Background

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.
 
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 Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow (ELECT) project- phase I (2006 – 2011) provided technical and operational assistance to Afghan electoral bodies throughout the 2009 Presidential and provincial council elections and 2010 parliamentary elections.
 
The ELECT II project commenced at the end of 2011 and comprises of long-term assistance to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan, focusing on institutional strengthening and capacity consolidation to encourage broader democratic participation. The overarching objective of ELECT-II is to support the national electoral institutions to plan and conduct credible future elections with minimal external support.
Continuing long-term assistance through support to capacity development of national electoral authorities beyond 2010 is in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2096 (2013). This assistance is closely coordinated with UNAMA, UNDPKO and EAD.
 
The three key outputs for ELECT II are:
  • Output 1:  Institutional, operational and technical capacity of the IEC is developed to ensure well organized, future Afghan-led electoral processes.
  • Output 2:  The quality of the voter registry is improved to support future electoral operations.
  • Output 3:  Capacity of the IEC is strengthened to encourage broader democratic Participation
With regard to the Presidential and Provincial Elections on 5 April 2014 it is expected that the scope of work of the project will be amended in order to provide support to the upcoming elections in 2014 and the parliamentary elections planned for 2015.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Training & Capacity development Specialist advises the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan on the conduct of all training and capacity development activities in accordance with guidelines issued by the IEC and instructions from ELECT HQ. The Election Training & Capacity development Specialist is an advisory position to the IEC- Training and Capacity development Department (TCBD) and also has the responsibility in coordinating all training related ELECT activities at the central and provincial level. The Election Training & Capacity development Specialist works under the direct supervision of the ELECT Senior Technical Advisor (STA) for Pillar One. The TCB Specialist will work closely with the Head of IEC TCBD and the training team.
 
Key Responsibilities:
  • Advise, guide and support the IEC Training & Capacity development Department (TCBD) on the design, budgeting and implementation of all election-related training activities for a country-wide cascade training of up to 100,000 poll workers that will serve in about 7,000 polling centers during the 2014 elections in Afghanistan;
  • Advice on preparing  Training Needs Assessment; Instructional Materials Design & Curriculum Development; Training Implementation & Management (e.g., Training of Trainers / TOT, cascade training, mass orientation and / or advocacy training); Training Monitoring and Evaluation and maintaining a Training Management Information System for the 2014 elections;
  • Advise the IEC on designing and implementing a long term strategic capacity development and training plan for the period 2013-2016 that identifies the relevant areas and functions/staff, based on the capacity assessment already conducted by the IEC;
  • Advise IEC on designing and implementing training and capacity development programmes to maintain IEC staff capacity at HQ, regional and provincial levels. The training programmes may include BRIDGE (“Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections” Project) modules customized to Afghan electoral experience. S/he may seek opportunities for professional development of electoral staff both inside and outside Afghanistan as approved by the IEC;  
  • Advise and assist on capacity development activities for IEC Commissioners including international best practice and South-South knowledge sharing
  • Advise and assist on capacity development activities for senior staff of the IEC secretariat with regard to enhancing managerial capacity, strengthening over-sight improved efficiency.
  • Advise the IEC in its preparation to implement the integration of the IEC into the national schema of civil servants as proposed by the Civil Service Commission
  • Advise on  the particular training needs of female IEC staff and female poll workers taking into consideration domestic tradition and culture;
  • Support and familiarize the IEC TCBD with international best practice on capacity development activities for conflict and post-conflict countries;
  • Support and guide the IEC TCBD with regard to assessing training quality and training impact including the development of relevant M & E methodology and training indicators;
  • Develop applicable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) relevant to participation, commitments and implementation of IEC policies for capacity development, training, education & scholarships (in-country / overseas) as well as continued or life-long learning opportunities for permanent staff;
  • Engage in capacity development of IEC national counterparts and foster national ownership with a view to significantly reduce reliance on international training experts;
  • Advise and guide IEC on improving the archiving, library and knowledge management sharing system of the Elections resource center;
  • Train ELECT II staff members on advisory and mentoring technics, elaborate SOPs enhance capacity with regard to assessment of impact and progress;
  • Advise on conducting the induction course for ELECT II newly recruited advisors;
  • Advise ELECT II on regular reporting and documentation of  ELECT II capacity development support for best practices and  knowledge sharing;
  • Represent ELECT in the UNDP Afghanistan capacity cluster and contribute to the preparation of UNDP Country Office policy documents related to capacity development and knowledge sharing
  • Coordinate with UN agencies and other international agencies/bodies in the development, organization and implementation of training courses for electoral staff;
  • Provide reports to IEC and ELECT HQ on training and capacity development activities and similar operational, budgetary and / or administrative issues and concerns;
  • Develop planning mechanisms with IEC counterparts for each phase of the electoral and training operation;
  • Undertake other duties, tasks and responsibilities necessary for the successful completion of the project.
IMPACT OF RESULTS
 
The key results have an impact on the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the ELECT project implementation, as it relates to the overall election training and capacity development activities of the IEC across headquarters and the provincial offices. The Training & Capacity development Specialist contributes to the capacity development efforts of the IEC and ELECT project on the whole, specifically on the following:
  • Increased capacity of the IEC (Commissioners, Secretariat, and departments) to provide elections according to international standards and international best practice for democratic elections
  • Successful implementation of all election-related capacity development and training tasks, activities and other learning events
  • Appropriate and cost-effective implementation of all IEC training / capacity development activities  as provided for in the election training and operational plan and annual training & capacity development program;
  • Competent management of training activities at IEC headquarters and provincial offices
  • Timely identification of IEC training needs and preparation of annual training budget and program
  • Accurate preparation of activity training design including built-in monitoring and evaluation scheme
  • Routine preparation of specific training implementation plan for each activity
  • Development of relevant M & E training indicators to measure capacities periodically
  • Conduct reaction, output, behavioral and impact level training evaluation as needed
  • Preparation of training materials and other training toolkits
  • Development of training curriculum and preparation of manuals and other instructional materials
  • Development of training, short courses, education and scholarship policies (in-country and overseas) for the TCBD
  • Effective coordination of training activities at HQ and provincial offices as well as with other organizations, entities or partner agencies
  • Strategic training support on key activities of the IEC specially the Voter Registration and Elections
IEC prepared for structural and organizational changes to be integrated in Afghanistan’s country-wide system and structures for government institutions

Competencies

Development and Operational Effectiveness:
  • Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting
  • Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects
  • Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations
Corporate Competencies:
  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
Management Competencies
Judgment/Decision-making
  • Good judgment and initiative, imagination and resourcefulness, energy and tact;
  • Ability to ensure an effective work structure to maximize productivity and achieve the goals and objectives of the Training and Capacity development Department.
Leadership
  • Strong managerial and leadership skills;
  • Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis of complex human resources, financial or administrative management policies;
  • Proven record of building and managing teams and creating an enabling environment;
  • Ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor and transfer knowledge/skills.
Managing Performance
  • Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor work of others;
  • Ability to make timely decisions;
  • Ability to coach, mentor, motivate and develop staff and encourage good performance.
Task Management
  • Plans, prioritizes and delivers a variety of tasks on time;
  • Exercises sound judgment/analysis;
  • Develops creative risk management solutions;
  • Is able to operate and function at a senior level.
Building Trust
  • Reputation for dealing honestly and openly with issues and staff;
  • Recognized and respected by peers, clients and staff.
Core Values and Ethics
  • Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and commitment to the principles of respecting in the workplace a climate of diversity;
  • Support the organizations corporate goals and values;
  • Comply with UNDP Rules and Procedures and code of conduct;
  • Demonstrate a high degree of integrity.
Teamwork
  • Build effective client relationships and partnerships, both within and outside the organization;
  • Display excellent interpersonal skills;
  • Building and sharing knowledge;
  • Provides guidance and support to others;
  • Make valuable contributions to the ELECT Team, the UNDP Country Office and IEC.
Communication
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills;
  • Listens actively and responds effectively.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • University Master’s Degree preferably in the field of Public Administration, Human Resource Development, Organizational Development, Political Science, Law, or other related social science fields.
Experience:
  • Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in training and development and project development & management in challenging, post-conflict and multi-ethnic environment.
  • Professional work experience in training, capacity-building and /or capacity development is essential.
  • Knowledge of the UN system is desirable and familiarity with UNDP procedures is, in particular, highly desirable.
  • Proven team building and leadership skills.  
  • Advanced computer skills and strong knowledge of various software including Excel, Power-Point and Word.
  • Previous work experience in Afghanistan is an asset; including knowledge of Afghanistan’s culture, tradition and Islamic context certainly an advantage.
Language Requirements:
  • Fluency in written and spoken English is essential:
  • Knowledge of other UN official languages is an asset.
  • Interested and qualified International candidates should apply on-line through the UNDP Jobs site at UNDP Vacancy Announcements  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)   in the relevant field of the on-line application  and please ensure that to fill up and upload Personal History Form-P.11 which is available at   in the relevant field of the on-line application
  • 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.
  • Internal candidates who have served a minimum of 12 month in the current assignment are invited to apply.   
  • Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply
FC: 30000