UNDP Jobs - 5974- Sector Manager – Political Participation, Multi Do

Sector Manager – Political Participation, Multi Donor Programme – Support to Indonesia’s Democratic Elections (Elections MDP)

Location :

Jakarta, INDONESIA

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

16-Aug-08 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months

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

Background:

UNDP Indonesia's mission is to be an agent for change in the human and social development of Indonesia. We aim to be a bridge between Indonesia and all donors as well as a trusted partner to all stakeholders. We work in four key areas of development: Governance Reforms, Pro-Poor Policy Reforms, Conflict Prevention and Recovery, and Environment Management, with the overarching aim of reducing poverty in Indonesia. Besides the four priority areas, UNDP Indonesia is also engaged in a variety of crosscutting initiatives focused on HIV/AIDS, gender equality, and information and technology for development.

I. Organisational Context

During 2008, while preparing for national Legislative Elections to be held in April 2009 and two rounds of Presidential Elections to be held soon after, Indonesia’s electoral authorities will also be organising and conducting more than 200 local Elections. With such an intensive and compressed electoral timetable, the General Election Commission of Indonesia (KPU) and other government agencies dealing with elections (Ministry of Home Affairs – MoHA and National Development Planning Agency - Bappenas) are facing many challenges, not the least of which are the very high expectations of political parties, the media and of course the public, to deliver elections of the same or higher standard of integrity and participation that has characterised previous electoral processes.
Despite the positive results achieved during the previous national elections, the KPU, MoHA, Bappenas and UNDP realise that the considerable progress which has been made until now needs to be further consolidated and sustained. Any setback or deterioration in the efficiency, integrity and credibility of the forthcoming elections could have serious repercussions not only in the consolidation of the democratic process in Indonesia, but also for the overall stability of the region. Building on their prior and still ongoing involvement in supporting the electoral process in Indonesia, UNDP and the rest of the international community remain fully committed to assisting the KPU, MoHA, and Bappenas to conduct peaceful and credible elections, and further consolidating itself as a permanent, professional and independent institution of governance.
Past UNDP support to the 1999 and 2004 elections have demonstrated the extent of confidence that UNDP has thus far enjoyed from the Government of Indonesia (GoI), National Electoral Commission (KPU), CSO’s and donor agencies working on electoral issues. Through past experience, UNDP has secured a knowledge base that will prove useful for future electoral support activities.

The Multi-Donor Programme - Support to Indonesia’s Democratic Elections (Elections MDP) project is a 3-year technical assistance initiative that seeks to enhance and further consolidate the institutional and professional capacities of the KPU, its Secretariat and its regional offices to meet the numerous priorities that are faced both in the immediate and longer-term. It also seeks to enhance the quality of participation of voters in Indonesia’s elections, by increasing the awareness of voters on the importance of democratic processes that will serve as a foundation for post-election engagement with elected public officials. This support also seeks to facilitate the Government of Indonesia in coordinating international support to elections in Indonesia, with the aim of achieving a harmonised donor programme in line with the principles contained in the Paris Declaration of Aid Effectiveness.

To achieve the above objectives, the Project Management Unit of the Elections MDP comprises of three sectors, i.e., Electoral Management, Political Participation, and Coordination Support. Each sector will be managed by a Sector Manager.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Sector Manager is responsible for the effective coordination and oversight of all activities implemented in the Political Participation sector. He/she supervises and guides all project personnel in the sector and ensures efficient project implementation as per work plan.

The Sector Manager works in close collaboration with the project manager and senior technical advisors ensuring successful project performance.

Duties and Responsibilities

II. Functions / Key Results Expected

Summary of Key Functions:

1. Coordination and management of activities in the Political Participation sector
2. Knowledge building and knowledge management

1. Ensures effective coordination and management of activities in the Political Participation sector, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Assist the project manager in preparing the annual work plan.
Develop sector’s quarterly work and budget plans based on the agreed annual work plan to be incorporated in the project’s quarterly work plan.
Advise the project manager on revisions to the work plan and budget plan.
Ensure coordination and oversight of all activities within the Political Participation sector.
Work closely with the project manager and officials from Ministry of Home Affairs, Bappenas and KPU to ensure relevance of activities.
Ensure proper planning and assist the project manager in expenditure tracking of financial resources.
Prepare terms of reference for required inputs (individual and institutional consultancy services, procurement of goods and services, organisation of training, seminars, etc.).
Ensure implementation of the M&E framework for all activities in the sector.
Monitor progress of sector activities against quarterly work plans and budget plans.
Ensure that required inputs are processed in a timely and transparent manner and mobilise competent national and international expertise as required.
Confirm and attest to the timeliness of submission and the quality of goods and services procured for the project.
Review project resource requirements and provide advice to the project manager on the need for budget adjustments and revision.
Contribute to the preparation of project progress reports (quarterly and annual / financial and narrative) by providing relevant information from the Political Participation sector.
Assist the project manager in maintaining oversight of the consultants for sector-related activities.
Work closely with the Grants Administrator in implementing grants to civil society organizations.

2. Ensures knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to project activities and results.

III. Impact of Results

The key results have an impact on the successful implementation and management of the electoral support project. Effective coordination and management of sector activities are critical to the achievement of established project outputs and targets.

Competencies

IV. Competencies and Critical Success Factors

Corporate Competencies

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Project Management

Has strong managerial competency with experience in results based management and results oriented approach to project implementation.

Communications and Networking

Has excellent oral communication skills and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors.
Has excellent written communication skill, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports.
Has demonstrated knowledge and experience in working on improving civic education and democratization and existing networks of experts and policy makers.
Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national and international institutions, government and non-government.

Knowledge Management and Learning

Shares knowledge and experience.
Actively mentoring PMU staff under her/his supervision.

Leadership and Self-Management

Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.
Competent in leading team and creating team spirit, stimulating team members to produce quality outputs in a timely and transparent fashion.

Required Skills and Experience

III. Recruitment Qualifications

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Communications, Economics, or related field.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in development issues, especially in the area of democracy and voter education.
Proven experience in design, management, monitoring and evaluation of development projects with international organizations.
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc).

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and spoken English and Bahasa Indonesia.

“Female candidates are encouraged to apply”