Antecedentes

Libya has undergone extraordinary change since the Revolution of 2011. In mid-2012 Libya underwent its first democratic election since 1964 and since then much has been achieved by Libyans, which permits continued optimism over the direction the country is headed. The electoral process for a National General Congress [GNC], which replaced the NTC in July of 2012,and which will oversee the development of a new constitution also provided encouraging signs, driven by the willingness of Libyans to engage with the political forces shaping their country. In October 2012, some eleven months after the formation of the transitional government, Prime Minister Ali Zaidan presented a 27-member cabinet list to the GNC for approval. As late as the end of December 2012 however, as new ministers began to take up their posts, in many cases the necessary budgets, structures, staffing, and capacities were not yet in place to allow many of these ministries to function optimally, and it will take some time before the capacity exists to address key challenges.

The current roadmap for the political transition in Libya includes the drafting of a new constitution by a Constitution Commission to be elected by the people. The new constitutional draft will have to be approved by popular referendum. Then, another round of general elections and also local elections will take place afterwards before a full-fledged and constitutionally-based government can be established. Therefore as yet, there is as yet no constitution-making assembly [it will likely be elected in September/October 2013] and only nascent and emergent Libyan political parties. While a significant number of civil society organizations are emerging, understanding of civil society is limited and capacities are at base level, requiring a patient and careful approach by agencies who wish to support civil society. Independent media is also very limited and has virtually no previous experience of freedom of expression or access to information based on developed professional and ethical standards.

 The role of women in public life in Libya has been traditionally very limited and the social position of women in Libya is deeply rooted in patriarchal values and traditions, especially in rural areas. Yet, the significant and dynamic role played by women in the revolution and since, has begun to change the overall perception of women’s role in society. Women’s equal participation in political life plays a pivotal role in both the advancement of women and the advancement of the society itself and the absence of women’s voices in Libya in shaping the most fundamental political instruments, including in the national constitution making process, must be addressed within and through inclusive political processes in Libya.
 
Overall, 33 women (16.5%) were elected to the 200 seat General National Congress (GNC) in 2012. Although these figures for women candidates are relatively modest, it should be recognized that, considering its starting point and that this was the first election in which women could stand as candidates and indeed vote, it is a significant achievement. Of 13 countries in the MENA region, only Iraq [25%] Tunisia and UAE [both 23%] currently have a higher percentage of women in parliament.
 Lessons from other transitional countries show us that while women can be a catalyst for change, changing the nature of women’s participation is also a gradual process. The revolution in Libya presented an opportunity for women to occupy newly created political spaces and the enduring image of strength carved out during the revolution gives them additional credibility. The work of the SCELT project encourages women to participate fully in civic and constitution-making processes by promoting the role of women in the transition, strengthening the capacity of women’s CSOs to conduct civic education, organizing national consultations on the role of women in the transition process, and developing learning programmes and networking opportunities.
 

As part of the mandate given by UN SCR 2009 (2011), the UN in Libya is tasked with assisting and supporting Libyan national efforts to undertake inclusive political dialogue, promote national reconciliation, and embark upon the constitution-making and electoral process. To contribute to fulfilling this role, UNDP has developed a project titled “Support to Civic Engagement in Libya’s Transition” (SCELT). It follows a multi-pronged strategy in order to assist with the emergence of a new citizenship in Libya, a paramount ingredient to a peaceful and successful transition to democracy. The SCELT was initially planned for 12 months but has been extended till the end of 2013.

 The SCELT project is built around 4 outputs:
  • Strengthened civil society capacities to undertake civic education;
  • Youth civic engagement promoted;
  • Increased women's participation in the political transition;
  • National capacity established to undertake public consultations & dialogue.

The key Libyan partners of UNDP for this project are: the Ministry of Planning, The Ministry of Culture and, the Civil Society Support Centres, the Ministry of Awqaf, national CSOs, and various youth & women’s groups. 

In 2013, a core overall focus of the project is to develop institutional capacities among CSOs and government counterparts in the promotion of women’s inclusion and empowerment in political processes. UNDP SCELT therefore wishes to employer a national Project Associate [SB-3] to provide for the coordination of activities under outputs 3 above and also to provide project implementation, management and administrative support to the Chief Technical Advisor and the Project Team.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Under the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor, the Project Associat will contribute to UNDP’s civic engagement support in Libya. The Project Associat will be responsible for executing and coordinating for all activities defined by the Chief Technical Advisor in the Annual Work Plan in accordance with partnerships, quality criteria, budget levels and timeline et in the project document.

Specific duties:
 
Women’s Political Participation

Coordinate all Activities under SCELT Output 3 will focus on developing knowledge, understanding and institutional capacities among women CSOs and other key target groups on:

  • The implications of UNSCR 1325 for the role of women in the transition process;
  • Facilitating women’s engagement in national and local dialogue processes;
  • Developing Women’s advocacy and campaigning skills;
  • Developing Libyan women leader’s civic, democratic and political knowledge;
  • using a Libyan contextualised learning model;
  • Working with Libyan women to develop knowledge products [technical papers/tools] which can be used for either capacity development or advocacy purposes during the transition process.
Project Implementation
  • Assist CTA in preparing Annual Work Plans and Budgets for activities unfolding in AoR (area of responsibility) on the basis of project document;
  • Assess capacities and needs (operational) of partners and beneficiaries to achieve planned activities;
  • Provide operational advice to project partners for implementing activities;
  • Ensure timely and sufficient information-sharing on project implementation with project partners and field project staff and maintain close communications with them;
  •  Mobilize UNDP operations department as required for timely implementation of project activities;
  • Occasional written translation or interpretation to assist project staff and consultants on mission;
  • Carry out any additional tasks which may be requested by the CTA.
 Monitoring & Reporting
  • Keep track of all project progress against indicators defined in the results framework and send data on real-time basis to Project Associat in Tripoli;
  • Assist timely submission of reports on field activities;
  • Compile data needed for regular project reports by CTA;
  • Contribute to UN system reporting as required.
  Representation & public outreach
  • Maintain media monitoring on all SCELT-sponsored activities.

Competencias

Corporate Competencies:
  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the project.
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly and without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

  • Knowledge and experience of working within the UN system and CSOs. Experience of capacity assessment of CSOs highly desirable;
  • The candidate should have significant experience in providing practical support to projects in a multi-lateral organization, in civil society and/or the donor community and supporting CSO capacity for development;
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships, and good working knowledge of information and computer technology;
  • Some experience of UN accounting tools such as ATLAS, its rules, regulations, policies, procedures and best practices in project management would be considered an asset.
  • Displays analytical judgment and demonstrated ability to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
  • Demonstrates strong intellectual and operational capacity in providing and coordinating services to stakeholders specifically to civil society organizations;
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities. Demonstrated ability to multitask under pressure and to meet strict deadlines often under hardship conditions;
  • Excellent organizational skills and ability to work effectively in teams, delivering through and with others.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:
  • High School diploma as minimum.
Experience:
  • 6 Years of professional experience with some knowledge on gender and Civic engagement with sound experience of project implementation; 
  • Experience in the promotion of gender equality is highly desirable; excellent understanding of the current situation of civil society in Libya;
  • Knowledge of UNDP’s implementation modalities, administration systems and its overall approach to women’s political participation.
Language Requirements:
  • Fluency in English & Arabic required.