Background

The project Support to Elections during the Transition Period (SETP) aims to support the Government of Yemen (GoY), and the Supreme Commission on Elections and Referenda (SCER), in particular, in reinforcing the electoral cycle by conducting fair, open and inclusive elections within the terms of the agreed Transition Initiative (signed in Riyadh on 23 November, 2011 by the ruling and the opposition parties). The project adopted a two-phase approach: phase one focused on the early Presidential elections which took place on 21 February, 2012; and phase two, which will focus on electoral legal reforms, supporting the update to the voter registry, as well as technical support to the expected referendum on a new/revised Constitution, as well as post-referendum elections. Support to the capacity building of the SCER will be reinforced during both phases.

The political agreement in Yemen is expected not only to put an end to the acute political crisis in Yemen, but also to open a new unprecedented possibility for cardinal change and target-oriented reforms aimed at enhancing the principles of democratic governance, the rule of law, political, economic and cultural development. These changes, however, cannot come overnight. The transition period began with the announcement of early elections and the formation of a new Government, which will take important steps, such as the adoption of a new constitution and legislation, formation and smooth functioning of a government of national unity, decentralization and enhancing local governance, socio-economic reforms and considerable empowerment of women and youth. The UN will support the political transition of Yemen through the UN Stabilization Framework and focus on key areas of the transition including the early Presidential Elections which took place in February 2012 and as outlined in the Transition Initiative.

The drastically increased intensity of the electoral events and their significance and importance in the transition requires that a separate Election Support Unit (ESU) be formed to conduct all the necessary preparatory and coordination work in order to meet the tremendous challenge of the transition period in an appropriate and targeted manner. In the 24-month period outlined under Phase II of the transitional process, the role of electoral operations, including voter registration, implementation assurances of electoral legal reforms and a prospective referendum and post-referendum elections will be crucial to the success of the transitional period in Yemen.

The Training Specialist will work in tandem with SCER, UNDP and other partners to design, implement, and monitor all of the facets of training for future electoral operations to be administered by the SCER.

The Training Specialist will support SCER in design, coordination, and implementation of a training cascade for the Voter Registration, Referendum and Elections scheduled according to the current electoral events’ calendar. The Training Specialist will support development of the strategies, and mechanisms necessary to implement future electoral processes and create and assist with the implementation of a targeted electoral administration education training program for the SCER to enhance their existing capabilities and organizational skills in this area. The Training Specialist will work in coordination with the SCER as well as partner international organizations in addition to peer institutions such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Sports and Youth, Ministry of Interior and other security and non-security forces that engage in and support election operations in the context of Yemen. It is foreseen that the Training Specialist will be required to contribute to the ESU’s electoral assistance activities with the overall responsibility of planning and implementing cascade training within the support to the SCER and other relevant stakeholders before, during and after the early Presidential Elections.

Internal functions of the Training Specialist will be developing and implementing cascade training programs for Voter Registration, Referendum and Elections. A specific focus on enhancing the intra-communication and organizational capacity of the SCER will be highlighted (both at the HQ and regional levels), in addition to the oversight of the SCERs ability to manage its training structure.

External functions of the Training Specialist will include but not be limited to identifying appropriate partners, trainers, and modes of delivery for the Phase II election administration and operations training activities, creating partnerships and synergies with appropriate international and national organizations and institutions

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision and guidance of, and in close cooperation with the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), and the Electoral Operations Advisor (EOA), the Training Specialist will provide advice to the SCER Head of Training department, in addition to other SCER officials and other relevant governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, on training matters, including:

Competencies

• Serves as a role model that other people want to follow, is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives, does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
  

• Ability to establish and maintain productive relations with clients, identifies clients needs and matches them to appropriate solutions, keeps clients informed of progress and setbacks in the project, meets timelines for delivery of products or services to clients

• Capable of writing clearly and concisely, with excellent oral communication skills. Exhibits interest having two way communications, demonstrates openness with sharing information and keeping people informed

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input from colleagues and is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts responsibility for team short comings

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• First level degree in international relations, social science, business administration or equivalent experience.

Experience:

• Five year experience in providing advisory support to Electoral Management Bodies (EMB) out of which at least three year must be in training on voter registration and election operations;

Experience working in the Middle East;

• Experience in previous post-conflict elections is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• English fluency;

• Functional knowledge of Arabic, both written and oral is an asset.

As a result of this procurement process, UNDP Yemen will sign an IC contract as Framework Agreement (Long terms agreement). The expected number of working days is 130 working days to be in Sana'a, Yemen, however, UNDP does not warrant that any number of working days will be requested during the duration of contract.

When travel is required to be undertaken, payment of travel costs including tickets (lowest economy class only), lodging and terminal expenses shall be reimbursed by UNDP based on the agreed rate reflected in the contract.

Evaluation:

• The selection shall be made on a combined scoring method, based on a 70%-30% distribution on the technical and financial offers, respectively;

• Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% of the technical score weight on technical evaluation only would be considered for the financial evaluation and further selection process.

Evaluation shall be based on the following criteria:

The expected ceiling of the contract will be considered for Price Comparison. The expected ceiling will be calculating as follows:

• Consultancy fees: daily rate x 130 working days
• Travel Expenses: daily Living Allowances x 180 nights in Sana’a Yemen

Interested individuals must upload the following documents/information (in a single Adobe PDF Document) to demonstrate their qualifications, in the next page:

• A one page proposal explaining why they are the most suitable for the work

• Personal CV including past experience in similar projects including at least 3 references (email and phone of referees to be provided)

Note: Shortlisted candidates would be required to complete and submit a UNDP P.11 form (template to be provided by UNDP at a later date) 

FC: 30000