Background
Under the UNDP Pacific Multi-Country Office in Fiji, the Effective and Inclusive Governance team at focuses on strengthening democratic institutions, fostering public engagement, and promoting inclusivity across the Pacific. By enhancing the capacities of national parliaments and electoral commissions, UNDP supports transparent, accountable governance. Emphasis on civic education and gender equality ensures that all citizens, especially women, are empowered to participate actively in political and public life.
Through technical assistance, knowledge exchanges, and resources tailored to the Pacific context, UNDP works to create resilient democratic institutions and a more inclusive, informed citizenry across the region.
This position supports two ongoing UNDP projects:
The NAIG Project works with Nauruโs Ministry of Justice, Parliament and Electoral Commission (NEC) to strengthen democratic governance, promote inclusive participation, advance gender equality, and deliver national civic education. Its outputs focus on:
Building NEC capacity; Strengthening Parliamentโs inclusive governance; Engaging women and girls in politics; Piloting civic education; and Improving justice sector services.The Pacific Elections Program (PEP) provides regional electoral support by:
Deepening institutional capacity through technical assistance; Strengthening electoral decision-making via knowledge sharing; and Promoting civic education and professional development tailored to pacific needs.Duties and Responsibilities
The Democratic Inclusion Specialist will report to the PEAP Electoral Advisor/Project Manager for regional initiatives and the NAIG Program Manager for Nauru-specific tasks. Regular progress reports and consultations will be held to ensure alignment with PEAP and NAIG objectives.
Advisory and Facilitation (PEAP Output Two)
Provide Expert Advice: Offer strategic insights and practical guidance on enhancing political inclusion for marginalised communities. Co-Facilitate Discussions: Collaborate with PEAP teams to co-facilitate workshops and discussions, engaging stakeholders on inclusive electoral practices. Advocacy and Awareness: Contribute to promoting awareness of the political rights for all in alignment with national Pacific Contexts and international standards and good practices.Research and Toolkit Development
Inclusion Research: Conduct and support research on topics such as Temporary Special Measures (TSMs) for womenโs political participation, Preventing Electoral Violence, and best practices for inclusion. Development of Womenโs Leadership Toolkit: Contribute to the design and development of a comprehensive toolkit aimed at empowering Pacific women as political candidates and leaders, ensuring accessibility and cultural relevance.Support Inclusion Activities in Nauru (NAIG Output Three)
Liaison with Gender fosuced CSOs: Serve as the main liaison for inclusion initiatives in Nauru, with a focus on the Women Empowerment Nauru Association (WENA) and other relevant stakeholders. Elections Support: Assist in planning and executing inclusive electoral support activities for the National Elections in Nauru, ensuring the active engagement of marginalized groups. Parliamentary Inclusion Support: Provide assistance to initiatives aimed at increasing the inclusivity of parliamentary functions and activities. Justice Support: Assist in planning targeted initiatives to enhance inclusivity in the ย justice activities, including with the Nauru Police Force and Corrections.ยFacilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing, and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic areas.
Identify capacity building needs and opportunities. Ensure appropriate training, project workshops and other relevant activities are organized and implemented in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia. Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned and good practices for possible wider application. Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on development and project related issues. Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDPโs engagement in this area.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
Core competencies:
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact ย Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems ย Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands ย Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater resultsย Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaborationย Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivityยCross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Business Direction & Strategy
2030 Agenda: People
Gender: Gender social norms and behavioural change Gender: Inclusive governance and womenโs participation and representationBusiness Management
Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audienceย Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channelsPartnership Management
Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understandingRequired Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in gender studies, public policy, or related field is required,ยorย A first-level university degree (bachelorโs degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
Minimum of 5 years (with masterโs degree) or 7 years (with bachelorโs degree) of progressively responsible experience in gender is required. Strong expertise in democratic inclusion (with focus on disability, gender, and political participation) with proficiency in research and toolkit development, especially in relation to political participation Proven ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders across diverse cultural and geographic contexts. Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with a demonstrated ability to promote inclusive practices effectively. Experience in the Pacific Inclusion work is desirable. Experience in election support is desirable. Demonstrated understanding and experience of international human rights standards, particularly those related to disability rights and gender equality is desirable.Required language(s):ย
Working level of written and spoken English language requiredEqual opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.ย
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.ย
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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