UNDP Jobs - 33820- Chief Technical Advisor

Chief Technical Advisor

Location :

Tunis, TUNISIA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

26-Nov-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year with a possibility of renewal

Languages Required :

Arabic English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

On October 23, 2011 the people of Tunisia elected a Constituent Assembly. The CA is currently preparing Tunisia's new constitution and acting as its interim parliament.The CA works in an environment of considerable political sensitivity, uncertainty and rapid change.
The UN has received from the interim government a request for three types of assistance:

Constitutional Support: to assist the Constituent Assembly in tasks associated with the preparation of the constitution, with particular emphasis on improving its capacity to reach out to civil society.
Constitutional Dialogue: to assist civil society in developing its understanding of the constitution building process and its capacity to engage in constructive constitutional dialogue with the Constituent Assembly and with other stakeholders in the
Parliamentary Strengthening: to assist the Constituent Assembly in developing essential infrastucture and in developing the capacities of its members and the Secretariat in connection with their legislative, representational and oversight roles.
Constitution building is a sovereign act. The support requested should be organized and delivered in such a way that the sovereign nature of the process is fully respected. Assistance should be delivered in accordance with requests made by the actors in the process.

As part of its planned support, UNDP will set up an initiative called “Support to Constitution Building and National Dialogue in Tunisia”, a project to design and deliver assistance in each of these areas.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) position is a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) and is a Development Project Funded post under the guidance of the RR and DRR and directly reports to Governance Adviser in the CO with the primary aims of:
Providing advisory and technical support to the Constituent Assembly (CA) of Tunisia in the area of constitutional and Parliamentary support, in pursuance of the project objectives.
Developing strong partnerships with key national actors, such as the Constituent Assembly, civil society, the Government and the international community, in the area of constitutional support.
Providing technical direction to international and national technical staff with regard to the constitutional making process.
Specific duties include:

Advisory and technical support on Constitution Building and Parliamentary support:

Provide advisory services and technical assistance to political leaders, presidents of CA committees, members of the CA and the CA's constitutional advisors to support the formulation of the new constitution, and to build the capacity of the Constituent Assembly on a wide range of issues. Where applicable, identify specialized technical expertise to support the constitutional process, and parliamentary development, in Tunisia
Contextual Analysis:

Through ongoing analysis of the political, social and constitution building contexts, ensure that the project's support to the constitution building process remains at all times relevant and timely.
Coordination :

Strengthen strategic partnerships and coordination with the Constituent Assembly, Government of Tunisia, donors, political parties, CSOs and other stakeholders, including by facilitating communication and exchange of lessons learned and good practises.
Project Design and Implementation:

Ensure that the project’s activities are designed and implemented according to best practices in the area of constitutional support and Parliamentary development, and are in line with the Annual Work Plan. With the assistance of the Project Manager, and in coordination with the Country Office, ensure that systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating the project's delivery of agreed results.
Knowledge Building and Sharing:

Identify knowledge gaps among key target groups and design measures to address such gaps; actively support the sharing of project results and products, lessons learned and good practices with other projects, government agencies, donors, etc.; and participate in UNDP global knowledge networks.
Guidance of Technical Staff

Provide direct guidance to national and international technical staff working with the project, including full-time national specialists, international technical advisers and national and international consultants. This will include consultations to ensure technical staff are addressing technical requirements for delivery of outcomes and activities. The project manager will report to the CTA and provide support for coordination and administration, however the CTA provides overall guidance on technical implementation and management of the programme.
Impact of results:

Advisory and technical advise is actively sought by the constituent Assembly and other national stakeholders
Project remains relevant
Support to the constitutional support and Parliamentary development is provided through the project, in line with international standards and best practice.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge and expertise in constitution building, democratic governance, and parliamentary support.
Demonstrated experience in providing technical advice to policy makers; ability to work well with counterparts in government, Parliament, civil society, political parties, and the donor community;
Excellent negotiation and representational skills, at senior level (with international organizations and/or diplomatic missions).
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships, and good working knowledge of information and computer technology.
Displays analytical judgment and demonstrated ability to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.
Demonstrates strong intellectual and operational capacity in providing and coordinating advisory services to stakeholders

Communications and Networking:

Excellent oral and written communication skills and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors.
Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national and international institutions, government and non-government.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters degree in political science, law, public administration institutional/organisational development or related field

Experience:

A minimum of 10 years working experience in the area of constitution development, parliamentary development and democratic governance.
Prior experience working in countries in transition. Previous work experience in Tunisia or the Arab Region is an asset
Excellent project management skills. Knowledge of UNDP programming practices is an asset.
Proven familiarity with gender analysis and concepts.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in French and English; Arabic an asset.