UNDP Jobs - 50122- Re-advertisement- Technical Specialist (Parliament

Re-advertisement- Technical Specialist (Parliamentary Development)

Location :

Kabul, AFGHANISTAN

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year (with possibility of Extension)

Languages Required :

English

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

Applicants who applied previously, need not re-apply.

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.

Organizational Context:

UNDP supports stabilization, state building, governance and development priorities in many countries and jurisdictions, including the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

In partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA), the United Nations System, the donor community and other development stakeholders, UNDP has contributed to institutional development efforts that positively impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years, UNDP support has spanned milestone efforts such as the adoption of the Afghan Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive branches of the GoIRA, and key Government ministries, agencies and commissions at the national and sub-national levels. UNDP Afghanistan, benefitting from the very active support of donors, is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN System as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts.

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 - especially the poor and the marginalized – are precursors to any sustainable development. To this end, UNDP Afghanistan supports the National Assembly of Afghanistan so that it can effectively discharge its core functions of law making, oversight and representation.

UNDP support to the Afghan Parliament started in 2005 with SEAL I (Support to the Establishment of the Afghan Legislature), which was a broad-based project supporting all main aspects of the parliament’s functions. SEAL I was succeeded by SEAL II (Supporting an Effective Afghan Legislature) in 2008, which ceased in early 2010. Later in 2010, the Afghan Parliament requested support from UNDP for the induction of the Members of Parliament elected during that year; strategy formulation for both Houses; and the creation of a full support project to succeed SEAL II. In the first quarter of 2014, a third generation parliament project, the Institutional and Capacity Support to the Parliament of Afghanistan (ICSPA) will start.

The objective of the ICSPA is to assist the two Houses of the Afghan Parliament, the Wolesi Jirga (House of the People) and the Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders), respectively, in becoming more effective parliamentary institutions, both reflecting and contributing to a growing culture of legitimate and inclusive governance. To achieve such an objective, the ICSPA aims to provide capacity support to the Parliament to undertake a comprehensive self-assessment to identify priority areas for support and institutional development, guided by the principles of co-equality and cooperation with other institutions of the GoIRA. The ICSPA will deliver the following Outputs: [i] Output 1: Self-Assessment Framework and Reform Action Plan for the Afghan Parliament developed; [ii] Output 2: Staffing and financial management systems of the Afghan Parliament enhanced; and, [iii] Output 3: Capacity of the Afghan Parliament’s leadership to undertake reforms strengthened.

It is envisioned that the ICSPA will be for five (5) years, initially under the Direct Implementation Modality (DIM), with its different components working together with their relevant counterparts in the respective Secretariats of both Houses of the Afghan Parliament. However, the nature of activities requires the eventual transitioning into National Implementation Modality (NIM), an important priority feature of the ICSPA. The transition to NIM shall be effected as soon as the National counterparts demonstrate adequate capacity to undertake the responsibility for National implementation.

The ICSPA will exemplify a strategic and targeted approach, complementary to other assistance projects to the Afghan Parliament, like the ALBA (Assistance to Legislative Bodies of Afghanistan) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The ICSPA is based firmly on the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and its associated National Priority Programs (NPP), as well as the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the UNDP Country Programme Document (UNDP-CPD), and the UNDP Programmatic Strategy for Legitimate and Inclusive Governance (UNDP-PSLIG).

Duties and Responsibilities

The position of Technical Specialist (Parliamentary Development) for Outputs 1 and 2 is a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA), with the primary function of partnering with, and under the direct supervision of, the Chief Technical Advisor of the ICSPA in assisting the two Houses of the Afghan Parliament in their development as democratic, accountable, inclusive and legitimate institutions.

The Technical Specialist will provide technical and procedural assistance for all activities relating to supporting the Parliament to undertake and complete its Self-Assessment and develop its Reform Action Plan; as well as subsequently support its implementation. This would involve sharing of international comparative experiences as well as substantive expertise, study of the national development context and existing policy decisions, and coordination and consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

Immediately after the development of the Reform Action Plan under Output 1, the Technical Specialist will assume concurrently as Technical Advisor for Output 2 of the ICSPA, to act as lead advisor in the achievement of the objective to enhance the staffing and financial management systems of the Afghan Parliament, implementing for the purpose those indicated in the Reform Action Plan.

The Technical Specialist will work in the Afghan Parliament, introducing concepts of strategic and work planning, providing required technical and advisory services to its key institutional units, such as the Administrative Board, the Committee of Chairs, the Human Resources Department, the Budget and Finance Department, in the formulation of the Self-Assessment Framework, the development of the Reform Action Plan, and the implementation of the Reform Action Plan pertaining to staffing and financial management systems of the Afghan Parliament.

Against this background, the Technical Specialist will focus on the following key functions and expected results:

Summary of Key Functions:

Strategic and policy advice;
Support to project design and implementation;
Guidance of the technical staff;
Partnership development and resource mobilization;
Knowledge building and sharing.

Strategic and Policy Advice

Provide technical assistance and advice on staffing and financial management systems to the management bodies of the Afghan Parliament, i.e., Speakers of both Houses, Administrative Boards, Committee of Chairs, Secretaries General, Deputy Secretaries General, and relevant stakeholders when necessary;
Provide intellectual leadership in the area of self-assessment as a tool for parliamentary development, by delivering constitutional, political, institutional and policy advice on all aspects of parliamentary capacity building and by guiding the development and implementation of Project strategies and implementation modalities;
Establish links between national development goals, UNDP priorities and existing policy statements of the GoIRA and the international community;
Ensure the incorporation of best practices and lessons learned in the self-assessment of parliaments worldwide, including the preparation of project based knowledge products;
Through ongoing analysis of the political, social, security and economic contexts, ensure that the Project's support to parliamentary development in Afghanistan remains at all times relevant and timely;
Maintain a sound understanding of government, parliamentary and political processes in Afghanistan;

Support to Project Design and Implementation:

Advise the Project Management Board, through the Chief Technical Advisor, on strategies to prepare and implement the long-term capacity building strategy for the Afghan Parliament;
Ensure that the Project’s activities pertinent to Output 1 and Output 2, respectively, are designed and implemented according to best practices in parliamentary development and are in line with the Annual Work Plans;
With the assistance of the Chief Technical Advisor, ensure that systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating the Project's delivery of agreed results, assist in the formulation and updating of the indicators that measure quantitative and qualitative outputs and outcomes of the Project pertinent to Output 1 and Output 2, respectively;
Conceptualize, plan, participate and coordinate periodic reviews and assessment of overall Project or specific components;
Where applicable, identify specialized additional technical expertise to support the parliamentary development in Afghanistan;
Provide advice and recommendations on how UNDP and other agencies under the UN System can further strengthen and cooperate with the Project;
Support the Chief Technical Advisor by preparingProject activities, budgets, procurement and recruitment plans as well as updating and monitoring inventory and other logs;
Monitor the achievements of the capacity development initiatives and ensure follow-up support;
Assist the Chief Technical Advisor on issues related to the meetings of the Project Management Board and technical working groups.

Guidance of Technical Staff

Under the overall guidance of the Chief Technical Advisor, provide management of, and direct guidance to national and international technical staff as well as experts working on Output 1 and Output 2, respectively, of the ICSPA. This will include consultations to ensure the technical staff are addressing technical requirements for the effective and efficient delivery of outcomes and activities of Output 1 and Output 2;
Enable and support professional development opportunities for the staff employed in the ICSPA;
Contribute to all activities of the Project, as appropriate;
Oversee and provide quality assurance to regular project and activity reporting on Output 1 and Output 2, respectively.

Partnership development and resource mobilization

Together with the Chief Technical Advisor, consider the most effective and time-efficient way of liaison and coordination with other donor programs working with the Afghan Parliament;
Network and build credible relations with donor partners, embassies and government interlocutors;
Submit to the Project Management Board, through the Chief Technical Advisor, proposals for mobilization of human, technical and financial resources from international development organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector;
Assist the National Governance Unit and Chief Technical Advisor in mobilizing resources to support the achievement of Project outputs and outcomes.

Knowledge Building and Sharing:

Under the supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor, lead the process of knowledge creation and dissemination of national and international know-how in the area of self-assessment of parliaments and in the enhancement of the staffing and financial management systems of the Afghan Parliament;
Provide substantial inputs to the Project's handbooks and information materials;
Provide quality assurance on the knowledge products of the Project pertinent to Output 1 and Output 2, respectively, of the ICSPA , in terms of quality of the content, the process and the usage of the knowledge products, and serve as peer reviewer of the main publications;
Identify knowledge gaps among 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 UNDP and UN projects, ministries and agencies of the GoIRA, donors, etcetera; Together with the Chief Technical Advisor, partner with the practitioners and members of the UNDP global networks and the parliamentary teams at UNDP BDP and BCPR, Regional Centre and Regional Bureaux.

Impact of Results:

Through the formulation of the Self-Assessment Framework, and development of the Reform Action Plan for the Afghan Parliament, effectively contribute to a domestically-rooted system of inclusive governance and sustainable institutional capacity;
Ensure the timely and effective delivery of the Project in accordance with the Project Document;
Ensure that the Project resources are utilized in full compliance with UNDP's rules and regulations and in accordance with the instructions of the Chief Technical Advisor and the Project Management Board;
Ensure that the Project has a wide network of interlocutors within the GoIRA and the international community in support of its activities; and,
Assist in ensuring that UNDP maintains its pioneering leadership in the area of parliamentary development.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Project management or programme experience at a senior level with UNDP, UN or other development agencies; and,
Treats all people fairly without favouritism; and
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge and expertise in parliamentary strengthening and democratic governance, including self-assessment of parliaments;
Ability to present and elaborate on the key self-assessment methodology for parliaments, i.e., define the typical elements of a self-assessment, such as: mandate, focus of institution, structure, organogram, management structure, management practices, information flow, accountability lines, coordination activities with other institutions, staffing capacities, job descriptions, overall plan for the institution, etcetera;
Ability to review and evaluate the key organizational components of a parliamentary body, thus: leadership, staffing, policies, strategies, partnerships, resources and processes, towards rationalizing systems and procedures to eliminate delays, overlaps and redundancies, and for that parliamentary body to function effectively and efficiently;
Ability to analyze work methods, work flows, etcetera, in order to rationalize them for improved efficiency;
Ability to advocate and provide policy advice;
Excellent negotiation and representational skills at senior level;
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; and,
Ability to assist in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs.

Communications and Networking skills:

Excellent oral communication skills and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors;
Excellent written communication skills, with analytical capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports;
Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national and international institutions, parliament, government and non-government;
Excellent inter-personal skills and the ability to work in a multi-cultural, multinational, multi-stakeholder setting, and a demonstrable ability to motivate people and work in a team setting;
Substantial level of self-organization, being methodical, sets priorities and pays attention to details; and,
Excellent training, facilitation and presentation skills;

Management and leadership

Ability to lead parliamentary self-assessment, results-based management and reporting;
Excellent leadership skills and sound ‘hands-on’ management of staff;
Focuses on impact and result for the Afghan Parliament as beneficiary;
Ability to analyze work methods, work flows, etcetera, in order to rationalize them for improved efficiency;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities; and,
Results driven, ability to work under pressure and to meet required deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree or bachelor’s degree in political economy, public policy, political science, law, public administration, institutional/organizational development or a related field.

Experience:

With Master’s seven (7) years and with bachelors (9) years of work experience in the area of democratic governance, with direct experience of working in the parliamentary strengthening field, and preferably within a mature democratic parliament;
Experience in providing advisory services to senior interlocutors or institutional clients, preferably in a parliamentary institution;
Experience working in developing or post-conflict countries;
Experience in the review, design and development of a Self-Assessment Framework for a government institution, preferably in a parliament, will be an advantage;
Experience in the development of a model manual of policies and procedures for a government institutions, preferably in a parliament, will be an advantage;
Good understanding of national government processes in relation to a parliamentary institution, specifically on staffing and financial management systems and procedures, i.e., accounting, budgeting, auditing and procurement will be an advantage;
Exposure to politically tense settings;
Excellent computer skills, with MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point); and
In-depth knowledge and experience with project monitoring and evaluation in a development context.

In addition, the following professional experiences are considered as strong advantage/asset:

Previous public financial management work experience;
Familiarity with Afghanistan and its political, social and economic context;
Successful working experience in Afghanistan or other Islamic countries;
Familiarity with and actual use of the IPU Self-Assessment Toolkit for Parliaments and the UNDP Benchmarks and Self-Assessment Frameworks for Democratic Legislatures, respectively.

Language Requirements:

Excellent command of written and spoken English; and
Some knowledge of Dari/Pashto would be beneficial.

Note:

Interested and qualified international candidates should apply on-line through the UNDP Jobs site at UNDP Afghanistan Vacancy Announcement and please ensure that to fill up and upload Personal History Form-P.11 which is available at UNDP Personal History Form (P.11 Form);
Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date will not be given consideration. Please note that only applicants 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 6 weeks of the offer of appointment;
Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.