countries.

10.    Prepare terms of reference and technical materials for the organization of the project’s activities (seminars, consultancy, awareness campaigns, training, etc.).

11.    Serve as a resource person for programme partners and at conferences, workshops, training sessions and meetings.

12.    Promote the inclusion of gender equality and non-discrimination in all aspects of the project.

13.    Carry out any other tasks as assigned by the CTA and Deputy Regional Director.
 

Required qualifications

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in economics, social protection, law, public administration, development, political sciences, or social sciences with proven expertise in the field of social protection. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in a relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

At least five years professional experience in the field of social protection. Experience in the administration, implementation and monitoring of projects related to social protection would be an advantage. Demonstrated experience in inter-agency collaboration with other international organisations and development partners would be an advantage. Familiarity with ILO policies and procedures including experience working with officials of ministries of labour and/or social protection as well as experience in implementing multi-country, sub-regional or regional projects would be an advantage. Better understanding and practical experiences in the areas related to the linkage between social protection and the prevention of child labour would be also considered as an additional advantage. 

Languages

Excellent command of English and good working knowledge of French. 

Competencies

⦁    Substantive knowledge of issues of poverty, inequality, vulnerability, social protection and inclusion, and strategies for the extension of social protection to all. 

⦁    Strong knowledge of trends/landscape of social protection in Africa as well as global developments in social protection. 

⦁    Excellent analytical skills. Ability to contribute to research and policy-oriented activities and high-quality input to reports. 

⦁    Ability to analyse complex cross-national good practices covering a wide range of issues in the technical field of social protection.

⦁    Ability to facilitate data collection, use analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques, and demonstrated capability to coordinate the work of Specialists, external collaborators and general service staff. 

⦁    Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organisational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards.

⦁    Ability to participate effectively in technical missions and multi-disciplinary teams.

⦁    Ability to provide credible implementation assistance to specialists in carrying out research, project formulation and implementation.

⦁    Ability to contribute and engage in capacity building. 

⦁    Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes. 

⦁    Ability to understand and effectively work with Government, workers and employers organizations, non-government organizations and UN agencies. Good communication skills and interpersonal relations.

⦁    Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing;

⦁    Training and workshop facilitation skills and experience, 

⦁    Ability to provide technical advice and to guide and coordinate the work of external collaborators, general service staff and young professionals in the area of specialization.

⦁    Ability to formulate new concepts and methodologies.

⦁    Ability to draft reports and prepare guidelines relating to programme development and implementation.

⦁    Ability to provide technical support to senior specialists, carrying out research, project formulation and implementation. 

⦁    Good computer skills in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.