Organizational Context

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 mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, oversees the Organization’s development of capacities for industrial development as well as industrial policy advice, statistics and research activities and the Organization’s normative contribution to Member States and global development community in achieving the SDGs. The Directorate also ensures the application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to Environment, Energy, SMEs, Competitiveness and Job creation, as well as Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute toward effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results and on realizing any potential for scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Directorate houses the technical Divisions of Capacity Development and Industrial Policy Advice (TCS/CAP); Circular Economy and Environmental Protection (TCS/CEP); Decarbonization and Sustainable Energy (TCS/DSE); SMEs, Competitiveness and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and AI Strategies (TCS/DAS). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET).

This position is located under the SME Development and Job Creation Unit (TCS/SME/SDJ), supports small and medium manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in Member States to take advantage of new technologies, business and organizational support, investment promotion, cluster development and partnerships to improve their businesses and improve their competitiveness.

PROJECT CONTEXT

QUALITAN: Quality standards and compliance programme for the United Republic of Tanzania (ID 210097)

The EU supports Tanzania under the BEGIN Programme: ‘Support for Business Environment, Growth and Innovation’. The overall objective of the programme is to promote inclusive economic growth, employment and innovation, particularly among women and youth, and enhance consumer protection. Under component 2, the specific objective (SO2) is to increase Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs) compliance with quality standards to widen market access, reduce standards compliance costs, and enhance consumer protection. The QUALITAN project implements SO2 of the BEGIN programme. The project intervention under SO2 will focus on strengthening the capacity of the Tanzania Bureau of Standards, including the functioning and reach of laboratories, standardization activities, ICT and management of information systems. Support will be provided to MSMEs to comply with standards. The action will facilitate MSME to access to compliance testing, reducing compliance costs whether in monetary terms or time delays, and facilitate market accessibility and cross-border trade. These interventions will also contribute towards synchronization of various elements of the Quality Infrastructure. This project intervention will act in synergy with BEGIN SO1 and SO3 to ensure inclusion of capacity support to develop new standards for innovative products and recommendations for policy reviews.

MAIN DUTIES

The expert will work under the overall guidance of the Project Manager, Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), Lead International Expert on CABs and National Project Coordinator (NPC) to support the Communication and Marketing Department of TBS. The incumbent is responsible identifying business opportunities and partners developing and maintaining such relations and for ensuring documentation and reporting of the project activities to increase the understanding and awareness of the project with partners, the media, and the public, and facilitate reporting to BEGIN Steering Committee, Ministry of Investment, Industry & Trade (MIIT) and the EU. More specifically, he/she will carry out the following duties: