UNDP Jobs - 25253- Public Information Specialist (ELECT Project)

Public Information Specialist (ELECT Project)

Location :

Kabul, AFGHANISTAN

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

11-Sep-11 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

One Year

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

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP Afghanistan is supporting the Government to find innovative solutions to its development challenges based on the on-going Country Programme Document approved by the Executive Board for the period 2006 – 2009. A new Country Programme Document was approved by the Executive Board during September 2009 for the period 2010-2013. Key priority areas for UNDP assistance are in strengthening democratic governance, crisis prevention and recovery, and reducing poverty. UNDP is strengthening the institutional capacities of key national government and sub-national authorities which aim to enhance human security, human development, peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Organizational Context:

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 - including the poor – are a precursor to any sustainable development. To this end, UNDP supports Afghan electoral institutions so that they can become more effective vehicles for development.

The UNDP ELECT project (2006 – present) lent technical and operational assistance to Afghan electoral bodies throughout the 2009 Presidential and provincial council elections; and the 2010 parliamentary elections. This included the establishment of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) offices throughout Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.

While processes were strictly Afghan-led, Afghanistan does not yet have the capacity – particularly the financial capacity – to sustain its electoral institutions, independently. In order that progress made to date should not be reversed, UNDP will lend financial and capacity-building support to the IEC and its provincial offices.

Continuing long-term assistance through support to capacity building of national electoral authorities during and beyond 2011 is in accord with Security Council Resolution 1917 (2010). This assistance is closely coordinated with UNAMA, UNDPKO and EAD.

Specifically, and as a means to contribute to its goal of long-term capacity development, future ELECT (II) programming will seek to:

Build on the achievements made, to date, in establishing an efficient, Afghan-led Independent Electoral Authority;
Support the IEC in the transition from internationally-supported institution to self-sustaining institution;
Provide technical and operational capacity-building assistance, with a view to sustain and transfer knowledge to Afghans.

Duties and Responsibilities

Primarily, the Public Information Specialist will support the IEC to design, implement, manage and monitor its public outreach strategy. The Public Information Specialist will aim to build the capacity of IEC counterparts so that, ultimately, they are better able to carry out these activities, successfully and independently. In addition, the Public Information Specialist should ensure a gender component at both strategic and implementation stages, with a view to encourage the widest, most inclusive participation in election-related activities.

The Public information Specialist will be part of a team of Project Management Unit advisors and will be supervised and guided by the Project Coordinator. Under the supervision of the ELECT Project Coordinator and liaising directly with an IEC designate/counterpart, the Public Information Specialist will:

Support the IEC to identify goals relating to elections (and ultimately enhancing inclusivity and participation); key messages.
Support the IEC to formulate an official strategic plan as a means to actively realize goals identified and to effectively communicate key messages to the widest public audience.
Support the IEC to plan outreach activities, including rationale, budget and other required resources, timeline and delegation of responsibilities.
Support the IEC to implement outreach activities; advise and assist as necessary.
Support the IEC to identify key performance indicators (KPIs).
Support the IEC to produce regular evaluative reports, drawing on these KPIs and including narrative and analysis; and to adapt strategy and implementation as and when necessary.
Liaise with the UNDP ELECT Capacity Development Specialist to assess needs of staff and to organize opportunities for training and education, as appropriate.
Provide UNDP ELECT with regular reports and progress updates, as requested.

Deliverables:

The Public Information Specialist will produce the following deliverables during the period of this contract:

Strategic document, created in collaboration with the IEC, guiding and directing public outreach activities, leading up to elections in 2013/14. This document should include specific goals, activities to be undertaken as a means to achieve those goals, and a substantive rationale.
Action plan, outlining activities budget and other required resources, timeline, delegation of activities and key performance indicators.
Regular, timely reports (quantitative and qualitative) of UN and international standard quality, as requested by the Project Coordinator and/or the Communications and Reporting Specialist.
Contribution to reports of UNDP ELECT (to the Country Director, HQ, donors and other audiences) as requested by the Project Coordinator and/or the Communications and Reporting Specialist.
Through key performance indicators, the Public Information Specialist should be able to demonstrate achievements in assisting the IEC to successfully implement a goal-oriented public outreach strategy.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Treats all people fairy without favoritism;
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations in a multi – cultural, multi – ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; good leadership skills and ability to form a team effort;
Ability to identify and analyze client’s needs and provide appropriate solutions to meet business requirements.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge, Management and Learning:

Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning and applies newly acquired skills;
Ability to perform with minimal supervision and work under pressure of frequent and tight deadlines;
Ability to plan, guide tasks and undertakings in coordination with team leader.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

Demonstrates planning and organizational skills and the ability to coordinate the work of others;
Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
Works to meet tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent project/activities;
Ability to convey complex technical concepts and recommendations to non-technical staff at senior levels, both in oral and in written form in a clear and concise style.

Leadership and Self-Management:

Supervisory skills and ability to coach, monitor and develop staff;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Ability to plan and secure resources;
Excellent communication skills;
Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges;
Remains calm in stressful situation;
Ability to work in a multicultural environment with sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts;
Advanced computer skills and strong knowledge of various software including Excel, Power Point and Word.
Previous experience in Afghanistan will be a distinct advantage.
Knowledge on Afghanistan’s culture, tradition and Islamic context is an advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree in relevant field

Experience:

Minimum 7 years of experience designing and implementing public information strategy
Experience working in Afghanistan or a demonstrable knowledge/understanding of the current political context
Experience building staff capacity
Leadership qualities, including the ability to motivate others, involve all members of a team, inspire a sense of ownership and responsibility among staff, and elicit consistently high-quality output
Ability to meet challenges, constructively and creatively
Ability to quickly adapt to change, and to remain calm under pressure
Time management and organizational skills, with the ability to undertake multiple tasks.
Diplomatic skills, cultural and political sensitivity.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English.