National Project Coordinator – Damascus

Introduction

The garment sector in Syria, concentrated in Aleppo and Damascus and traditionally cotton based, employed some half a million people before the crisis, with current estimate stands below 100,000 people. The garment sector supply chains in Syria have significant potential for creating decent job opportunities and economic recovery.

The past thirteen years of the crisis impacted the entire supply chain: cotton production decreased, many factories are destroyed or shut down, job informality increased, and capacities were depleted in all segments of the supply chain. Remaining garment operators have suffered from the shortage of infrastructure, exodus of skilled labour, lack of market linkages, absence of quality assurance mechanisms, amongst others.

ILO will carry out an integrated intervention to enhance the competitiveness and job creation potential of the garment supply chains as an important lever to advance decent work in the country, while carefully managing any environmental impact. It will target the textiles supply chain from cotton cultivation and ginning through to spinning, fabric manufacturing and garment making. Thereby, this intervention intends to enhance the resilience of the garment supply chains across all dimensions of people, planet, and prosperity.  

Reporting Lines:

Under the overall supervision of the ILO Syria Country Coordinator, with technical backstopping support from the ILO Enterprises and Employers’ Activities Specialist at the Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) in Beirut, the position will be based in the ILO Office in Damascus and the incumbent will perform the following tasks with a geographic focus on Damascus.

Description of Duties

1. Conduct enterprise assessment of labour standards and management systems at the enterprise/factory level.

2. Prepare standardized reports in English on 1) assessments findings, 2) recommendations for improvement, 3) enterprise improvement plans, and 4) progress/monitoring report on implementation, in close coordination with a national project coordinator based in Aleppo.

3. Assist in providing enterprise level consultancy services designed to improve enterprise performance and compliance, and assist in coaching, facilitating management and union improvement committees.

4. Select, adapt, and contextualize ILO’s enterprises development tools for use at the individual enterprise level based on needs.

5. Manage information in the systems, contributing to the project’s monitoring and evaluation strategy, and the research agenda, in coordination with Database Assistant.

6. Work in close collaboration with national partners to design and revise project annual work plans, as well as preparation of the budget proposal, considering different approaches and alternative methods, management, problem identification and problem resolution, especially for the parts of the project supporting the institutional capacity development.

7. Review, verify and analyze work plans, progress and final reports and other data for clarity, consistency, and completeness, and monitor the progress of project activities. Follow-up on delayed documents, clarify information, and answer questions about clearance and processing requirements to support successful completion of agreed activities.

Description of Duties (continued)

8. Assist in the programming and control of resources of the project, prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by analysing and monitoring situation of resources as compared to planned activities and making recommendations for remedial action. Identify problems and propose solutions and actions.

9. Participate in the preparation and conduct of conferences, seminars, workshops, training sessions, and consultative meetings. Speak on behalf of the Project when attending these gatherings alone. Undertake missions to project sites independently or accompanying others.

10. Lead in the preparation of briefs, background information, technical reports and periodic progress reports and statistical data on status of the overall activities of the Project.

11. Act as the Communication Focal Point for the Project and prepare timely, on-brand and on-message stories, newsletters and reports in close coordination with the Country Coordinator and the ROAS communication specialists.

12. Liaise and follow up with relevant agencies, constituents, and other organizations to expedite activities and ensure targets are met, and potentially scale up the interventions.

13. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Country Coordinator.

Required qualifications

Education

First level university degree in business administration, economics, or other related fields. An advanced degree would be a strong advantage.

Experience

At least one year of professional experience at the national level in the area of project management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Proven experience in working in the garment industry, preferably cotton-textile industry, in the field of corporate social responsibility, particularly on labour standards compliance and remediation, is a strong advantage.

Experience in industrial relations and social dialogue between the management and worker representatives at the workplace will be a strong advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of written and spoken English and Arabic.

Competencies

In addition to the ILO core competencies (Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change, Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation, Collaboration), this position requires:

• Good knowledge of the Syrian labour-related laws and regulations.
• Good understanding of corporate social responsibility and labour compliance issues in the garment supply chains.
• Knowledge of programme and budget, project administration, and evaluation concepts and procedures, and of the mandate and structure of labour market institutions in Syria.
• Knowledge of the office’s financial rules and regulations.
• Good knowledge of the context and challenges for the project areas of expertise.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to justify requirements and approaches to problem resolution, and good drafting skills.
• Good ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyze problems with implementation.

Competencies (continued)

• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Ability to clarify information.
• Demonstrate collaborative and team work experience and ability to work effectively with a multicultural and interdisciplinary team, as well as to work on his/her own initiative.
• Ability to work independently, quickly, precisely, and take initiative and responsibility.
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet the deadline.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, web-browsers and database applications.
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required.

Competencies (continued)

• Strong analytical skills and ability to justify requirements and approaches to problem resolution and good drafting skills.
• Good understanding of principles of gender equality and principles of equal opportunity and how these can be promoted as part of the responsibility of the position.
• Self-motivated and ability to work independently in an outcomes-based work culture as well as contributing to the work of a team.
• Capacity to sensitively liaise and network with a range of stakeholders including staff, donors, constituents, management, trade unions and NGOs.

optional section (if needed)

Candidates assessed by the Panel and considered to be eligible for appointment but who are not selected for this vacant post may be offered an assignment to another position at the same or lower grade provided that they meet the minimum qualifications required.