Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) – Ethiopia is an autonomous institution operating under the newly established Ministry of Labor and Skills. Our origins trace back to the merger of two entities: the UNDP-supported Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) founded in February 2013, and the World Bank-financed Women Entrepreneurship Development Project (WEDP) launched in December 2012. Previously under the supervision of the Ministry of Urban Development and Construction, both projects have now joined forces to drive vibrant, competitive, and innovative private sector growth in Ethiopia.

At EDI, our primary objective is to foster the emergence of a dynamic and growth-oriented small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. We achieve this by offering a comprehensive range of entrepreneurship support programs, including ecosystem and capacity building, business development services (BDS), access to finance, and market linkage initiatives. As a national institution, we not only contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem but also play a significant role in promoting self-employment.

In line with our new mandate, EDI has transitioned from being a direct services provider to focusing on building the capacity of other public and private institutions. To fulfill this purpose, we have established a robust national infrastructure encompassing regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, Southern, and Tigray, and we have plans for further expansion. Additionally, we collaborate closely with One-Stop Service Centers in 18 cities across the country.

Our team at EDI comprises 323 trainers, including 1 International Master Trainer and 39 Master Trainers, along with up to 760 Business Development Services (BDS) Advisors. While these trainers and advisors are not direct employees of EDI, we select, train, certify, and invest in their continuous professional development. They are independent private sector actors who contribute to our mission.

Furthermore, EDI has played a pivotal role in establishing Centers of Excellence in Entrepreneurship (CoEEs) within higher education institutions. These CoEEs aim to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among faculty, university graduates, and the local community. With our support, these centers regularly organize business idea competitions and incubate the most promising ventures. Through our engagement in the education system, we not only enhance entrepreneurial competencies but also promote a practical, skill-centered, and hands-on teaching approach. By improving the quality of education in the country, we equip graduates with the necessary skills to secure gainful employment or launch their own successful startups.

In our ongoing commitment to addressing gaps within the public service system, EDI has recently introduced the Public Entrepreneurship program. This program tackles challenges such as the lack of self-initiative, inefficiency, limited innovation, and strategic thinking, as well as a bureaucracy that may not always support SMEs adequately. Developed after careful assessment and feedback from SMEs burdened by an unresponsive and unsympathetic bureaucracy, this program aims to bring about positive change.

EDI has earned a reputation for high impact through our rigorous methodology-driven human capacity development. Our work culture is characterized by efficiency, innovation, flexibility, and a strong mission-driven ethos. As one of the first national institutions with international certification, we take pride in our achievements

Now EDI would like to invite competent and qualified candidates to apply for the following 2 positions to be hired on contractual basis

Duties and Responsibilities

• The specialist is expected to ensure the installation and proper functioning of developed client registration and data management software in all the service providers of WEDP (OSS, TVET Colleges, Private training institutions, financial institutions). The work will thus take place in Addis Ababa and the other seven regional capital cities.

• As custodian of WEDP registration data and M&E information the incumbent monitors the logical and physical access of data including prevention and detection of unauthorized attempt to access stored data. 

• Prepare directives to administer user roles, profile, privileges, access level of applications and users of the project data.

• Prepare a dictionary of WEDP data to ease the process of data administration. Establish the policies and procedures for collecting, validating and sharing of database.

• Develop a privileged account in the database for himself mostly used for creating accounts for OSS[1] level and other database users, granting or revoking privileges, ensuring security level assignments to use project data.

• Ensure the cross referencing of information i.e. which party uses what data and which user gets what report.

• Ensure appropriate level of WEDP Software utility standardization by using standard naming rules, data integrity rules, locking and auditing of existing and incoming information and set-up privileges for different database elements.

• It is agreed that previously established database is captured in the developed software by the software developing company. The incumbent, therefore, in collaboration with WEDP M&E, Business Development Service Specialist and Training specialists has to make sure that the database is updated with newly coming data on timely basis.

• Make sure that a practice of taking data Backup is established and develop a working guideline to manage this and design and follow the practice of its implementation.

• Supervise and control the clarity of captured client data in line with the paper-based documents.

• Make sure that malicious or unauthorized software’s are not downloaded and installed in the data storage computer at OSSs. Develop a mini policy to mitigate the risk of data loss due to such software.

• Develop internet usage and data downloading policy for computers serving for WEDP client registration and data storage.

• Keep track of OSS PCs that are used for client registration and make sure that they are on duty without being disrupted.

• Make sure that data entry staff in OSSs should be able to work in both the desktop and Web-Based versions of the WEDP Software.

• Ensure that during network/internet failures, OSSs should be able to work independently and data entered using the desktop version of the WEDP software later on merge with the main database. This is ensured by the incumbent and the support provided by the software developer company. 

• Ensure all training data from training providers are captured in the MIS.

•  Keep Track of data integration between Banks/MFI (Loan data), OSSs (registration data) and training providers (Training data) into central server.

• Ensure project Servers are up and working (high available) to partners.

• Conduct regular data inspection to avoid data in consistency within the project. 

• Inform WEDP staff on behalf of the WIC and NPMT by posting the relevant project news on the interface of the database software to provide information about the project components, procedures, complaint mechanisms, processes (especially criteria for selecting participants) and providing information about services given by MFIs and TVET colleges, and their addresses. This implies to regularly be in contact with the key people in the WIC and NPMT to ask for news to be communicated

• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual performance reports on the use and management of WEDP registration software on all places it is installed, and the output data generated from the software and integrate the Quick Diagnosis tool application with the project MIS 

• In collaboration with WEDP M&E Specialist, ensure that client data reports are generated monthly in advance WEDP Implementation Committee (WIC) meetings, so that reports can be generated for WIC meetings highlighting. The reports should highlight basic project indicators such as # registered, # of clients trained and in which trainings, # of clients receiving loans and loan amounts, etc.

• Updated regularly the project website that can be accessed by all project partners

Additional Information

• Female Applicants are highly encouraged to apply for all positions and EDI is committed to diversity in the workplace. EDI offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and an excellent benefits package.

• Please also be aware that EDI Ethiopia does not demand any payment from applicants at any stage of the recruitment and selection process. Additionally, EDI Ethiopia has not enlisted any agent for recruitment purposes. We emphasize that EDI Ethiopia is an equal opportunity employer.

Job Requirements

• IT and Data Management Specialist should have:

• MSc. in Computer Science with 4 years of practical experience BSc. in a similar field of study with 6 years of experience or related field of area (MIS, Electrical Engineering). 

• S/He also should have experience in strong knowledge of database administrator ,SDLC, Restful API, network administration, windows server administration ( web server – IIS Express), security skills, database design and systems integration using Internet technologies, database maintenance and tuning and experience working with common commercial databases (including SQL, Oracle)

Skills:

• Database management system skill. 

• Ability to work in team 

• Database design and systems integration using Internet technologies

• Network administration skills

• Security skills

• Database maintenance and tuning skills

How to Apply

If you are a passionate and creative individual with a strong desire to contribute to our team, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your resume and portfolio for consideration. 

Interested applicants for the above position  should submit their cover letter and CV named with their Full Name via hr@edi-ethiopia.org and or on THIS LINK clearly indicating the position they are applying for as a subject up to or before August 5, 2024 5:00 PM.  

Even though we highly encourage digital applications via email, for applicants that would like to submit paper-based applications please enclose your cover letter and CV in an envelope and submit it at the reception of EDI’s headquarters located at Wesen Grocery, inside CEE Compound, new building ground floor reception office

Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/H2wAfZ73u4BLKvwg7. If you face any difficulty in the application process please contact us on: +251948328347 or info@edi-ethiopia.org .