Project Manager - Inclusive Lesotho Elections

Background

Office/Unit/Project Description 

Lesotho is a Parliamentary and Constitutional Monarchy with the King as head of state. The country has a bicameral Parliament consisting of two houses, the National Assembly with 120 members who are elected by a mixed member proportional (MMP) system and a Senate with 33 members, 22 of whom are hereditary principal chiefs while 11 are appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister. The country’s Government is led by the Prime Minister who holds executive power and heads a cabinet. National elections are conducted every five years. 

On 7 October 2022, Lesotho held its 11th legislative polls to elect 120 members of its National Assembly. These were the first elections observed by an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM), whose deployment and consequent recommendations were welcomed by political stakeholders in Lesotho, including the government. Despite a generally peaceful election, there were a number of shortcomings evidenced in observer reports such as: legal uncertainties and lack of clarity on election procedures, inaccuracies in the voter registry, interference in media, uneven playing field among parties and candidates, abuse of state resources, voter apathy and decrease of voter turnout, errors in announcement of results, and unclear procedures for election dispute resolution. Critical election operations such as voter registration and voter education were hampered by significant delays in issuing of funding to the IEC. 

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Lesotho is an independent body charged with the management of elections and referenda with its functions set out in Section 66 of the Constitution and elaborated in Section 135 of the National Assembly Electoral Act. Though the IEC is a well-established institution with proven capacity to organize and administer elections, ongoing national reforms which touch on electoral management will require restructuring of its systems and process within a context of highly contested elections. 

The project is articulated around the following four broad based outcome areas derived from SDG 16: It seeks to enhance the 1. Capacity of the institutions involved in the elections such as the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC),2. Deployment of Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), 3. Support to Local Government Election Dialogue, and 4. Capacity strengthening of the media, civil society and the interdenominational bodies led by the Christian Council of Lesotho (CCL) Furthermore, through its Peace pillar, it supports efforts to limit opportunities for electoral violence through prevention, mitigation. Strategies, early warning and mediation initiatives, including initiation and activation of varied roles by Lesotho’s development partners. 

In this context, UNDP is seeking a Project Manager. Working directly with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Government Ministry of Home Affairs, notably the Identification Department, and relevant civil society organizations, and in close coordination with other relevant UN organizations implementing complementary interventions, the position is primarily responsible for the successful management and implementation for the project. In the delivery of relevant components of the project (i.e. Institutional capacity Enhancement of the IEC; timely provision of national IDs, and enhancement of improved coordination between Home Affairs and IEC), the Project Manager will be expected to work in close collaboration with the UNDP Governance Specialist and Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) as well as relevant programme focal points in CO Operations Units, Acc Lab Unit and the Office of Financial Management. In the context of implementing the project, the Project Manager will be supported by a Project Admin and Finance Associate.

The position will be based in Maseru, Lesotho.

Duties and Responsibilities

Project Management Lead, manage, coordinate and develop effective project planning and implementation 

• Lead the formulation and implementation of project’s annual work plans (AWP);
• Lead development of detailed implementation plans;
• Lead formulation of budgets, and procurement and HR plans;
• Lead revision of AWPs, periodic revisions of procurement/HR plans ensuring that plans are updated in a timely manner and in close coordination of UNDP Country Office (Programme, HR and Procurement Teams);
• Provide direct supervision of UNDP project personnel.

   Provide technical Support to ensure effective project implementation 

• Lead consultations and engagement with national, district and local government structures including traditional leadership such as chiefs in the implementation of UNDP’s project activities;
• Lead the project’s recruitment and supervision of technical expertise to implement specific component activities;
• Lead the implementing partners identification and on-boarding process, and subsequent supervision of partners to implement specific component activities;
• Oversee implementation of project activities against annual work plans and delivery targets;
• Provide regular field updates to UNDP management;
• Coordinate project inception;
• Contribute to project communications and visibility efforts including the development of a range of core communication content including reports, briefings, infographics, case studies and presentations.

Lead effective Monitoring and Evaluation of the project activities and reporting 

• Lead the implementation of project monitoring and evaluation framework in close coordination with Project Support Unit;
• Lead finalization of project results framework in close consultation with Project Support Unit;
• Coordinate the finalization of detailed results framework with a focus on agreed indicators and targets in close consultation with Project Support Unit and development partner(s);
• Monitor and report annual targets and results in close coordination with UNSDCF joint annual reporting in accordance with the project results framework;
• Lead development and conduct of the mid-term/annual reviews, and end line assessment;
• Coordinate the conduct of an independent evaluation.

Contribute to knowledge management and information sharing 

• Organize training for the project personnel to enhance their capacities in the technical matters of the thematic area of the project;
• Identify, evaluate, synthesize, and document lessons learned and best practices directly linked to the project goals and activities. Develop knowledge sharing materials and respond to related queries;
• Contribute substantively to knowledge networks and communities of practice within the thematic area of the project;
• Develop and carry out a personal learning plan.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Governance and Peacebuilding Unit (GPU), the Project Manager is primarily responsible for the successful management and implementation for the project. 

Competencies

Core: 

Achieve Results:- LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 

Think Innovatively:- LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 

Learn Continuously:-LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility :-LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 

Act with Determination :- LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:- LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:-LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Functional Competencies 

2030 Agenda Nature:-  Climate and Energy- Ecosystems and biodiversity: Biodiversity Finance

Business Development :- Results based management -Result-Based Management-Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.

Business Direction and Strategy :- Systems 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.

Partnership:- Private sector resource mobilization-Ability to identify, develop and manage partnerships that leverage private sector technical expertise and resources.

General (across the functions):- Project Management -Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Finance:- Financial Planning and Budgeting - Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.

2030 Agenda :-Partnership- Energy Access

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Min. Education requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Governance, Political Science, International Relations or related field, OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

Min. years of relevant work experience

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in electoral assistance advisory / democratic governance nationally or regionally.

Required skills

• Professional experience in Project Management; 
• Good knowledge and experience of the political environment, administration of developing countries;
• Experience in project coordination, design and implementation Experience in gathering and processing data and information;
• Experience in managing work teams and supervising technical assessments, reports and technical documents; 
• Knowledge of key software packages (MS Office).

Desired skills

• Experience in project coordination, design and implementation;
• Experience in development of analytical documents, briefs and project proposals; 
• Good knowledge of the organization of elections in developing countries; 
• Experience managing multi-stakeholder teams; 
• Good knowledge of gender mainstreaming, conflict sensitive programme and result based management.

Required Language(s) 

• Fluency in Sesotho and English is required 

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

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