PESA- Technical Officer Vacancy at UNDP

Job Title: Gram Sabha Mobilisation, Social Audit, Social Accountability and PESA- Technical Officer

Location: Delhi

Organization’s profile:

The XII five Year Plan of the government highlights that one of the primary reasons regarding the relative lack of success of Plan programmes is that these are designed in a top down manner and do not effectively articulate the needs and aspirations of the local people, especially the most vulnerable. It recognizes that since 2004, there has been massive transfer of funds to the PRIs. However, institutionally, the PRIs remain weak and they do not have the capacity to plan or implement programmes effectively. In order to overcome the challenges, the Twelfth Plan has proposed about ten-fold increase in funding allocation for strengthening of PRIs through a new scheme called the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA).

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and UNDP project “Strengthening Capacities of Panchayati Raj Institutions” (2013-2017) aims at strengthening the implementation of RGPSA. It also focusses on providing institutional mechanism for strengthening the capacities for conducting effective gram sabhas, particularly in PESA areas.

This will be done through strengthening the National Project Monitoring Unit of RGPSA with

Services of technical experts on key thematic areas identified by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. A network of national resource institutions will provide advisory services and institutional development support to MoPR on themes identified. This network will also support strengthening of State level Panchayat Resource Centres, the District Resource Centres and Mobilisers.

The Technical Officer, Gram Sabha Mobilisation will be one of the technical experts to support the National Project Monitoring Unit. S/he will work under the direct supervision of the National Project Director (NPD) and Programme Analyst, UNDP.

Job Description:

The Technical Officer Gram Sabha Mobilisation social audit, social accountability and PESA will be responsible for providing implementation support to MoPR on mobilization of gram sabhas, promoting social accountability and PESA issues.

This post will be located in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. The Technical Officer will work under the direct supervision and guidance of the National Project Director and Programme Analyst, UNDP. The Technical Officer, Gram Sabha Mobilisation, social audit, social accountability and PESA will be responsible for managing the project activities as per the approved Work Plan.

Duties and Responsibilities

The underlying goal of RGPSA is to ‘strengthen the PRI and address critical gaps that constrain it’. The Technical Officer, Gram Sabha Mobilisation social audit, social accountability and PESA will have the responsibility of supporting MoPR, State Governments, Panchayats and State and District Resource Centres etc., in identifying and designing strategies for community mobilization for strengthening gram sabhas, and enhancing accountability of the Panchayats to the community.

Technical assistance and support to MoPR

1. Provide advisory services on Social Mobilization and strengthening of Gram Sabhas to MoPR and implementation support particularly in PESA areas.
2. Identify effective strategies for Social Mobilization and Gram Sabha strengthening; develop plans and advocate for their implementation
3. Identify effective strategies for social audit, and other mechanism for accountability to the people.
4. Advocate with States on implementation of PESA.
5. Support States on development of plans and effective strategies on social mobilization in Gram Sabhas and implementation of PESA.
6. Examine state laws closely on PESA and highlight contradictions and advocate for revision.
7. Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing on Social Mobilisation processes and strengthening of gram sabhas.
8. Actively coordinate with the Project implementing agencies, other responsible parties and contracted institutions, monitor their activities, and collate feedback on progress in implementation. S/he will also be responsible for flagging any potential risks and suggest its mitigation measures.
9. Develop a good documentation strategy, and maintain a database of relevant material produced by different civil society groups, governments and UN agencies.
10. Provide advisory/handholding support to States as advised by MoPR
11. Constitute an Advisory Panel of experts and facilitate annual strategic discussion meeting(s)
12. Coordinate with partner ministries and at national and state level.
13. Provide feedback to MoPR on central policy statements that may need to be reviewed/revised.
14. Institutionalize a system of monitoring from development of plans to its implementation.

Strengthening capacity building

1. Identify capacity development needs of implementing partners and arrange for necessary trainings. Facilitate technical assistance/support for project partners in all relevant areas as appropriate.
2. Prepare guidance notes for State Departments of Panchayati Raj, Panchayat Resource Centres and District Resource Centres on issues of social development.
3. Undertake initiatives to strengthen Gram Sabhas in PESA areas and in the North East in terms of organising themselves and knowledge and assertion of their rights.

Developing knowledge material

1. Ensure that knowledge products prepared are of high quality and are disseminated and used by the relevant institutions and stakeholders.
2. Identifying and collating national and international best practices and material that can be adapted by the States on various aspects of Social Mobilization, PESA etc.
3. Conduct research studies; develop fact sheets and awareness generation material.
4. Use and develop innovative material for community radio, television, newsletter etc.
5. Identifying and Collaborating with Institutions/Experts with thematic specializations
6. Identify and build network of resource institutions/experts/NGOs at the nation and in specific states to with thematic specializations to strengthen the capacity building efforts.
7. Develop a data base of institutions/experts/organisations and collaborate with them in making research material, design and conduct trainings.

Eligibility:

1. Essential to have Master’s Degree in social sciences.
2. Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience in the field of social mobilization, particularly in Schedule V areas.
3. Good understanding of issues pertaining to social mobilization and Panchayati Raj Institutions.
4. Sound knowledge and indepth understanding of issues related to social mobilization, social audit, tribal issue etc.
5. Ideally should have worked and engaged extensively with communities and PRIs in any capacity.
6. Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Power Point etc).
7. Good communication, interpersonal and presentation skills, with an ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
8. Ability to work independently and under pressure
9. Willingness to travel

Corporate Competencies:

1. Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
2. Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
3. Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
4. Treats all people fairly without favoritism

Functional Competencies

1. Knowledge Management and Learning:
2. Keeps abreast of new developments in the area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop himself/herself professionally.
3. Shares knowledge and experience with the team and other stakeholders.

Leadership and Self-Management

1. Effectively builds and sustains strategic partnerships with Government Agencies and main constituents, advocate effectively, communicate sensitively across different constituencies
2. Builds strong relationships with the Project Management Team and with the project partners, focuses on impact and result for the project partners and responds positively to feedback
3. Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills

Language Requirements

1. Proficiency in spoken and written English. A good command over Hindi is a must.

How to apply: Apply online by visiting http://www.in.undp.org/content/india/en/home/operations/careers/ (Copy and paste in your browser)

Last date for the application: 15 Oct, 2013

Reference: UNDP