Background

The five-year electoral assistance project entitled Strengthening Election Management in Bangladesh (SEMB) is designed to enhance the professional and institutional capacities of the Election Commission of Bangladesh (ECB) to effectively implement its mandate of organizing credible elections.  Electoral assistance provided through SEMB forms part of the broader support for promoting democratic governance in the country. Assistance to elections offers a vital means to safeguard human rights and SEMB support is provided with the recognition that the strengthening of democratic institutions such as the Election Commission and the promotion of democratic elections are vital for the consolidation of democracy.

Against this background strategic policy direction, partnerships and coordination is key to ensure the project meet the targeted outcomes in the post election highly politically polarized situation. The Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) under the supervision of the Country Director will provide high quality strategic advise to the Chief Election Commissioner on overall electoral matters. She/he will also provide strategic directions for the development of electoral policy and reform and the consolidation of institutional capacity of the ECB. The SEMB is a key pillar for the Governance Cluster of UNDP Bangladesh. The CTA will play as essential role as interlocutors to build synergies and enhance cooperation with other programmes and stakeholders. 

The SEMB project has below key outputs:

• Professionalised and strengthened training by the BEC;
• Strengthened BEC capacity to efficiently manage decentralisation and institutional growth;
• Reformed communications department and outreach to stakeholders;
• Professionalised and strengthened ICT wing of the BEC;
• Enhanced capacities to prepare and disseminate a credible and accurate photo voter register;
• Support to activities in the run up to the parliamentary elections in 2014.

Scope of work and expected outputs:

• Provide strategic electoral advise to the UN RC, UNDP, development partners and the ECB;
• Provide political, institutional and strategic policy advice on all aspects of electoral capacity development, especially in current stage of the electoral cycle;
• Identify programme development challenges and strategic opportunities and produce regular reports;
• Provide strategic direction and leadership for the implementation of electoral assistance.  Liaise closely with the electoral assistance team in the implementation of assistance to the ECB.

Analyse broader democratic governance and electoral issues and trends in the country and produce regular reports.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Key responsibilities of the CTA will include:

• Strategic Policy Advise/directions;
• Programme management;
• Capacity development for reform agenda;
• High level advocacy;
• Strategic partnership and coordination.

Provide and coordinate substantive technical advice on institutional capacity strengthening of the Bangladesh Election Commission (ECB) through the various stages of the project management and implementation (planning, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation) focusing on achievement of the following results:

Function/expected result:

Strategic Policy Advise/directions:

• Provide strategic policy directions and advice to the UN RC, UNDP, development partners and the ECB on electoral issues; work as a senior policy adviser to the Chief Election Commissioner;
• Provide political, institutional and decisive policy advice in overall aspects of electoral capacity building, administration and management;
• Thorough analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country and collaborative preparation/revision of project/programme documents, support to the ECB and electoral institutions for the development, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of an elections strategy as well as providing support for the implementation of the governance portfolio of UNDP;
• Identification of strategic programme areas of cooperation and facilitation of policy dialogue and provision of policy options, electoral assistance;
• Identify challenges and highlight key issues and opportunities and provide advice based on the situation to the senior management of UNDP as well as to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC);
• Lead the implementation of policy advisory services and establish linkages with national policy issues.

Document best practices including concepts, strategies and implementation approaches and support the streamlining of programme policies and practices:

• Compilation, analysis and interpretation of data, thorough research on capacity development and production of relevant analysis reports and other written materials that contribute to the adoption or revision of suitable capacity development strategies;
• Lead Review of the Election Commission Bangladesh’s progress in achieving institutional development objectives and production of relevant reports to counterparts and donors as well as facilitation of discussions on project evolution;
• Ensure project Steering Committee and National Project Director receive advice on capacity development approaches and legal reform;
• End-of-assignment report which focuses on key lessons learned and best practices drawn from capacity building processes as well as major substantive issues that have merged and that would require further assistance from UNDP in the future.

Programme Management:

• Advocate for sustainable development strategies, share experiences/good practices that have been acquired elsewhere and make use of similar experiences and practices and share them with other relevant stakeholders;
• Provide strategic advice to the UNDP Country Director as well as other senior management on strategies for successful project implementation based on monitoring of existing implementation modality;
• Guide and advise the project team on effective implementation;
• Lead the project team and ensure each component coordinates among themselves in implementation;
• Develop results framework for each outputs and establish performance and impact assessment indicators as well as monitoring system;
• Monitor financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reporting;
• Ensure top quality analysis and substantive inputs to project documents, reports, concept notes and other strategic documents, considering national and global trends on policies and development issues related to democratization as well as international best practices of democratic governance assistance and electoral reform;
• Undertake policy dialogue on electoral issues with the Election Commission Bangladesh, donors, civil society; contributions to development of policies as relevant;
• Provide high quality report and briefings to the senior management of the UNDP and update them on regular basis.;
• Undertake selected studies/research on emerging development concerns that feed into government/development partners processes;
• Identification of strategic and innovative programme areas of cooperation. Accordingly, prepare programme strategic frameworks.

Capacity Development:

• Provide advice and direction for effective results-based project management, monitoring and evaluation;
• Effective annual and quarterly work planning and reporting, and application of a suitable results-based monitoring and evaluation framework;
• Technical soundness of project activities and achievement of project outputs that are transformative and achieve the desired and agreed outcome;
• Focus on capacity development of the ECB as an independent institution and advise the Chief Election Commissioner on actions should be taken to ensure the sustainability of the on-going support;
• Lead effective adoption and implementation of a capacity development strategy that responds to the Bangladeshi cultural and institutional context;
• Ensure effective management of operations processes and project’s human resources according to the project’s annual work plan and strategic plan to achieve quality and timely results;
• Ensure technical soundness of programme activities in terms of quality and cost effectiveness;
• Ensure information sharing and bridging between UNDP programme management, project management and national counterparts.

High Level Advocacy:

• Lead and promote synthesis of the best practices including active participation in UNDP global and regional network;
• Promote behavioural and technical best practices within the Commission;
• Advocate for sustainable support for the ECB to ensure the quality of their mandated work;
• Provide guidance and advise for decentralization of electoral management authority to ensure smooth operations across the country;
• Advocate for ECB to maintain a close liaison with the relevant donors and update on regular basis on project activities;
• Share and consult any issues or challenges in implementation of agreed activities and ensure a mitigation mechanism;

Strategic Partnership and Coordination:

• Act as a resource person on election policies and strategies, if required, for the international development partners, UNDP as well as other relevant stakeholders;
• Mobilize and network with donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of collaboration and identify opportunities for cost sharing;
• Actively participate in different forums of development partners and provide guidance on electoral issues as a resource person;
• Coordinate donor response to mitigate any challenges during implementations;

Facilitation of knowledge building focusing on achievement of the following results:

• With national authorities, donors, civil society and private sector, provide analysis, assessment, and facilitation of policy dialogue and provision of policy options on a range of electoral issues;
• Facilitate and assist the development of electoral related institutions and advisory bodies that will address identified problems and needs in collaboration with the ECB other strategic partners;
• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals;
• Facilitate the establishment of communities of practice and other advocacy and knowledge networks at national level and linked to international networks. Contribute to knowledge management through identification of best practices and lessons learned;
• Ensure highest UNDP standards in the provision of such technical and advisory inputs, organization of workshops, seminars, training and delivery of outputs (products). Training and capacity building support for UNDP staff and ECB officials on justice and human rights issues.

Performance Indicators:

• Policy and technical advice on Electoral law and practice;
• High level project progress reports and work plans, review and monitoring systems;
• High quality advice and management of human resources including effective performance management and day-to-day guidance of staff;
• Effective communication to achieve results and to develop effective and active networking and partnerships to ensure coordination amongst those working with the Election Commission.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards (human rights, peace, understanding between peoples and nations, tolerance, integrity, respect, results orientation (UNDP core ethics) impartiality;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Management and Leadership:

• Capability to interact with and provide advice to policy level officials;
• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;
• Encourages risk-taking in the pursuit of creativity and innovation;
• Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;
• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback, timely responses queries;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude, and ability to work with minimal supervision;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Sensitivity to and responsiveness to all partners;
• Respectful and helpful relations with all UN/UNDP staff.

Development Effectiveness:

• Ability to lead discussions and dialogue and advise on electoral matters;
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to go beyond established procedures and models, propose new approaches which expand the range of programmes;
• Ability to apply theory to the specific country context, carry out high-quality research;
• Ability to engage with high ranking UNDP Managers, Government Officials and international donor community and provide policy advisory support services;
• Ability to identify opportunities, conceptualize and develop project proposals as well as ability to market the project ideas to Government and international donor community;
• Capability to engage in team-based policy and programme dialogue, experience of leading workshops and being a resource person;
• Ability to lead formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects, mobilize resources: ability to oversee timely project implementation and to provide the necessary trouble shooting to keep project implementation on schedule;
• Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage contributions and investments, manage transactions, conduct financial analysis, reporting and cost-recovery: excellent project oversight functions, including audit, accurate and thorough risk assessment;
• Ability to implement new systems and positively affect staff behavioural/ attitudinal change.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office and with partners through leadership and personal example;
• Ability to provide top quality policy advice services on electoral issues;
• Excellent knowledge of capacity building theory and the application of methodology: good understanding of capacity assessment methodologies; excellent ability to identify significant capacity building opportunities, ability to get capacity built, excellent ability to demonstrate national capacities built (mastery of the tools and their application);
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills;
• Provides leadership and mentors the knowledge management and learning needs of programme and project staff.

Communications and Networking:

• Excellent oral communication skill in English and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors;
• Excellent written communication skill in English, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports;
• Confidence in dealing with senior and high-ranking members of national and international institutions, government and non-government.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

•  Master’s degree related to democratic governance and development such as political science, economics and other relevant areas of social science.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience including of professional experience in senior programme/project management in the field of elections;
• Proven capacity and experience in providing electoral advice in developing countries in transitional contexts;
• Prior experience in managing and coordinating multi-donor electoral assistance project (design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation);
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts;
• South Asian regional experience will be considered as an advantage;
• Proven experience in partnership building and networking;
• Proven familiarity with gender analysis and concepts;
• Extensive knowledge of UNDP Electoral Assistance project would be an asset;
• Excellent project management skills and knowledge of donor policies and funding modalities and knowledge about UNDP programme practice;
• Excellent computer skills, with MS. Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).

Language:

• Excellent spoken, report writing and presentation skills in English.