General
Description of assignment title: Senior Expert – Skills and Workforce Development
Assignment country: Zimbabwe
Expected start date: 10/01/2024
Sustainable Development Goal: 8. Decent work and economic growth
Volunteer category: National UN Volunteer Expert
Host entity: UNDP
Type: Onsite
Duration: 12 months
Number of assignments: 1
Duty stations: Harare
Details
Mission and objectives
In support of the Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has embarked on the implementation of a five-year Country Programme Document (CPD) 2022-2026.
UNDP focuses on areas that have a multiplier effect through a targeted build-up of capacities, policies, the creation of dialogue space, and scalable downstream interventions. Proposed downstream interventions will seek to provide platforms for citizen engagement in democratic processes and facilitate access to skills, knowledge and new technologies for increased income generation.
In so doing, UNDP Zimbabwe renders its support through the following three programmatic areas: 1. Democratic Governance
- Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Livelihoods
- Climate Change and Resilience Building
Context
The Ministry of Skills Audit and Development is a new Ministry mandated to perform periodical sectoral and national skills audits and drive the national skills development agenda. The Ministry’s primary mandate is to identify the current skills status in the country and identify the requisite skills and competencies that will aid the skills transformation agenda as well as crafting deliberate policies and programmes that will foster the development of critical skills in the country. The Ministry’s strategic direction is to promote critical skills development that will aid the transformation of Zimbabwe to an upper middle-income economy by 2030. It is in this regard that the Ministry, through UNDP, is seeking a UN Volunteer to spearhead the Skills Audit and Skills and Workforce Development work in the Ministry. The Senior Expert will work directly in the office of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry and report to UNDP through the Team Leader of the Transformative Governance Unit.
Task description
Under the direct supervision of the Permanent Secretary the MoSAD and the Team Leader, Transformative Governance at UNDP the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
- Spearhead the formulation, implementation and review of a national Skills Development Policy and Plans in line with the Ministry’s strategic plan as well as national development imperatives.
- Oversee the undertaking of a comprehensive baseline mapping and assessment of existing skills availability, skills needs, and skills gaps in the country, as well as of the national training and skills development system (universities, TVETs programmes, etc.).
- Propose market monitoring systems that can help government and social agents track and identify skills gaps and skills development needs on a regular basis.
- Superintend over the identification of appropriate skills required for development of value chains in priority areas of the economy.
- Lead in the identification of skills development strategies and the development of the corresponding programmes to ensure that the county has the human capital base that enables it to adopt emerging technologies for the 4th and 5th Industrial Revolution.
- Oversee the development and implementation of policies and systems that are aimed at ensuring the alignment between curricula and syllabi to focus on skills required in industry and the public service.
- Advise and propose inter-ministerial consultative institutional mechanisms that help build consensus and a holistic understanding of skills development needs within government and in the country and ensure coordinated action by all relevant actors (MDAs, business, unions, training centres, etc.).
- Coordinate regular consultations on skills and workforce development with key and relevant stakeholders including but not limited to, government, private sector, business, non-governmental organisations, academic, research institutions, including Technical and Vocational
Education and Training (TVET) programmes as well youth focused organisations stakeholders at national and regional level.
Superintend over the development of skills development programmes that ensure critical skills shortage areas are augmented.
Lead in supporting the development of provincial skills development programmes.
Facilitates the development of rural skills development programmes and traditional skills transfer.
Develop synergies with the country technically oriented public entities in order to resuscitate and carry out special apprenticeship training programmes.
Lead efforts to standardise vocational and technical
- education curriculum, accreditation and recognition in both the private and public and informal sectors.
- Oversee the development and execution of programmes designed for reverse migration and organise special skills share schemes with experts in the diaspora.
- Supervise, coach and counsel subordinates.
Furthermore, MoSAD volunteers are encouraged to:
- Strengthening their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant MoSAD and external publications and taking active part in MoSAD activities;
- Getting acquainted with and building on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in Zimbabwe;
- Reflecting on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
- Contributing articles/write-ups on field experiences and submitting them for MoSAD publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
Results/Expected Output: In order to support Zimbabwe in its skills revolution agenda, the volunteer will develop SOPs in line with Government statutory requirements:
- A National Skills Development Roadmap document outlining the vision, goals, and objectives.
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets for monitoring progress.
- Recommendations for resource allocation and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
- Strategies and action plans for different sectors and industries.
Eligibility criteria
Age: 18 – 80
Nationality
Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.
Requirements
Required experience
15 years of experience in data research, analysis, and management.
- At least ten (10) years relevant experience, of which two (2) must be at Director Level or equivalent grade.
- Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
- Strong relationship management skills
- A high degree of maturity, self-discipline, initiative and creativity.
- Strong advocacy skills. eYFzawn BVUcJh
- Possess strong communication skills.
- Must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Good organizational, leadership, analytical, investigation and team building skills.
- Ability to employ information communication technology in skills and workforce development programmes and related decision areas.
- Show an understanding of public sector related legislative and accountability framework
- Experience working outside Zimbabwe would be an advantage
- Proven track record in negotiation partnerships and working with multiple stakeholders.
- Must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Experience in providing expert support in handling staff placements in line with best fit approach.
- Experience in leading such projects in public and/or large private/multinational institutions.
Technical Skills
- An excellent command of libraries for data science such as NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-Learn, Kera’s etc.
- Experience in Python, its libraries and database programming languages, in particular SQL.
- Experience Proficiency with version control and automatic testing of code.
- Data Handling Expertise: Proficiency in managing both structured and unstructured data, including retrieval, integration, cleaning and manipulation.
- Problem-Solving Skills: The ability to apply analytical, statistical and machine learning techniques to real-world data problems.
- Machine Learning Knowledge: A deep and up-to-date understanding of machine learning algorithms including advanced technologies such as GAI and their application to diverse data sets.
- Natural Language Processing: Proficiency in NLP algorithms and techniques for text analysis and language understanding.
- Language skills: Written and spoken proficiency in English, other local languages and sign language;
- Demonstrated interest in the field of development and the work of international organizations.
- Previous experience in partnership building and stakeholder consultations. The Volunteers programme is administered by the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development.
- Demonstrated research abilities and interest
- Proficiency in Internet of Things (IoT).
- Experience in volunteering a strong asset.
Area(s) of expertise
Development programmes
Driving license
Languages
English, Level: Working knowledge, Required
Required
education level
Master degree or equivalent in Social/ Industrial Psychology, Adult
Education, Labour studies, Development Studies, Development Planning
Competencies and values
- Accountability
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Creativity
- Judgement and decision-making
- Planning and organising
- Professionalism
- Self-management
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
The Volunteer will be based in Zimbabwe. An entry visa is required for all travellers not citizen of SADC countries and should be obtained prior to the arrival in the country. The local currency is the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) that has a fixed exchange rate to the United States Dollar. Commercial banks exist in the country and Visa Credit cards are accepted in some hotels and in major shops. Common medicines are available in the pharmacies but it is recommended to bring your specialized medicines. The climate is subtropical: varying weather conditions across the country. Frequent travel required.
Conditions of Service
Conditions of Service for volunteering. The Programme operates on a non-remunerative basis. The purpose of the volunteering Programme is not to lead to further employment with the Ministry but to complement. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of the contract. The Ministry accepts no responsibility for the volunteer’s medical insurance or for costs arising from illness during the contract. Volunteers are required to provide proof of medical insurance coverage. The duration of your assignment is 12 months renewable.
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy
More Information
- Job City Zimbabwe
