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Local Governance Analyst

  • Contract
  • Banjul
  • Posted 4 months ago

UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

Background

 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

 
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization in fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP.

UNDP in The Gambia is working to strengthen and provide a broad response to the people of The Gambia’s aspirations for a transparent, accountable, and responsive transition to democracy. Increasing citizen engagement and, in particular, the active participation of women and youth is an important focus, including the Gambian diaspora, considering its substantial technical and financial contributions to good governance and national development. UNDP works to ensure equal access to justice, particularly for women and marginalized groups across the country, working in close collaboration with a range of partners and Stakeholders and justice sector institutions. The objective of “The Gambia’s Responsive and Accountable Democratic Transition Project (EU-UNDP GREAT initiative)” is to enhance The Gambia’s democratic system. This is rooted in national priorities and political willingness, as demonstrated by a strong commitment to the post-TRRC process and the White Paper published in May 2022. When former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh went into exile on January 21, 2017, he left a legacy of grave human rights abuses spanning 22 years. 

In response, the government initiated a comprehensive transitional justice and reform agenda in January 2017 to address past violations, divisions, and inequalities. This agenda seeks to create conditions for security, democratic progress, and socio-economic transformation. Drawing on past experiences and lessons learned, this project aims to contribute to The Gambia’s democratic transition through three specific objectives: (i) Supporting constitutional and legislative reforms to strengthen checks and balances and safeguard human rights, including those of minorities and vulnerable populations. (ii) Enhancing the ongoing transitional justice process, rule of law, and human rights. (iii) Strengthening the effectiveness of local governance structures. 

Overall, this initiative responds to the aspirations of The Gambian people for a more transparent, accountable, and responsive transition to democracy with a key focus on increasing citizen engagement, particularly the active involvement of women and youth. This initiative aligns with SDG 16, which promotes peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, access to justice for all, and the establishment of effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.  The project also aligns with the NDP Strategic Priority 1, which aims to restore good governance, respect for human rights, and the rule of law and empower citizens through decentralization and local governance. Additionally, it supports UNDP’s Strategic Plan Outcome 2 by ensuring that citizen expectations for voice, development, the rule of law, and accountability are met through stronger democratic governance systems.


 
Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure project execution with policy analysis and advice.

  • Coordinate the execution of the project’s activities aimed at improving constitutional provisions and legislation to enhance checks and balances, protect human rights, and ensure fundamental freedoms for all individuals, especially minorities and vulnerable groups;
  • Support the conduct of comprehensive policy analysis related to governance, justice, human rights, and minority rights within the context of national governance frameworks;
  • Engage directly with relevant stakeholders including government officials, civil society organizations, legal experts, and community representatives to ensure alignment in project activities towards achieving Outcome 1;
  • Provide support in drafting annual workplans and budgets and actively participate in the timely implementation of the detailed projects’ annual work plans;
  • Develop monitoring plans and regularly monitor progress towards programmatic goals;
  • Draft periodic progress reports in line with the project documentation;
  • Provide technical inputs to the design and formulation of programme/ project proposals and initiatives related to the EU-UNDP GREAT Initiative;
  • Actively participate in the conduct of research, data collection, report-writing, and analysis as relevant;
  • Supervise project staff, national and international consultants.                                                                                                                                             

Actively knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the project. 

  • Develop knowledge products such as policy briefs, reports, and presentations to disseminate information within the project team and relevant stakeholders;
  • Facilitate workshops, seminars, and training sessions to share expertise on constitutional reforms, human rights protection mechanisms, and minority rights advocacy;
  • Collaborate with partners, government agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to exchange knowledge and experiences;
  • Utilize digital platforms and communication tools to ensure effective dissemination of information among project participants;
  • Contribute to the selection of international and national consultants/companies and preparation of procurements and contracting packages in line with the work plans and UNDP rules and guidelines;
  • Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the project;
  • Coordinate and organize advocacy campaigns, events, trainings, workshops, and knowledge products.

Actively participate to the effective monitoring on project activities and reporting on project implementation.

  • Support implementation of the project’s monitoring systems in alignment with its M&E framework to ensure effective information sharing, provision of feedback, and elaboration of high-quality progress reports; 
  • Review and coordinate the submission of partners’ financial and narrative reports;
  • Collect, analyze, and present information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets as well as for audit purposes. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners;
  • Provide technical support to project partners and beneficiaries, based on the assessment of capacity development needs;
  • Contribute to the development of tools and knowledge products supporting/resulting from the project implementation;
  • Document evidence, facts, and other information as well as review and compile partners’ inputs to contribute to the preparation of reports;
  • Provide inputs to relevant documentation such as project summaries, conference papers, briefing notes, speeches, and donor profiles;
  • Follow up on performance indicators/success criteria, targets and milestones, preparation of reports related to EU-UNDP GREAT Initiative.

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 National Governance Analyst will work closely with the national justice institutions, key civil society partners, and other stakeholders, under the overall supervision of the EU-UNDP GREAT Project Manager.

 
Competencies

CORE

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Partnerships Management:

  • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Project Management:

  • Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
  • Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
  • Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions, and present findings and recommendations.

Financial reporting and analysis:

  • Understands changes in regulatory, legal, and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings, and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring.

Project Management:

  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
  • Good research and analytical skills.
  • Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understanding.

Operations Management:

  • Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the project progress. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms of governance project implementation
  • Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

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 system.
 
Required Skills and Experience

 
Education:
  • Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Law, Political Science, Social Science, Economics, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Programme Administration or other relevant field is required.
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in a relevant field in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
  • Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in law, governance or relevant related field is required;
  • Good knowledge/experience of the functioning of the justice sector, access to justice, gender and human rights issues, decentralization, function of civil society and experience in coordinating or implementing activities in/related to the justice sector, on human rights issues, civil society empowerment and coordinating activities focused on capacity building and dialogue;
  • Experience working in/with Civil Society, National and local institutions is highly desirable;          
  • Experience in working the area of development (national and/or international) would be an advantage;           
  • Experience in strategic planning is an asset;  
  • Experience in the United Nations system, civil society, or related area, in gender, peace, security or humanitarian issues is an asset;
  • Experience in project management including co-ordination, financial management, risk management and partnership management;
  • Understanding/experience of critical aspects of Local Governance/ Local Development, Local Government Institutional Support and Decentralization, Capacity Building for Effective Service Delivery;
  • Experience/Demonstrated social skills of coordinating with different stakeholders and facilitating discussions;
  • Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and web-based management systems, and up-to-date, advanced knowledge of data management tools and database packages.

Required Language(s): 

  • Fluency in English and Local language is required.
 
Disclaimer

 
Applicant information about UNDP rosters

 
Note: 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.

 
Non-discrimination

 
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

 
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

 
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