Background

UNDP Global Mission Statement:
UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.
 
UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:
UNDP supports stabilization, state building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.
 
Years of conflict have damaged Afghanistan’s economic, political, physical, social and institutional structures. Reconstruction demands a secure environment in which there is credible leadership and enforced rule of law. Strong, legitimate and effective public administration structures, responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens - including the poor - are a precursor to any sustainable development. To this end, UNDP supports Afghan electoral institutions so that they can become more effective vehicles for development.
 
The UNDP Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow (ELECT) project phase I (2006–2011) lent technical and operational assistance to Afghan electoral bodies throughout the 2009 Presidential and provincial council elections and 2010 parliamentary elections. This included the establishment of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) offices throughout Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. 
 
ELECT II project, commencing in January 2012, provides long-term assistance to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan, focusing on institutional strengthening and capacity consolidation. The overarching objective of ELECT-II is to support the national electoral institutions to plan and conduct credible future elections with minimal external support.
Continuing long-term assistance through support to capacity building of national electoral authorities beyond 2010 is in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1974 (2011). This assistance is closely coordinated with UNAMA, UNDPKO and EAD.
 
The three key outputs for ELECT II are: 
  • Output 1: Operational and technical capacity of the IEC is developed to ensure well organized, future Afghan-led electoral processes.
  • Output 2: The quality of the national voter registry is improved.
  • Output 3: Capacity of the IEC to encourage broader democratic participation is strengthened
Note: UNDP Afghanistan reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP Afghanistan at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and education requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Capacity Development Specialist will be part of a team of Specialists supervised and guided by the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) and will report on delivery to the Senior Electoral Advisor – Output 1. Her/his primary task will be to develop IEC capacity, and will systematically refer to the 2011 Independent Election Commission (IEC) Lesson Learnt Report and the IEC Capacity Needs Assessment as source to carry out her/his work. S/He will be embedded with the IEC and will be responsible for continuously providing technical advice and help to develop the technical capacity of IEC in the relevant areas of the electoral activities. S/he will work closely with the relevant IEC staff to support the IEC in:
  • Providing expert advice and guidance to the Independent Election Commission (IEC) on all training and capacity building related matters;
  • Familiarizing relevant IEC staff with international best practice on capacity development activities;
  • Advising the IEC in developing and implementing a long term training plan and a strategic capacity development plan that identifies the relevant areas and functions / staff based on the training needs assessment already conducted by the IEC;
  • Advising the IEC on designing and implementing training and capacity development programme(s) to maintain IEC staff capacity at HQ, regional and provincial level. The training programme(s) may include BRIDGE (“Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections” Project) modules customized to Afghan electoral experience. S/he may seek opportunities for professional development of electoral staff both inside and outside Afghanistan as approved by the IEC;
  • Advising the IEC on design and preparation of training materials for IEC staff on all levels;
  • Advising the IEC in the developing of training materials, planning, preparation and implementation of operational training programs  for upcoming election;
  • Assisting in the design, planning and implementation of other capacity building activities if required, such as study tours, peer visits, and participation in workshops and conferences;
  • Participating in BRIDGE training sessions as a facilitator(if he/she is BRIDGE accredited);
  • Providing general advice to IEC on improvement the archiving, library and knowledge management sharing system of the Election Resource Center;
  • Training ELECT II staff members on mentoring technics;
  • Assisting in conducting the induction course for ELECT new recruited advisors;
  • Contributing to ELECT II regular reporting and documents ELECT II capacity building support for best practice knowledge sharing;
  • S/He will work closely with the IEC department for Training and Capacity Building;
  • Performing any other tasks as assigned by the CTA.
 S/He will report regularly to the Senior Technical Adviser - Output 1.
 
The key results have an impact on the overall ELECT efficiency in providing advisory services and success in strategy development and planning for IEC staff capacity development and institutional consolidation. Accurate, thoroughly researched and documented electoral advice ensure client satisfaction and enhance UNDP credibility in the area of electoral training and capacity development.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:
  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
Functional Competencies:
  • Strong knowledge in communication strategy development and implementation;
  • Seasoned ability to develop communication products for both local communities and global audiences;
  • Demonstrated ability to translate policy and programmatic issues into local contexts;
  • Strong research and analytical skills and ability to rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information from a variety of sources;
  • Ability to build productive partnerships with various stakeholders;
  • Excellent writing and oral skills in English;
  • Ability to write quickly, clearly and concisely;
  • Ability in production, sub-editing, and editing of various communication documents, including website;
  • Ability in transmitting knowledge and building capacities;
  • Ability to act as a team player and leader, with strong interpersonal and communication skills;
  • Ability to work in a pressured environment with strict deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Master degree preferably in the field of Management, Political Science, International Relations, Electoral Policy, Law or other related fields.
 Experience: 
  • Minimum 7 years of experience in electoral assistance, and well experienced in electoral training, needs assessment, planning and evaluation of training;
  • BRIDGE experience and accreditation desirable;
  • Exposure and familiarity with international institutions dealing with electoral skills and training.
 Language Requirements: 
  • Fluency in written and spoken English is essential;
  • Knowledge of Dari/Pashto is desirable.
 
Interested and qualified International candidates should apply on-line through the UNDP Jobs site at http://jobs.undp.org/  or http://www.undp.org.af/Jobs/index.htm .
 
Please ensure that you upload your UN Personal History Form-P11 (available at http://www.undp.org.af/Jobs/index.htm ) in the relevant field of the on-line applications.
 
Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date 27 June 2012 will not be given consideration. Please note that only applications who are short-listed will be contacted.
 
For more detailed information about UNDP Afghanistan please visit our website at www.undp.org.af       
 
Successful candidates must be prepared to start work within 3 weeks of the offer of appointment.
 
Internal candidates who have served a minimum of 12 months in the current assignment are invited to apply.
 
Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.