UNDP Jobs - 82743- Technical Expert

Technical Expert - UNIDO

Location :

Beirut, LEBANON

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

14-Jan-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 Month

Languages Required :

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 Month

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mandate of UNIDO is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition.

The Programme Development and Technical Cooperation Division (PTC) of UNIDO is responsible for providing technical cooperation services on technological and economic issues. Within PTC, the AGRI Branch through its technical assistance, links resources and markets in the agribusiness value chains and strengthens forward and backward industrial linkages in order to leg up the economic transformation of countries, improve employment and income opportunities, and reinforce sustainable livelihoods.

Technical cooperation and capacity-building services are provided to agro-based and agro-related businesses and industries, inter alia, in the food, leather, textiles, wood and agricultural equipment sectors.

Duties and Responsibilities

Since 2011, UNIDO has been supporting the agro-industrial sector through the Community empowerment and Livelihoods Enhancement project (CELEP) project by helping local micro and small industries to cope with the crisis and training unemployed affected communities on market oriented professional skills in technical sectors.

Through the three phases of the CELEP, 68 MSMEs and 20 agricultural cooperatives were directly supported by specialized equipment, civil works and capacity building development and more than 2000 Households benefited indirectly from the project activities.

In addition to upgrading the quality and quantity standards of the products as previously done during phases I&II&III, this follow up phase will focus on innovation and creativity. An in-depth assessment of the Lebanese agro-food value chains will be done during the inception phase, which will help understanding the export capacity of small producers and cooperatives and identifying the barriers for trade. This project will be the first focusing on product development, introduction of creativity tools and innovation for Lebanese products.

Building on UNIDO’s expertise, this project will target a number of MSMEs and agricultural cooperatives and will mainly consist of (i) the identification of a number of Lebanese authentic agro-food value chains having the potential to compete locally and internationally based on a technical study to be conducted; (ii) the provision of technical assistance and inputs to upgrade selected agro-processing facilities especially micro, small- and medium-enterprises (M&MSMEs) and agricultural cooperatives; (iii) the development of creativity tools and new products; and (iv) the development of marketing tools in order to facilitate market access.

MAIN DUTIES	Concrete/ measurable Outputs to be achieved	Expected duration	Location
Review the technical assessment prepared by UNIDO and the Ministry of Industry for the plants to be assisted in the dairy sector (plants/workshops layout, technical specifications of equipment, spare parts requirement, etc.).	Technical assessment completed in coordination with the Ministry of Industry.	10 days over period of 1 month on part-time basis	All Lebanon
Visit selected workshops for additional technical information required and clarify any amendments necessary based on discussions with the owners.	Equipment requirements confirmed on-site with each SME (total of 17 SME).
Prepare and design the technical specifications for the equipment to be supplied to selected plants/workshops, including cost estimates and potential suppliers.	Technical specifications set including the cost estimate for each equipment.
Assist in the definition of any required training programs for the use of the proposed equipment/technology.	Technical training program proposed.
Finalize the technical specifications and submit a final report	Technical specifications finalized and approved by the SMEs. Tender documents prepared and launched.
Carry out other tasks as required by the service, including availability for assisting in possible attendance to inquiries during all phases of the bidding process, such as but not limited to: inquiries to be raised by suppliers, beneficiaries, UNIDO Technical team in Lebanon, UNIDO Procurement Unit for evaluation in HQ.	Follow up on all the supplier’s inquiries during the bidding process. Tender documents evaluated.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Core values:
1. Integrity;
2. Professionalism;
3. Respect for diversity.

Core competencies:
1. Results orientation and accountability;
2. Planning and organizing;
3. Communication and trust;
4. Team orientation;
5. Client orientation;
6. Organizational development and innovation.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Advanced university degree in industrial, electro-mechanical or mechanical engineering.

Technical and Functional Experience:

At least 5 years or prior relevant experience in the field of electro/mechanical work.
Practical experience in developing material and equipment technical specification.
Familiarity with the UN mandate and activities in Lebanon as well as with Lebanon’s current socioeconomic context;
Prior experience under UN-implemented programmes is an asset.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language (French) would be an asset.

Interested applicants should submit their CVs to: n.barakat@unido.org and point out to the reference of the announcement which is UNIDO – National Technical Expert.