Position Information

Office/Unit/Project: Democratic Governance Reform Project for Tigray Region (DGRPT)

Title: Project Specialist, Civil Service

Level: NPSA 10 
Duty station (City and Country): Tigray (Mekelle) with frequent travel to the field. 
Type (Regular or Short term): Regular
Office- or Home-based: Office Based
Expected starting date: August 01, 2024
Expected Duration: One year with a possibility of extension subject to availability of funding 

Office/Unit/Project Description (max three hundred words)

The Democratic Governance Reform Project for Tigray Region (DGRPT) is a one-year (March 2024 to March 2025) multi-stakeholder project. The project is technically managed by UNDP with close coordination with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office to support efforts to build the capacity of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray (IRAT) following the Pretoria Agreement. The aim is to lay the foundation for addressing peacebuilding-related capacity gaps in Tigray’s justice sector civil service, and democratization institutions (political parties, civil society, and the media). The project responds to the needs and commitment of the IRAT, to address governance deficits to drive forward implementation of the Pretoria Agreement & beyond. The UN considers critical to peace consolidation the strong calls of the IRAT for democratization, social and political changes, greater- openness and accountability, government responsiveness, and accommodation of political positions. The project, with due consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and commitments to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), will support the region to enhance efforts towards strengthening institutional capacities, frameworks, personnel, and systems to ensure sustainable peace. 

This project is an outcome of extensive needs assessment, consultations with the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray, and guidance from the Federal Ministry of Finance to initiate a democratic governance reform project owned and led by the IRAT. It will deliver three inter-related and complementary outputs: 

Output 1: A unit with a dedicated and competent team equipped with the necessary expertise, resources, and mandate to effectively lead the implementation of the DGRPT is established. 

Output 2: Three interrelated comprehensive democratic governance institution assessments conducted, and the basic functionality of the target institutions restored.

Output 3: A five-year evidence-based gender-responsive democratic institution reforms programme aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and inclusivity within governance structures in Tigray developed and launched for implementation.

In view of this, UNDP would like to recruit a competent a Civil Service Project Specialist who would join the DGRP4T Project in Mekelle, Tigray to effectively deliver the goals and objectives of the Peace Support Programme.

Scope of Work (5 to 7 items only)

Summary of Key Functions:

1. Provision of technical advice and services internally within the Civil Service Commission of the region and project team, and externally to other regional government offices on implementation of the civil service intervention/initiatives in alignment with the DGRP4T project objectives and principles.

2. Facilitation and provision of technical support on the undertaking of comprehensive assessment on the area of civil service reform and design of a comprehensive civil service reform programme.

3. Provision of technical support towards establishment and strengthening of strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, regional/ national actors, and development partners, and support the resource mobilization efforts of the project.   

4. Analysis and synthesis of the regional civil service towards improving systems, processes, and standards in order to underpin performance, accountability, and meritocracy within the civil service.

5. Undertaking regular monitoring and evaluation of DGRP4T activities as per the project M&E framework and plan, analysis of programme data for promotion of data use for decision making. 

6. Facilitation of knowledge building, management, communication, and outreach.   

For more information, you can refer to this link Annex: Terms of Reference (TOR)  National Personnel Service Agreement

Job Requirements

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Min. Education requirements

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in public administration, pedagogy, Public Policy, Project Management or relevant related field is required, or 

• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. 

Min. years of relevant work experience 

• A minimum of 5 years (with a master’s degree) and or 7 years (with a bachelor's degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in project management and provision of technical advisory services is required.

• Experience in the usage of advanced computers and office software packages, including in Microsoft applications (word, excel, PowerPoint) and common internet applications and handling of web-based management systems is required.

Required skills 

• Demonstrated working level experience in civil service policy analysis and capacity development.

• Good knowledge and understanding of Ethiopia, including civil service and economic, and social context of target Regions.

• Proven capacity to communicate fluently with different stakeholders (civil society, government authorities, local communities, private sector, project staffs,)

• Proven capacity for responsible problem-solving and troubleshooting.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Hands-on experience in the design, monitoring and evaluation and impact analysis of civil service reform or relevant projects and programmes.

• Experience and track record of engagement with and coordinating activities and initiatives that involve senior levels of government, United Nations, and donors.

• Experience in the field of post-conflict coordination and proven analytical capacity, especially for issues related to civil service. 

• Practical experience in organization management, strategic planning of associations and public organizations at the national and regional level.

• Experience/Familiarity with programmatic issues related to civil service reform.

• Good knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines on national civil service reform, and a good knowledge of the United Nations System and the multi/bilateral cooperation.

• Deep understanding of the Ethiopian political and governance context.

Required Language(s) 

• Fluency in English and Tigrigna is required. 

How To Apply

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

2. A cover letter (maximum length: one page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Interested and qualified applicants should apply through this link Project Specialist, Civil Service