UNDP Jobs - 50012- Re-advertisement - Chief Technical Advisor/Interna

Re-advertisement - Chief Technical Advisor/International Programme Coordinator

Location :

Dushanbe, TAJIKISTAN

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Dec-2014

Application Deadline :

06-Oct-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English Russian

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

UNDP Tajikistan Rule of Law Programme is a comprehensive programme designed based on the past achievements and lessons learnt of the programmes and initiatives in the area of rule of law and access to justice in Tajikistan and the outcomes of the consultations with the relevant stakeholders both at the national and local levels. The programme aims to consolidate a number of projects and initiatives to enhance Rule of Law and Access to Justice in Tajikistan, including (1) Access to Justice Initiative funded by Swiss Development Cooperation and ‘Strengthening Rule of Law and (2) Human Rights to Empower People in Tajikistan’ project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Under the ‘Access to Justice in Tajikistan’ project supported by SDC, UNDP in partnership with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation intends to establish a meaningful platform for policy dialogue between key Ministries, judiciary actors, CSOs and other participants on priority issues related to judicial and legal reform processes as well as to raise the awareness and build capacity through training and mentoring of the legal aid providers. In order to achieve sustainable results and ensure real changes and improvements at the level of both rights holders and duty bearers, ‘Strengthening Rule of Law and Human Rights to Empower People in Tajikistan’ project will increase legal literacy and empower the vulnerable population, especially women, youth at-risk and people with disability (PwD) to defend their rights, build capacity of CSOs to participate in policy making process and advocate for Human Rights and Gender Equality mainstreaming.

The Programme will help the Government of Tajikistan to improve the policy and legal framework to be compliant with the Constitution and international commitments and promote and protect the rights of vulnerable people, including to strengthen the target institutions capacity to meet their functional requirements and implement policies and deliver better services, including legal aid, in accountable, transparent and non-discriminatory manner. The programme will also build the capacity of CSOs, particularly of those representing women and people with disability, to participate in policy making process and advocate for Human Rights and Gender Equality mainstreaming. Under legal aid the programme will focus assistance on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups who face the greatest challenges in access to justice, including women and socially marginalized populations such as persons with disabilities in the most vulnerable and remote rural areas. The Policy Dialogue Platform will serve as a mechanism for local level stakeholders, including Legal Aid providers to communicate and provide feedback on key policy issues in the area of Rule of Law and Access to Justice.

The projects logically complement and reinforce each other leading to more sustainable results. While one project facilitates the policy dialogue between key Ministries, judiciary actors, and CSOs to identify priority areas for improvements in legislation/judicial reform and find sustainable solutions, the second focuses on specific institutions such as Ombudsman office in Tajikistan, State Registration Bodies and local authorities to build their capacity and enable them to be fully engaged in the dialogue, implement laws and Human Rights recommendations and provide better registration services to citizens.

Overall the Programme management responsibility will be with UNDP Tajikistan. The programme envisages close involvement and capacity building of the State Institutions such as Ministry of Justice and Ombudsman’s Office and their respective divisions and departments at the national and local levels as well as the Civil Society Organizations active in the area of Rule of Law and Access. It is envisioned that the programme implementation period will be for four (4) years: 2014 -2017.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Chief Technical Advisor, under the overall guidance of the Country Director and the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director and in close coordination and cooperation with UNDP Governance Programme Analyst/Portfolio Manager, will assist the Government, programme team and CO to deliver on the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme results. The CTA is the lead international expert in the area of rule of law and access to justice. The CTA will maximize efforts to achieve expected Programme results, by providing strategic guidance for the implementation of activities in accordance with the the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme document agreed upon between UNDP, donors, implementing partners and as well as other relevant plans and decisions. The CTA ensures that the principles of results-based management (RBM), as well as a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations are applied and promoted consistently.

The CTA works in close collaboration with the Programme, Operations, Communications and other project teams in the Country Office (CO) for effective achievement of results, anticipating and resolving complex programme-related issues and information delivery.

The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems.

Summary of Key Functions:

Policy advice;
Technical Advice and Monitoring Support;
Programme management;
Knowledge management.

Policy advice: The incumbent will provide policy advice to the Government as well as to the partners of the programme, in the following areas:

Provide policy advice on advancing rule of law and access to justice and on the optimal design and sequencing necessary improvements in the legal framework and institutional strengthening;
Prepare policy papers, discussion notes on issues arising, for consideration by government and other stakeholders;
Provision of Strategic Guidance and substantive technical inputs to the Programme with regard to the RoL policy dialogue and ensure well functioning of the RoL policy dialogue framework;
Consolidate experiences and lessons learnt in other countries with similar development context with regards to inclusive RoL policy dialogue methodologies and approaches and develop, discuss and agree with the stakeholders on the most relevant options;
Discuss and share with national partners the international standards of RoL policy dialogue on participatory processes and techniques involving civil society, women and minority groups;
Ensure good planning and organization of the national RoL policy dialogue;
Systematically ensure that relevant experiences and lessons learnt elsewhere in the region or world-wide inform the implementation Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme in Tajikistan and extract learning and document lessons learnt from the experiences in Tajikistan to articulate them with the regional and global body of knowledge of the UNDP;
Develop a communication and dissemination strategy in the area of rule of law and access to justice and support the Government in its implementation.

Technical Advice and Monitoring Support: The incumbent will provide technical advice and monitoring support in the following areas:

Technical support to design national policies and regulatory/frameworks for advancing rule of law and access to justice;
Plan and carry out capacity gaps assessment and ensure the design and delivery of focused response programmes (training, on-the-job training, coaching, ToT, etc) to enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Justice and subordinated institutions such as Civil Status Registration office (ZAGS) and notaries as well as the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) to Implement Laws and Human Rights Recommendations and International Standards;
Advise on the development and establishment of a Sustainable Mechanisms for Capacity Development and Oversight of Justice and Penitentiary Institutions;
Provide technical expertise in assessment of the costs and necessary steps towards joining the Republic of Tajikistan to OPCAT and UNCRPD; advise on adoption of different applicable models of monitoring mechanisms of the closed and semi-closed institutions deriving from the provision in OPCAT;
Provide substantive support in operations of Legal Aid Centres through increasing the capacity of CSOs to deliver qualified legal services;
Support Civil Society Organisations to better monitor and promote human rights, rule of law and access to justice as well as to participate more actively in shaping policy processes;
Provide ‘know how’ and knowledge transfer on effective outreach and legal empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities;
Support the establishment of monitoring frameworks and provide ongoing feedback and technical backstopping and regularly monitor progress towards the identified indicators.

Programme management: The incumbent will:

Supervise and coordinate the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme team to ensure conformity of results with the Programme Document (PD) and all UNDP rules and procedures;
Responsible for a harmonious and coordinated Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme execution including budget preparation and management, planning and general monitoring of the project.
Ensure adequate information flow, discussions and feedback among the various stakeholders of the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme according to the management arrangements established in the PD and to the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme Steering Committees;
Supervise and coordinate annual work plans and execution of programme activities in full consultation with the UNDP CO and the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme Steering Committee. Ensure adherence to the programme work plan, which will guide the day-to-day implementation of the PD, prepare revisions if required, and coordinate with other projects and integration with donor funded parallel initiatives;
Assume overall responsibility for the proper handling of logistics related to programme workshops and events;
Prepare quarterly programme progress reports, as well as any other reports requested by the Implementing Partner and UNDP and donors;
Oversee and guide the recruitment and work of consultants and subcontractors; Monitor the project expenditures, commitments and balance of funds under the programme budget lines, and draft programme budget revisions in accordance and cooperation with UNDP’s ATLAS system including the reporting on programme funds and related record keeping;
Liaise with programme partners to ensure their co-financing contributions are provided within the agreed terms;
In cooperation with the UNDP country office, participate in the recruitment of and coordinate, facilitate and supervise the work of the specialists, consultants, including preparation of TORS, contracts and stakeholder inputs;
Arrange for the timely recruitment and procurement of quality services and equipment and for implementation of programme activities of in accord with applicable rules, regulation and standards;
Represent the programme at the Steering Committee meetings, technical meetings and other appropriate fora in coordination with UNDP.

Knowledge Management:

The CTA will contribute to building the corporate body of knowledge in UNDP in the area of rule of law and access to justice, by (1) systematically sharing knowledge with colleagues in the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Practice Area, and by (2) systematically ensure that relevant experiences and lessons learnt elsewhere in the region or world-wide inform the implementation Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme in Tajikistan.

The key results will have a major impact on the implementation of the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme, and ensure that UNDP delivers high quality technical assistance to the Government of Tajikistan. This will ensure a coherent policy direction of national and local support, and ensure that the implementation is informed by the experiences and lessons learnt by the UNDP Rule of Law/Access to Justice Practice.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Considers and fully adheres to UNDP rules, procedures and best practices;
Advocates and promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of the UN system;
Displays cultural, gender, religious, ethnic and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats people fairly and without favoritism.

Technical competencies:

Demonstrated deep technical and practical knowledge of rule of law, access to justice/justice sector;
Demonstrated knowledge and application of Human Rights Based Approach and gender mainstreaming.

Functional Competencies:

Proven analytical capacity and strategic thinking;
Ability for planning and establishing priorities, coordinating and monitoring the work of others, and delegating responsibility where appropriate;
Excellent interpersonal and supervisory skills;
Resourcefulness, initiative, and maturity of judgment;
Excellent communications, organizational and management skills in a complex multistakeholder environment;
Ability to handle effectively multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit and positive working relationships.

Knowledge Management and Learning

Promote a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office;
In-depth knowledge of development issues;
Ability to advocate and provide advice;
Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development, acts on learning plan and applies on newly acquired skills.

Job Knowledge

Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff;
Continues to seek new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit;
Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to build and lead teams effectively, mentoring team members well, inspiring confidence in others, managing matrices fluidly by encouraging inter-agency collaboration;
Build strong relationships with both internal and external actors; cultivate productive relationship with donors, partners and other important institutions and individuals;
Ability to lead implementation of new systems (business side), and affect staff behavioral/attitudinal change.

Leadership and Self-Management

Strong results orientation;
Lead teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;
Takes initiative and calculated risks;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates strong oral and written communications skills;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
Effective problem-solver;
Demonstrated capacity-building and facilitation skills;
Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment;
Effectively manages teams and creates an enabling work environment;
Flexible and responsive with a client-oriented approach.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master Degree in law, public administration, economics or related areas.

Experience:

At least 7 years of professional experience in the Rule of Law and Access to Justice area. At least 5 years of international experience in design and management of comprehensive Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programmes;
Demonstrated success in ensuring an advisory role in the area of rule of law and access to justice in a complex institutional setting. Demonstrated experience in policy advice, participatory policy development in the area of rule of law and access to justice, capacity building and project implementation is required;
The CTA will be an experienced professional with demonstrated track record in providing sound technical support and policy advice to Government and justice sector institutions and projects/programmes in the area of rule of law and access to justice;
The CTA will have experience in designing policy and legal frameworks in the area of access to justice and strong familiarity of rule of law and justiice sector;
Extensive experience in advising high level government officials in appropriate policies, strategies and system that can be instutionalized and sustained;
Demonstrated experience in implementing complex programmes/projects and in working with all partners including high level government officials, development partners, NGOs and private sector;
Knowledge and experience in applying Human Rights and Gender Equality approaches and principles for the country’s development;
Good general knowledge about Tajikistan, Central Asia and the RoL and A2J development context;
Extensive experience in managing a multidisciplinary team - building and generating ideas and collaboration among staff;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is a must;
Knowledge of Russian and/or Tajik would be an asset.