Background of Sudokkho
Sudokkho is a 5-year skills training and employment programme, funded by DFID and SDC and implemented by Palladium in a consortium with Swisscontact and the British Council.
The programme seeks to test and scale-up market-driven, quality skills training systems within the Readymade Garments (RMG) and Construction sectors that will stimulate further investment in training by trainees, private training providers and employers. The programme’s target is that 100,000 poor people, including women and disadvantage populations, will earn increased income in skilled or semi-skilled jobs after successful completion of training
The programme supports Private Training Providers (PTPs) and Industry-based training initiatives (supply-side stimulation), and raises awareness about the value of skills development among the trainees and industry (demand-side stimulation).
Sudokkho builds upon the TVET reform agenda in coordination with the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) of the Ministry of Education (MoE). The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) supports initiatives that facilitate greater involvement of the private sector to ensure skills training is relevant and of high quality, thereby increasing post-training employment opportunities, as stipulated in the National Skills Development Policy 2011. The programme strengthens the institutional capacity and supports key functions of the Industry Skills Councils (ISC) in the concerned sectors and supports capacity building of national training consultancy service providers (TCSP) to sustain a long-term development process.
Further information is available on www.sudokkho.org
Responsibilities, duties and tasks
Chief responsibility of the Project Officer is to be the first contact between Sudokkho and its partner-stakeholders. Each Project Officer is assigned to a specific group of stakeholders, whether these are private training providers, or industries engaged in training, or business associations, or other. The Project Officer facilitates and where applicable provides technology transfer to the partner-stakeholders.
The Project Officer contributes to the quality of Sudokkho’s services and oversees the quality of how partner-stakeholders implement the cooperation agreement with Sudokkho. This relates to the quality of implementation of skill training programmes as well as to the quality of organisational development of the partner-stakeholders themselves.
The Project Officer is part of a team that is responsible for the implementation of a set of Sudokkho interventions that contribute to the overall targets of Sudokkho, which targets are agreed upon by the project management.
Key duties and tasks of the Project Officer are in the promotion and technical assistance in any of the following three project components:
- Skills development systems that are led by Private Training Providers (PTP)
- Industry-based skills development systems in either the construction or the readymade garment sector
- Support to Industry Skills Councils (ISCs)
Project Officers who are assigned to the first component (Private Training Providers - PTP) will be tasked with the following
- PTP-partner selection. Engage in assessment of potential partner organisations of Sudokkho and contribute to the preparation and conducting of pre-grant workshops and due diligence.
- Undertake a training needs assessment (TNA) of newly contracted PTPs or PTPs where the cooperation agreement will be extended. Based on this, the Project Officer will formulate a technical assistance plan.
- Facilitate and where applicable contribute to the implementation of the technical assistance plan. This includes staff capacity development, improvement of training facilities, introduction and coaching of PTP in the use of Sudokkho training materials. This may include regular field visits to training sites and partner-stakeholders
- Facilitate and support in monitoring and results measurement, and guiding the PTPs in applying Sudokkho Monitoring and Results Measurement (MRM) tools. Where relevant, facilitate or contribute to data verification.
- Ensure and where needed facilitate skills assessment of trainees.
- Facilitate engagement of external consultants and contribute also directly to the development and operations of the PTPs business develoment capacity, including the operation of an Industry Relations and Placement Unit (IRPU).
Project Officers who are assigned to the second component (Industry Based Training - IBT) will be tasked with the following:
- Support the Training Coordinator in the identification of “training business opportunities” within the industry in which the industry itself will take ownership of the training system. This will result in a concept note or similar type of project document.
- Liaise with partner organisations, Training Consultancy Service Providers (TCSP) and other stakeholders during the preparation and the implementation of industry based training systems.
- In this process, contribute to the provision or supervision (in case of engagement of external consultants) of technical assistance to partner organisations of Sudokkho and as agreed upon between Sudokkho and the partner organisation in respective cooperation agreements. This may include regular field visits to training sites and partner-stakeholders.
- Facilitate and support in monitoring and results measurement, and guiding the IBT-stakeholders in applying Sudokkho MRM tools. Where relevant, facilitate or contribute to data verification.
- Contribute to knowledge management, and assist in upscaling interventions based on lessons learnt vis-à-vis business opportunities.
Project Officers who are assigned to the third component (Support to Industry Skills Council) will be tasked with the following:
- Assist Senior Manager to support ISCs in developing new CBT curriculum and aligning existing CBT curricula compatible to NTVQF levels, competency standards, assessment tools, and labour market information system by building the internal capacity of these ISCs.
- Assist to activate the ISC roles of Board of Directors (BOD) and different standing committees: curriculum and standards development standing committee, skills planning standing committee, assessment and certification standing committee, and finance standing committee.
- Assist for conducting ISC Annual General Meeting (AGM), Board Meeting and Standing Committee Meeting on regular basis.
- Assist to develop training concept of Master Crafts Persons of construction sector and rollout training interventions in collaboration with the relevant construction companies and/or training providers.
- Assist to capture lessons learnt and formulate sector-wide upscaling strategies of the master crafts persons training and other tested models for the construction industries in Bangladesh.
- Assist Senior Manager for Sudokkho’s ongoing training initiatives in construction sector with Berger Paints Aqua Paints, and International Organization of Migration (IOM).
Furthermore, the following general duties and tasks apply for all Project Officers:
1. Research and development
Conduct research and support the project in data processing and analyses and design strategies pertaining to skills and employment promotion. Remain well aware of developments in sectors relevant to the assignment.
2. Gender and social inclusion
Ensure that within the assigned duties and tasks the Sudokkho Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy is fully applied, and where relevant seek cooperation with the Sudokkho Gender and Social Inclusion Officer.
3. Communications
In consultation with the Sudokkho Communications Advisor roll-out of the Sudokkho communication strategy to outreach to different stakeholder groups, including community awareness and marketing.
4. Monitoring and results management
Participate in Sudokkho planning and monitoring meetings where relevant. Prepare and agree on overall personal annual targets and key performance indicators as well as intermittent targets for specific tasks, and apply Sudokkho’s activity planning system.
5. Reporting
Where relevant, prepare field visit reports as per Sudokkho format, prepare periodic progress reports and contribute to communication materials.
6. Other
During the scope of implementation of Sudokkho, additional tasks may emerge for which the programme takes responsibility; In the event that the Project Officer is considered suitable among the entire programme staff for taking up these tasks, and if workload permits, the Team Leader in consultation with his/her direct superior may assign these additional tasks.
Profile of the Project Officer
The following essential criteria should be met:
- Minimum 2 years’ experience in working in a development cooperation context.
- Familiar with skills development in the context of Bangladesh
- Master’s degree in economics, business, development or engineering.
- Proven excellent proficiency in MS Office.
- Excellent communication in English and Bangla.
- Strong analytical and organisational skills, and proven reporting skills.
Having the following expertise would be an advantage:
- A background in working with or in the construction or RMG sector.
- Understanding of the private sector development in Bangladesh.
- Familiarity in working with planning and monitoring systems.
Physical Demands
Field visits play a large part in the incumbent’s activities; as such, it is expected that the incumbent is willing and able to take part in such activities as and when needed and sometimes within short notice.
Working Conditions and Environment
This will be applicable according to the Swisscontact Staff Manual.
Application details:
Please email your application form along with a cover letter (elaborating your competencies for the position and your expected salary) to bd.recruitment@swisscontact.org addressing to Head of Operations.
Detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) and the application form can be downloaded from our website http://www.swisscontact.org/en/country/south-asia/work-with-us/jobs.html. Please mention name of the position applied for in the “subject” line of your email. Applications must be submitted on or before 18 August 2018.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for final selection process.
Swisscontact is an equal opportunity employer. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. |
