National Consultant Training and Procedures Specialist - Elections

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

Since 1995, Ethiopia has adopted a multiparty parliamentary system and a federal structure devolving power to nine regions and two city administrations. The Constitution established a bi-cameral parliamentary form of Government with two houses. The framework of governance includes a system of political representation based on the holding of local (every 2.5 years) and nation-wide elections (every 5 years), and formation of a set of legislative institutions at all levels, including, at the apex`, the two houses of the national parliament (the House of Peoples Representatives (HoPR) and the House of Federation (HoF).

Under the current Constitution, the country held five general elections, the last being in May 2015. Among all elections, only the 2005 election was characterized by improved political space and competition between political parties.

Ethiopia has embarked on a path of reforms and political renewal. With the new leadership of Dr. Abiy Ahmed, the Government has systematically invested in the opening of the political space and has lifted many of the restrictions that were placed on political participation. The most notable development was the lifting of 'terror labels' of several previously outlawed political parties. The return of opposition parties has enriched the political debate and has been a clear indication of the Government and the Ruling Coalition to engage in open and more inclusive political process. This is expected to have direct bearing on the upcoming general elections planned for 2020.

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has recently seen its leadership changed. Former Judge Birtukan Midekssa was appointed in November 2018 as the new Chairwoman of NEBE. The change of NEBE's leadership reconfirmed the Government's commitment to reform the institution and enhance its credibility within the political sphere but also among the general public. NEBE has faced reputational challenges and was heavily criticized for being biased and partial in conducting previous elections. Investment in the Board's integrity, professionalism and effectiveness has been included in the policy priority areas that were captured in the 'New Horizon of Hope' document, issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) following the most recent Cabinet reshuffle.

In response to the request by the Government of Ethiopia and with the view to support the reforms and general elections, the United Nations has performed a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM), which confirms that conditions were favourable for the United Nations to design and activate an elections programme/project of support. UNDP supported the development of the 'Supporting Elections for Ethiopia's Democratic Strengthening (SEEDS)', which was established in June 2019.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the International Training and Procedures Advisor and the Head of the NEBE Training Department, in coordination with relevant SEEDS project advisors, the incumbent will provide technical assistance to NEBE on all training and procedures matters pertaining to the implementation of the electoral process. The expert will also support translations in Amharic and advice on compliance of training material and other operational forms with the legal framework for elections. The training and procedures specialist will work with other SEEDS advisors to ensure adherence to specific ICT systems with the established Ethiopian legal and operational framework and recognized international good practices and standards.

Specific duties include:

• Support the development of training manuals and materials;
• Assist with verification of adherence of training material with the legal framework for elections;
• Translate documents as required to and from English and Amharic; possibly other languages used by the NEBE in the production of elections materials;
• Support the organization and implementation of training cascade programms;
• Support the design and translations of elections forms;
• Support the ICT department with advice on adherence to the legal framework and translations;
• Provide regular updates and draft reports and other documents according to the Project's reporting framework as well as ad-hoc requirements;
• Perform other tasks and duties as requested by the International Training and Procedures Advisor and the Project Board.

Deliverables:

• Support the development of forms and manuals for polling and counting.
• Support the development of forms and manuals for results management;
• Support the development of the training plan for polling and counting;
• Support the organization and implementation of the training plan for voter registration
• Support the organization and implementation of the training plan for candidate registration;
• Support the organization and implementation of the training plan for polling and counting;
• Support the organization and implementation of the training plan for results management;
• Translation of manuals and forms as well as any requirement for ICT applications.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT/REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The selected National Consultant Training and Procedures Specialist will be based at the SEEDS project office and the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia as required. The selected Consultant will operate under the direct supervision of UNDP's SEEDS International Training and Procedures Advisor and overall guidance of the head of the NEBE training Department.

Competencies

The Consultant should possess the following competencies:

Corporate Competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards; Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age differences. Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment; ability to exercise sound political judgment;

Functional Competencies

• Outstanding communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to write reports, conduct consultations and interviews, and to articulate ideas in a clear and concise style;
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint;
• Ability to coordinate and manage complex projects;
• Produce high-quality analytical outputs and in a timely manner;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Ability to work independently, flexibly, and under pressure utilizing initiative;
• Sound judgment, strategic thinking, and the ability to manage competing priorities;
• Flexibility in responding to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment;
• Strong analytical, teaching, research, and writing skills and demonstrated ability to think strategically;
• Strong interpersonal, communications, negotiation, and liaison skills;
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Master's degree in Law, Political Sciences, International Relations, or related field.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 4 years of experience in legal practice;
• Experience in the national or international context in training
• The post requires considerable cultural and political sensitivity and an ability to meet deadlines
• Familiarity with the UN in general and UNDP procedures in particular and/or previous experience with the UN is an asset.

Payment Modality:

Payments under the contract shall be delivery-based and be made on receipt of the specific deliverables indicated above. These shall be made upon approval by International Training and Procedures Advisor

UNDP reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines

Deliverables, Deadlines & Estimated level of effort (in working days)

Translation of manuals and forms as well as any requirement for ICT applications. Training plan for the voter registration process. 23, November 2020, 20 Days

Support the organization and implementation of the training plan for voter registration; 23 December 20, 2020, days

Support the organization and implementation of the training plan for candidate registration; 23 January 2021, 20, days

Support development and translation of procedures for polling and counting; Technical specifications for polling and counting forms; 23 February 2021, 20 days

Support development and translation of forms for polling and counting; 23 March 2021, 20 days

Training plan and the timeline for polling staff; 23 April 2021, 20 days

Support the organization and implementation of the training plan for polling and counting;

Support the organization and implementation of the training plan for results management**; 23 May 2021, 20 days**

Final report on training support to NEBE, 23 June 2021, 20 days

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal. The Consultant shall then submit a price proposal when requested by UNDP, in accordance with the below:

1. Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of his professional fee, local communication cost, and insurance (inclusive of medical health insurance). The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract of four months with a maximum of 188 working days.
2. The total professional fee shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables and at the end of the assignment.

UNDP reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines.

The following criteria will be followed in selecting the best Candidate.

Criteria Weight Max. Point

Technical Competence: 70%

Criteria a) Relevance of Education: Master's degree in Law, Political Sciences, International Relations, or related field- Max Point 20

Criteria b) Relevance of Experience: Minimum 4 years of experience in legal practice or education -Max Point 20

Criteria c) Experience in the national or international context in training- Max Point 20

Criteria d) Familiarity with the UN in general and UNDP procedures in particular and/or previous experience with the UN – Max Point 10

Financial (Lower Offer): 30% - Max Point 30

Technical Score (70%) + Financial Score (30%) – Total Max Point 100

Financial Evaluation (30%):

The following formula will be used to evaluate the financial Proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial Proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial Proposal

µ = price of the lowest-priced Proposal

z = price of the Proposal being evaluated

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

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

1. Personal CV or P11 Form, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
2. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;

All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNDP Ethiopia. UNDP Ethiopia will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

• Annex 1 - IC Contract Template (for information);

• Annex 2 - Financial Proposal: Shall be requested from Short-listed candidates ONLY. Please do not submit your Financial Proposal unless officially requested from UNDP.

• Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions (for information);
• Annex 4 – RLA Template (if Consultant wishes to be recruited through an employer) - (for information).

Note: Incomplete application will result in automatic disqualification of Candidates.