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Background
Office/Unit/Project Description
Ethiopia has embarked on a new democratic era, marked by the re-establishment of the National Elections Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) in 2019 as the country’s independent electoral management body, followed by the Sixth General Elections in 2021. Despite a commitment to the electoral process, a significant challenge for a nascent institution like NEBE is to cultivate sustainable connections between effective, participatory democratic governance, respect for human rights, and the establishment of strong, independent, and responsive institutions, including an accountable electoral management body.
The UNDP project “Supporting Elections for Ethiopia’s Democracy Strengthening (SEEDS-1)” (2019-2022) has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for a free and competitive political landscape in Ethiopia. However, further investment is crucial to sustain these gains in the long term. The successor project (SEEDS) 2 therefore continues to support NEBE and other stakeholders throughout the electoral cycle.
SEEDS 2 operates within the framework of the re-established National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) as mandated by Proclamation No. 1133/2011. NEBE is responsible for conducting elections, organizing referendums, and regulating political parties in Ethiopia. As NEBE prepares for the upcoming 7th general elections, it aims to strengthen its institutional capacity, particularly focusing on sustainable human resources development, to strengthen electoral cycle, uphold its reputation, and conduct transparent, credible, and inclusive elections in Ethiopia.
In this context, UNDP is seeking to recruit a Project Operations Specialist who will also act as Deputy Chief Technical Adviser (DCTA). The Specialist will report to the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) and work in a close collaboration with the NEBE Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Deputy CEO, and different heads of department.
Duties and Responsibilities
Project Operation Specialist / DCTA will facilitate the achievement of four interrelated outputs:
Advise and support NEBE in strengthening electoral operations and collaboration with stakeholders, including in the following areas:
Support NEBE and CTA in development and implementation of strategies to ensure efficient and transparent electoral processes through enhanced communication, voter education initiatives to promote civic participation and awareness:
Collaborate on the design and implementation of strategic communication plans to enhance NEBE’s visibility and public trust; Oversee the production and dissemination of public service announcements and media content; Provide guidance on crisis communication and media engagement during electoral processes; Support enhancing voter education and participation through voter awareness programs to increase voter turnout and inclusiveness through development of voter education campaigns to increase public awareness of election laws, voter registration, and result tabulation; Support development and validation of training manuals for master trainers and election officials; Support collaboration with CSOs and media to deliver impactful voter education initiatives; Support building and maintaining partnerships with local communities, government agencies, CSOs, and international organizations; Facilitate stakeholder consultations to align electoral activities with national international standards; Organize seminars and workshops to enhance stakeholder capacity and collaboration.Ensure advise on overall project management, including effective oversight of day-to day operations, and execution of project activities in line with the project document and approved Project Annual Workplans.
Oversee the project's day-to-day operations, ensuring the initiation and execution of project activities in line with the project document and approved Project Annual Work Plans; Mobilize goods and services to initiate activities in line with project-approved Annual Work Plans, including drafting TORs and specifications; Facilitate the work of consultants, ensuring alignment with project goals; Organize and support events, managing logistics and content; Closely coordinate with the Project Finance Officer in managing financial resources and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of financial reports; Monitor project risks and update the Project Risk Log; Coordinate closely with the relevant units of the UNDP Country Office in the delivery of results; Ensure compliance with UNDP’s rules, regulations, and procedures in the implementation of Project activities; Arrange and/or attend meetings, ensuring appropriate record keeping; Prepare and manage final project closure, oversee transfer of deliverables to beneficiaries or UNDP CO, and coordinate follow-on actions with the Project Board; Handle operational and financial closure tasks in collaboration with the Project Finance Officer and UNDP CO's Programme Delivery and Resource Management unit, ensuring effective project completion.Coordinate planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
Support NEBE in preparation of analytical reports and briefs on electoral activities, outcomes, and challenges, to be shared with the NEBE Chairperson, and electoral stakeholders; Assist the CTA in developing annual and quarterly work plans that align with project outputs and strategic goals; Collaboratively prepare and coordinate a range of progress reports, including annual, quarterly, monthly, and ad-hoc as necessary; If required, draft Terms of References, Concept Notes, progress updates and briefing notes for the CTA, NEBE Chair, and/or UNDP Senior Management; Facilitate project monitoring and evaluation efforts by preparing detailed reports and analyses, crucial for assessing progress and guiding future actions; Coordinate results-based management processes for project, ensuring that activities align with strategic objectives and contribute to the overall success of the project; Monitor expenditures against planned budgets, providing rigorous quality control to budget management to ensure financial resources are utilized efficiently and effectively in line with project goals; Ensure detailed documentation and reporting for knowledge management and learning.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
The Specialist will be located at the NEBE. S/he will report to the CTA under the general guidance of the NEBE Chairperson. S/he will coordinate closely with the UNDP Country Office DGP, Finance, Procurement, and other units as necessary for the achievement of her/his mandate under this TOR.
Competencies
Core
Achieve Results:
Think Innovatively:
LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problemsLearn Continuously:
LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiencesAdapt with Agility:
LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demandsAct with Determination:
LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater resultsEngage and Partner:
LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaborationEnable Diversity and Inclusion:
LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivityFunctional Competencies
Business Management
Communication:- Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels .Business Direction & Strategy
System Thinking: - Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the systemBusiness Development
Knowledge Generation:- Ability to research information and turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to stated needs. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situationsBusiness Management
Project Management :- Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goalsResults-based Management
Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.Business Direction & Strategy
Working with Evidence and Data :- Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-makingPartnership management
Relationship Management :- Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understandingRequired Skills and Experience
Education:
Min. Education requirements
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Law, Human Rights, Public Administration, Political Science, or a related field. ORExperience:
Min. years of relevant work experience
Minimum 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible relevant experience at the national or international level in in project/program management is required.Required skills
Minimum of 3 years of experience related to election operations, logistics, voter education, and other technical electoral areas is required; Proven experience in designing and delivering voter education and training programs in collaboration with electoral management body (EMB) or election-related organization; Previous work on inclusion preferably in electoral context, and strong track record in stakeholder engagement, including collaboration with government, CSOs, and international partners; Proficiency in logistics and operations coordination, with the ability to manage budgets, personnel, and materials under challenging condition; Experience working with UNDP or similar corporate management systems is required.Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
Familiarity with Ethiopian electoral framework and socio-political context and prior experience working on elections in Ethiopia will be a strong asset; International electoral experience will be highly considered; Previous role in advising electoral management body is desired.Required Language(s)
Fluency in English and Amharic is required; Working knowledge of additional local languages will be an asset.Professional Certificates
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification would be an asset.Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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