Country: Gambia
Closing date: 05 Apr 2019
“All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment/promotions and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.
IFES takes affirmative action with respect to the employment and promotion of women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and covered veterans. IFES will also take affirmative action on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. IFES is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor
Project Description:
ABOUT IFES:
IFES is an international, nonprofit organization that supports the building of democratic societies. IFES provides targeted technical assistance to strengthen democracy. Founded in 1987 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, IFES has developed and implemented comprehensive, collaborative democracy solutions in more than 145 countries.
PRIMARY FUNCTION/PURPOSE:
IFES is seeking Electoral Management Specialist for an anticipated electoral integrity program in The Gambia. The Electoral Management Specialist will provide technical support to key institutions in constitutional reforms, legal and regulatory reforms of the electoral process, and capacity building of the electoral management bodies (EMBs). This position is based in Banjul, The Gambia.
Job Responsibilities:
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop and maintain working relationships with the national counterparts, including the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and other EMBs;
- Advice the IEC and other Gambian government stakeholders on awareness raising and public consultation activities along the Constitutional Review Committee process, including the assessment of citizen priorities, training of MPs and political leaders on constitutionalism, and dissemination of Commission information via media;
- Conduct analysis of draft reforms as a foundation for ongoing dialogue between stakeholders to ensure coherence of the Gambia’s future electoral framework;
- Facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops to enable interest groups and institutions to engage in the legal and regulatory reform process, in particular needed electoral reforms in advance of the next round of elections in 2021;
- Support the IEC to conduct a structured and inclusive strategic planning process to identify challenges and priorities for institutional reforms and formulate operational plans and budgets;
- Develop and provide advice on training programs of the IEC personnel around planned innovations to the electoral process;
- Liaise with other election assistance implementers, donors, and the diplomatic community to coordinate activities and maximize the impact of collective technical assistance efforts;
- Provide necessary technical support to CSO partners to develop work plans and messages for public awareness activities.
POSITION SCOPE:
- Provide broad oversight and technical expertise in the development of work plans and objectives to assure successful achievement of goals and objectives;
- Recommend policies, controls and procedures to guide performance;
- Monitor and evaluate interim results and develops contingency plans if objectives are off track;
- Demonstrate mastery in a field of specialization, with comprehensive knowledge of professional best practices;
- Use global/ industry outlook to determine impact on IFES’ strategy and apply thought leadership and innovations to work approaches.
DECISION MAKING/PROBLEM SOLVING:
- Identify risk factors with potential to disrupt achievement of operational goals;
- Consult with internal and external stakeholders to identify, propose and build consensus around best solutions;
- Complex decision-making subject to management review.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: Manage processes that ensure compliance with budgeted expenses.
RELATIONSHIPS:
- Develop and maintains a network of external contacts to influence results of assigned goals;
- Collaborate with internal and external partners in planning, implementing and evaluating results;
- Seek consensus among diverse viewpoints as a means of building group commitment;
- Partnerships require a high degree of diplomacy and judgment, with ability to address conflicts or difficulties in a constructive manner.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Provide oversight and management of host country national staff, consultants and field experts to complete the project’s work plan. Qualifications: POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field required, e.g., political science, law, international affairs, or public/business administration;
- Minimum of 8 years of experience on policy reform and/or elections, with significant experience working in The Gambia preferred;
- Accreditation to facilitate Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) trainings required;
- Technical expertise and experience supporting election systems, in particular developing the capacity of election administration;
- Technical expertise and experience in constitutional reform mechanisms;
- Experience managing policy development and legal reform interventions;
- Familiarity with USAID and other international donors as an action-oriented interlocutor with democracy-development actors at all levels;
- Prior experience working in a politically sensitive and challenging environment; and
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
Travel:** As need arises to support the project.
Physical Requirements/Work Environment: Standard office workenvironment. Reasonable accommodationsmay be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentialfunctions of the job.
How to apply: