Organization:The Election Commission
Location : New Delhi, INDIA
Type of Contract : UNV
Post Level : UNV
Languages Required : English
Starting Date :(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 19-Aug-2013
Duration of Initial Contract : One Year (with possibility of extension)
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Background
The Election Commission is one of the institutions in the country that has gained wide respect for conducting fair elections. However there is need for further improvement especially on enhancing voter participation and generation of good practices Further, sharing of the good experiences on election management with other developing countries of south is a necessity given the demand for the same by other countries in signing the MoUs with ECI.
UNDP has been advocating a stronger focus on South-South cooperation and has partnered with ECI since 2011 in facilitating ECI’s participation in the Electoral Cycle Regional Community of Practice meetings to share its experiences with other countries on issues related to election management bodies, reform and management.
The current project is aiming to enhance capacities of national and international Election Management Body (EMB) officials for inclusive voter participation through Election Commission of India and India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) and increase voter participation to make electoral processes more democratic and inclusive.
Democracy thrives on participatory governance and involving all in the decision-making. Elections form the imperative part in the structure of democracy setup, where will of the people prevail in representational forum. At the same time, for democracy to represent the actual will of the people, elections should be inclusive and with participation from all strata of the society.
Election Commission of India (ECI) has been managing a ‘free and fair’ electoral process that remains unparalleled in the world given the massive numbers, geographic spread and organisational logistics involved. This has also led to a demand for sharing of experiences and learning with other developing countries. Concerted efforts by ECI and other bodies have succeeded in increasing the voter participation, as visible by the earlier state assembly elections. However, measures have to be taken up for further increasing the participation and involving all sections of the society for achieving further inclusive elections.
UNDP has been advocating a stronger focus on South-South cooperation and has partnered with ECI since 2011 in facilitating ECI’s participation in the Electoral Cycle Regional Community of Practice meetings to share its experiences with other countries on issues related to election management bodies, reform and management. UNDP also initiated a partnership with Election Commission of India (ECI) in 2011 to support the newly established India International Institute on Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM) as a training and resource centre to meet the demand for capacity development on electoral management from other countries.
On 11 October 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ECI and UNDP in Delhi to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of election management in the context of South-South cooperation.
Thus with the signing of the MoU between ECI and UNDP and formation of the Forum of the Heads of EMBs in SAARC countries and the potential for sharing of experiences between developing countries of south, a strategic project of UNDP under Direct Implementation Modality (DIM) has been formulated to support the south-south exchange of experiences and supporting capacity development of IIIDEM/ECI within the umbrella of the MoU.
In order to operationalize activities in the areas of cooperation outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between ECI and UNDP on 11 October 2012, UNDP will implement a project on “Supporting Democratic Electoral Management” for the cycle 2013-17 with the broad outcome of “Promoting the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the field of election management and administration through ECI to other developing countries.”
UNDP is now looking for a Communication and Coordination Associate (UN Volunteer) to assist the Project Manager. S/he will work under the direct supervision of Project Manager and overall supervision of the Programme Analyst, UNDP while having strong coordination role with the ECI and IIIDEM.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of Project Manager, the UNV Communication and Coordination Associate will undertake the following tasks:
Preparation of background documents for consultations – e.g. enhancing Women participation in elections, increasing participation of youth in elections;
Support the Project Manager in conducting the consultations and also be the focal point for coordination of holding the consultation events and follow-ups for implementation after the event;
Support the ECI in preparation/organization of events/documents to enhance the voter participation in India;
Support the Project Manager and ECI in facilitating the ECI’s participation in international conferences (south-south participation), visits of International delegations to ECI/India for study at IIIDEM, visits of representatives of election Management Bodies for events such as SAARC conference, etc.
UN Volunteers are encouraged to:
- Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark IVD);
- Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
- Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
- Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
- Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
- Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals; and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
Competencies
- Good analytical skills (including writing skills);
- Good communications and inter-personal skills;
- Ability to work under pressure, both independently and as part of a team;
- Sound coordination skills and knowledge of IT-based platforms on knowledge sharing as well as experience in holding consultations will be an added advantage.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
At least a University level degree (Bachelor Degree) in Political / Development Sciences or Communications or related fields; or
A Masters level Degree in Political / Development Sciences or Communications or related field will be considered as an added advantage.
Experience:
1-2 years of relevant experience.
Language:
Fluency in English and Hindi.
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.
Application Deadline : 01-Aug-13
http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm
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