SME Development Expert

The SME Development Expert’s principal role is to provide assistance to Ministry of Economy in building internal capacity for organization of training activities for Economic Departments and Agricultural Departments. This responsibility will include policy dialogue and coordination activities with the Ministry of Economy and other stakeholders of the project, including coordination activities under Result 4 and Result 6 laid down in point 4.1 of this document. The Expert will provide general guidance and policy advice to the Ministry of Economy regarding development policy issues and their adjustment to the requirements of ESRA Programme implementation. He/she will also provide advice the Ministry of Economy and other stakeholders of the ESRA programme on the reporting procedures and will be responsible for general guidance on design and implementation of the ESRA M&E platform. He/she will coordinate with SME Department of Ministry of Economy the activities linked with analysis, design and establishment of the entrepreneurship training programme for Economic Departments and Agricultural Departments. As such, the SME Development Expert’s shall cover, but not exclusively, the following: Under the responsibility of the Team Leader, support the coordination of the project’s and implementation notably with the Ministry of Economy; Coordinate the activity of other experts involved in the Project with services related to work area 1; Provide operational management of the technical assistance team placed in Ministry of Economy in line with the team’s schedule of activities and work plans; Provide technical assistance for the training programme for Economic Departments and Agricultural Departments. Qualifications and skills: University degree (where a university degree has been awarded on completion of four years study in a university) in the fields of Economics or Social Science or International Development Studies or nine (9) years of professional experience including years and experience as described under General professional experience; General Experience: A minimum of ten (10) years working experience with SME development in rural area; Specific Professional Experience: At least five (5) years working experience in transition countries and more specifically in Eastern European countries; Expertise and demonstrable understanding of SME Development programmes in rural area; Minimum three (3) though ideally five (5) years of proven experience and expertise, ideally within the framework of donor-funded SME development projects and/or SME sector budgetary assistance programmes, that have a direct relevance to the tasks in the assigned work area (SME development on macro/meso/micro level and/or SME institutional and/or capacity building support to local and central SME support institutions and/or regional development institutional/capacity building support and/or VET institutional/capacity building support); Good knowledge and writing ability in English; Good working knowledge of use of standard computer software (word processing, spreadsheets, etc). Working knowledge of state language of Moldova/Russian language will be an asset.