Consultant Job Vacancy at undp Zimbabwe

Job Title:CONSULTANT
Location : Harare, ZIMBABWE
Application Deadline : 04-Apr-12
Additional Category Democratic Governance
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : National Consultant
Languages Required :
English
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 16-Apr-2012
Duration of Initial Contract : 21 Days
Expected Duration of Assignment : 21 Days
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Background

From October 1996, the Parliament of Zimbabwe (PoZ) embarked on a long term Parliamentary Reform Programme in response to the increasing public demand for a more responsive and an effective Parliament capable of performing its representational, legislative and Executive oversight roles.

In order to implement the reforms, Parliament set itself the following broad objectives:

Strengthening capacity of Members of Parliament and the Secretariat of Parliament to assume greater policy formulation tasks;
Equipping the Secretariat with skills in areas of Policy Research Support, Gender Management, Report Writing and Presentation and Project Management;
Raising the visibility and profile of the Legislature as a development policy formulation and implementation institution;
Establishing Parliament Constituency Information Centres (PCICs) to serve as meeting places for MPs and their constituents and as centres for parliamentary information dissemination.

To support these objectives, two Projects, namely “Technical Support for Parliament” and the “Technical Support to Strengthen Parliament Constituents Relations” were launched in January 1999 and July 2002, respectively.
In June 2002, Parliament, with technical and financial assistance from the UNDP, appointed a Capacity Assessment Team (CAT) to review progress made in realizing the objectives of the PRC and to make proposals for the next phase of the reform process. The CAT submitted its report in May 2003 noting the substantial achievements made. The CAT also identified the following critical success factors for the next phase of the reforms:

Continued political and administrative leadership and commitment;
Firm ownership of the reforms by Parliament, with the Liaison and Coordination Committee (LCC) - successor to the PRC - acting as the main custodian;
The ability to retain professional staff;
Effective collaboration with development partners and other key stakeholders;
Efficient programme management arrangements.


The second phase of the reform process covering to period January 2005 to December 2007 was formulated in 2004 following consultations between Parliament and UNDP. The consultations were based on a strategic review of the 72 recommendations of CAT which were later rationalized to 32 by the Liaison and Coordination Committee (LCC). The LCC grouped the 32 recommendations into 5 strategic categories that were incorporated into the Administration of Parliament’s Strategic Plan, 2005-2010. This phase also sought to build upon the achievements of the first phase and to address ongoing challenges as well as emerging opportunities. To this end, the above mentioned Projects launched in 1999 and 2002 were closed and succeeded by the “Three Year Rolling Multi Donor Parliamentary Support Programme for the period 2005-2008”.
In 2005 the 1st Three-Year Rolling Multi Donor Parliamentary Support Programme was rolled out and subsequently evaluated in October 2008. The main findings of this evaluation were:

That Parliamentarians had participated in trainings on a variety of issues and subjects, ranging from human rights, gender issues and budgeting;
Portfolio Committee System initiated during the early stages of the reforms are now firmly entrenched and operational.
Standing Rules and Orders had been reviewed and printed.
Training of Staff of the Parliamentary Constituency Centres information was completed.
Relevant training had been conducted for staff.


In May 2010 the 2nd Three-Year Multi Donor Parliamentary Support Programme was adjusted to a two-year Support Program (2010-2011) in line with the Zimbabwe United Nations Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF) 2007-2011. This Parliamentary Support Programme was signed in May 2010 and implemented until 31st December 2011. An end of Programme Evaluation is due to assess its performance, results achieved, draw lessons learnt and inform the future Parliamentary Support Programme covering 2012 -2014.
The Evaluation of the Two Year Rolling Multi Donor Parliamentary Support Programme will be conducted by two consultants, one national and the other international working as a team. The national consultant will work with the International Consultant (Lead Consultant).

Duties and Responsibilities

The national consultant will be working closely with the lead consultant on the following tasks:

Conduct a desk literature review of the Two Year Rolling Multi Donor Parliamentary Support Programme documentation,
Identify the planned, principal approaches and strategies that were employed in the Parliamentary Support Programme (PSP) to meet the objectives of parliamentary reforms.
Assess the design, implementation and results of the Programme and specifically examine the appropriateness, relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the Programme.
Evaluate the degree to which the Parliamentary Support Programme has been successful, including the extent to which the targeted beneficiaries have benefited from the support, taking into account the socio, political and economic situation.
The analysis should differentiate between short and long term effects, with special reference to the parliamentary reform implications. If the results other than the planned ones have been reached, whether they are positive and or negative, these should also be described and analyzed.
Trace and analyze the underlying factors beyond PoZ, UNDP and other development partners’ control that influenced the outcome of the Programme in Zimbabwe. Establish whether the programme outputs, outcomes and other interventions can be credibly linked to achievement of the parliamentary reform objectives.
Assess whether the PSP implementation support and financing arrangements of PoZ and UNDP were the most cost-effective to achieve the desired outputs and outcomes.
Identify and analyze the challenges and constraints which confronted the PSP during its implementation and draw lessons learnt.
Assess the impact or prospects of the PSP enhancing the consideration of cross cutting issues such as gender, HIV and AIDS and conflict prevention skills in the Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Identify key partners and stakeholders critical in future support of the Parliamentary reforms in Zimbabwe, either than UNDP.
Prepare and present a comprehensive evaluation report on the Two Year Rolling Multi Donor Parliamentary Support Programme with the way forward to PoZ, and UNDP, Harare.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
Treats all people fairly without favoritism


Functional Competencies:


Knowledge Management and Learning

Shares knowledge and experience and contributes to UNDP Practice Areas and actively works towards continuing personal learning and development.
Ability to provide top quality policy advice services on economic issues.
In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues.


Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting
Abililty to go beyond established procedures and models, propose new approaches which expand the range of programmes
Ability to work with minimal supervision
Ability to lead formulation and evaluation of development programmes and projects
Ability to apply economic theory to the specific country context, carry out high-quality economic research

Management and Leadership

Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback
Encourages risk-taking in the pursuit of creativity and innovation
Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors

Required Skills and Experience

Masters degree in Political Science, International Relations, Law, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Policy or related field. A PhD in a relevant field will be a distinct advantage.

A minimum five (5) years-experience in the area of Parliamentary Reforms and or legislative support, preferably with a focus on institutional capacity development and programme evaluation.
Experience working in a multi-cultural diverse and dynamic environment is desirable.
Knowledge and familiarity with Parliamentary and UN systems will be an added advantage
Knowledge and experience of Southern African region; Work Experience in Zimbabwe will be an advantage

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.
How to Apply;
http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=29093