Task manager on entrepreneurship skills development

Background

UNDP in Uzbekistan in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) of the Republic of Uzbekistan initiated a project “Adapting population skills to the post-pandemic economy in Ferghana Valley”. The initiative is funded by the Russian Federation - UNDP-Trust Fund for Development (TFD). The project is aimed at contributing to poverty reduction through increased employment and entrepreneurship opportunities of the population, especially the youth of Fergana Valley by building entrepreneurship and future skills among students and job-seekers.

The project aims at forging a new pathway for the future of work—based on continuous skills attainment, digital leapfrogging and a new balance between life and work. The development objective of the project is reskilling and upskilling of the workforce to deliver new business models in the post-pandemic era. It will target college and university graduates, young women and men in informal employment, returning migrants and other vulnerable groups and help Uzbekistan Government and private sector to craft policies and talent strategy that develop employees’ critical digital and cognitive capabilities, their technical and socio-emotional skills, and their adaptability and resilience. At least 20,000 young people will be benefiting from the project annually.

The project will concentrate its work in three major directions:

1. Creating decent employment opportunities by improving technical and digital skills and competencies of self-employed and unemployed women, returning migrants, youth and other vulnerable groups in Fergana Valley that are future-resistant, sustainable and adaptable to changing environment;

2. Strengthening entrepreneurship skills development and start-up ecosystem; and

3. Support re-designing of Government labour market programmes (LMPs) and increasing their impact and reach to create better opportunities for those employed in the informal economy.

In this regards, UNDP is now seeking an experienced Task Manager to manage project activities on supporting the economic engagement of NEET young people in Ferghana Valley, with a focus on young women, by creating an enabling environment and equipping adolescents and youth with entrepreneurship skills and establishing proper start-up ecosystems for their growth, provide operational and thematic services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work and fulfill the outcomes and objectives as set out under the component 2 of the Project document.

Duties and Responsibilities

Task Manager will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and ensure smooth and timely delivery of operations under Component 2 of the project in accordance with annual and quarterly work plans of the Project through performing the required duties and responsibilities.

Operational Functions:

Support the Project Manager in coordinating project activities on entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystems development by undertaking day-to-day responsibilities, including the following:
Facilitating youth entrepreneurship and decent employment opportunities for youth and women through economic empowerment to foster greater social cohesion and wellbeing;
Conducting a women business acceleration programme (e.g., women's cooperative SEWA - Self-Employed Women's Association in India), as well as initiating Low-value grants for women entrepreneurship and start-ups initiatives in Ferghana Valley;
Designing and conducting socially oriented Creative Accelerators program, including a regional initiative “Start-up Choihona Programme”;
Engaging in enhancement of local governance and digitalization of entrepreneurial activities;
Providing a technical support in expansion of the professional training program for ICT specialists, conducting targeted hackathons, etc. with subsequent employment and self-employment (freelancing);
Conducting capacity building activities for the local authorities on the continuity and inclusive delivery of essential services to businesses and policy development and implementation, particularly through supporting digitalization of public service delivery to private sector;
Conducting regional evidence-based analysis on re-inventing the cross-border export and labour migration potential of Fergana Valley;
Organizing webinars and capacity building sessions between entrepreneurs and national and local decision-makers from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to improve awareness of cross-border economic opportunities, including labour migration;
Support activities aimed at ensuring access to finance and enhance financial literacy, development and implementation of proposal guidelines on preferential microloans for the self-employed with the involvement of financial institutions, enhancing financial literacy, money management skills on wage, spending, savings, investments and loans of the youth, women, labour migrants and other vulnerable groups, preparation of awareness raising and information material on family finance management;
Support Project Manager in drafting, updating and regularly reviewing project work plans.
Provide inputs for annual reports, work plans and any other planning, monitoring documents required by the UNDP;
Liaise with relevant stakeholders to obtain any support and guidance required for management and implementation of project activities within the Component 2;
Under the guidance of the Project Manger work in close collaboration with the Government counterparts, UNDP to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery;
Support Project Manager in monitoring implementation of project outputs for adopting corrective measures in project implementation, when necessary, to ensure timely delivery of required inputs and achievement of results;
Support the project team in conducting advocacy and outreach activities, writing of success stories, press-releases, newspapers coverage, and other relevant PR campaigns;
Support Project Manager in monitoring financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports, including proper utilization of funds and delivery, budget revisions, availability of funds, reconciliation of accounts, establishment of internal control mechanisms;
Support Project Manager in maintaining project related information in corporate programmatic and financial management frameworks, up to date;
Assist Project Manager in preparing and submitting in a timely manner, other programmatic reports and ensure that the reports meet corporate quality standards;
Be proactive in advising response to opportunities for resource mobilization and fundraising;
Organize workshops, seminars, and round tables to introduce project outputs to all stakeholders involved;
Liaise with other UNDP projects to implement possible synergies;
Undertake other tasks, necessary for successful management of the project, as required by the supervisor.

Knowledge Management

Document lessons learned and best practices;
Access global best practices, share them with relevant local and international stakeholders and ensure their incorporation into the project implementation and design process;
Provide any other necessary support in coaching, guidance for the project staff that will boost their capacity to deliver results.

Competencies

Required skills and competencies:

I. Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment, self-development, initiative-taking;
Acting as a team player and facilitating teamwork;
Managing conflict and facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
Creating synergies through self-control;
Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
Informed and transparent decision-making.

II. Functional Competencies:

1. Communications and Networking

Has excellent oral communication skills and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors;
Has excellent written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports;
Demonstrates maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national and international institutions, government and non-government.

2. Knowledge management and Learning

Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the team through leadership and personal example;
Actively mentoring project staff under her/his supervision;
Leadership and Self-management;
Focus on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Competent in leading team and creating team spirit, stimulating team members to produce quality outputs in a timely and transparent fashion.

3. Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;
Ability to handle a large volume of work under time constraints.

4. Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;
Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other mans of learning

Demonstrates good knowledge on:
1) Development and implementation of entrepreneurship support and new employment opportunities programmes (with focus on rural and remote areas of Uzbekistan);
2) Design and run start-up and business acceleration programmes/initiatives;
3) Preparation of training modules on digital entrepreneurship skills;
4) Introduction and expansion of information materials on financial literacy for youth, women and other vulnerable; other relevant topics.

Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;

5. Leadership and Self-Management

Builds strong relationship with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client, and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills.

Desired additional skills and competencies

Ability to use information and communication technology as a tool and resource;
Experience in handling mobile application development and web based management systems;
Good understanding of private sector development issues, business and labour regulatory environment;
Proven experience in development of research papers and reports, publications and analytical notes;
Understanding of Gender equality concept and women empowerment issue;
Initiative and strong leadership skills;
Result and client-orientations;
Strong analytical, writing, presentation and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education:

Bachelor degree in any of the following areas: economics, finance, public administration or public policy, business administration, management, labour economomics, ICT or other related fields.

Min. years of relevant Work experience:

At least 2-years of progressive work experience in the field of private sector development, rural development, gender and youth issues, development of laws and regulations, methodology and/or analysis;
Work experience in any development organizations is an advantage.

Required Language(s) (at working level):

Fluency in English, proficiency in Uzbek and Russian languages.