Background

The Electoral Support Project (ESP) is a technical assistance initiative, commencing upon the completion of the CA elections in 2008 and covering support to upcoming set of elections after the promulgation of the new constitution.   Without the immediate political and operational pressure for the ECN to deliver a specific electoral event and following the ‘electoral cycle approach’, the support provided by the Project in the inter-elections period (2008-2011) has had a strong emphasis on building a sustainable and enduring institutional and professional capacity within the ECN that could be easily and effectively re-employed in future elections.  Through the provision of on-site technical advisory service and specialized electoral support, the Project has sought to enhance and further consolidate the institutional and professional capacities of the ECN, its Secretariat and the its subsidiary district  offices to meet the numerous priorities that need to be addressed to further enhance the credibility and the adequacy of Nepal’s future electoral processes.  The current  objective of the Electoral Support Project is to continue strengthen the professional capacities and institutional organization of the ECN at central and regional levels, after the successful conduct of the 2013 CA elections.

The initial ECN 2009-2013 strategic plan was drafted on experiences, feedback and recommendations from national (district to center) and international stakeholders and reports of observation teams from the past 2008 CA election. The Strategic Plan (2009-2013) consisted of a vision, mission, guiding principles, goals and targets and is accompanied by an action plan that guides the implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Widely viewed as a pioneer in strategic planning, in 2011 the ECN undertook a mid-term review to gauge the progress against the goals and targets set and to identify next steps in the implementation of the Plan. The mid-term evaluation findings suggest ECN has made significant achievements toward the implementation of the Plan and has even gone beyond to respond to the changing context within which the institution works.  The evaluation also identified the need to update and revise the Strategic Plan to the current context and needs of the Commission and stakeholders.

In 2013, through the successful conduct of the CA elections, the ECN has demonstrated its competency in organizing and conducting elections. Building on this success the ECN seeks to prepare and enforce a follow up five year Strategic Plan to guide its future activities and improve management, operational and structural systems and mechanisms within the Commission, leading to more efficient, transparent and service oriented electoral management. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Through the strategic planning process (2014-2018) ESP seeks to support ECN in updating the existing five year strategic plan (2009-2013).

The specific objectives of the assessment include:

  • Enhance knowledge on preparation, update and monitoring of the strategic plan;
  • Support the updating of the existing strategic plan and action plan; and
  • Facilitate strategic planning discussions and workshops.

Interested candidates can download the Procurement Notice, detailed Terms of Reference (Annex I), General Condition of Contract for the services of Individual Contractors (Annex II), P11 Form (Annex III) and Offeror's Letter to UNDP (Annex IV) from the UNDP website: http://procurement-notices-admin.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=15445

Please submit your application at the following email address if you face problem applying online: procurement.np@undp.org

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

  • Self-development, initiative-taking;
  • Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
  • Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
  • Creating synergies through self-control;
  • Managing conflict;
  • Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
  • Informed and transparent decision making.
  • Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.

Corporate Competencies:

  • Commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
  • Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences;
  • Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment;
  • Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

  • Masters degree in Political Science, Sociology, Law or any other relevant field

Experience:

  • At least 15 years of experience in the field of elections;
  • Extensive  experience with Election Management Bodies;
  • Extensive experience in carrying out wide range of electoral administration and planning;
  • Knowledge and experience of using participatory approaches and facilitation;
  • Practical experience with conducting assessments of Electoral Management Bodies;
  • Good communication, co-ordination and organizational skills;
  • Experience in conducting and managing similar strategic planning process;
  • Strong analytical and report writing skills;
  • Commitment to deadlines;
  • Strong understanding of political and developmental needs and issues.

Language:

  • Fluency in English with professional writing skill is required.