Operational Project Coordinator

Background

Ethiopia’s Sixth General Elections took place in 2021, under the administration of the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), which was established in 2019 to conduct all national and local elections and referenda in the country. Following voter registration between March and May 2021, polling in most of the country went forward in June 2021. A second round of polling and a referendum on regional autonomy took place in September 2021 in areas where security or logistical considerations precluded participation in the earlier process. These processes were hailed as positive steps in Ethiopia’s democratic progression, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened tensions and violence in some areas of the country. Despite these challenges, turnout was high and processes unfolded in a largely peaceful manner.

UNDP Ethiopia’s “Supporting Elections for Ethiopia’s Democracy Strengthening (SEEDS)” project was established in 2019 to provide technical and operational assistance to NEBE. The objective of the project is two-fold: a) assist NEBE to become a more capable, transparent, and ultimately, trusted institution; and b) provide the required assistance necessary for undertaking inclusive, transparent, and credible elections. UNDP SEEDS’ strategic approach also aims at supporting inclusive participation of all groups including women, youth, and ethnic groups from all regions in the elections in the framework of the electoral cycle approach.

UNDP SEEDS project provided technical support for a very comprehensive election lessons learned process undertaken by NEBE. The outcome of the process determines the strategic vision of NEBE and recommendations provide guidance on priorities for post-election activities. In line with this, UNDP SEEDS aims to support NEBE in undertaking activities that provide technical assessment of the voter register to inform possible future interventions. One such activity is a Voter Registration Audit (VRA), which will take place during the last two quarters of 2022 and aims to assess the accuracy of the voter register through a field exercise across the country. UNDP SEEDS project seeks an Operational Project Coordinator to coordinate the activity and oversee its execution in the different regions of the country.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of Consultancy:

The purpose of the Consultancy is to coordinate and oversee the execution of the Voter Registration Audit (VRA) project. The VRA is a systematic assessment of the quality of the voter registry through collecting facts on citizens’ registration status. This will be managed from Addis Ababa and conducted in different areas throughout the country.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Operational Project Coordinator will:

Assist in leading the planning and implementation of the NEBE-UNDP VRA project, including defining schedules, identifying human resources, budgetary and logistical requirements, and overseeing execution of activities, including the deployment and fieldwork of up to 250 staff in the field
Provide project management oversight to the VRA project in collaboration with NEBE and UNDP, including setting quality and performance standards, monitoring and risk mitigation, to ensure the project remains within scope, schedule and available resources
Maintain close communication with NEBE and the UNDP SEEDS project, providing day-to-day contact on project status and changes
Assist in building and developing the project team to ensure maximum performance, providing purpose, direction and motivation for the VRA project
In collaboration with NEBE and UNDP, monitor and assign resources appropriately to streamline the VRA project efficiency and maximise outputs
Analyse project progress and, when necessary, advise NEBE and UNDP on adapting scope, timelines, and resources to ensure that the project remains feasible and within the agreed schedule
Establish and maintain relationships with other stakeholders as required for project execution
Report project outcomes and/or risks to the appropriate management channels in NEBE and UNDP as needed—escalating issues as necessary based on the project work plan
Conduct a final review of project outputs to assess achievements and shortfalls of the project.

Ongoing project coordination tasks:

Coordinating human resources, logistics, information flow and project management arrangements
Assisting with the organisation and leading of project meetings
Managing relationships with NEBE, UNDP and external stakeholders
Assist with resource management including drawing up terms of reference if needed
Overseeing all incoming and outgoing project documentation that may be required
Providing regular updates on project progress against milestones and recommending adaptations as required
Participating in formulating inputs for internal and external reporting requirements
Maintaining a risk mitigation plan

Assist in managing a large and diverse team in multiple regions in Ethiopia that speak different languages.

Deliverables

1. (i) Review of project requirements and development of a project operational plan and timelines in conjunction with NEBE and UNDP SEEDS, including activities, coordination mechanisms, resource requirements, timelines and training schedule. Inception report with timelines 15 September 202210 days- Level of effort: 10 days

(ii) Coordination and oversight of implementation initiation, including training delivery and provision of regular updates and reports. Daily status updates and end-of-month summary report 30 September 2022- Level of effort: 11 day

2. Coordination and oversight of the implementation of the project centrally in the field, field staff deployments, mitigating issues arising during the field exercise and providing regular updates and reports highlighting status and key challenges. Daily status updates and weekly reports 31 October 2022. Level of effort: 22 Days

3. Coordination and oversight of the implementation of the project centrally in the field, field staff deployments, mitigating issues arising during the field exercise and providing regular updates and reports highlighting status and key challenges. Daily status updates and weekly reports 30 November 2022. Level of effort: 22 Days

4. Coordination of outstanding tasks for finalisation of the activity and completion of a final report on the Consultancy, including activities undertaken, scope of the field exercise, challenges encountered and solutions, and recommendations. Final report 15 December 2022. Level of effort:10 Days

Institutional arrangements:

The consultant will work full time, based in Addis Ababa, based at the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia and UNDP SEEDS office. The consultant will operate under the supervision of the UNDP Chief Technical Advisor and UNDP ICT Lead, in close collaboration with the NEBE Director of the ICT Department and NEBE designated coordinator, under the guidance of the Chairperson of NEBE.

Competencies

The Consultant should possess the following competencies:

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

Functional Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by Modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the project.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly and without favouritism.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships, and good working knowledge of information and computer technology with extensive web application content development knowledge.
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities. Demonstrated ability to multitask under pressure and to meet strict deadlines, often under hardship conditions.
In-depth understanding of “Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism Crimes Proclamation” and criminal justice administration.
In-depth understanding of the relevant international and regional legal frameworks related to the Proclamation.
Understanding of the Ethiopian legal and judicial system, human rights, and the rule of law context;
Extensive experience in conducting research, producing training modules,s and delivering training;
Good communication and presentation skills;
Good assessment and analytical skills;
Be a team player and have the ability to work/liaise with various counterparts.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications:

An advanced degree (Masters) in Business Management, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Political Sciences or related field, or degree (Bachelors) in a similar field with the requisite experience.

Technical Experience and Skills:

A minimum of 5 years’ functionally related professional experience in the field of project management, coordination and/or administration
Demonstrated knowledge of project cycle management methodologies
Experience in planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting on project activities
Negotiation skills and the ability to develop strong?working relationships with UNDP and NEBE colleagues and external partners as needed
Commercial and business awareness
Ability to plan own work, setting priorities and completing it under pressure or when faced with competing demands
An analytical mind and the ability to respond to problems and seek solutions
Good communication skills – both written and verbal
A keen eye for detail and desire to probe further into data
Experience in working with UNDP, other entities within the UN system or other international organisations is desirable
Experience in working on projects related to elections is an asset.
Language requirements: A high level of written and spoken English and Amharic is essential; report writing skills are desirable.