Legal Consultant (Elections)

Legal Consultant (Elections), Tunis

Background
At the beginning of 2011, the Tunisian interim Government requested the United Nations to provide technical and financial support for the electoral process. In response, UNDP Tunisia, in coordination with DPA-EAD, set up the project “Support to the Electoral Process in Tunisia” (SPELTU), which provides technical assistance to the national authorities responsible for managing the electoral process as well as support to civil society organizations for public outreach activities and support to women candidates. The project uses an electoral cycle approach designed to provide support to both first and second-generation elections.

From April 2011 onwards, the project supported the holding of the elections for the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), including through technical assistance to the election management body responsible for organizing them, the Instance Supérieure Indépendante pour les Elections (ISIE). The electoral law stipulates that ISIE is to be disbanded after the NCA elections.

SPELTU will continue to make technical support available to the Tunisian institutions in charge of electoral processes, including to the NCA as it designs the new electoral architecture and to the electoral management body that the NCA will establish to organize the next Tunisian elections. SPELTU will also continue to provide support to civil society and women candidates.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Operations Advisor, the Legal Consultant will contribute to UNDP’s electoral support in Tunisia, particular to achieve Outcome 1 of its electoral support project: “Democratic electoral processes rooted in strong & professional electoral institutions”.



The bulk of his/her support will be towards the members of the National Constituent Assembly in charge of drafting the electoral framework as well as the permanent Tunisia EMB once established.

Specific duties include:

Act as a resource on comparative experiences and provide guidance on legal issues related to elections to members of the National Constituent Assembly, the electoral management body, government officials, civil society members and other stakeholders.
Advise the members of the NCA on the development of the permanent electoral framework covering constitutional provisions regulating the electoral process and a permanent electoral code including the establishing of a permanent EMB.
Advise the EMB on the implications of the legal framework for organizing the electoral process;
Provide legal assistance as required during the preparations for upcoming electoral processes, in particular to highlight legal implications of decisions taken in the course of the electoral process;
Advise the EMB on the development of regulations, procedures and mechanisms for elections and referenda. Advise the EMB in the interpretation and implementation of the provisions of this regulatory framework, if appropriate;
Perform other duties as necessary, as assigned by the Operations Adviser or his/her designate.

Competencies
Corporate 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 favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge and expertise in democratic governance, electoral assistance and democratization.
The candidate should have significant experience in providing practical advice to policy makers; be able to work well with senior counterparts in government, electoral management bodies, civil society, political parties, and the donor community; and know how to contribute to building national capacity for development.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships, and good working knowledge of information and computer technology. While representing UNDP views, the candidate should also be able to provide coordination among the UN family of agencies.
Demonstrates sound knowledge of UN rules, regulations, policies, procedures and best practices in the electoral assistance field.
Excellent negotiation and representational skills.
Displays analytical judgment and demonstrated ability to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.
Demonstrates strong intellectual and operational capacity in providing advisory services to stakeholders in electoral processes, specifically to EMBs and civil society organizations.
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities. Demonstrated ability to multitask under pressure and to meet strict deadlines often under hardship conditions.
Excellent organizational skills and ability to work effectively in teams, delivering through and with others.
Self-management, including conflict management/negotiating skills.

Required Skills and Experience
Education

Masters degree in Law, Political Sciences, International Relations or related field.

Experience

A minimum seven years specialized experience in legal affairs related to electoral / political processes, the majority of which must be in electoral management or assistance and at least four of which involve advising high-level electoral officials.
Strong technical knowledge and comparative experience of the field of electoral legislation and procedures, as well as a general knowledge of international standards in the election field.
Strong networks within the regional (Arab world) and international electoral assistance community.
Experience in working with transitional and emerging democracies is an asset.
Strong knowledge of political processes in the Arab world is highly desirable.
The post requires considerable cultural and political sensitivity and an ability to meet deadlines

Language

Fluency in English as well as French or Arabic. Fluency in all three languages would be an advantage.

No Fee

AJS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND AJS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON BANK ACCOUNTS.

SOME EMPLOYERS MAY ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF YOUR APPLICATION.