UNDP Jobs - 31485- Consultant to Develop a Strategic Plan for the Afr

Consultant to Develop a Strategic Plan for the African Management Development Institutions Network (AMDIN)

Location :

Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

06-Aug-2012

Application Deadline :

31-Jul-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Six weeks

Languages Required :

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Six weeks

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 African Management Development Institute (AMDIN) was formally established in August 2005 and launched in South Africa in 2007 with the support of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the NEPAD Secretariat. Membership of AMDIN is open to both public and private institutions and is restricted to one institution per country. The overall objective of AMDIN is to facilitate the optimal functioning of African MDIs and provide a collective platform to engage with various stakeholder communities. In 2007, AMDIN gained legal status by registering as a non-profit organization with the Department of Social Development in South Africa. In 2008, AMDIN and the Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy (PALAMA) entered into a hosting agreement for PALAMA to fund AMDIN until 2012. . The hosting Agreement ended on 31 March 2012. PALAMA currently acts as the interim Secretariat, and has seconded two officials to AMDIN who act as an interim CEO and an Administrator until final arrangements are made within the AMDIN Council.

Due to a number of reasons, AMDIN has been in decline. A continental effort spearheaded by the Conference of African Ministers of Public Service (CAMPS) with the support of UNDP is underway to resuscitate the organisation and make it an effective implementing arm of the AUC for capacity development. Efforts to resuscitate AMDIN were echoed during a Council meeting where members agreed to amend its constitution to reflect the organisation’s status as an international organisation, and make further amendments to rationalise its governance and administrative structures. A General Members Meeting (MGM) is anticipated to take place in the next few months to elect new leaders, review and adopt the constitution.

Given that AMDIN is an organisation in transformation it is critical, over the next year, to start rebuilding the AMDIN in terms of effective and accountable leadership, and the creation of a conducive legal and governance environment with the necessary accompanying regulatory and policy frameworks to guide AMDIN to achieve its strategic, operational, resource mobilization and quality assurance plans and objectives. When ready,results of an independent audit of the organisation will serve as the basis for developing recommendations going forward.

UNDP within its support to the Conference of Ministers of Public Service (CAMPS) has been offering technical support to AMDIN to, inter-alia, streamline its governance structures, develop a strategic plan and position AMDIN as a leading continental institution on issues of management development. To this end, UNDP is supporting the AMDIN Secretariat to recruit a consultant to develop the AMDIN strategic plan and related operational documents over the next 5 years.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main objective of the Consultancy is to develop a five year strategic plan in order to ensure that the organization fulfils its mandate:

Tasks:

Assess the institutional capacity of AMDIN including its management and leadership, organisational set-up, financial and administrative systems.
Produce a report with recommendations to serve as the basis for strategic planning.
Draft a Strategic Plan for 2012 - 2017.
Draft an Operational Plan for 2012 - 2014.
Draft a Resource Mobilisation Strategy.
Draft a Quality Assurance Plan to accompany the Strategic Plan.

Competencies

Successful applicants are required to demonstrate the following key competencies:

Knowledge of the AMDIN mandate and programme
At least 10 years experience on management issues: strategic planning, operational planning, resource mobilisation, quality assurance, human resource and financial management, organisational development, legal matters, constitutional development, institutional restructuring and reorganisation etc.
Evidence of having undertaken similar assignment in countries or regional development organizations in Africa
Experience in research, policy development, management and programming-related work
Excellent writing and presentation skills in English
Fluency in French will be an added advantage

Required Skills and Experience

Postgraduate degree in law, public policy, public administration, economics, business, political science, development studies or any other relevant field.