Research Consultant - Promoting Inclusive Elections in the Commonwealth Caribbean/Americas ~ Paradaise Today

Location: Home Based
Closing date: 11 March 2016
Contract duration: 40 working days over a five-month time frame

Fee: £300 per day

Consultant required to develop a research and policy paper on promoting inclusive elections in the Commonwealth Caribbean/Americas (Gender Dimension)

Project Title

Strengthening Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions

Background

The Political Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat (the Division) is seeking to place a greater focus on the implementation of Commonwealth election observation reports to enhance the impact and value of its election work to member states.

Commonwealth Election Observer reports consistently examine the participation of women in elections and where appropriate, make recommendations for improvement.

An opportunity has arisen for the Division to support the implementation of these gender recommendations through the design and implementation of a programme on gender and elections. This would contribute to one of the Division's desired outcomes which is to assist member states conduct fair, credible and inclusive elections.

Scope and Purpose of Assignment

The Consultant will report directly to designated staff in the Political Division. Through the designated staff in the Political Division, there will be close collaboration and consultation with the Gender Section under the Office of the Secretary-General.

The Consultant will research a representative number of Commonwealth election observation reports (to be agreed with the project team) and other relevant resources.

He/she will scope out existing mechanisms, tools and best practice for increasing the participation of women in elections and the electoral process in the region. These will then be analysed and fed into a policy paper aimed at enhancing the institutional capacity of EMBs, political parties, the legislature and other relevant stakeholders to deliver more gender sensitive and inclusive elections in the region.

Functional Competencies of Consultant

Demonstrated understanding of issues related to gender and politics including in the context of advancing inclusive democracy.
Knowledge of international normative frameworks on gender, politics and inclusive democracy.
Recent research and policy drafting and development experiences with government, regional bodies and/or international organisations will be considered an asset.
Demonstrated experience working with projects/programmes on gender, politics, democracy, advocacy and capacity building.
Strong analytical and communication skills, including demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information and produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products.
Ability to work independently and produce high quality outputs in a timely manner, while understanding and anticipating evolving needs.

Core competencies

Demonstrated understanding of the Commonwealth's fundamental values and principles as outlined in the Commonwealth Charter.
Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.
Promotes enabling environment for open communication.
Solid political acumen

Required skills and experience

The successful candidate should ideally possess:

Postgraduate degree in social sciences/humanities such as development studies, gender, public administration, political science or other related field or other relevant disciplines.
Minimum 10 years' experience in research and policy development at national, regional and wider levels.
In-depth knowledge of development issues and management in developing country contexts, and in the Caribbean Region
Substantive experience in developing high-level research and working with international project teams.
High-level communication and facilitation skills, especially for engaging with stakeholders for research.
Knowledge and experience of work in Commonwealth societies.

How to apply

The applicant must submit:

A curriculum vitae and a motivation letter explaining why he/she is suitable to carry out the expected tasks.
A brief outline of how he/she might approach project implementation.
Submit a sample of a research and policy document he/she has produced.