The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) seeks a Resident Program Manager to assist with the implementation of its political party programs in Afghanistan. The Program Manager will be based in Kabul and supervised by the Institute’s Resident Director for Political Party Programs in Afghanistan as well as NDI’s Resident Senior Director for Afghanistan. The Program Manager will be supported by Kabul and Washington D.C.-based staff. This position is available immediately. A commitment of one year is expected for this position.
Background
NDI established an office in Afghanistan in March 2002 and has since conducted extensive programs to support political participation and the development of democratic governance institutions. The Institute has helped prepare candidates, political parties, polling agents, women and domestic monitors to participate effectively in the country’s 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010 elections. NDI has also implemented programs to strengthen political processes in the National Assembly and support the country’s provincial councils.
NDI has been working with Afghan political parties since 2002. In the immediate post-Taliban period, the Institute provided support in the early stages of transition, assisting emerging political parties on fundamental organizational principles, the formal registration process, and the formation of coalitions. In the lead up to the 2004 and 2005 elections, the Institute conducted national-scale training activities for parties on political party development, campaigning, and electoral processes. In advance of the 2009 and 2010 elections, to help build the capacity of parties to participate in the political process, NDI implemented a trainer program that engaged party-nominated male and female participants on the basics of democracy, party building, campaign planning and management, direct voter contact, and the role of polling agents. Participants then trained thousands of their party members in provinces across Afghanistan. In addition, for several smaller parties, NDI conducted leadership development activities focused on strengthening internal party structures, building coalitions, and positioning to compete in the political environment.
Currently, NDI is conducting programs to strengthen the role of political parties in parliament. Combined with its ongoing work with parties and parliamentarians on the role of coalitions and parliamentary groupings, the Institute is initiating a program to strengthen the capacity of parties to create policy agendas that address citizen concerns. This work would assist parties in conducting citizen outreach on the policy development process, and support party efforts to engage government officials in transforming policy agendas into concrete action. The program would involve a series of consultations on party interests and policy development, technical sessions on message development, research to test draft policy agendas and party messages, and practical guidance in organizing and conducting constituent outreach.
The Institute’s programs are funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British Government.
Responsibilities
- Assist in the implementation of NDI’s political party strengthening program in Afghanistan;
- Guide political parties through the policy development process and facilitate discussions to help parties determine priority issues and outline policy agendas;
- Provide technical assistance to parties in the development of communication strategies and the conduct of constituency outreach;
- Present practical guidance to parties in the use of research to inform the drafting of policy agendas;
- Work with NDI staff to develop relevant training materials for program activities;
- Ensure programmatic goals are achieved and operational and reporting requirements are adhered to;
- Maintain collaborative working relationships with party leaders and key partners in civil society, government and the donor community;
- Draft and submit field reports that monitor and measure program results and political developments.
Experience Required
- Bachelors Degree, preferably in International Relations or related subject, graduate degree preferred;
- A minimum of eight (8) years relevant work experience as a political party trainer or working with legislatures or political parties at the national level; additional years of relevant work experience may be substituted for educational requirement on a one-for-one basis;
- Ability to live and work in a challenging political and economic environment; prior experience in conflict or post-conflict settings required;
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity to effectively interact with staff, political parties, policy makers, government personnel and funders;
- Training experience, workshop design and facilitation skills;
- Experience in implementing international development programs, preferably with work focused on political parties and parliaments;
- Fluency in written and spoken English; knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto a plus;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills to present information, respond to questions and contribute to written reports in a professional manner;
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior political leaders as well as members of the donor and diplomatic community;
- Ability to communicate skills and experience to others as a trainer and advisor;
- Excellent interpersonal and networking skills as well as the ability to conduct professional political relationships;
- Exceptional analytical skills for interpreting complex program and political issues;
- Ability to work under pressure with minimum supervision; capacity to work both independently and as a member of a team;
- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Windows environment, email technology and spreadsheet applications; and
- Ability to adjust programmatic activities based on changing political circumstances and in response to needs articulated by local partners and program stakeholders.
Comments:
This is a non-dependent post.
NDI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Please apply online at
http://hostedjobs.openhire.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjob&jobid=217194&company_id=15851&jobboardid=479
Closing date: 17 May 2011 — National Democratic Institute
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