Electoral Regional Coordinator

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

The Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) implements innovative approaches to bring about meaningful advancements in electoral assistance in Liberia. With a focus on promoting national ownership and advancing peaceful, credible, inclusive, and transparent electoral processes, the project's strategy revolves around a work plan that emphasizes inclusion, transparency, integrity, capacity building, and peace programming.

The Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP), launched in September 2020, is the third electoral cycle support project and will run until July 2024. Managed by UNDP, LESP aims to strengthen electoral institutions and processes in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 - Strong, peaceful, and just institutions.

Effective civic and voter education (CVE) is crucial for informing voters about their rights and promoting inclusivity, transparency, and credibility in the electoral process. LESP's Output 1 focuses on supporting grassroots CVE programs that target all populations, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, and rural communities.

The upcoming general elections in October 2023 require an enhanced and strategic approach to CVE, early warning, and response (EWER) to ensure increased citizen participation and peaceful electoral process. The engagement of volunteers will also support innovative approach and evidence-based salutation to professional conduct of electoral process and strengthen decentralization of electoral assistance to enhance NEC capacity in the field (as envisaged in the LESP guiding document and strategy).

Due strengthen the electoral capacity throughout the country, UNDP is seeking a qualified Regional Coordinator (National UNV) to provide technical and advisory support to the NEC, local authorities, and electoral stakeholders in the field.

Under the responsibility and the overall guidance of Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) – Elections and direct supervision of the Project Officer, the Electoral Regional Coordinator will undertake the following tasks:

• Operate as field coordinator in the central, east, southeast, and west regions of Liberia and as the focal point of the National Elections Commission (NEC) in assigned NEC regional offices. • Support NEC in channeling operational requests from the fields to the appropriate structures or persons within the National Elections Commission and provides first level technical advice to address the electoral issues raised in the field. • Ensures support to technical, logistical, security and capacity building operations at regional level, as needed. • Serve as the focal point for implementing the LESP in the field, including providing support to the NEC in areas such as electoral training, capacity building, civic/voter education, public outreach, electoral operations, electoral and logistics at the regional level. • Build the capacity of NEC’s counterparts by offering advice on electoral coordination strategies in the field. Coordinate assistance to the electoral process, as necessary, including collaboration with other relevant UN agencies and INGOs involved in supporting the election process. • Collects relevant documents and provide analyses on operational issues at the regional level and responds to those challenges by proposing sound and pragmatic solutions per UN standards, rules, and regulations. • Support NEC in implementing innovative approaches in the field, such as observer accreditation software, field coordination application, etc. • Serves as a focal point for implementing Early Warning and Response Mechanism in the field. Provide advisory and capacity development support to the monitors in the field and help strengthening the analysis and a link between early warning and response in the field. • Conduct periodic field visits to monitor LESP activities in the field, in close collaboration with the LESP M&E Officer. • Advise the community on all activities related to electoral operations for the holding credible and transparent elections in Liberia. • Advise local authorities to ensure an electoral process that adheres to international standards and is carried out in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. • Support NEC and local authorities to resolve political and technical issues that arise during the election process at the regional level by generating advice and solutions. • Enhance capacity-building by providing technical assistance and advice to local electoral authorities and community UN Volunteers. • Participate in institutional meetings and gatherings related to the elections project and produce reports and minutes of these events. • Monitor mis/dis-information and hate speech in the region and bring cases to the attention of Local Voices of Liberia and LESP. • Supervise and coordinate National UN Community Volunteers based in the assigned region. • Ensure regular reporting and communication from assigned community UN Volunteers in the region. • Compile a weekly report on election activities at the regional level and ongoing field coordination activities, as well as the situations for attention in the field to the Project officer and Chief Technical Advisor (CTA). • Performs other related duties as required. • Undertake any other task within the Project's mandate as requested by the supervisor.

• Integrity, results-oriented, teamwork, interpersonal skills, communication skills, judgment, analytical skills, flexibility, proactive engagement, innovation, risk management, gender and cultural sensitivity, ability to work under pressure, high tolerance for change, complexity, and unpredictability. • Culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with grassroots community members, local authorities, and other gender stakeholders. • Ability to work effectively in a challenging environment and in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.

• Corporate competencies: o Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards. o Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP o Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability

• Functional competencies o Knowledge management and learning: Promotes knowledge management and a learning environment in the office. o Development and operational effectiveness: Ability to lead technical and strategic planning, results-based management, and reporting. o Familiarity with the results management guide and toolkit.

• Management and leadership o Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills o Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities

• Flexibility: Adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort. • Ability to operate independently in austere environments for extended periods. Willingness to travel within the mission area as necessary. • Genuine commitment to the principles of voluntary engagement, including solidarity, compassion, reciprocity, and self-reliance. • Commitment to UNDP's mission and vision, as well as the UN core values

The incumbent must be dynamic, with strong multitasking abilities, and have experience working in elections with a focus on civic and voter education. They should be ready to support UNDP with professionalism, dedication, and client orientation, and be willing to work on both programmatic/substantive and operational aspects of electoral support. The ideal candidate should be result-oriented, politically, and culturally sensitive, and possess good judgment.

***The applicant must be a resident in any one of election magistrates of the regions where they are applying.

The following experience is required

• At least 3 years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level in elections and governance; experience with the UN or other international development organizations is considered advantageous. • Proficient in computing skills, particularly MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.), email, and internet usage. • Effective organizational and administrative skills, with the ability to handle a large volume of work efficiently and in a timely manner. • Ability to work well under pressure, flexibility, and willingness to live and work in challenging conditions involving physical hardship and discomfort. • Ability to work effectively in a politically sensitive environment, exercising discretion, impartiality, and neutrality. • Practical experience in a cross-cultural environment and the ability to work harmoniously with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, demonstrating commitment to UN core values of integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity. • Strong security awareness and commitment to UN core values of integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity. • Fluency in spoken and written English is required. • Knowledge of local languages will be an asset. • Previous experience working with electoral institutions will be an asset

Liberia has been relatively peaceful since the withdrawal of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). In 2017, a major political transition took place, transferring political power from one elected government to another. However, the economy is struggling, and the cost of living remains high. Inflation is also a concern, with an exchange rate of 1 US dollar to 170 Liberian dollars. Currently, the country is experiencing heavy rainfall. Local markets and supermarkets in Monrovia and surrounding areas offer food supplies. There are both public and private medical facilities available. Several banks operate primarily in Monrovia. Communication infrastructure is in place, with two main providers offering internet services. While uninterrupted service is available in Monrovia and county capitals, some remote communities and areas outside these cities may experience interruptions or poor network coverage. Liberia is known for its hospitality and open culture that welcomes people from all backgrounds. The country offers an interesting and peaceful environment, but it also requires a mature level of security awareness, particularly due to cases of street robbery and other theft incidents