Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) - Technical Officer (P3)

Introduction

As part of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), the European Union will inject €60 million into Sierra Leone’s economy, through a new Jobs and Growth Programme to contribute to Sierra Leone’s COVID 19 Recovery Programme. The Programme will boost sustainable and inclusive economic development and job creation, especially in the agricultural and education sectors.  The Jobs and Growth Programme has two specific objectives:
Objective 1: To improve the investment climate and the business environment.
Objective 2: Improved human capital, better aligned to the labour market.

I.    Reporting lines: 
The incumbent will work under the overall responsibility of the CO-Abuja Director and under the  direct supervision of the project Chief, Technical Advisor (CTA). He/she  will receive technical guidance and support from the EIIP specialists in DWT in Dakar and at HQ.
 

Description of Duties

The EIIP Technical Officer will have the mandate to ensure the smooth running and implementation of all the activities planned as part of the maintenance of rural roads by favouring the EIIP approach. He/she will be responsible within the framework of the rural roads maintenance component of the Project.
1.    Provide overall technical backstopping, project implementation support and monitoring for the EIIP component, facilitate and technically support and supervise the maintenance of up to 200 km of rural feeder roads through employment intensive approaches in four districts; 
2.    In conjunction with SLRA, prioritise roads according to socio economic criteria for rehabilitation in areas close to the selected value chains to facilitate market access
3.    Support the project to set up and operationalise a digitalised database for roads for SLRA, Prioritise roads according to socio economic criteria for road maintenance in areas close to the selected value chains to facilitate market access;
4.    Encourage SME contractors to bid for the feeder road maintenance, ensure contractors work with trained youth and women (and persons with disabilities) on feeder road maintenance and comply with decent work and OSH practices, identify, select and train 24 local contractors in feeder road maintenance;
5.    Build the capacity of district councils on sustainable feeder road maintenance planning, supervision and management ;
6.    Identify and train between 2,000 and 4,000 young women and men in feeder road maintenance and OSH;
7.    Support MWPA, SLRA, RMFA and NAYCOM to develop sustainable feeder road maintenance funding mechanisms, facilitate the formation of Public Private Community Partnership stakeholder platforms and committees for sustainable road maintenance and support exchange programmes that will provide lessons on sustainable feeder road maintenance ;
8.    Collaborate with the Government of Sierra Leone to leverage development partner funds for setting up a road maintenance equipment facility, conduct a feasibility study and collaborate on setting up a rotating fund or a sustainable mechanism for managing equipment and monitor the operations of the road maintenance equipment revolving facility or related mechanisms;
9.    Support MWPA, by integrating EIIP approaches, on revision and approval of feeder roads policy and facilitate information dissemination on feeder road maintenance and funding;
10.    Ensure permanent contact with the project partners in the field and strengthen partnership relations with other organizations and government services and build and maintain strong relationships with teams from the core donor (EU) and others in the technical field. Identify promising projects and participate in the drafting of proposals for the mobilization of additional human, technical and financial resources to intensify the work of projects in coordination with DEVINVEST;
11.    Assess country experience on EIIP with a view to identifying best practices in finding solutions to maintenance problems identified, monitor and coordinate research carried out by external collaborators and prepare technical articles, briefs and reports to develop and disseminate knowledge about the technical subject;
12.    Prepare and submit to CTA, appropriate documentation, work plans, periodic activity progress reports and the final report of the road maintenance component of the project, in accordance with ILO and Donor procedures and perform all other tasks required by the ILO in relation to the implementation of the EIIP project component in the country and in the sub-region.
 

Required qualifications

Education

First level university degree in civil or rural engineering or Diploma in Civil Engineering.
 

Experience

Five years’ experience at the national level and three years at the international level in the areas of leading Employment Intensive Investment Programmes (EIIP) and or in infrastructure projects of public or community interest, including rural roads. Proven experience in the maintenance and / or rehabilitation of unpaved roads including the construction of structures. Experience in the formulation, preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of relevant projects in this field. Experience in taking social and environmental aspects into account in the implementation of employment intensive projects.
 

Languages

Excellent command of English. Good level of French will be considered as an advantage.

Competencies

• General Competencies – 
  ⦁    ability to participate effectively in technical missions and multi-disciplinary teams; 
  ⦁    capacity to provide first-line technical advice in the area of rural road maintenance; 
  ⦁    ability to conceptualise and design research techniques and analyse complex cross-national practices and data sets covering a wide range of issues in the specialised technical field; 
  ⦁    capability to guide and co-ordinate the work of external collaborators, general service staff or young professionals; 
  ⦁    ability to prepare reports and publications of a high quality, technically sound with conclusions leading to an action plan and programme development and ability to provide credible implementation assistance to senior specialists in carrying out research, project formulation and implementation.
  Technical Competencies: 
  ⦁    Ability to lead, supervise and evaluate technical development cooperation projects in the fields of public works and construction related to social issues and employment;
  ⦁    Ability to provide expert advice on best practice and ability to deal with broader topics outside the area of ​​specialization such as data base management, OSH and SME financing; 
  ⦁    Proven technical skills in the conduct and / or monitoring of road maintenance / rehabilitation projects including drainage and crossing structures; 
  ⦁    Skills to check the quality and quantity of the services provided;
  ⦁    Proven technical skills in the development of training materials, alternative approaches, and project proposals;
  ⦁    Ability to contribute to the preparation of projects documents, technical publications, reports, draft resolutions;
  ⦁    Ability to prepare technically accurate reports, with conclusions that may lead to an action plan and program development;
  ⦁    Ability to plan and facilitate meetings, conferences, and workshops; 
  ⦁    Ability to make technical contributions to the activities of other team members;
  ⦁    Ability to provide credible implementation assistance to experienced specialists in research, project formulation and implementation;
  ⦁    Ability to undertake frequent missions, sometimes in difficult sites and conditions in the field;
  ⦁    Knowledge of computer tools and common software.
  Behavioural competencies
  ⦁    ability to communicate and collaborate effectively;
  ⦁    ability to lead and work as a member of a team in different fields; 
  ⦁    ability to take initiative and to demonstrate authority, discretion and courtesy; 
  ⦁    ability to accept accountability for results achieved; 
  ⦁    ability to work under tight deadlines;
  ⦁    Ability to undertake frequent missions, sometimes in difficult sites and conditions in the field;
  ⦁    Have a high level of integrity, professionalism, personal discipline and impartiality; 
  ⦁    Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to adopt non-discriminatory and gender sensitive behaviour.