Background

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

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 Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Organizational context:

The UN Electoral Support Project (UNESP) is the international community’s programming vehicle to support the next elections in Afghanistan, including the parliamentary and district council elections announced by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) for 20 October 2018. The project has two overall objectives – 1) to build the capacity of the Afghan electoral institutions (the Independent Elections Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission) to implement elections in line with the national electoral legal framework and Afghanistan’s international commitments; 2) to allow a programming mechanism for the international community to partially finance the elections as per the request of the Government of Afghanistan. The project follows previous UN projects in support of the Afghan electoral process, most notably the Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow (ELECT) projects, from 2006-2011 (ELECT I) and 2012-2015 (ELECT II), and the UNDP Project Initiation Plan that is in place since July 2015 – October 2017.

The UNESP places the UN’s electoral support to Afghanistan directly under the political and supervisory oversight of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and reflects the growing sustainability of the Afghan electoral process, as evidenced by the Government of Afghanistan’s financial commitment to both electoral institutions, and the provision of significant in-kind support to the implementation of elections. The Project Board, under the overall political guidance of the UNAMA Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Political, will be co-chaired by UNAMA DSRSG for Political and the Chairpersons of the IEC and ECC or their delegates. It will be comprised of all key stakeholders to oversee and approve UNESP’s budget, annual work plans and policy in support of the Afghan electoral institutions. Project implementation support will be provided by the UNDP Country Office, reporting, on fiduciary and operational matters, to the UNAMA Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Development/ UN Resident Coordinator/ UNDP Resident Representative through the UNDP Country Director.

Along with support to both electoral institutions, UNESP will also support Afghan civil society’s civic and voter education and observation efforts to enhance the quality and quantity of participation in the electoral process. Overall, the project will have three outputs: (i) administration of credible elections is facilitated by the meeting of key IEC structural and planning milestones; (ii) credible electoral dispute resolution is provided by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) (iii) public outreach (along with support to civil society) to encourage citizen engagement in the electoral process. (iv) a polling center specific voter list for the upcoming elections is produced by the IEC. (v) the IEC and ECC provide credible administration of and electoral dispute resolution for the Wolesi Jirga and District Council elections, respectively.

Mainstreaming of gender throughout the project is evident in key output indicators related to women’s participation in all three project outputs, reflecting the importance that UNESP places on increasing the position of women in Afghan electoral and political life. The project also aims at supporting the EMBs in strengthening integrity of the electoral process by enhancing accountability of responsible actors and supporting the implementation of electoral fraud mitigation mechanisms. Assisting the EMBs to implement measures to increase public confidence in election and democracy will be mainstreamed through the electoral assistance provided.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work and Deliverables:

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the of the Chief Electoral Advisor and Deputy Chief Electoral Advisor/Project Manager UNESP and close coordination with the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and Elections Complains Commission (ECC) International Strategic Communication Advisor will provide mentorship and technical assistance support in strategic communication to the Spokesperson, Commissioners and communication teams of the IEC and ECC with the following duties and responsibilities:

• The Advisor will provide the newly appointed IEC and ECC Chairman, Spokespersons, CEO and Deputy CEOs for Strategic Communication support, training, coaching and mentoring within the framework of the approved Stakeholder Engagement Plan and the new Elections calendar;

• The Advisor will support IEC implement Strategic communication strategy of the IEC (2019);

• The Advisor/consultant will advise the Spokesperson/Commissioner and media team of IEC and ECC to help structure strategic communication of the IEC/ECC, in order to ensure that public is well informed in all policy, operational decisions and progress in a timely and professional manner;

• The Advisor will conduct trainings as agreed to by the Commissioners on such topics but not limited to 1) communication strategy 2) the importance of strategic communication and stakeholder relationships and how they should/can be managed.

Expected Outputs, Deliverables and Timelines:

The consultant will:

NOTE: UNESP will inform, confirm and agree the number of working days required to the consultant prior to the consultant travelling to Kabul to commence duties for each trip.

Schedule of Payment:

Payments shall be done at the completion of each visit based on actual days worked, upon verification of completion of specific deliverables by the consultant’s supervisor and a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors.

Working Arrangements

Institutional Arrangements:

1. The UNDP project will provide office space, IT equipment (mobile phone, sim card & laptop) as well as security equipment (Handheld Radio, PPE) and office transportation.

2. Accommodation - UNDP/UNESP will provide accommodation free of charge to the Consultant;

3. All airfares and travels costs including visa on arrival charges will be borne by the project.

   Duration of the Work:

   4 months with 50 working days (maximum) and 3 trips to Kabul. There may be instances where the consultant may work from home due to the specifics of the task at the time.

   Duty Station:

   Kabul, Afghanistan.

    

    

Competencies

Competencies:

Building Partnerships

• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;

• Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;

• Participates in the development of mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

• Understands advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;

• Continues to seek new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work development of capacities;

• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;

• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;

• Continually looking for ways to enhance logistical performance in the office.

Promoting Organizational Change and Development

• Performs appropriate work analysis and assists in redesign to establish clear standards for implementation.

Client Orientation

• Anticipates client needs;

• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective;

• Solicits feedback on service provision and quality;

• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider.

  Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management

• Provides inputs to the development of organizational standards for accountability.

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.

  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 training and capacity development.

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.

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 IEC, ECC, UNEST and the UNDP Country Office.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or Post-graduate diploma in law, political science or related fields;

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law;

• Familiarity with different electoral systems;

• Familiarity with international standards and best practice concerning electoral framework legislation.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years progressive experience in electoral legislation issues or electoral technical assistance;

• Experience in working with electoral management bodies or tribunals and in developing countries;

• Ability to work harmoniously with people from varying cultures and backgrounds;

• Ability to work in hardship conditions and stressful situations;

• Prior experience in Afghanistan, an election management programs a significant advantage.

Language Requirements

• Good oral and written English is required;

• Knowledge of Pashto and/or Dari Languages would be an asset.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

• Daily Fee – The consultant shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of her/his professional fee, local communication costs, insurance (inclusive of medical health insurance and evacuation) and living expenses. The professional daily fee, all inclusive of the above elements, shall be paid upon submission of timesheet. The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 50 working days’ maximum.

• Travel & Visa – All airfares and travels costs for 3 trips, including visa on arrival charges will be borne by the project.

• Payment schedule - Payments shall be done monthly based on actual days worked, upon verification of completion of specific reports, deliverables and approval by the consultant’s supervisor and a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and

• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

  Technical Criteria weight 70%;

  Financial Criteria weight 30%.

  Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

  Technical Criteria 70 points:

  Qualification and Experience (70 marks) [evaluation of CV for shortlisting]:

• Relevant Education and Certification (10 marks);

• Experience relevant to the assignment (20 marks).

• Experience of working for projects funded by UNDP in Election Projects (20 marks);

• Interview the shortlisted candidates (20 marks).

Financial Criteria 30 points

• Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

• Duly accomplished Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.

• Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects,