Antecedentes
President Thein Sein emphasised the importance of the sub-national level (State/ Regions, Districts, Townships) for the on-going reform and for economic development, and stressed that improved local public service provision notably in the social sectors, people centred regional and township planning from bottom up, together with improved land use and registration as well as ‘good governance and clean government’ are essential for the States / Regions assuming a developmental role.
The government initiated reform process affect the basic foundations of the governance structure of Myanmar, as they imply a re-definition of the role and function of the state and other actors in society, change the interactions between the state and its citizen as well as change the way decisions about resource allocation and distribution are made.
Essential elements in this process are:
- The establishment of well-functioning institutions, systems and mechanisms at sub-national and local level that contribute to an efficient, effective, transparent and accountable government that works in partnership with all stakeholders. These structures will enable government to interact pro-actively with citizens to identify their needs and priorities, to engage them in planning, implementing and evaluating public services, but also to enable citizens to hold their government to account;
- The quality of public servants in terms of knowledge, skills, ethics, and attitudes. Public servants are the face of government and can make or break public trust in government. This makes capacity development in the public service an essential element in the democratic transition process;
- To make the ongoing democratization process sustainable and well anchored in society will also require an enhancement of the capability of citizens and in particular civil society to hold government to account and to participate constructively in the development process at local, regional and national level.
Deberes y responsabilidades
The local governance expert will provide input based on technical expertise and practical experience from countries that have been through democratic reform processes.
Scope of work
The local governance expert shall (1) make a presentation Day 1 providing an overview of good local governance experiences in the South East Asia region; (2) Participate and contribute to the panel discussions and follow ups (3) After the workshop, deliver a 10-20 pages paper covering the main aspects of the presentation (and ppt slides used in the workshop); and (4) provide a 2-3 pages analysis of the key outcomes from the workshop and recommendation on the way forward (could be part of conclusions in the paper)
Duration of assignment, duty station and expected places of travel
The assignment will take place over between August 16-19 in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw.
Final products
- A presentation on experiences of local governance reforms in the South East Asia region;
- A 10-20 pages paper covering the main aspects of the presentation on August 17th delivered within 30 days after the workshop;
- Analysis of key workshop outcomes and policy recommendations on the way forward delivered within 30 days after the workshop.
Competencias
- Demonstrates Integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.
- Ability to consolidate information from multiple sources;
- Able to prepare strategic information for decision makers;
- Ability to advance and provide timely advise;
- Ability to identify issues and to use sound judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of problems; and
- Ability to work under extreme pressure in a highly stressful environment;
- Developing People/Coaching and Mentoring & Fostering Innovation and Empowerment;
- Self-Management/Emotional Intelligence;
- Excellent communication skill, including the ability to write in a clear and concise manner;
- Appropriate and transparent decision making;
- Analytical and strategic thinking and results orientation/commitment to excellence; and
- Knowledge sharing/continuous learning.
Habilidades y experiencia requeridas
- Advanced degree in social sciences, political science, development studies, or other relevant areas.
- Minimum 15 years experience in the field of decentralization, democratic governance and development;
- Proven expertise in the area of decentralization and local governance;
- Proven experience of working in countries in transition;
- Proven experience of working and knowledge of UNDP's approach to local governance programs;
- Strong understanding of all aspects of decentralization and public administration reforms;
- Excellent track record as a trainer; and
- Strong English language skills (both written and spoken).