Organization;Government
Location :Abuja, NIGERIA
Additional Category:Democratic Governance
Type of Contract :Service Contract
Post Level :SB-5
Languages Required :English
Starting Date :(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
01-Oct-2013Duration of Initial Contract :
Initial duration of one year (with possibility of renewal)
Background
Democratic governance is a concept that emerged from the principles that are based on the understanding that an effective system of democratic governance is one which is based on representative, equitable (across gender and other categories), transparent, accountable and inclusive institutions; a vibrant, responsible and capable media; and a dynamic civil society which is engaged in the political process. Phase 1 of the Democratic Governance for Development Project (DGD I), which commenced in 2010 and ended in May 2011, addressed specific interventions that sought to improve the conduct of the 2011 general elections.
Phase II refocuses the DGD project and redefines its goals ‘to strengthen the democratic character of Nigerian political processes and outcomes.’ To ensure a more focused and streamlined intervention targeted at specific key results areas where there would be no duplication of efforts, especially with other donors within and outside the Joint Donor Basket Fund (JDBF), the DGD Phase II has 4 major components namely: 1) Promoting Credible, Transparent and Sustainable Electoral Processes; 2) Improving the Democratic Quality of Political Engagement; 3) Enhancing Participation by Women, Youth and other marginalized groups and 4) Strengthening Channels of Civic Engagement. The contributors to the project are the European Commission, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). A Project Management Unit (PMU) runs the project under the leadership of the UNDP.
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
- Promotes the shared vision, mission and strategic goals of the partners supporting the initiative;
- Treats all people fairly without favouritism;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Functional Competencies:
- Proven competence in the field of democratic governance, well-informed on both electoral and broader democratic governance issues such as legislative development, the role and potential of the media, civil society in emerging democratic societies, and the participation and role of women, youth and other marginalized groups in politics;
- Conversant with full range of the challenges facing democracy building including elections in Nigeria in particular;
- S/he should have a strong grasp of the strategic, policy and operational issues relevant to institutional capacity building especially in the area of democratic-electoral governance;
- Ability to appreciate and respond productively to the challenges faced in leading a high-risk initiative in a politically sensitive environment. Ability to maintain calm and poise in high pressure and sometimes provocative situations as well as apply skills in mediation and consensus-building;
- Solid academic background and demonstrated abilities in analysis of complex political situations and providing strategic advice, while maintaining personal detachment;
- Strong inter-personal communications and diplomatic skills, with an ability to listen, understand and respond effectively to different and divergent points of view expressed by a wide range of stakeholders. Ability to build strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
- Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor work plans;
- Proven ability to work under pressure and produce output that is accurate, timely and of high quality. Ability to manage conflicting priorities;
- Ability to understand, support and apply tools such as the logical framework, results-based approaches like UNDP’s RBM and PRINCE2. Solid knowledge and experience of project management;
- Resourcefulness, good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (Masters) related to democratic governance and development, such as political science, law, economics or any other social sciences.
Experience:
Progressively responsible work experience of at least 8 years in electoral processes, including electoral management and support, dealing with: (a) policy and technical advisory work;(b) involvement in research, analysis, publication and/or advocacy in the democratic-electoral governance field; (c) design and execution of capacity development programmes related to elections; (d) electoral project management, including execution of electoral assistance projects preferably funded by development partners (UN or other); and (e) promotion of stakeholder/community awareness of and participation in democratic governance preferably with a focus on electoral matters;
Profound knowledge of the political and electoral landscape in Nigeria including the key challenges facing the country’s political and electoral processes. Relevant experience based on work in a developing and democratizing country including a post-conflict context will be an added advantage;
Strong experience in training, process facilitation, strategic planning, and partnership-building related to electoral processes;
Proven ability to prepare high quality policy briefs, analytical reports, and technical research reflecting global good practice in elections;
Excellent PC user skills: word processing, spreadsheets, databases and web-based research;
Other requirement:
Ability to travel within Nigeria and overseas.
Language Requirements:
Strong skills in written communications in English particularly in preparing issue-based papers or reports. Excellent spoken English is also required.
Closing Date: Tuesday, 20 August 2013
How to Apply
http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1375722729599