TECHNICAL SPECIALIST (PARLIAMENT)
Location : Zanzibar, TANZANIA
Application Deadline : 03-Apr-12
Type of Contract : FTA International
Post Level : P-4
Languages Required : English
Starting Date :(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-May-2012
Duration of Initial Contract : One year
Background
Building on earlier successful partnership, and within the framework of the United Nations Development Assistance Plan (2011-2015), UNDP has prepared a Legislature Support Project to assist the strengthening the parliaments to improve
(i) legislative capacity,
(ii) oversight functions
(iii) representative capacity
(iv) management practices and
(v) progress in gender objectives.
During an initiation phase, assistance has been provided to new MP orientation and technical support including revisions of Standing Orders and developing activity plans based on the needs and Corporate Plans of the parliaments.
Based on the Corporate Plans of the two legislatures the project will provide support to both the National Assembly and the Zanzibar House of Representatives by helping to strengthen Members’ legislative, oversight and representative capacities and assisting the Secretariats of both legislatures to deliver upgraded services to Members. Initiatives will target parliamentarians, their committees, and their support Secretariats. Through an emphasis on partnerships with national stakeholders leveraging South-South cooperation, the four-year project seeks to strengthen and enhance the capacity of MPs and their committees to better exercise their interrelated functions: law making, executive oversight including national budget approval and oversight, and representation of constituents/citizens. It also aims to strengthen the Secretariats of both legislatures to help them deliver effective services to parliamentarians and help build sustainable, modern internal parliamentary staff management structures and practices.
Based with the Zanzibar House of Representatives, the Technical Specialist (Parliament) will work under the overall supervision of the Technical Advisor (Parliament) and the guidance of the Zanzibar House of Representatives National Project Director (NPD). The Technical Specialist (Parliament) will help MPs and their staff advance performance within the respective areas of constitutional responsibilities. Within the administrative structure of each Secretariat, the two NPDs have overall responsibility for the management of the project as well as the achievement of project outputs. They report to a Project Board, co-chaired by representatives of the two Speakers and assisted by UNDP. The Project Board is responsible for strategy, policy guidance, planning and oversight of the project.
The Technical Specialist (Parliament) will work closely with the offices of the Speaker and Clerk of the House of Representatives, the UNDP Country Office (CO), and Zanzibar UN Sub-Office. The Technical Specialist (Parliament) will assist the National Project Director and others in the development of the legislature and implementation of activities. The Technical Specialist (Parliament) may provide assistance to project activities within the National Assembly when required and agreed.
The Technical Specialist (Parliament) reports regularly to UNDP through the Programme Specialist responsible for parliamentary strengthening. UNDP will assess the performance of the Technical Specialist (Parliament) based on at least annual evaluation by the NPD and counterpart staff of the quality and adequacy of technical assistance delivered and according to the below performance criteria.
The Technical Specialist (Parliament) will work very closely in a team with the Technical Advisor (Parliament) on the planning and support to project activities. S/He will also work closely with the project M&E Specialist, the project Gender Advisor and parliamentary staff assigned to the project. S/He may supervise sub-contracted short term consultants if requested by the NPD.
Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of key functions:
• Technical Advice
• Capacity Development
• Quality assurance support to project work plans, reports, and activities
• Partnership management
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Communication, Knowledge Sharing and Mentoring
Technical Advice
• Provide technical advice to the National Project Director, Speaker, MPs, Clerk, and parliamentary staff and others in the design, organization and implementation of agreed activities
• In coordination with the National Project Director, provide guidance to national and international short term experts/consultants
• Assist the National Project Directors in ensuring the technical soundness of project activities
• Continuous advice to MPs and staff on parliamentary practice and development
• Stimulate strategic thinking in parliamentary development and bring best practices on parliamentary development to the legislatures
• Provide intellectual or substantive leadership in managing issues related to Parliamentary law and practice
• Provide technical advice to the parliamentary standing committees and other bodies/offices to help meet Members needs
• Ensure highest standards in the provision of technical and advisory inputs, organization of workshops, seminars, training and delivery of outputs
• Any other substantive advisory inputs, as requested by the NPD and/or UNDP in relation to project objectives
• Identify strategic entry points for gender mainstreaming in the work of the ZHoR and for the empowerment of women parliamentarians
Capacity Development
• Support the development and implementation of a capacity development strategy for the project that identifies priorities, needs and interventions to accustomed to address the needs of ZHoR
• Provide support to the NPD in ensuring the sustainability of project management capacities and in building sustainability into project activities from the outset
• Provide technical advice to enhance the capacity of MPs to represent, make laws and oversee the government
• Manage the development of effective materials and training programs for Members, Committee Chairs and staff and others and ensure the institutionalization of the capacity being developed
• Develop and supervise capacity building efforts with the parliaments, media and other stakeholders
• Support gender mainstreaming activities and ensure a leading role for the national gender focal points for activities implemented
Quality assurance support to project work plans, reports, and activities
• Provide expert contributions to the development of annual results based work plans and results frameworks
• Help ensure delivery of relevant quarterly and annual project reporting to UNDP
• Prepare and/or review Terms of Reference for specific activities as directed and assist in the identification of short-term experts
• Ensure the alignment of project activities with UNDP rules and regulations by providing appropriate advice to the NPDs in this regard
Partnership management
• Assist the NPDs in establishing effective working mechanisms for the project including the Speakers and other senior officers of the ZHoR, Committee Chairs, Members and the Clerk/Secretariat
• Assist the ZHoR in establishing, developing and maintaining mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with Development Partners and other stakeholders in parliamentary development
• Help set up a framework to foster and monitor partnership around the project and to realize the project strategy in this regard
• Support the ZHoR in managing information related to partnership activities
Monitoring and Evaluation
• Support the parliaments in setting up a monitoring framework for the project integrated within the monitoring system for the ZHoR Strategic Plan
• Ensure the implementation of the project monitoring framework that will demonstrate progress and achievement on key project results, and provide technical advice to develop baselines and indicators for monitoring and evaluation
• Advise the NPD in preparing project reports focused on capturing results, lessons learned and good practices Participate in and contribute to global UNDP knowledge networks on parliamentary development
Communication, Knowledge Sharing and Mentoring
• Contribute to the production of reports and publications, and serve as peer reviewer
• Promote the adoption of suitable knowledge management approaches as relating to project activities and in support of parliamentary strengthening
• Support the NPD in the internal and external communication efforts and the dissemination of information around project objectives and activities
• Function as a mentor and coach to parliamentary staff as requested in support of achievement of project results
• Participate in and contribute to global UNDP knowledge networks on parliamentary development
• Ensure the application of relevant global good practices and actively search for solutions that can benefit Tanzania’s parliamentary strengthening.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
• Promotes UN’s Values and ethical standards (tolerance, integrity, respect, results orientation, impartiality).
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and sensitivity and adaptability.
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling in the UN’s values and ethical standards (human rights, peace, understanding between people and nations, tolerance, integrity, respect, results orientation, UNDP core ethics, impartiality).
Functional Competencies:
Knowledge Management and Learning
• Promotes knowledge management and a learning environment through personal example, excellent knowledge of parliamentary practices, cultures and needs, good understanding of parliamentary capacity building, excellent ability to identify significant capacity building opportunities.
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English
• Display understanding of relevant contemporary parliamentary challenges and tools
• Ability to provide top quality technical advice
• Established track record of delivering support to parliaments
• In-depth practical knowledge of democracy and development issues
Development and Operational Effectiveness
• Ability to engage with high level UNDP Officials, Government Officials and international donor community and provide advisory support services
• Ability to identify opportunities, conceptualize and develop project reports
• Ability to effectively support in strategic planning, results-based management and reporting
• Ability to implement new systems and affect behaviour/attitude change
• Ability to undertake result based management and reporting
Management and Leadership
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Builds strong relationship with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback, timely responses to queries
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
• Demonstrates strong administrative skills and result oriented approach to work
• Provides inspiration and leadership
Communications and Networking
• Has an excellent oral communication skill in English and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors.
• Has an excellent written communication skill in English, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports.
• Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national and international institutions, government and non-government.
Required Skills and Experience
Education
• Advanced degree in a relevant area; a degree in political science, law, social sciences or related field will be considered an asset
Experience
• A minimum of five years working experience in parliaments and a total of at least 10 years working experience in a combination of parliaments, government, politics, and/or democratic governance projects
• Knowledge of, or exposure to parliaments in developing countries; experience in Tanzania an advantage
• Strong analytical skills and proven ability to work independently and train others
• Familiarity with UNDP processes and systems an advantage
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and positive attitude towards working with host country the parliament staff and Members; sound judgment, flexibility and adaptability, cultural and gender sensitivity
• Proficiency in using standard office computer applications
Language Requirements
• Excellent spoken, report writing and presentation skills in the English language
• Knowledge of Kiswahili a strong asset
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.
Closing Date: Tuesday, 03 April 2012