UNDP Liberia

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO. UNDP/SC/2006/030

Date of Issue: 7 November 2007
Closing Date: 14 November 2007

Post Title: Special Assistant to the Ministry of Internal Affairs on CST
Post Level: NPPP (Equivalent of Level A)
Duty Station: Monrovia/Liberia
Duration: Six months (renewable)
Bureau/Office: UNDP/CST
Start Date: Immediately

This vacancy is open to applicants of either sex. Preference will be given to equally qualified women candidates.

BACKGROUND

Most of Liberia’s infrastructure and basic social services are located in the capital city of Monrovia and other urban centers, underscoring the dramatic disparity in living standards and service delivery between urban and rural areas. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has recognized that sustainable peace will largely be dependent upon Liberia’s ability to address such gross inequities. She has therefore declared her government’s commitment to decentralizing recovery and development, placing the interests of the people at the centre of the process.

The United Nations in Liberia is committed to supporting the Government’s decentralization efforts. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) has therefore established County Support Teams (CSTs) to ensure a coherent and consolidated United Nations approach to addressing county challenges; support Government, in particular the superintendent’s office in developing county development strategies and build capacity of government institutions so that they can increasingly take over responsibility for security, reconstruction and development.

Against the background of the CSTs, a joint United Nations project was established, administered by UNDP, which aims to build capacity of local administration in assessing, planning, coordinating and raising resources for, and delivering essential services in support of the restoration of civil authority and recovery.

To work closely with the UN in developing the CST mechanism and the project, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has appointed the deputy Minister for Administration the Focal Point for CST.

The Special Assistant will assist the Ministry with coordination, monitoring and development of guidance to the superintendents.

DESCRIPTION OF MAIN DUTIES:

Under the direct supervision of the Minister, the Special Assistant would undertake the following tasks in close collaboration with the CST technical team:

• Designing operational guidelines for the county administration and central administration levels;
• Developing training packets for local administration in two phases: 1) technical capacities, competencies and underlying capacities for local government and 2) Millennium Development Goals (MDG) related training for local administration;
• Designing a communication/information sharing system at the county and district levels;
• Developing county development plans;
• Designing a simple reporting format for all local government authorities;
• Formulating an intra-ministerial coordination mechanism;
• Assisting the Ministry to perform other related assignments as requested.

QUALIFICATION, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Master’s Degree in a relevant field, e.g. social sciences, development studies, international relations or other equivalent qualification.
• At least 5 years of experience in the area of capacity-building, including training in data and information management.
• Good computer knowledge, namely literacy in a wide range of computer applications, including Word, Power Point Excel, Access.
• Proven experience with local networks and databases.
• Familiarity with data, statistics and indicators.
• Understanding of the Millennium Development Goals.
• Fluency in spoken and written English with excellent drafting and oral skills.
• Must be a self-starter with excellent demonstrated team-working skills
• Sound judgment, excellent analytical skills, strong networking and interpersonal skills, ability to plan, organize and coordinate work.

Email application to this vacancy should be sent to vacancies.lr@undp.org. Please insert Vacancy Announcement Number in the Subject of the email or written application. Applications without the Vacancy Announcement Number or with the incorrect Vacancy Announcement Number will not be accepted. Attach photocopies of qualifications (i.e. technical certificates and academicals) and a one-page cover letter indicating your interest and suitability for the position.

Please note that applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for a written test followed by an interview.

Please forward all written applications to:

Deputy Resident Representative (Operations)
Attention: HR Unit
United Nations Development Programme
Simpson Apartment, Mamba Point
Monrovia, Liberia

cc: All UN Agencies and UNDP Programmes/Projects and All Counties

 

Note: All applications/queries must be addressed to: vacancies.lr@undp.org
Also you can download the P11 Form here